NOT tetra interference - itv mux woes continue!

On 4 Mar, 09:27, charles wrote:
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:

One very good diagnostic tool is to see what your neighbours are getting
this can easily determine whether or not the fault is with the
broadcaster or within your equipment etc....

"local" interference can easily cover quite a number of households, so
check with slightly more distant neighbours


Whereabouts are you in Wilsden, my parents live down in the Birchlands
estate and I set up Freeview for them a few years ago. Reception is
quite tricky as the Keighley transmitter is just below the ridgeline
of Harden Moor, they sometimes have a problem with Mux B (BBC4/
Cbeebies) particularly after dark. I will ask what is happening to
their ITV signal and post back here.

Tim Mitchell

OK, my dad confirms that he has similar problems with Mux2 that you
are having, i.e. loss of ITV and C4 after about 9pm. However he
doesn't watch the ITV channels that much and can't say how long it has
been a problem - that mux has always been the weakest and occasionally
drops out at night, especially in wet weather. They are in the flat
bit at the bottom of Birchlands Ave.

One problem I had when setting it up was that in their location Emley
Moor is almost directly in line with the back of the aerial, and their
(old Panasonic) box kept locking onto weak signals from Emley and
refusing to scan further for those channels, as the Panasonic software
just looked for the first mux containing the channels rather than the
strongest one. This despite the polarisation being the other way and
it being miles away behind several hills.

Not many people seem to have Freeview round there, aerial installers
try to flog you freesky because the Freeview postcode checker says you
can't get it in Wilsden. However with a masthead amp theirs seems to
work 99% of the time.

I don't know if that helps you out at all. I'd be interested to hear
of further developments.

Tim Mitchell

wrote:

OK, my dad confirms that he has similar problems with Mux2 that you
are having, i.e. loss of ITV and C4 after about 9pm. However he
doesn't watch the ITV channels that much and can't say how long it has
been a problem - that mux has always been the weakest and occasionally
drops out at night, especially in wet weather. They are in the flat
bit at the bottom of Birchlands Ave.

Unfortunately, the OP has confused issues by splitting his problem into
two threads. Take a look at my comment in the original thread which was
entitled "Aerial advice - is it possible that a Police CB can interfere
with reception?"

--
Dave Farrance

"Neil" wrote in message
...
On Mar 3, 9:19 am, "Brian Gaff" wrote:

I've submitted a complaint to ofcom - they'll charge us £50 but at
least they should hopefully be able to do more diagnosing and less
panic fitting of random filters!

As Jim points out, providing the source of the interference is outside of
your premises then it shouldn't cost you anything.
Unfortunately it can take a little while to resolve. In my case the problem
was an incorrectly functioning central heating system at a neighbour's place
100 yards away.

Using a scanning receiver I was able to locate the culprit premises, so when
the chap from OFCOM eventually came, I simple guided him to the house and
left him to deal with it. He confirmed it was the source using his own
equipment which was just a slightly more professional looking version of my
own.

The people at the premises had no idea of the severe interference they were
causing because they had satellite TV.

Hope you get it sorted.

Regards,
Gary

On Mar 4, 2:12*pm, wrote:
OK, my dad confirms that he has similar problems with Mux2 that you
are having, i.e. loss of ITV and C4 after about 9pm. However he
doesn't watch the ITV channels that much and can't say how long it has
been a problem - that mux has always been the weakest and occasionally
drops out at night, especially in wet weather. They are in the flat
bit at the bottom of Birchlands Ave.

Tim Mitchell

Hi Tim,

Many thanks for that, it's possibly reassuring to know it's not just
me! I will let you know what the outcome is... We're on Tanhouse
Lane (just overlooking Birchlands) so probably the same reception-
wise.

Dave - sorry for splitting into two threads, I thought my other thread
had got buried - apologies.

Gary - Ofcom are on the case, I'm just waiting for an appointment from
a local officer - soon I hope!

Cheers

Neil

Neil wrote:

Dave - sorry for splitting into two threads, I thought my other thread
had got buried - apologies.

Bear in mind that this is Usenet, not Google-groups which is just an
interface to Usenet, and if you use a normal newsreader program, as most
of us do, then you can keep better track of the new posts to the group.

*Sigh*. Anyway, I'll repeat.

The Cullingworth transmitter is two miles from Wilsden and in roughly the
same direction as the Keighley transmitter which is five miles away.
Cullingworth uses the same UHF channels for its analogue channels as most
of the digital muxes from Keighley. It's amazing that you can get a
useable signal at any time of the day.

Try tuning an analogue channel on the TV into channel 68, which Keighley
uses for mux2, and you'll probably see a noisy Channel 4 from
Cullingworth.

--
Dave Farrance

On 4 Mar, 21:51, Neil wrote:
On Mar 4, 2:12 pm, wrote:

OK, my dad confirms that he has similar problems with Mux2 that you
are having, i.e. loss of ITV and C4 after about 9pm. However he
doesn't watch the ITV channels that much and can't say how long it has
been a problem - that mux has always been the weakest and occasionally
drops out at night, especially in wet weather. They are in the flat
bit at the bottom of Birchlands Ave.

Many thanks for that, it's possibly reassuring to know it's not just
me! I will let you know what the outcome is... We're on Tanhouse
Lane (just overlooking Birchlands) so probably the same reception-
wise.


You're quite a bit higher up - you can nearly see the top of the
transmitter from there. If you walk to the top of Chapel Row you can
see it.

As Dave Farrance posted in your original thread, the Cullingworth
transmitter at Ryecroft is transmitting C4 on Ch68 which is the same
as the ITV mux from Keighley, though it is about 30 degrees to the
west of Keighley as seen from your house. Might be worth mentioning to
the ofcom bloke. This will be resolved at digital switchover, only 3
years to wait...

Tim Mitchell

The Cullingworth transmitter is two miles from Wilsden and in roughly the
same direction as the Keighley transmitter which is five miles away.
Cullingworth uses the same UHF channels for its analogue channels as most
of the digital muxes from Keighley. It's amazing that you can get a
useable signal at any time of the day.

Try tuning an analogue channel on the TV into channel 68, which Keighley
uses for mux2, and you'll probably see a noisy Channel 4 from
Cullingworth.

I have a similar issue with Oxford TX's analogue and digital Mux A being
stomped all over by transmissions from both Wenvoe and Carmel. In addition I
can occasionally get Hannington's analogue and TV channels.

Bear in mind I am in Northampton, and Wenvoe and Carmel are in Wales......
and all four TX's are with8in a few degress of each other relative to
Northampton.

Stephen

"Neil" wrote:
Anyway, of course the interference is still happening, and tonight
ITV started breaking up at about 9:30pm and is now unwatchable.
As the problem is happening at night, it might be the same as I had a while
ago.
There was a streetlight not too distant from the aerial, and in the same
direction as the transmitter.
Once it had warmed up, it started to emit random bursts of electrical noise
which caused severe breakup of all Mux.
I traced it using a portable VHF aerial and the local authority, once
alerted, turned it off until they were able to replace the lantern, since
when we have had no problems with it.

"Albert" wrote:

I traced it using a portable VHF aerial

I should have written "I traced it using a portable VHF Receiver"!