Full Freeview on the Limavady (Northern Ireland) transmitter

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Platinum

11:40 PM

Gerry: Further to the above, can you not receive from one of the transmitters?

Saturday, 22 September 2012

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Platinum

3:21 PM

Gerry: See:

http://consumers.ofcom.or….pdf

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Gerry

_{sentiment_satisfied}Bronze

6:24 PM

Yes Lindsay Gerry Here Email address for DigitalUK Northern is northernireland@digitaluk.co.uk I am getting good terrestial TV getting from but Highland radion is blocking us in Burnfoot Donegal.still not picking up no signal who owns tv mast at Limvady any contact details for them? Saorview shoulf be going throw Limvady on .siginal is very weak indeed i got brand new tv with Freeview built in only 2 months ago in argos.Please any help would be greatly appreciated.

Gerry's 21 posts

Briantist

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Owner

7:25 PM

Don't forget the Saorview coverage maps - ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice page with !

Briantist's 38,844 posts

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Platinum

8:24 PM

Gerry: My understanding is that the pre- digital TV networks in the UK and in are different.

In the UK, digital coverage is patchy before switchover. At switchover, the coverage of the Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) increases to match that of the current four- analogue (which is about 98.5% of the population). After switchover, 90% of the population can receive the Commercial (COM) multiplexes as well. will be a full service , so you should hopefully be able to receive PSBs and COMs.

Before switchover, main transmitters and some larger relays carry Freeview at lower transmission powers than after switchover. Thus, the coverage foot-print isn't as big as the analogue channels from each of these transmitting stations.

In contrast, I understand that the situation in Ireland is that many of the digital () transmitters are already broadcasting on full and therefore it already covers a greater proportion of the population.

The reason for the difference is because in the UK there are more networks and hence every transmitting requires more UHF channels (frequencies). The pre-switchover UK signals have been shoe-horned in. There are four full analogue networks and six digital ones, meaning that the pre-switchover transmitting stations require 10 UHF channels, yet there are only 48 available in total.

Consequently, whilst there are those who can/could receive Freeview before switchover, there are quite a few who receive it for the first time at switchover. Some may have intermittent until switchover.

Switchovers in the UK happen in two stages and these are two weeks apart. At Limavady, on 10th October analogue will cease for good. The post-switchover BBC digital will start on its full final power. The other multiplexes will remain on their pre-switchover (low) power until 24th October and the analogue signals for BBC One, and will continue until that date. Thus, you will need to carry out a retune on 10th and 24th October.

If you have two aerials (one on and one on Limavady), the feeds for which are combined into one downlead, you "may" not be able to receive some multiplexes from Limavady after switchover. I emphasise that this "may" affect you only if the feeds are combined.

The reason for this is because after switchover Limavady will use the following six channels: 50, 59, 55, 54, 58, 49

Currently its four analogue channels are 55, 62, 59, 63 and its digital ones are 67, 58, 53, 60, 63, 57.

Moville's analogue channels are 40, 43, 50 and its digital is 45, with a future serve planned for 42.

If the feeds are combined, the feed from each will be "split" at one channel. This means that one aerial "supplies" the channels below the channel at which the "split" occurs and the other feeds those above.

If the "split" is at , your Moville aerial therefore can receive to and the Limavady one to . At the present time the channels used by each of those transmitters are within those ranges. However, after switchover Limavady's will go lower, it using 49 and 50 as well, the former carrying BBC definition and the latter carrying , and others.

It appears that you are closer to than Moville, so I wonder if there is something preventing you from receiving from there. If you could receive from Holywell Hill, then this uses lower channels and therefore combining an aerial on it with one on Limavady would be possible.

According to this document, the Highland Radio transmitter at Moville isn't intended to serve a wide area and is simply a filler-in:

http://www.frequencyfinde….pdf

It complements the highest power transmitter which is at Burnfoot.

Therefore it isn't surprising that you can't receive Highland Radio from Moville (which is on 104.7MHz). Its transmission power is 100W whereas your local transmitter which is in Burnfoot is at 5kW and its is 103.3MHz.

