Freeview: Mendip (Somerset, England) digital TV transmitter
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Mendip (Somerset, England) digital TV transmitter

Google StreetviewGoogle mapBing mapGoogle Earth51.237,-2.626 or 51°14'12"N 2°37'33"WBA5 3LB

Transmitter faults and engineering works

MENDIP transmitter - DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Weak Signal from 11:32 on 15 May to 12:33 on 15 May. BBC
Over the next week Mendip main transmitter: TV (digital) Liable to interruption, no analogue radio, Radio (digital) working normally. Digital tick
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The symbol shows the location of the Mendip transmitter. The Mendip transmitter covers 720,000 homes.

Other maps:Mendip DABMendip regionBBC WestWest

Radiation patterns

Radiation patterns withheld

Map key

The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.

Mendip transmitter Freeview broadcasts

If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.

Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below. The rating shown takes in account the output power level and the various Freeview transmission modes and do not indicate an ongoing fault.

MuxEffective power level, aerial positionRatingModeWatts
PSB1
BBCA
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		100,000
Channel icons
1 BBC One West, 2 BBC Two England, 7 BBC Three, 9 BBC Four, 70 CBBC Channel, 71 CBeebies, 80 BBC News, 81 BBC Parliament, 301 301, plus 12 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C49 (698.0MHz) from 591m datum.
PSB2
D3+4
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		100,000
Channel icons
3 ITV (West), 4 Channel 4 South ads, 5 Channel 5 Part Network ads, 6 ITV 2, 13 Channel 4+1 South ads, 14 More 4, 28 E4, 33 ITV +1 (West),
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C54 (738.0MHz) from 591m datum.
PSB3
BBCB
 horizontal
Maximum256QAM 32KE 2/3
40.2Mb/s
DVB-T2 MPEG4		100,000
Channel icons
101 BBC One HD (England no regional news), 102 BBC Two HD (England), 103 ITV HD (ITV Meridian Southampton), 104 Channel 4 HD South ads, plus 1 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C58 (770.0MHz) from 591m datum.
COM4
SDN
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		100,000
Channel icons
10 ITV 3, 20 G.O.L.D. (not free), 25 Dave ja vu, 26 Home (not free), 27 ITV 2 +1, 30 5*, 31 5USA, 34 ESPN UK (not free), 38 Quest, 39 The Zone, 44 Channel 5 +1, 72 CITV, plus 22 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C48 (690.0MHz) from 591m datum.
COM5
ArqA
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		100,000
Channel icons
 TV News,  TV Stars, 11 PICK TV, 12 Dave, 17 Really, 29 E4+1, 32 Movie Mix, 46 Challenge, 48 Food Network, 82 Sky News, 87 Community Channel, plus 9 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C56 (754.0MHz) from 591m datum.
COM6
ArqB
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		100,000
Channel icons
15 Film 4, 18 4Music, 19 Yesterday, 21 VIVA, 24 ITV 4, 41 Sky Sports 1 (not free), 42 Sky Sports 2 (not free), 47 4seven, 83 Al Jazeera English, 85 RT English , plus 21 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C52 (722.0MHz) from 591m datum.


Regional news from the Mendip transmitter


BBC Points West 0.9m homes 3.4%
from Bristol BS8 2LR, 25km north
to BBC West region - 60 masts.

ITV West Country News (East) 0.9m homes 3.4%
from Bristol BS4 3HG, 23km north
to ITV West region - 61 masts.

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1984-971997-981998-20102010-1327/3/13-2013-182019-
aerial groupC/D EEEC/D EC/D EWK
C22SDN
C25ArqA
C28ArqB
600C33com7
C35com8
C37C5C5
C40BBCB
C43D3+4
C46BBCA
C48SDNSDNSDN
700C49 BBCABBCA
C51local
C52ArqBArqBArqB
C54C4C4C4D3+4D3+4D3+4
C55+2
C56+CArqAArqAArqA
C58BBC1BBC1BBC1BBCBBBCBBBCB
C59+1
800C61ITVITVITVBBCA
C62+A
C64BBC2BBC2BBC2
C65+B
C67D

orange background for multiplexes names moregreen background for transmission frequencieslilac background for power levels in watts800MHz band: 4G mobile to start in 2013700MHz band: possible 4G in 2019 more600MHz band: new or moved digital TV services more
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W
Italics for analogue, digital switchover was Wednesdays 24th March and 7th April 2010.

  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Bristol could use an Interleaved Frequency on the Mendip transmitter using C51
  • COM7, COM8 projected for 2013-16. COM7 and COM8 to operate as Bristol Ilchester Crescent,Bristol Kings Weston, Mendip SFN.

