DTT Signal from Three Rock

mearaman · 2009-03-31 14:12:41

Hi there, I've just checked my DTT signal on a TM 6900 Combo and I'm getting nothing. :confused::confused: It's been fine up to today albeit with the annoying testcards from time to time. It was on Ch54. I then done a scan and Ch61 appeared the best in strength and quality but no channels coming through. Analog is as good…

31-03-2009 03:12PM

#1

mearaman

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Hi there,

I've just checked my DTT signal on a TM 6900 Combo and I'm getting nothing. It's been fine up to today albeit with the annoying testcards from time to time.

It was on Ch54. I then done a scan and Ch61 appeared the best in strength and quality but no channels coming through.
Analog is as good as it was ( Not very good---Spoilt with DTT i am )

Anyone else seeing similar?

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#2 31-03-2009 03:17PM

Rick_

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The opposite really. My signal was constantly breaking up and had problems, but today the signal seems rock solid and all 8 channels/stations were found quite quickly with a search.

EDIT - Oops, forgot to say I'm on Clermont, don't know what I was thinking when I posted here, I guess I misread the Three Rock part!

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#3 31-03-2009 03:20PM

mearaman

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Hi paddy,

What transmitter are you recieving off?

Is it Three Rock?

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#4 31-03-2009 03:31PM

Rick_

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Sorry, I must have been editing my post while you were replying. It's Clermont, not 3 Rock. Sorry for the confusion!

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#5 31-03-2009 04:23PM

scath

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Eh guys, yea mearaman, I get my single from 3Rock. Yea the signal went around lunchtime today. Before that TG4 was off on testcard for a few days. So picking up nothing now. :-( I wonder have they finished testing then at 3Rock as RTÉ NL do say when testing is finished they would switch the signal off until broadcasters were ready to launch DTT. Will we see nothing now until the Autumn from 3Rock? Obviously the other transmitters started later than 3Rock testing and have to continue testing til completion of their testing processes.

I guess its too early to tell. We have to see what happens in the coming days. I wonder would they have taken off the signal to put on some test digital RTÉ channels and Today FM & Newstalk etc? and add 3e? Usually they would do such in order to reset frequencies to accomodate more channels. But I guess we won't know that until we see what happens in the coming days and weeks. Its good at least the note on rtenl means we know the story now.

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#6 31-03-2009 04:31PM

mearaman

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Cheers Scath,

I hope they don't switch it off for too long. That would be a head wreck. I do think the must be doing something along the lines of an upgrade.

Maybe some of the lads from here will have some info later on.

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#7 31-03-2009 05:24PM

fat-tony

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Is Three Rock still off as of 17.20? I'm seeing signal from Greystones, which I understand to be a relay of Three Rock. All ok (TG4 on testcard) and EPG is continuing ok since they fixed the ONIT.

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#8 31-03-2009 05:28PM

mearaman

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yeah was off as of 17:25.

I'll be off to footy training soon but i'll update when i get back if there hasn't been any.

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#9 31-03-2009 05:34PM

scath

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Yer welcome Mearaman. Yea,

I'll try retuning again Fat-Tony. I'm in Rathmines, so I'd be on the main 3Rock signal. I tried a short while ago. Lets see, Nope, no signal again as at 5:30pm from 3Rock. Hopefully some of the lads will indeed will have some info later about 3Rock. I wonder is Truskmore going to be upgraded this year as planned or is it being deferred til next year. I'm not sure yet if I'll be moving to Leitrim for work or not yet. Would be a shame to have to wait a year to receive DTT if I move home. I don't know does Carrick on Shannon receive from Cairn Hill or Truskmore.

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#10 31-03-2009 05:44PM

TheDriver

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mullaghanish was off until about half five today

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#11 31-03-2009 05:49PM

fat-tony

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I moved my Mvision box back upstairs (where I have an aerial pointed at Three Rock) and tuned in CH54. Signal strength about 60% (normally around 80%), but quality level ok at 95% and all 8 channels (TV / radio) ok except for testcard on TG4. EPG ok also!

Is this just a signal strength issue for you guys?

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#12 31-03-2009 10:38PM

904473

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I've nothing here in Balbriggan. Tried to scan again tonight but only the analogue signals coming through. I'll leave the TV on standby tonight and if there is a change it will update itself.

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#13 31-03-2009 11:19PM

Red Giant

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No signal here in Glasnevin either since early this evening

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#14 31-03-2009 11:47PM

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I think they're doing some HD tests, DVBViewer is reporting that the video signal is 1920x1088. Just a black screen coming in though.

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#15 31-03-2009 11:55PM

ei9go

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DTT is off tonight from mt. leinster CH45.

The signal strength has been down to about 1/3 of it's original for more than a week.

Wonder did the transmitter die?

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#16 01-04-2009 12:31AM

atellyer

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Is that it until Autumn?

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#17 01-04-2009 09:14AM

slegs

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ei9go wrote: »

DTT is off tonight from mt. leinster CH45.

The signal strength has been down to about 1/3 of it's original for more than a week.

Wonder did the transmitter die?

