Help Please!

SystemsGuy

Hi
Just got a new IDTV. Irish channels work fine on the digital signal but we can only get the English channels on the analogue signal, and they were fine on the old TV on the analogue signal. I think it's a problem with the aerial. If we moved it out near to the edge would it help? (to avoid interference with the slant of the roof)

Peter Rhea

The NI transmitter you receive from (presume it's a main site as your aerials are horizontally polarised) will have the digital transmissions on considerably lower power than analogue.

If you want more info, give your location. The digital Freeview service will go to full power in October.

SystemsGuy

Peter Rhea wrote: »

The NI transmitter you receive from (presume it's a main site as your aerials are horizontally polarised) will have the digital transmissions on considerably lower power than analogue.

If you want more info, give your location. The digital Freeview service will go to full power in October.

Thanks for the reply, we live just down the road from Knock Airport in Mayo.

Peter Rhea

I thought the 'deflectors' had been switched off.

Can you list the UHF channel nos. your UK analogue services are on?

SystemsGuy

I'm not too sure what you're on about I'm new to all this stuff sorry!

Ronnie Raygun

What exactly was your OP concerned with? That you have no digital UK channels?

Do you still have analogue UK? If you do, in that part of the country they would be coming from a local "deflector" (originally supported by subscriptions), soon to be switched off forever.

SystemsGuy

We have no digital UK channels, only the analogue UK channels.

Stinicker

SystemsGuy wrote: »

We have no digital UK channels, only the analogue UK channels.

Are you perhaps on the East coast and receiving the signals across the Irish sea from Wales or are you somewhere near the border getting overspill from Northern Ireland?

The Cush

SystemsGuy wrote: »

I'm not too sure what you're on about I'm new to all this stuff sorry!

You're probably receiving the UK analogue channels from a local licensed transmitter called a "UHF Television Programme Retransmission system or "Deflector". Can you identify which frequencies/UHF channel nos. the UK analogue channels come in on?

Deflectors (UHF Television Programme Retransmission)

In rural areas where neither cable or MMDS are available, UHF Television Programme Retransmission systems or deflectors pick up the UK terrestrial channels (either from Northern Ireland or Wales), and retransmit them on local UHF signals along with other channels. These operators faced legal action in the late 1990s from MMDS operators, as they did not pay royalties to the relevant broadcasters, and were not licenced. When the deflectors were shut down, there was such an outcry in those areas that an independent election candidate in County Donegal, Tom Gildea, was elected as a TD on a platform of supporting legalisation, which occurred in 1999.
Deflectors were first licenced in 1999 by the then spectrum regulator, the ODTR. The current regulations, Wireless Telegraphy (UHF Television Programme Retransmission) Regulations, 2009 will be the last for deflectors, all deflector licences expire in Dec 2012 and will not be renewed due to the roll-out of DTT in Ireland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_in_Ireland#Deflectors_.28UHF_Television_Programme_Retransmission.29

Recent discussion here (incl deflectors in Mayo) - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056557870
Mayo related discussion - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056625169

Many deflectors, carrying the analogue UK channels, around the country and in Mayo have switched off in recent times. None of the Mayo deflectors have applied for a licence in 2012 and some have switched off or will be switching off sometime in the near future. The best free option at that time will Freesat/free-to-air satellite receiver and dish to receive the UK channels.

http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg1218.pdf
http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg1259.pdf

The Cush

SystemsGuy wrote: »

We have no digital UK channels, only the analogue UK channels.

And if you can't receive them with an aerial from a transmitter across the border in NI at the end of Oct you require a satellite receiver and dish.

SalteeDog

The Cush wrote: »

And if you can't receive them with an aerial from a transmitter across the border in NI at the end of Oct you require a satellite receiver and dish.

Deflector system in Balla is still on - UK channels are still being received in Castlebar from it. OP near Knock Airport (probably very high ground) is possibly picking up channels from there.

Ronnie Raygun

His photo only shows 2 UHF aerials, & to judge from their relative orientation, if 1 is pointing at Cairn Hill, the other would be in the Castlebar/Balla direction, or if the Irish channels were originally intended to come from Castlebar, the "UK" aerial would be in the Cairn Hill (SE) direction.

But photos can be deceiving.

SalteeDog

In any case I think it needs to be made clear to the OP that the Saorview approved IDTV will not be pick up any UK digital channels from that location. There is no problem with the aerial.

SystemsGuy

The aerial is pointing to the North East, presumably towards Tubbercurry.

Ronnie Raygun

Yes, can be hard to tell direction from a photo.

If you can check the UHF channel nos./frequencies of your UK services (info. or tuning menu?), are they on these channels (freqs.): 47 (679.25), 49 (695.25), 51 (711.25) & 56 (751.25)?