Wednesday, 26 September 2012

Gerry

_{sentiment_satisfied}Bronze

6:30 PM

Seen Web link on Highland Radio News Motion you put forward today in Dail-
Highland Radio – Latest Donegal News and Sport » Inishowen Saorview signal problems aired in the Dil

Same issue applies here in Speenogue At moment with Coming from cannot get Signal at all.

I have been in contact with all Media Organisations .BBC,RTE about this same issue as this is the broadcasters area and have a vested interested that we get a good after digital from both sides of the border under the Good Friday Agreement.

Would you be able to find out who runs and operates TV at Limvady Co. Derry and weathers assurances can be got that residents who live in Border Areas I.E. Burt Co.Donegal who have always got a picture from this tranmitter in Limavady will still remain get picture from Limvady after Digital switchover.

We cannot get Sheffits Mountain Transmitter or as Grianan Fort blocks us getting a TV signal and cannot get Signal As Highland Radio Mast at Scalp mountain In Burnfoot in Donegal blocks us getting a TV Signal.We currenly get (Saorview)from in Donegal.

A solution has to be found here and not for it to be sweep under the carpet this has to be looked at now not next year by whoever is tasked to do it......Gerry Your would be greatly appreciated.

Gerry's 21 posts

_{sentiment_very_satisfied}Platinum

10:11 PM

Gerry: I don't think that you have anything to worry about at all.

The Dil Debate referred to on the Highland Radio website can be read here:

Dil ireann - 26/Sep/2012 Banks Recapitalisation (Continued)

With television high transmitters cover wide areas. Despite this, there are always pockets that they cannot reach and these are often communities in valleys.

In these cases small "filler-in" transmitters are installed to serve these communities. As covered in the debate, some of these small transmitters, which carry only at present, will be decommissioned at . So they won't broadcast after 2th October. Saorview claims that the will serve these communities, but they aren't so sure.

This is immaterial to your situation as you receive Saorview from which is quite a high powered relay. The transmission power of Fanad is 1.5kW and this will be the power it will operate on after switchover.

However, if you know anyone who receives from Moville or , then you can tell them that the current transmission power of the digital signals from those transmitters are restricted until 24th October.

This information is published by RTNL which operates the of transmitters:

http://www.rtenl.ie/wp-co….pdf

Basically, as far as Saorview coverage is concerned, it won't go backwards. That is, all the places that can get it now will have it at switchover.

If you get analogue from now, then you will be expected to receive its digital service when it goes on to full power on 24th October. Its transmission power will increase 25-fold at switchover.

No broadcaster can ever give any guarantee as to coverage. That said, if the coverage is the same as the current analogue, and I don't see why it should not be, then I would expect that you should be able to receive digital signals from Limavady after switchover.

With respect, if it turned out that Limavady doesn't reach you after switchover, then I don't think that the authorities will do anything. So all you can do is sit tight and wait until 10th October when BBC goes on to full power.

On 10th October, after you've tuned your TV to the BBC channels, come on here and let us know that you have success!

Saturday, 29 September 2012

Helen
11:28 PM

The TV From is very weak is this being investigated who runs at Limavady? can this be looked into or how do i report?

Helen's 9 posts

Helen
11:31 PM

I live in ROI (Inishowen Burt), near the border. I can receive the UK such as BBC and with my via . Will I still get them after analogue switches off on 24/10/2012?

The analogue is being switched off on 24 October in both ROI and NI.
If you currently receive the analogue UK through an aerial because of signal overspill, you will most likely continue to receive those channels even after the switch to digital. Is there any guarantees this will be the case?

will I be able to receive some of the Irish channels on the Northern (NI Mux) carried on the UK service. Will The NI Mux carry One, RT Two, TG4 from October 24th onwards. I know To receive the NI Mux will you need a Freeview HD box or TV set. To find out if you are in an area covered by the NI Mux,I have checked with Digital UK www.digitaluk.co.uk who could not or answer my questions they told dont ave any involvement is upgrading site at and are only an advice telephone line.

Do they care?

BBC News - RTE channels will go on Freeview in Northern Ireland will rte be on limavady .??? if not campaign needs to be started on here