Full Freeview on the Dover (Kent, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.112,1.247 or 51°6'41"N 1°14'51"E |  | CT15 7AQ |
The symbol shows the location of the Dover (Kent, England) transmitter which serves 190,000 homes. The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Dover (Kent, England) mast?
Dover transmitter - Dover transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 15/04/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels 
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Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
The Dover (Kent, England) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: .
If you want to watch these channels, your aerial must point to one of the 80 Full service Freeview transmitters. For more information see the will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? page.
Which Freeview channels does the Dover transmitter broadcast?
If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
The Dover (Kent, England) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: .
If you want to watch these channels, your aerial must point to one of the 80 Full service Freeview transmitters. For more information see the will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? page.
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Dover transmitter?
BBC South East Today 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Tunbridge Wells TN1 1QQ, 69km west (270°)
to BBC South East region - 45 masts.
ITV Meridian News 0.7m homes 2.7%
from Maidstone ME14 5NZ, 52km west-northwest (289°)
to ITV Meridian (East) region - 36 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with all of Meridian plus Oxford
How will the Dover (Kent, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1960-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2012 | 2012-13 | 16 Oct 2019 | ||||
| VHF | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E T | W T | ||||
| C10 | ITVwaves | ||||||||
| C33 | BBCA | ||||||||
| C35 | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C36 | BBCB | ||||||||
| C39 | SDN | ||||||||
| C42 | ArqA | ||||||||
| C48 | ArqB | ArqB | |||||||
| C50tv_off | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCA | |||||
| C51tv_off | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C53tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | BBCB | |||||
| C55tv_off | SDN | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | ||||||
| C57tv_off | _local | _local | |||||||
| C59tv_off | ArqA | ||||||||
| C66 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves |
tv_off Being removed from Freeview (for 5G use) after November 2020 / June 2022 - more
Table shows multiplexes names see this article;
green background for transmission frequencies
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W T
waves denotes analogue; digital switchover was 13 Jun 12 and 27 Jun 12.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 100kW | |
| BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-1dB) 80kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB | (-4dB) 40kW | |
| Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B* | (-17dB) 2kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux C* | (-20dB) 1000W | |
| Mux D* | (-23dB) 500W |
Local transmitter maps
Dover Freeview Dover DAB Dover TV region BBC South East Meridian (East micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Dover transmitter area
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Monday, 18 June 2012
DOVER transmitter - Analogue BBC ONE Weak Signal; DSO related from 00:37 on 13 Jun [BBC] Over the next week Dover main transmitter: TV (analogue) working normally, TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK] Over the next week Dover main transmitter: TV (analogue) working normally, TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
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DOVER transmitter - Analogue BBC ONE Weak Signal; DSO related from 00:37 on 13 Jun [BBC] Over the next week Dover main transmitter: TV (analogue) working normally, TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK] Over the next week Dover main transmitter: TV (analogue) working normally, TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
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Jim O'Shea: There is the possibility that your receiver could have tuned to the Ramsgate relay instead of Dover. At the first stage, BBC comes on air on C26 and next week ITV1, C4 etc will be switched on on C23 and HD services C30. There are now Commercial services such as ITV3, Film 4 and Dave from this transmitter, so you are probably best advised to continue using Dover.
If you find that BBC is tuned to Ramsgate by looking on the signal strength screen, then you can avoid this by unplugging the aerial for the first 30% of the scan. This is probably good practice so as to avoid this as a possibility.
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G
Gordon Ormston1:17 PM
Dover
Hi Dave
I can only pick up a signal on the three remaining analogue channels by using a booster and then the image is very snowy, nothing with or without an attenuator. A set top aerial does not work at all on any channels. Not sure what you meant about your last option 'loosing some signal by leaving a gap on the aerial unscreened' ? As with Andrew Walker there has been some improvement with the BBC channels over the weekend but still well below an acceptable standard and still need the booster to pick up the signal. Where do you go from here surely somebody has to be accountable?
