No digital signal

SoozyJ22

Hi all,

I've had a freeview box since about 2005 and other than the odd momentary wobble the signal's been ok for watching, though not as good as the aerial signal.

I'd not used the freeview for a while, then turned the box on last Sunday just to update the displayed time after the clock change and found that the time didn't update and I seem to have no digital signal any more. Analogue signal is fine.

I tried retuning (both then and after the switchover), but it doesn't find any channels and suggests I move the aerial. flicking through the channels it shows for testing the signal strength I have from 3% to 80% signal strength but never more than 3% for signal quality.

I live in a block of flats with a shared aerial. I can see it from my window and it's pretty firmly fixed and doesn't look like it's moved recently. Although I live very near Hemel, the aerial is definitely not pointing in that direction but south and a bit east towards London instead.

Does this sound like some kind of aerial problem to people? I don't want to go and bother the guy who runs the residents' committee if it's actually a problem with my freeview box. A large number of my neighbours have Sky dishes fitted so they wouldn't notice if there were a problem.

Thanks!

SoozyJ22

I've done a bit of investigation. Most houses nearby have tv aerials pointing the same way as ours, but a few have them pointing in entirely the opposite direction (and some have 2 - one each way).

It looks like we're in a bit of a blackspot for the Crystal Palace transmitter, which would be in the right direction for the majority of aerials, so I wonder if we used to get signal from CP but now we can't get it it's gone to the other transmitter in that direction which is Alexandra Palace which only does analogue.

Is there a way to find out which transmitter I'm receiving the signal from?

fwor

SoozyJ22 wrote: »

I tried retuning (both then and after the switchover)

The London switchover hasn't finished yet. It happens in 2 stages - the second being the 18th April.

One possibility is that your aerial is pointing at a repeater, as many of the repeaters seem to be getting switched off in the process.

You can often tell, because the aerial is often (but not always) positioned with the side elements pointing up and down rather than side to side as is normal for a main transmitter.

I doubt you'll lose signal from Crystal Palace - IIRC it's the highest powered transmitter in the country.

SoozyJ22

Thanks for the reply. I meant after the 1st phase of the switchover on the 4th.

This website seems to show a distinct lack of Crystal Palace coverage in the Watford area:

http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=TQ339712

Though as you say, it would be very odd to have had reception previously and then to lose it.

I've checked the aerial and the side elements are at a bit of an angle, though more side to side than up and down.

I think I'm just going to email the residents committee chairman and leave him to see what he can find out - he probably understands this stuff a lot better than I do.

Heinz

Using the postcode WD17 2DT, it looks like your aerial should be pointing at the Hemel transmitter, 9k away rather than the CP transmitter 34k away.

If so, your aerial elements should be vertical.

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/main/trade/wd17+2dt/194/0/NA

SoozyJ22

That's really interesting, thanks Heinz. I'm actually only 4k away from the Hemel transmitter, but when I put my postcode into that site it shows CP as the 'most likely' trasmitter.

Heinz

SoozyJ22 wrote: »

That's really interesting, thanks Heinz. I'm actually only 4k away from the Hemel transmitter, but when I put my postcode into that site it shows CP as the 'most likely' trasmitter.

The suggested aerial is often a good guide.

Wolfbane suggest a log periodic for Hemel but an amplified extra high gain for CP for that same postcode.

http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?DX=L&HT=10&OS=wd17+2dt

Kurtis_Blue

May sound surprising but its very rare to use the Hemel/Bedmond transmitter when installing in Hemel, Crystal Palace is preferred, speak to your neighbours and then the managing agents.

penrhyn

Whats the make and model of your freeview box, some old ones are incompatible with the latest upgrades.

Owain_Moneysaver

check with your neighbours first, and if their freeview is working okay ask if you can borrow one of their boxes to try in your flat.

That should narrow the problem down to (a) your box (b) your individual aerial feed

Moneymaker

SoozyJ22 wrote: »

I have from 3% to 80% signal strength but never more than 3% for signal quality.

If you mean the signal strength is "bouncing" from near zero to near maximum, that's a sign of signal overload.

Test your receiver on someone else's aerial connection.