Winter Hill / Moel-Y-Parc Digital Switch-over Issue

Brian Gregory [UK] wrote:


Some boxes show you their progress through the channels 21 to 68. In that
case you can just unplug the aerial when the rouge channels are being
scanned.

Yes, in this case, the TVonics box doesn't show channel numbers as it scans.

....snip...

First a question for the techies - does the MUX indicate in any way where it
originates from?

Second, this sounds like "firmware fix" required for every single box. When
there were only a single set of multiplexes around, the existing "grab
everything you can" idea was fine. Now we need something a little more
advanced such as....

1. Stage one, scan for all available multiplexes but do NOT save them

2. Present the multiplexes as a list to the user, allowing them to delete
multiplexes or re-order if, for example, they was BBC Wales ahead of BBC
England..

3. Scan the multiplexes in order and store the channels, presenting the
duplicates as found in the 800 odd range.

This would be simpler if the name of the transmitter were available when the
multiplex list was presented.

Paul DS

On Nov 12, 8:24*am, "Paul D.Smith" wrote:
...snip...

First a question for the techies - does the MUX indicate in any way where it
originates from?

Second, this sounds like "firmware fix" required for every single box. *When
there were only a single set of multiplexes around, the existing "grab
everything you can" idea was fine. *Now we need something a little more
advanced such as....

1. Stage one, scan for all available multiplexes but do NOT save them

2. Present the multiplexes as a list to the user, allowing them to delete
multiplexes or re-order if, for example, they was BBC Wales ahead of BBC
England..

3. Scan the multiplexes in order and store the channels, presenting the
duplicates as found in the 800 odd range.

This would be simpler if the name of the transmitter were available when the
multiplex list was presented.

Paul DS

Now if only we could travel back in time and create a Freeview spec to
which all boxes had to comply including this functionality.....

The reality is that there have now been so many STBs sold (and models
come and go) that there isn't going to be a firmware update that adds
this functionality to all / many / most boxes. Most more recent boxes
do have some sort of manual tuning facility, but a sizeable number
don't. Filters, attenuators, etc etc are the only answer, unless the
UK suddenly changes its mind and goes down the SFN route.

Matt

A good wheeze if you can do it is to resite the aerial so it has a clear
view of the wanted transmitter, but has a large close by building in the way
of the unwanted one.
Often this is achieved by wall mounting below the roof line on the side
where the wanted signal is coming from.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
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"Dave Osborne" wrote in message
...
Firstly, apologies if this has been covered already. If so, perhaps
someone can point me to the appropriate thread.

I have friends in the North West who have a group C/D (green plug) aerial.
Recent new WF100 downlead. Excellent signal strength and quality 10 from
Winter Hill.

On stage 1 switchover at the beginning of the month, the two boxes they
have (a TVonics and a Panasonic PVR) both picked up Moel-y-Park
(apparently from the back of the aerial) and got BBC Wales instead of BBC
Northwest.

The problem was circumvented with the TVonics by re-tuning during heavy
rain which caused the box to see the Winter Hill channels in preference to
Moel-y-Park and with the Panasonic box by checking out the channels on the
digital TV website and manually tuning.

However, they would like to have a more permanent solution. The two
options seem to be to buy a slack handful of wideband attenuators and see
if they can find the sweet spot of good service from Winter Hill without
the tendency to auto retune to Moel-y-park or alternatively get a group
C/D bandpass filter (or high-pass filter) which cuts off below channel 50
or so and fit that in-line to get rid of Moel-y-parc.

Anyway, I've had a brief Google and, whilst attenuators are cheap and
easily come by, bandpass filters are not, suggesting that this may not be
the way forward. Also, are all attenuators created equal or a are some
better than others?

Any comments/suggestions appreciated.

DaveyOz

"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message
...
...snip...

First a question for the techies - does the MUX indicate in any way where
it originates from?

Second, this sounds like "firmware fix" required for every single box.
When there were only a single set of multiplexes around, the existing
"grab everything you can" idea was fine. Now we need something a little
more advanced such as....

1. Stage one, scan for all available multiplexes but do NOT save them

2. Present the multiplexes as a list to the user, allowing them to delete
multiplexes or re-order if, for example, they was BBC Wales ahead of BBC
England..

3. Scan the multiplexes in order and store the channels, presenting the
duplicates as found in the 800 odd range.

This would be simpler if the name of the transmitter were available when
the multiplex list was presented.


I've recently acquired Windows7 and when I went to activate the Media Centre
to install my computer's DVB-T card it asked me for my postcode, I thought
great, at long last an intelligent piece of software which will determine
that my designated transmitter is Mendip by my postcode and will therefore
automatically ignore any channels coming across the water from the Wenvoe
transmitter.. How over optimistic I was, as It still managed to tune in the
whole bloody lot!
I then installed the C/D filter and did another rescan, removed the filter
and everything was then okay, or so I thought, that was until the next time
I switched on the computer and went into Media Centre, only to find that it
had reinstalled all of the unwanted Welsh channels automatically, without
giving me any kind of indication of whether this was an option by wanted
(unless I overlooked something in the setup menu) I now leave the filter
permanently plugged in to avoid it happening again.

"larkim" wrote in message
...
On Nov 12, 8:24 am, "Paul D.Smith" wrote:
...snip...

First a question for the techies - does the MUX indicate in any way where
it
originates from?

Second, this sounds like "firmware fix" required for every single box.
When
there were only a single set of multiplexes around, the existing "grab
everything you can" idea was fine. Now we need something a little more
advanced such as....

1. Stage one, scan for all available multiplexes but do NOT save them

2. Present the multiplexes as a list to the user, allowing them to delete
multiplexes or re-order if, for example, they was BBC Wales ahead of BBC
England..

3. Scan the multiplexes in order and store the channels, presenting the
duplicates as found in the 800 odd range.

This would be simpler if the name of the transmitter were available when
the
multiplex list was presented.

Paul DS

Now if only we could travel back in time and create a Freeview spec to
which all boxes had to comply including this functionality.....

The reality is that there have now been so many STBs sold (and models
come and go) that there isn't going to be a firmware update that adds
this functionality to all / many / most boxes. Most more recent boxes
do have some sort of manual tuning facility, but a sizeable number
don't. Filters, attenuators, etc etc are the only answer, unless the
UK suddenly changes its mind and goes down the SFN route.

Matt

Not a problem. A couple more "updates" to the Freeview scheme to require
some of the more esotheric features and then none of the existing boxes will
work anyway and we can effectively start again. The September 30th retune
was a good training exercise for this ;-).

Paul DS

The CH51 diplexer we sell at ATV is a screened unit and costs us far more than the Fringe=
or the older unscreened Triax model.
I don`t know where you get the figure of =C2=A310 as being "more reasonable".
We used to sell the previous unscreened model Triax diplexers for =C2=A313 INCLUDIN=
G VAT, but that is a totally different product.

I just tried phoning Satcure to ask if they`ve still got the old model CH52 diplexer in=
stock, I couldn`t even find the phone number.....

Just out of interest, how much information do you get from Satcure`s website, or any o=
ther aerial website come to that......

url:http://myreader.co.uk/msg/124340762.aspx

When I implied there wasn`t another aerial website giving signifcant amounts
of original information about fitting aerials, I obviously forgot Bill
Wright`s !
Sorry about that Bill, upset caused temporary cranial interruption,
rectified now I hope !

Incidentally if anyone knows anywhere else that stocks a screened CH51
diplexer where we could buy it cheaper, please feel free to tell me.
Actually, make that any where else that stocks one at all...

url:http://myreader.co.uk/msg/124340762.aspx