Lost channels? Look here for transmitter/reception issues

Stovepipe

Bloody thing has a mind of it's own. All RTE channels back on yet RTE 1 on Ch 1 intermittent yet RTE Latest News on Ch 5 perfect.

Thurston?

Stovepipe wrote: »

... All RTE channels back on yet RTE 1 on Ch 1 intermittent yet RTE Latest News on Ch 5 perfect.

Have you looked through the channel list to see if there are duplicates of the Saorview channels? Maybe the 'good' ones have got bumped down the list?

If not, then it's purely a deterioration of the signal for whatever reason.

Oscarziggy

Stovepipe wrote: »

Bloody thing has a mind of it's own. All RTE channels back on yet RTE 1 on Ch 1 intermittent yet RTE Latest News on Ch 5 perfect.

I have the same "problem" from Mt Leinster over here in Pembrokeshire.
Sometimes RTE1 is there but no RTE2 --- sometimes the other way round .
If I check the signal quality on my Sony TV it can show high but then for no reason leap to low or no signal .
I'm a long way from the transmitter, most of the time signal is shown as high but it doesn't take much --- like attenuation from heavy rain ---- to kill the signal.
This can be rain locally or some where over the Irish sea between me and Mt Leinster.
I get the same from an Irish 145 mhz amateur radio repeater - one moment it is shown with full signal strength then nothing at all seconds later.
Regards

krustydoyle

Well folks,

I'm in carlow and just have a Weak or No Signal coming up on the screen..
But the channel is running fine in the background..

Edit: RTE 1 AND UTV Ireland are the only channels working


Any help??

Thanks

Stovepipe

RTE gone off again here in West wicklow.

Thurston?

Stovepipe wrote: »

RTE gone off again here in West wicklow.

You write that as if there is more than yourself affected, & you think it's a transmitter problem. Use the contact info. from here:

To report a problem with your Saorview reception please phone us at 1890-222012, or alternatively you can call 2RN at 01 2082259 or email nmc@2rn.ie

I emailed them a few weeks ago when a mux went missing from our local transmitter, & received a prompt reply informing me that they were aware of the problem, & working on it.

Stovepipe

Could be. I have no idea if it's a transmitter problem for the RTE side of things, as we have never had this kind of intermittent reception before now.I'm not ruling out equipment failure as it probably just needs to be retuned.....I have this system because Virgin Media took over from Chorus/UPC and dumped us! Chorus reception had occasional reception difficulties because the transmitter for our local area was sometimes shielded by trees and Virgin media just dumped myself and other users in the area.

Thurston?

Stovepipe wrote: »

I have no idea if it's a transmitter problem for the RTE side of things, as we have never had this kind of intermittent reception before now.I'm not ruling out equipment failure as it probably just needs to be retuned...

It's possible the box has decided to retune itself, or at least reorder channels for some reason, & that's where the problem lies.

If Kippure is your preferred transmitter, it may at some point have picked up a weaker signal from say Mt. Leinster, & now this is at the top of the channel list. I don't think all boxes will keep the set of channels with the best signal, & discard inferior duplicates.

Can you bring up frequency info. on the box for the Saorview channels?

Oscarziggy

Stovepipe ,
I would be on to the aerial installer and get him back ----
Regards

Galway

Thurston? wrote: »

Getting interference now to Saorview mux 1, & the Divis com. muxes.

Interference (ACI) from the Black Hill TX (central Scotland) to the Cairn Hil muxes.

As my aerial is high gain, has a masthead amp and is facing north-east I have been able to pick up the muxes from Black Hill on channel 40 (DVB-T2) and the DVB-T mpeg 2 ones on channels 41 and 43. All due to the current high pressure system and still, frosty conditions. The 'central Scotland' ident came up on my Promax HD Ranger meter. I am located in north Co. Galway.

The Cush

Galway wrote: »

Interference (ACI) from the Black Hill TX (central Scotland) to the Cairn Hil muxes.

As my aerial is high gain, has a masthead amp and is facing north-east I have been able to pick up the muxes from Black Hill on channel 40 (DVB-T2) and the DVB-T mpeg 2 ones on channels 41 and 43. All due to the current high pressure system and still, frosty conditions. The 'central Scotland' ident came up on my Promax HD Ranger meter.

Do you require the hi-gain aerial with masthead amp that close to Cairn Hill now, are you using it to receive Freeview from NI?

I'm about 60 miles from Mullaghanish with hi-gain aerial, got rid of the masthead amp after ASO.

Thurston?

Lowering the gain of the system won't make the interfering signal go away.

The Cush

Thurston? wrote: »

Lowering the gain of the system won't make the interfering signal go away.

Maybe reduce the chance of pulling it in? Interfering signal aside there should be no requirement for a masthead amp with a hi-gain aerial receiving from a main transmitter hence the question about Freeview reception.

Thurston?

The Cush wrote: »

Maybe reduce the chance of pulling it in?

It'll still be there at the same relative level to the Cairn Hill signal.

Antenna

Oscarziggy wrote: »

I get the same from an Irish 145 mhz amateur radio repeater - one moment it is shown with full signal strength then nothing at all seconds later.
Regards

Which one is that ?

Oscarziggy

Antenna wrote: »

Which one is that ?

