All posts by Mike O'Pray
Below are all of Mike O'Pray's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
I get digital from Sandy Heath at the moment but the transmitter strength map shows that I would be slightly better off using Sutton Coldfield.
Assuming that "slightly better off" will be worthwhile, there may be two problems in changing:
1. I have two aerials, one of which points to somewhere in the East Mids( I assume Waltham but I am too far away according to the map although E Mids news comes in strongly) and the other to Sandy Heath.
In analogue days the aerial fitter pointed the aerial N.E. based on a line of high trees quite close to the property interfering with the signal from the S Coldfield area(W Mids).
If I had the aerial moved to point to S Coldfield would the same problem apply to digital?
2. If I want to hear local news for N'pton and Daventry area I need Look East but I take it that as I currently get good digi reception on BBC East then I could simply find the BBC Look East channel when needed?
Essentially my problem was Film 4 and ITV4 reception and todays re-tune based on Sandy Heath has made no difference but there is another re-tune on 14 Sept and then on 23 Nov.
Will these two further re-tunes improve both channels?
Thanks
Mike O'Pray 
I posted yesterday. It shows up on my posts with a time and date and yet it hasn't appeared here.
What do I need to do to ensure that it is seen?
Thanks
Mike O'Pray Here is the post I refer to in my previous note. I have copied and pasted.
Please ignore point 2 as I have discovered that I can get Look East on another channel
However I am curious as to how I get E Mids so well when neither aerial points that way and I am shown as being way out of the range of the Waltham transmitter
Yesterday's post reads:
I get digital from Sandy Heath at the moment but the transmitter strength map shows that I would be slightly better off using Sutton Coldfield.
Assuming that "slightly better off" will be worthwhile, there may be two problems in changing:
1. I have two aerials, one of which points to somewhere in the East Mids( I assume Waltham but I am too far away according to the map although E Mids news comes in strongly) and the other to Sandy Heath.
In analogue days the aerial fitter pointed the aerial N.E. based on a line of high trees quite close to the property interfering with the signal from the S Coldfield area(W Mids).
If I had the aerial moved to point to S Coldfield would the same problem apply to digital?
2. If I want to hear local news for N'pton and Daventry area I need Look East but I take it that as I currently get good digi reception on BBC East then I could simply find the BBC Look East channel when needed?
Essentially my problem was Film 4 and ITV4 reception and todays re-tune based on Sandy Heath has made no difference but there is another re-tune on 14 Sept and then on 23 Nov.
Will these two further re-tunes improve both channels?
Thanks
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray:
Thanks Mike. ITV4 and Film4 did get better later in the evening but still "blocky" too frequently for enjoyable watching.It sounds as if I should be OK reception-wise after Sept 14th with a further improvement in some more channels after 23 Nov
I receive my programmes from Sandy Heath and have previously mentioned poor reception from Film4 and ITV4. I think I recall getting a reply to the effect that in Aug/Sept the further re-tuning that was required on 31 Aug and 14 Sept should transfer the two channels mentioned above to a stronger group and reception might then be fine
Well I did both re-tunes and the two channels are still basically unwatchable for almost all of the time. It may be that the Aug/Sept retunes have still not transferred these two channels to the max signal strength of course
Will the re-tune in Nov cure the problem or can I now assume that my standard aerial needs upgradng and without an aerial change my reception of these two channels will remain probematical?
I have the standard aerial on the roof and it is pointed at Sandy Heath.
Thanks
Mike O'Pray I have had the chance to check what Mike Dimmick said when I wrongly posted on the Sutton Coldfield tramsmitter forum
His advice was to stay with Sandy Heath.It appears from his reply that Film4 and ITV4 have moved to their final resting place on Sept 14th so it looks as if their signal strength and quality is all that it is going to be unless it is still powering up. How many days does it take to get to max power?
I am unsure if Des Collier is replying to my post of 5:35pm but if he is, can Des or any other knowledgeable person explain in simple what his reply means after the word aerial on line two. Specifically what is it that I need to do? Belmont and diplex group A with a group C/D to get all multiplexes means nothing to me.
Sorry but I need a simpler explanation
Thanks
Mike O'Pray Steve P I take it that you mean two different types of aerial. I have two aerials which are the same but pointed in different directions although there is only one wire into the room. So does this indicate a diplex?
My post code is NN11 4HL
When I switched on tonight at about 7:30pm and tuned into ITV4 and Film4 the reception seemed better on both although the picture occasionally froze and there were small blocks in the picture also.
However I then connected the TV to the HDD box and switched to the SCART connection to connect the HDD.
The reception on both ITV4 and Film4 then became perfect and has remained that way all evening.
So is the signal strength still powering up to explain why ITV4 and Film4 were better although not perfect and will the powering up continue until the reception is perfect via the TV alone and if so in how many more days?
Secondly why does connection via the HDD improve the reception to what seems to be a perfectly satisfactory standard?
So via the HDD the problem may be solved but if I connect via the television only will the powering up eventually solve the problem in the next few days?
Thanks I hope I can now assume that the channels giving me ITV4 and Film4 will now stay at the strength I am now receiving today because I am now getting a good picture on both channels via the TV alone without connection to the HDD
So it would seem that since yesterday the signal strength has risen and this is confirmed by the figures that appear under the channels to indicate strength and quality.
However I am still curious about the apparent beneficial effect of the HDD last night.
Any ideas, anyone?
Thanks
Mike O'Pray Weak signals may well be the case but what is it about the HDD that improves things? Last night for instance the signal strength via the TV had regressed and ITV4 and Film4 were not really watchable but were fine via the HDD
PS I just tried both channels in the last few minutes and exactly the same thing happened. Blocky and jerky via the TV and perfect via the HDD
I can only conclude that the HDD makes a difference but how?