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

Analogue 1-4 500kW
Analogue 5(-6dB) 126kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, com7, com8, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-7dB) 100kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*(-17dB) 10kW

Self-help relays

CheddarTransposer15 km E Weston-super-Mare1674 homes
LuccombeActive deflector6 km w Minehead38 homes

History of Channel 3 in the Mendip transmitter area

• Breakfast ◊ Weekends ♦ Friday night and weekends † Weekdays only. Mendip was not an original Channel 3 VHF 405-line mast: the historical information shown is the details of the company responsible for the transmitter when it began transmitting Channel 3.


Your comments: most recent posts are at the bottom

firstFirst comments prevEarlier comments  ◊  Later commentsnext Latest commentslast

Your comments are always welcome. Please use the form below to add your thoughts or questions to this page. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

Martin Bird
Thursday 26 November 2009 8:09PM
After switchover in next April will the digital signal power be increased, and by how much?

In BS35 we can just about get a signal now, I don't want to move to free SAT if the situation will be much improved in a few months.
Briantist
Thursday 26 November 2009 9:41PM
Martin Bird: Freeview power increase from 10,000 W to 100,000 W, 10 times stronger.
Andrew Walker
Friday 27 November 2009 5:19PM
PSB muxes will increase in power from 10kw to 100kw March and April next year but the Com muxes only increase to 12.5kw in 2011 then to 100kw in 2012 when frequency changes happen.
Go to www.digitaluk.co.uk link icon Digital UK - Postcode checker put in your postcode and tick the trade box.
Colin Moore
Thursday 21 January 2010 6:06PM
Can you please supply information about the complex sequence of power and channel changes which are to occur to the COM Muxes from the Mendip transmitter between its DSO this March/April and 2012?
KMJ,Derby
Thursday 21 January 2010 8:18PM
Colin Moore:COM4/SDN mode change, power increase and frequency change to C48 after Oxford switchover in 2011.(March/April? TBC). MUXC and MUXD continue until switchover completed at Salisbury in 2012. After this date power increased and mode changed as ArqA begins on C52,and ArqB begins on C56.
Mark
Tuesday 2 February 2010 4:04AM
Despite your web page saying all is well, Freeview is down on Tuesday 2nd Feb 4am
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 2 February 2010 8:47AM
MENDIP transmitter - Over the next week Mendip main transmitter: TV (analogue) Liable to interruption, TV (digital) Liable to interruption, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
William Griffiths
Wednesday 3 February 2010 1:46AM Chepstow
Hi,

All Freeview Signals are down, (C55, C56, C59, C62, C65, C67) and Analog BBC1, BBC2, ITV, C4 Down, Channel 5 is running however.
Briantist
Wednesday 3 February 2010 7:55AM
William Griffiths: Engineering transmitter work will is taking place between midnight and 6am for two nights.
Pentris
Thursday 4 February 2010 11:27AM
85% of Mendip digital signals were down all last evening on the 3rd February 6 hours before the declared outage period. Only BBC1-3, ITV1, CH5 plus a couple of others working.
peter
Sunday 7 February 2010 9:51AM
A rescan is needed on 24 March as BBCA changes from 59 to 61.
mike winstone
Wednesday 10 February 2010 4:16PM
reception on bbc channels excellent but itv and especially ch 5 are poor. This has only been like this in the last 7/8 days .I await a reason . Thanks ,Mike
Briantist
Thursday 11 February 2010 9:04AM
mike winstone: Can you please check the Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV + switchover advice, since 2002 page for suggestions?
Mike Pickrell
Thursday 18 March 2010 1:07PM
Ia anything happen to the transmit which is affecting the strength of the signal, for example at 9:15 this morning the signal strength drop from 37%, to 20% and we lost picture. This has been the case since before the week-end, the signal strength normally returns at some point during the evening.
Briantist
Thursday 18 March 2010 1:13PM
Mike Pickrell: There's been no work on the transmitter for months, please can you see www.ukfree.tv link icon Freeview intermittent interference | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV + switchover advice, since 2002 - but switchover does start on 24th March 2010.
Transmitter engineering
Monday 22 March 2010 9:34AM
MENDIP transmitter - Over the next week Mendip main transmitter: TV (analogue) Liable to interruption, TV (digital) Liable to interruption, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK] Over the next week Mendip relay: TV (analogue) Service Shutdowns, TV (digital) Service Shutdowns, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
John
Tuesday 23 March 2010 7:24AM
Just posted this in another thread but i had a new aerial yesterday and reception is now perfect after having no 3,4,5.
It cost £150 in total but signal is perfect.
Phil Clements
Wednesday 24 March 2010 9:23PM
I have been dealing with technical queries with the switchover today (24th)with Bruton Age Concern at the Unionist Hall.

I have two users with, what appears to be, the same problem.

One was using Stockland Hill Tx, but he retuned (I am aware he did not need to). Now he is unable to get BBC1 or BBC2?