Mt Leinster has moved to 738MHz (from 666MHz)

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#18 01-04-2009 09:18AM

fat-tony

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slegs wrote: »

Mt Leinster has moved to 738MHz (from 666MHz)

738MHz is CH54 (Three Rock's allocated DTT mux1 (and will be used by Kippure I believe))

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#19 01-04-2009 09:59AM

slegs

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fat-tony wrote: »

738MHz is CH54 (Three Rock's allocated DTT mux1 (and will be used by Kippure I believe))

Yes, I now think from what I am seeing that MT Leinster is currently offline and Kippure is actually active at 738MHz

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#20 01-04-2009 10:25AM

fat-tony

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It would make sense (to me anyway:)) to turn off Three Rock CH54, while RTENL are testing Kippure on the same channel, so as to test coverage, before turning Three Rock back on to test for possible interference.

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#21 01-04-2009 11:35AM

CrowdedHouse

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slegs wrote: »

Yes, I now think from what I am seeing that MT Leinster is currently offline and Kippure is actually active at 738MHz

I last checked at around 9 am but it's very unlikely I'd be getting Kippure in Roscrea at 90% sig strength(on a 20 year old Colour King !)

Seven Worlds will Collide

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#22 01-04-2009 11:40AM

slegs

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They may have it at very high power like Cairn Hill when it first switched on. There is not much in the way of hills between Kippure and Roscrea.

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#23 01-04-2009 01:05PM

scath

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That sounds like a veryllogical reason its off Fat Tony. We'll see in the coming days. That note on RTENL about not to be considered operational service is thus wise, if they've to do tests of that type to ensure the later launched service works well. I guess if the signal doesn't return at 3Rock it means testing is complete.

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#24 01-04-2009 02:10PM

slegs

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Very unlikely that services will be switched off no matter what it says on rtenl. That is just a covering statement for them to fall back on should there be issues.

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#25 01-04-2009 05:22PM

mikedelaney16

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Does anyone know anything about the two strong blank muxes I'm picking up in the Deansgrange/Cabinteely/Cornelscourt area on 738 MHz and 818 MHz?

A pointer to a list of frequency allocations would also be helpful, I'm sure there's one somewhere.

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#26 01-04-2009 07:48PM

Psygnosis

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im in rush just doing rescan noting so far any one else missing ireland game SAD

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#27 01-04-2009 08:32PM

mikedelaney16

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Psygnosis wrote: »

im in rush just doing rescan noting so far any one else missing ireland game SAD

The games are one of several reasons I still have analog.

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#28 01-04-2009 09:01PM

Ganymede

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It would appear that the Three Rock reception problem is due to the fact that Kippure has now become active on DTT on the same channel 54. These two transmitters are designed to operate as a Single Frequency Network (SFN) which requires precision timing adjustments at each site so that they don't interfere with each other. Obviously RTÉNL haven't carried out these adjustments yet.

I lost my Three Rock reception yesterday but regained it in time for the footie tonight by replacing my attic aerial with a small indoor aerial that isn't picking up the interfering signal from Kippure.

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#29 01-04-2009 09:06PM

Peddyr

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fat-tony wrote: »

It would make sense (to me anyway:)) to turn off Three Rock CH54, while RTENL are testing Kippure on the same channel, so as to test coverage, before turning Three Rock back on to test for possible interference.

Hmm... Interesting theory. I've got nothing from 3 Rock here in the Isle of Mann except for ch64 which is blank carrier. Prior to the other day, 3 Rock DTT was blasting in here, some 80 miles NNE of Dublin. If Kippure has started testing then I would get good signal from there as my TV3 & TG4 analogue is very good and way better than 3 Rock or CC analogue, unless like CC there's no northward signal??

It seems I was composing this post as Ganymede was posting at the same time. I was hoping that Kippure would be even better signal & Quality than 3 Rock in my location, but alas nothing! :-(

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#30 01-04-2009 09:08PM

The Cush

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fat-tony wrote: »

It would make sense (to me anyway:)) to turn off Three Rock CH54, while RTENL are testing Kippure on the same channel, so as to test coverage, before turning Three Rock back on to test for possible interference.

As I posted previously Kippure and Three-Rock are to be operated as an SFN so interference will not be problem due to signal synchronisation.
My guess is Three Rock will not return until testing is complete on Kippure at which stage both transmitters will operate on the same frequencies and testing of the SFN will begin.

3.8.1.f. How do you propose to ensure that timing and synchronisation are maintained in Single Frequency Networks (SFN)? What is the proposed approach, and rationale for any such approach, for dealing with a situation in which synchronisation of one or more transmitters in an SFN is lost?
It is intended to operate Kippure and Three Rock as an SFN.

The distribution network is locked to a Global Positioning System (GPS) clock sourced from two geographically separate locations. Additionally at SFN stations the SFN adapter is also GPS locked. These facilities are duplicated Thus protecting against loss of synchronisation unless there is a problem with the GPS transmission. In such circumstances the adapter will free run and may drift out of synchronisation over time with the other station(s) in the network. The effect on the ground will be that the areas of constructive and destructive interaction will move. In the extreme it may be necessary to shut down one of the transmitters until the GPS signal is restored. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilising a constellation of at least 24 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its location, speed, direction, and time. As GPS signals are used for major civil and military operations, it is unlikely an interruption to signals will be of any significant duration.

Source: BCI DTT Multiplex Contracts: Applications received

Kippure

ERP and antenna pattern to be agreed as part
of SFN with Three Rock for pre and post ASO.
The outgoing interference of the SFN must be
less than that of the GE06 assignment for Three
Rock

Source: BCI Guide to Submissions

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#31 01-04-2009 09:32PM

mikedelaney16

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Oh how wonderful! Just what we needed!

More bells and whistles to go wrong.

Whatever happened to the K.I.S.S. principle?

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