Full Freeview on the Dover (Kent, England) transmitter

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Owner

11:28 AM

- BBC ONE Weak ; 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]

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Owner

11:28 AM

- BBC ONE Weak ; 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]

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Platinum

11:55 AM

Jim O'Shea: There is the possibility that your could have tuned to the instead of . At the first stage, BBC comes on air on and next week ITV1, C4 etc will be switched on on and HD . There are now Commercial services such as , Film 4 and from this , so you are probably best advised to continue using Dover.

If you find that BBC is tuned to Ramsgate by looking on the strength screen, then you can avoid this by unplugging the aerial for the first 30% of the . This is probably good practice so as to avoid this as a possibility.

G

Gordon Ormston
1:17 PM
Dover

Hi

I can only up a on the three remaining by using a and then the image is very snowy, nothing with or without an attenuator. A set top 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 and still need the booster to pick up the signal. Where do you go from here surely somebody has to be accountable?

Gordon Ormston's 7 posts

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Owner

3:28 PM

- BBC ONE Weak ; 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]

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Owner

3:28 PM

- BBC ONE Weak ; 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]

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Platinum

10:37 AM

Gordon Ormston: The fact that is very poor and snowy suggest that the problem isn't too high a level.

The bit about connecting loosing some signal was intended to be a crude attentuator to reduce the signal level.

Based on poor analogue , this would tend to suggest that you are in a poor reception area and not one where your could be suffering from the effects of too much signal.

I used Megalithia to plot the terrain from the 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 ) signals before ?

I'm not an 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 television is to get an aerial installer in. Or go with .

There are some that are on Freeview, but not on Freesat, e.g. and . However, these are carried on the (Freeview) Commercial multiplexes and these are on lower power than the Public Service ones from . So you "may" find that you can only receive the Public Service channels from Dover, all of which are available on Freesat.

G

Gordon Ormston
5:13 PM
Dover

Hi

Many thanks for your detailed explanation. Prior to switch over we were able to receive the majority of the signals without any problems but a couple of the commercial were not always 100% reliable hence the . 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 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

Gordon Ormston's 7 posts

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Platinum

6:03 PM

Gordon Ormston: The signals will be radiated from the system at the top of the . Because of their high , 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 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 , 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".

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Platinum

6:18 PM

Gordon Ormston: I have looked at Riverside on Streetview and I can see the trees in the direction of the . 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 or (these being only a couple of degrees apart). Presumably they have given up on from Dover, although the tall large aerials show that their reception is very difficult.