My neighbour has the £40 help scheme digital box and should only receive BBC1 & BBC2 from the relay in Bruton. This was OK this morning, but she cannot now receive the BBC channels. On trying to retune, I can get Stockland Hill, but not the BBC channels from either the relay or Stockland Hill. (Note: the digital box had the 'Auto Retune' enabled, which probably oblterated the original setup?

It appears that, with both the relay and Stocklend Hill on the same orentation, one Tx interferes with the other and both BBC channels will not tune in correctly??

Have you any ideas on how to overcome this problem? Note: it is not possible to re-align the aerials due to the narrow angular difference.
RegB
Wednesday 24 March 2010 10:38PM
Anybody know where all the BBC channels have gone? I have a fairly old Sony Digital integrated TV, I have had several problems trying to tune the set in to the changes that have been done over the last couple of years, having to resolve to manually tuning in each and every channel. But now I have manually tuned in all the channels except BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, CBBC Channel, CITV and BBC News, these channels don't appear on any Channel, Service in the tuning range. I'm not sure what the tuning range is of this set only that it covers upto Channel69 Service99 , what ever that is. The highest channel I can get is Film4 on channel 67 service 24. Any theories?
Briantist
Wednesday 24 March 2010 11:02PM
Phil Clements: It's a bit tricky to say without the postcode, can you put it into the box at the top right.
Briantist
Wednesday 24 March 2010 11:06PM
RegB: Sorry, your TV will no longer work without a set-top box - please see www.ukfree.tv link icon TVs and boxes that do not support the 8k-mode | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for details.
MikeT
Thursday 25 March 2010 2:50PM
I've a Humax 9200T PVR and it has just 'lost' the BBC channels too.
To regain them, I've had to:
1 Remove all current channels - go into the Edit Channel Lists menu item, select all and then delete them, confirming the change.
2 Find a decent BBC UHF number - go into the Manual Search menu item and then step through each UHF number (20 upwards) until they were good enough (for me in Bristol 61 works)
3 Get the other channels - go into the Installation menu item and do an automatic search, saving the new list.

I fear I'll have to do this all again on the 7th of April...
Briantist
Thursday 25 March 2010 4:08PM
MikeT: No, this is a known problem, you just have to do a "factory reset" on the 7th. It's listed on the TVs and boxes that do not support the 8k-mode | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice page.
Phil Clements
Friday 26 March 2010 9:55PM
Regarding my comments on the 24th about the conflict between the Bruton relay and the Stockland Hill Tx.

I resolved the problem, but do not fully understand the cause. It appears that running a full scan the digibox detected BBC1 and BBC2 from both the Bruton relay and Stockland Hill.

Which BBC1 or BBC2 will be selected? It appears that both seem to be, which causes a totally corrupted picture on both. Other programs, e.g. ITV1 appear to be OK.

With one user I cleared the channels completely and manually scanned ONLY the Stockland Hill Tx. The results were complete Freeview channels.

Unfortunately, I had to play around until I could determine the Bruton relay channel, I couldn't find any technical details about this relay. The digital channel used after switchover was CH43.
Briantist
Saturday 27 March 2010 9:03AM
Phil Clements: Most Freeview boxes put the service on the lowest frequency on the channel numbers, some (never seen one myself) will put the strongest signals in the most prominent position. Also see www.ukfree.tv link icon Bruton digital switchover date | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
j c dawes
Sunday 28 March 2010 1:30PM
Have been told by DigitalUK that I can't pick up the digital Mendip signal on my indoor aerial yet because there are technical problems STILL on boosting the signal as previously advised ! Anyone out there suffering similarly ?
Phil Clements
Sunday 28 March 2010 5:26PM Bruton
The problem I discovered did not appear to be anything to do with lowest frequency or strongest signal.

I found that with the BBC1 and BBC2 channels set up correctly and operating OK from the Bruton relay, a retune found additional BBC channels from Stockland Hill, which appeared to be set up.

With the BBC channels set up from both the Bruton relay and Stockland Hill neither would function.

It was only when all channels were cleared and a manual retune made, without the Bruton relay, that BBC 1 and 2 could be obtained.
Briantist
Monday 29 March 2010 7:12AM
j c dawes: Digital signal levels are not designed for indoor reception, by design.
Briantist
Monday 29 March 2010 7:49AM
Phil Clements: Did you check 801 and 802 where the other BBC One and BBC TWO are put?
Phil Clements
Monday 29 March 2010 9:13AM Bruton
Briantist: No I didn't check 801 or 802.

