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All posts by Clive Porter

Below are all of Clive Porter's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.


What has happened to the Mynydd Machen Channel 23 / BBCA Multiplex this morning? All programs on this multiplex are "dead".
Have the engineers forgotten to turn it back on after their overnight engineering work?

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Mynydd Machen Channel 29 ?
Can anyone tell me what has become of the BBCB Multiplex (BBC One HD, BBC HD ITV1 HD etc.) on Mynydd Machen Channel 29?
I used to receive the channel 29 multiplex until around the time of the "re-tune" on 17 October. I've not been able to receive it since that date, maybe earlier as I don't watch HD very often.
I receive channels 23 and 26 from Mynydd Machen perfectly (100% signal 100% quality) but my (full HD) TV shows no signal at all on channel 29.


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Wednesday 24 October 2012 4:22PM

Can anyone tell me what has become of the BBCB Multiplex (BBC One HD, BBC HD ITV1 HD etc.) on Mynydd Machen transmitter Channel 29.
I have virtually line of sight to the transmitter which is 5.6km away.
I used to receive the channel 29 multiplex until around the time of the "re-tune" on 17 October. I've not been able to receive it since that date, maybe earlier as I don't watch HD very often.
I receive channels 23 and 26 from Mynydd Machen perfectly (100% signal 100% quality) but my (full HD) TV now shows no signal at all on channel 29 - which according to the transmitter listings on this site should be operational.
(51.5877,-2.9983) 

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Wednesday 24 October 2012 5:53PM

David: I assume that you are using the automatic tuning function. A possibility is that the low programme numbers BBC1 BBC2 ITV1 are being tuned on a low frequency transmitter channel that has poor signal strength inadequate to give you reception. If your correct service transmitter is at a higher frequency the tuning function may well ignore these programmes when it finds them again.
I suggest that you try the following:
Delete all programmes methods differ with each television perhaps a factory reset will do the job.
Identify the transmission channels for your transmitter from the listing on this site. (Find the transmitter on the map and double click on it to see the programme lists and transmitter channel/frequencies.)
Use the manual (not the automatic) tuning function for each of the transmission channels.
Id be interested in your feedback as to whether this helps.
(51.5877,-2.9983) 

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Friday 26 October 2012 3:22PM

Richard: I also have aerials in the loft one oriented towards Mynydd Machen (the local Wenvoe repeater) - channels 23 and 26 with 400 Watts at 5.6 km. distance and the second towards Mendip - channels 48, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 61 with 100 kWatts at 49 km. distance.

The aerials combine in a passive Y splitter into a SLX1 Signal booster which feeds a HQ Ant Amp4 four way distribution amplifier. Both these have variable gain. The SLX1 is set to maximum and the Amp4 to about 25% gain. With these settings the 2 transmitter channels from Mynydd Machen and all 6 from Mendip show 100% signal and 100% quality.

Following Dave Lindsay's comments, and being an electronics engineer myself, I have made an experiment. Turning up the gain of the Amp4 up to ~50% causes the quality of channel 58 to drop to 50~80% and channel 61 to 1~20% All of the other channels remained at 100% quality.

Turning the gain up to 100% caused all of the Mendip channels to show zero signal, although the Machen channels remained OK.

So Dave Lindsay is absolutely correct and this shows that you may need to have just the right signal level. If you are still having problems, and your junction box does not have gain adjustment, I suggest that you try a HQ Ant Amp4. It is easy to find on the internet and you can always send it back if its ineffective.
(51.5877,-2.9983) 

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Full technical details of Freeview
Monday 19 August 2013 4:42PM
Hereford

I have been trying to set up Freeview for a friend who lives in the village of Garway at HR2 8RJ 51d 53' 57" N 2d 47' 42" W. This location is outside the service area of both Ridge Hill and Mendip with the terrain plot for both transmitters showing hills in the way.
Surprisingly I have been able to receive some multiplexes from Ridge Hill and others from Mendip - although none with decent continuous quality.
Is there any local relay that will give a better service or should I resort to Freesat?


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