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Gordon's: mapG's Freeview map terrainG's terrain plot wavesG's frequency data G's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
DOVER transmitter - Analogue BBC ONE Weak Signal; DSO related from 00:37 on 13 Jun [BBC] Over the next week Dover main transmitter: TV (analogue) working normally, TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
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DOVER transmitter - Analogue BBC ONE Weak Signal; DSO related from 00:37 on 13 Jun [BBC] Over the next week Dover main transmitter: TV (analogue) working normally, TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
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Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Gordon Ormston: The fact that analogue is very poor and snowy suggest that the problem isn't too high a signal level.
The bit about connecting loosing some signal was intended to be a crude attentuator to reduce the signal level.
Based on poor analogue reception, this would tend to suggest that you are in a poor reception area and not one where your receiver could be suffering from the effects of too much signal.
I used Megalithia to plot the terrain from the transmitter to your location:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
This suggests that you may (just) have line of sight, although bear in mind that ground levels for the plot are sampled at intervals and it may go higher within these samples. This also does not take into account any obstructions such as trees and buildings.
It could be that you have poor reception because of the umbrella effect. You will note that you are 100m below the ground that the transmitter is sat on.
Transmitters put their main beam out towards the horizon. Its strength helps carry it. Thus, the closer to the transmitter you are, the more likely it is that you will be under the main beam, as it were. But there should still be sufficient signal. But the issue you "may" have is due to being so low down.
Could you (can you) receive (the lower power) Freeview signals before switchover?
I'm not an aerial installer, so I'm not sure what else you could try.
Having read your comments, perhaps the only thing that you can do in an effort to receive terrestrial television is to get an aerial installer in. Or go with Freesat.
There are some channels that are on Freeview, but not on Freesat, e.g. Yesterday and Dave. However, these are carried on the (Freeview) Commercial multiplexes and these are on lower power than the Public Service ones from Dover. So you "may" find that you can only receive the Public Service channels from Dover, all of which are available on Freesat.
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Thursday, 21 June 2012
G
Gordon Ormston5:13 PM
Dover
Hi Dave
Many thanks for your detailed explanation. Prior to switch over we were able to receive the majority of the Freeview signals without any problems but a couple of the commercial channels were not always 100% reliable hence the booster. I am still able to view the mainstream commercial channels OK but suspect that may change after the 27th. Having carried out the tests you suggested I became less convinced our problem was due to higher BBC signal strength and your conclusions make a lot of sense. I will wait until after the 27th to see what happens before I decide what to do. I am in the meantime most grateful for your time and trouble in helping resolve the issue.
Regards
Gordon Ormston
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Gordon's: mapG's Freeview map terrainG's terrain plot wavesG's frequency data G's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Gordon Ormston: The analogue signals will be radiated from the antenna system at the top of the mast. Because of their high power, I assume that the main beam is higher (to the horizon) whereas the lower power signals are radiated from antennas lower down and because they are lower power, I "wonder" if the beam is aimed a little lower, which makes it better for you.
Obviously the post switchover signals are on a par with the old analogue ones, which is why I wonder if you're always going to have difficulty.
As I say, I'm not an installer and I'm not an expert on TV transmitters, but as a technically-minded person, I wonder if the above is your problem.
Maybe have a look around and see what your neighbours have with regards aerials, although obviously some may have been put up to receive pre-switchover signals (not that they won't work after, of course).
The only other thing is are there trees in the way of your aerial, because they could be shadowing the signal, a signal which may not be great in the first place (as suggested above). If so, could the aerial be moved to get a better view?
Or will a taller mast allow sight above the trees? I appreciate that the answer to this question may well be no, or may be "yes, until they grow a bit more".
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Gordon Ormston: I have looked at Riverside on Streetview and I can see the trees in the direction of the Dover transmitter. I can also see that the aerials on the two houses at the end of the road are pointing in roughly the opposite direction at Crystal Palace or Bluebell Hill (these being only a couple of degrees apart). Presumably they have given up on reception from Dover, although the tall large aerials show that their reception is very difficult.
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