145.675 probably Helvick Head Co Waterford although last week there were 2 coming in on the same frequency so could be Clermont Cairn Co Louth which is a fair distance north.
Regards

Loblox

Hey, just back in Ireland after a few years in Canada. Parents have Saorview, don't know much about it. RTE 1, and just RTE 1, keeps breaking up, stuttering and generally glitching out. None of the other channels do. All the cables are connecting, everything looks fine, and every other channel seems to be running okay. Any ideas?

The Cush

Loblox wrote: »

Hey, just back in Ireland after a few years in Canada. Parents have Saorview, don't know much about it. RTE 1, and just RTE 1, keeps breaking up, stuttering and generally glitching out. None of the other channels do. All the cables are connecting, everything looks fine, and every other channel seems to be running okay. Any ideas?

Weak signal for the frequency that channel is carried on, aerial and/or cable issue. What type of aerial are you using?

Loblox

The Cush wrote: »

Weak signal for the frequency that channel is carried on, aerial and/or cable issue. What type of aerial are you using?

I have no idea. I just got back recently, it was all installed while I was gone. How do I find out?

The Cush

Loblox wrote: »

I have no idea. I just got back recently, it was all installed while I was gone. How do I find out?

Is the aerial on the roof or located somewhere in the house/attic?

Thurston?

Loblox wrote: »

... Parents have Saorview, don't know much about it. RTE 1, and just RTE 1, keeps breaking up, stuttering and generally glitching out. None of the other channels do.

I'd say UTV Ireland will be glitching too, & RTE jr.

Can you bring up the frequency or UHF channel no. for RTE1 & RTE2, & post them here? Just in case it's come about some way that they're being received from different transmitters.

Antenna

Current notice

RTÉNL Technical Information
Service Notification:
2rn - Glenties, Co. Donegal
Due to an ESB outage, our transmitter located at Glenties, Co. Donegal is currently off the air.
This outage is affecting all Saorview services from this site, please do not rescan your receiver during this time.
The estimated ESB restoration time is forecast as 20:15 this evening.
2rn would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by this ESB outage.

Rescanning your receiver in the above scenario of course will either delete all channels (it would be preferable if receivers did not delete the existing channels saved if nothing at all is found in a scan)
or
might pickup another saorview transmitter with a weak signal prone to breakup etc ...

galtee boy

Would anyone know if the Mitchelstown transmitter in North Cork is on low power or is experiencing problems ? Since Christmas Eve, I'm only getting signal strength of about 35% leading to picture break up. I've checked all my connections, even went up on roof and checked and re did aerial connection and it made no difference. Of course 2rn in shutdown mode for Christmas, so can't contact them, to see if they are aware of any problem.

thebigredmachin

Hi,
I've had a few problems with reception from Maghera in the last month.

Was fine for the first 6 months since I set it up, was getting steady on both mux's (rte1 and rte2)
However in the last 4 or 5 weeks the rte1 signal in particular is weak or unwatchable. Seems to happen in the evening time intermittently.

Is there any problems with the transmitter? anyone else noticed problems from that mast?

It seems to be just the signal dropping intermittently Its perfect sometimes that is why I'm suspecting the transmitter or some kind of interference...

My setup:
A standard white tip Ariel mounted in my attic, from what I gather that's the one you need for Maghera..
I've tried moving my Ariel around in the attic to see if its a directional thing but it seems like its a signal issue.
I'm considering moving Ariel outside to eliminate the possibility of my roof insulation causing the problem but if that was the case I would assume it would be constant issue and not intermittent...

Any advice on what i can try next of if there is a better option for me than the white tip Ariel?

kleefarr

I have no idea at all, it's truly annoying.
Even after getting technician to check aerial set up and confirming it should be no issue, the only channel we ever have issues with is RTE1.
Most of the time it does not work.
We don't watch it much so are not really that bothered about looking into in more detail or spending any more money looking for a fix.

Grrrrr :mad:

thebigredmachin

i just called soarview support and they said there is no issue reported in Maghera at the moment. Maybe its just me so ;(

He recommended a professional installer to check my setup or to look at 4g filter / booster for my attic Ariel.

Anyone used / had success with those?

kleefarr, Are you pointing at Maghera too?

kleefarr

thebigredmachin wrote: »

kleefarr, Are you pointing at Maghera too?

No, that's Clare isn't it?
We are in Kilkenny.

thebigredmachin

galway / clare border i think.

the saorview support said there wa only 2 known mast issues at moment kerry and somewhere in leinster. Might be worth giving them a call. number is a few pages back on this thread..

The Cush

thebigredmachin wrote: »

Was fine for the first 6 months since I set it up, was getting steady on both mux's (rte1 and rte2)
However in the last 4 or 5 weeks the rte1 signal in particular is weak or unwatchable. Seems to happen in the evening time intermittently.

It seems to be just the signal dropping intermittently Its perfect sometimes that is why I'm suspecting the transmitter or some kind of interference...

thebigredmachin wrote: »

He recommended a professional installer to check my setup or to look at 4g filter / booster for my attic Ariel.

Sounds like a local interference issue combined with aerial location in the attic as it only happens in the evening time intermittently. 4G mobile base station interference would be constant. The aerial you have is the correct one for Maghera at the moment.

How far are you from the transmitter?
What are the signal strength/quality figures like when the signal is interference free? Good signal strength combined with signal quality as close as possible to 100% is required for both muxes.

Check that all connections between aerial and TV are correctly made. Anything new in the house or neighbouring houses that might be affecting it?

thebigredmachin

moved Arial out to the garage and got a slightly better signal
(no insulation in the roof out there)