Cannot get English TV from Somerset

WallyBird

My father lives on the coast, near Bristol and opposite Newport. Since the digital switchover, he can only get Welsh channels. Since he does not speak Welsh, and supports English rugby rather than Welsh, this is a problem. He has had a freeview box for some time now, but could always only get Welsh on it, and now his old-style (admittedly very fuzzy) analogue English channels have gone completely.
He has had Sky in the past, but the winds howling up the Bristol channel dislodge the dish and reception is poor and often non-existant.

Please does anyone know how he can get English channels? Would it be very expensive?

(Apparently, Welsh people on the other side can tune into the Mendip transmitter and get the English programmes - infuritating! But it is blocked from his house by a hill.)


Many thanks for your help.
WB.

macman

Local relay maybe? What's his postcode?
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/

WallyBird

macman wrote: »

Local relay maybe? What's his postcode?
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/

Sorry Macman, I don't know what this means. BS20 - Portishead. There is a big, tree covered hill behind his house, and the Bristol channel in front of it.

From the site you posted, I think he must be getting his signal from Wenvoe.
I don't know why the Portishead one doesn't work, unless it is new and he just hasn't been realigned to it, or else it is behind the hill?

macman

You need to give the whole postcode, not just the area.

geri1965_2

Could he get cable TV? It's not that expensive if you get the basic package.

WallyBird

macman wrote: »

You need to give the whole postcode, not just the area.

I have pm'd it to you.

WallyBird

geri1965 wrote: »

Could he get cable TV? It's not that expensive if you get the basic package.

Unfortunately he is not in a cabled area - I agree, it would be perfect if he were - I am on Virgin media and can get a choice of whatever language TV I want - I can even watch Scottish language channels if I like, though I live in Manchester.
But thanks for your suggestion.

PasturesNew

geri1965 wrote: »

Could he get cable TV? It's not that expensive if you get the basic package.

I doubt that's a cabled area. Cable is mostly just in big cities.

buglawton

Go for a Freesat dish again, this time use the following knowledge:

A sat dish does not need to be mounted anywhere high on a building! It can placed on the ground or even below ground level, just so long as it gets a direct view of the satellite. The angle is surprisingly steep. I once had a dish at shoulder height in the alleyway between 2 houses with a neighbour's tall van parked a couple of metres in front of it and STILL got perfect reception. It just required careful surveying before I decided the dish location and height.

You can place the dish at ground level or on a wall at head height where it is a) Protected from wind and b) Easy to re-adjust, can even make some marks on it to help realign it if it gets dislodged.

macman

Portishead relay is only 1km away (bearing of 222 degrees from the postcode you supplied) but possibly that hill is in the way-though by your description it's to his east? Is that the direction his aerial is currently facing (roughly south-west)?
Stage 2 of the switchover on that relay is scheduled for 7/4/10, so I should wait until then and see if the power has increased. Do a full retune late that day and see what you get.
Might just need a new aerial or a realignment of the existing one.
If you put the postcode into the link I supplied and tick 'I am in the aerial trade' then you will get all the data up, I haven't posted a link as you didn't want the postcode displayed.

WallyBird

macman wrote: »

Portishead relay is only 1km away (bearing of 222 degrees from the postcode you supplied) but possibly that hill is in the way-though by your description it's to his east? Is that the direction his aerial is currently facing (roughly south-west)?
Stage 2 of the switchover on that relay is scheduled for 7/4/10, so I should wait until then and see if the power has increased. Do a full retune late that day and see what you get.
Might just need a new aerial or a realignment of the existing one.
If you put the postcode into the link I supplied and tick 'I am in the aerial trade' then you will get all the data up, I haven't posted a link as you didn't want the postcode displayed.

Yes, the hill is to the east. I don't know where the Portishead relay is. I assume the aerial is facing west (though as I am not down there, I can't check), since it picks up Welsh.
I will do what you suggest - thanks again.