Finally and just to repeat once more a question I asked on my first post a couple of days ago, is the signal strength still increasing since 14 Sept or is it at max and if so will the further change on 23 Nov make things any better for the two channels in question?
Thanks I did what I think is the final re-tune on 9 May and now cannot receive any signal for ITV3 as of Saturday 12 May.
How do I now get ITV3?
Thanks Thanks I did a manual re-tune and not an auto re-tune and in fact the only change required from the situation before 9 May was that group 3 which was 31 became 51. Thus I assume that I did what you are recommending.
On your second point how do I do a factory re-set before carrying out an auto tune or are you saying that doing it manually as I did that this is not required?
Thanks Thanks you are talking to a complete beginner here who only wants to find channels he previously had and has minimum interest in the technicalities
However I take your point that a reset/ fresh install may be needed. However I am no nearer understanding what I need to do. My menu doesn't seem to show factory reset or first time install or complete retune.
What info do you need from me to give me a step by step procedure to do what I need to do to " start afresh"
Please keep it simple. I think I got the gist of what you were saying, jb38, about the necessity of starting again but most of what you said in your text went over my head
Thanks
Thank you jb38. When you refer to the box is this a reference to the TV? I have a Goodmans LD2412F 24'' HD ready Digital LCD TV
I am presuming that as the tuning operation is in the TV the box is in effect contained in the TV?
Separately I have a Panasonic DVD Recorder Model NO. DMR-EX773EB which as you will note from my previous posts seems able improve reception on certain weak channels and indeed even seems to get channels that the TV by itself cannot pick up.
Sadly this is not the case with ITV3 which the TV doesn't seem to recognise and the HDD records as no signal.
I hope this helps
Regards
Mike Thanks jb38 The signal strength which is a green/blue bar occasionally and for a split second only jumps to 46% but then back to anything down to 24%. However the most common strength is 33-35%
I don't understand what scan means? There seems to be no button or word scan to be seen.
If there is a problem in the N'pton area and I am about 13 miles to the W of N'pton has there been any acknowledgement of this?because if not then presumably nothing is being done.
Thanks jb38 Thanks for your reply. It seems that there are complaints in this area and some from people closer to Sandy Heath than I am which is bad news for me. What you haven't said is what if anything the "authorities" are doing about it? Any idea?
As far as I am aware I do have an amplifier in the loft. It was fitted several years ago way back in the analogue era. At that time an aerial fitter came and installed two aerials One pointing to Anglia and the other to the E Mids. The reason for this was that in front of the house there is a line of tall trees that block the reception from the W Mids which is Sutton Coldfield but no obstruction in either the E Mids or Anglia areas.
The reception chart seems to show that the E Mids transmitter ( Waltham?) should be much poorer than Sandy Heath but I do get both the E Mids and Anglia news at about equal strength which is strange.
I have the standard Yagi aerials for both directions.
I am confused as to what is being done to address the current reception issue and what I might try to get ITV3 which is the only channel I might want to receive occasionally.
Thanks
Mike Thanks all for the replies. Much of what you said went over my head. I had never even heard of a diplexer until your replies. What does it look like and how do I tell if it is on the aerials' supporting pole? If it is how do I by-pass it? If it isn't on the supporting pole where might it be? In the loft?
With the Goodman's "source" button on the remote on DTV I cannot get any channels between 0014 More 4 and 0028 E4. In fact the range of channels is quite limited. No Film 4 for instance or Pick TV or Yesterday. It doesn't say no signal it just jumps from 9 BBC Four to 13 Channel 4+1 then 14 More 4 then 28 E4
However when I switch to receiving the signal via the Panasonic HDD by switching to SCART I get a much bigger range of channels including 10 ITV3 but no signal, 11 Pick TV, 12 Yesterday, 13,14 15 but not 16 and 17, 18,19, 20-22, So most of the channels from 15-28 which the DTV doesn't even register
ITV3 shows no signal but at least shows as ITV3. Pick TV shows as 11 and Yesterday as 12 and Film 4 as channel 15.
All these channels via the HDD get good signals. Why the big difference between DTV in the Goodmans's set and the much enhance range of channels via the HDD except for ITV 3 which is know to the HDD set up but records as "No Signal"
Sorry I do not know how to relate what I have said about the numbers for Pick TV and Yesterday to the channels in the 50s range that have been mentioned
No the aerial has not been changed since I was analogue. The currently two YAGIs( I only know about YAGI because of the opening section on this site shows a YAGI aerial) were installed sometime in the late 1990s if my memory serves me correctly.
Frankly I need replies to take me through what I need to do in easy steps.
I am capable of being educated but you need to assume little or no knowledge on my part.
So more help needed as you can see
Thanks
Mike I think you are saying that despite getting good reception for ITV 3 Film 4 etc before the final retuning on 9th May, those days are gone and I have lost these channels permanently unless I take action. I cannot expect that the problems experienced by others in the Npton area will result in any change to circumstances ie. no-one is going from the digital authorities is going to help me. In other words nothing will change to improve things short of action on my part.
That action needs to consist of:
Checking whether I have an appropriate aerial on the roof and if not obtaining a Log 40 aerial. On the other hand if I have the correct aerial but both aerial wires lead into the diplex box then do I simply disconnect the E Mids wire from the diplex box so effectively the diplex box is just a join in the Sandy Heath wire?
Have I understood what needs to be done correctly and how easy is it? Is there any source of info to refer to?
If on the other hand the aerial isn't the right one then I have no choice except to call in an aerial installer who presumably can install the new Log 40 aerial and remove the E Mids Yagi aerial and lead a brand new wire into the house.
Incidentally why is it that connection via the HDD box and the SCART option give me all those extra channels except of course the illusive ITV3?
Thanks
Mike
11:56
