Tacolneston TV transmitter

aardvaak

Does anybody know when the Tacolneston TV transmitter will be fixed?

I can not find any contact details for them and iy seems nobody cares.

Ever since last Friday when we had a severe thunderstorm over and near our property the TV with the set top box has been playing silly beggers.

At first nothing worked then I retuned the box and got all channel except BBC the after a few hours it started clicking then going into freeze frame etc., - I then retuned again and got all channels except ITV the in all started the same again.

I have now retuned the box numeras numbers of times when retuned the tv is ok for a while that is why I know there is nothing wrong with my equipment.

When will these people get the transmitter fixed and why can I not contact them?

fwor

Tacolneston is a main transmitter that serves 330,000 homes - it's unlikely that they would have taken six days to notice that it needed fixing, and it is currently shown with a status of "no current reported problems".

Is it possible that your aerial or equipment has sustained damage that means that reception is now marginal? Last time it happened to me, a nearby lightning strike had blown my aerial amplifier and it had to be replaced.

aardvaak

fwor wrote: »

Tacolneston is a main transmitter that serves 330,000 homes - it's unlikely that they would have taken six days to notice that it needed fixing, and it is currently shown with a status of "no current reported problems".

Is it possible that your aerial or equipment has sustained damage that means that reception is now marginal? Last time it happened to me, a nearby lightning strike had blown my aerial amplifier and it had to be replaced.

That is a typical answer that the "authorites" can't be wrong because it's them!

It can not be my equipment as I have got some programs.

I have inspected the aerial and it appears ok.

What else can be done?

fwor

Well my answer about the damaged aerial amplifier is not "a typical answer" from the authorities - it did actually happen.

But, in fairness, I had a similar problem a few years ago, when the output of my local Freeview transmitter dropped suddenly.

I complained to the department at the BBC who were supposed to be responsible (this being before the days of Arqiva, etc.) and I got exactly the same response - no known problems, nothing we can do.

I guess it's possible that they have fiddled around with radiative patterns to try to reduce interference transmitted into the rest of Europe.

Unfortunately, the people that run the transmitters are not directly answerable to us, the end-users.

I'd suggest you check and improve (if poss) your aerial alignment, check your cabling for water ingress (and replace if that appears possible), and try an aerial amplifier if that doesn't help.

aerostar

Why have you not checked with your neighbours ?

If they have no problem then it is your equipment or wiring.

From your fault description, it sounds as though your box has suffered from the storm.

Tv masts and transmitters are designed to withstand thunderstorm electrical activity.

aardvaak

fwor wrote: »

Well my answer about the damaged aerial amplifier is not "a typical answer" from the authorities - it did actually happen.

But, in fairness, I had a similar problem a few years ago, when the output of my local Freeview transmitter dropped suddenly.

I complained to the department at the BBC who were supposed to be responsible (this being before the days of Arqiva, etc.) and I got exactly the same response - no known problems, nothing we can do.

I guess it's possible that they have fiddled around with radiative patterns to try to reduce interference transmitted into the rest of Europe.

Unfortunately, the people that run the transmitters are not directly answerable to us, the end-users.

I'd suggest you check and improve (if poss) your aerial alignment, check your cabling for water ingress (and replace if that appears possible), and try an aerial amplifier if that doesn't help.

I do have a aerial amplifier already

yorkie98

aardvaak wrote: »

I do have a aerial amplifier already

The amplifier could be the problem, try bypassing/replacing it.

How are you trying to get in touch with "Tacolneston"?
You need to inform the BBC reception advice centre or Arquiva, the transmission provider who own and operate Tacolneston, if you suspect a problem, they will be able to advise you. They will not fob you off or lie to you, it's their entire job to keep this running, there is no conspiracy here. Every complaint/report will be investigated.
If you think there is a red phone inside Tacolneston (or any transmitter site) and that any such internal number will be listed in directories or made public in any way, you are obviously very naive as to how modern businesses work.

If a main site such as this has problems, they know about it very quickly, usually before the majority of viewers and would be acted upon very promptly.
Every aspect of the functionality of the transmitters are monitored by Arquiva via monitoring stations and over telemetery 24/7.

Getting some channels will not mean you will automatically get them all, especially if there is a fault with your booster or set top box.
It does not require a direct hit to fry stuff in your house. When lightning strikes, it is a HUGE electromagnetic pulse and it can damage equipment randomly for miles.

I was at a house once when I was an aerial installer and TV seller which had had a direct lightning strike, it was carnage but next thing I knew, people were coming out of neighboring houses telling me they had stuff that had stopped working too. Some houses were quite a distance away, I'd say in all, about 2 doxen houses were affected, that I knew of, and ended up supplying new equipment to. I'm sure other local companies found the same.

patman99

The first thing I tend to do if Freeview is acting-up on my set is to talk to my nieghbours (shared arial as in a block of flats). That way, I can quickly find-out if it is my kit, the block in general or (by phoning my brother 2 miles away, but on same transmitter) a wide-area issue.

Onesipherous

I am also having problems with Freeview channels from Tacolneston which is about 25 miles away. I have an HD TV & Humax PVR 9300T. After re-tuning today I can only receive channels up to 311. I am unable to receive the Freeview Radio Channels e.g. 703. Would anyone know why this is? I should be grateful for advice.