I found that both BBC1 an BBC2 were receiving the correct programs, but breaking up and only short snatches could a picture be seen. As I said before, it appeared that the channels from the Bruton Relay and Stockland Hill were set up simultaneously??
Briantist
Monday 29 March 2010 9:46AM
Phil Clements: The www.ukfree.tv link icon Bruton digital switchover date | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice relay is very low power, so you should really try and avoid using it, you may find that you have to manually add the Mendip frequencies.
Phil Clements
Monday 29 March 2010 10:08AM
Briantist: Bruton relay may be on low power, but it's the only way many residents in the town can receive terrestrial TV.

Note, when set up manually to ch43 BBC channels are OK.
Briantist
Monday 29 March 2010 10:08AM
Phil Clements: Yes, it is provided for people in a very small area, not for people who can get a signal direct from Mendip, like yourself.
Ray
Wednesday 7 April 2010 10:10AM
Hi,what channel numbers do i now use to get local itv & bbc news in Bath from the Mendip transmiter
Briantist
Wednesday 7 April 2010 10:11AM
Ray: Please see Digital Region Overlap | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for details.
david
Wednesday 7 April 2010 4:54PM
all mendip high power mux 54 55 61 strong signal five miles south of salisbury loft anntenna 25 db mast head
Iain Davies
Wednesday 7 April 2010 8:40PM Weston-super-mare
Mendip analogue shutdown as it happened:-
7/4/10, ITV on CH64 off at 00:07, CH4 on CH54 off at 00:11, CH5 on CH37 off at 00:14 and BBC1 on CH58 of at 01:21 (very kind of them leaving it on until the end of the film)
Phil Clements
Wednesday 7 April 2010 11:57PM Bruton
Since 7th dso I have lost itv3 and unable to manually tune the Phillips TV or HD recorder. The TV shows ITV3, but no picture, the HD recorder doesn't show any program at position 10.

Any ideas?
Rachel
Thursday 8 April 2010 8:08AM
Hoping you can help!
I'm in the swindon area. I have the main BBC and ITV channels, but lost most of the 'extras'. Despite retuning, I had them before the 'switchover'.

More importantly I've tried to help an elderly friend, giving her a freeview box, auto retuning etc. Her BBC1 and BBC2 channels keep breaking up, ITV is fine and has more 'extras' than me. But of course only ever watches BBC channels! Can anyone tell me the manual tune channel numbers for BBC1 and BBC2 in Swindon area?
thanks
Briantist
Thursday 8 April 2010 8:23AM
Rachel: You need to do this - My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound or the channel line up is wrong | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice - on both boxes. Also, enter your postcode to the top right for details of frequencies.
roger
Thursday 8 April 2010 4:16PM
Can someone tell me what the + symbol indicates after a uhf channel number? eg C62+
Phil Clements
Thursday 8 April 2010 5:06PM
Briantist: Your comment regarding the missing channels is no answer. I have tuned and retuned both digiboxes, TVs, recorders etc., but ITV3 is still missing?

Has this channel been disabled or on very low power? ITV3 is very popular with people who enjoy older TV series programs.
Briantist
Thursday 8 April 2010 5:16PM
roger: It indicates the channel is ofset by +166kHz.
Briantist
Thursday 8 April 2010 5:24PM
Phil Clements: Please try again, it appears the fault with COM4 has been cleared.
Phil Clements
Thursday 8 April 2010 5:24PM
Roger: If the ITV3 channel is offset by +166KHz, how can this be resolved?
Phil Clements
Thursday 8 April 2010 5:45PM
Briantist: OK, I have returned one TV and we now have ITV3 back. Thanks, Phil.
Edwin Kayes
Friday 9 April 2010 10:35PM
I live about 10 miles south-east of the Mendip transmitter.
The digital signal has been OK on all Freeview channels for a long time, until the first switch-over day, when BBC programmes kept breaking-up.
It's no better after the second switch-over date, but we seem to be able to get a stronger signal from Wenvoe than we do from Mendip and I can see Mendip from my upstairs window.
What's going-on?
Briantist
Monday 12 April 2010 1:11PM
Edwin Kayes: You might have too strong a signal. Where is your aerial, what type is it and do you have amy amplifiers, also what's your postcode?
Edwin Kayes
Tuesday 13 April 2010 2:37PM Glastonbury
Ah. That had not occurred to me. Has the power been increased on the BBC multiplex? The aerial is above the chimney. I think that the aerial is a standard Yagi type (it was originally installed for analogue TV).
I have an active splitter, but I do not know if this includes amplification.
The postcode is BA6 8PD.
The problem seems to vary depending on the receiver. It is much less obvious on a Panasonic TV and Thomson Freeview disk recorder.
Actually, I may have been wrong about being able to see Mendip (memory playing tricks - could see it from the previous house), because there is a hill between us and the transmitter. I'll check this evening. However, it does seem that something has changed for the worse since switchover.



Please post a question, answer or commentIf you have Freeview reception problems before posting a question your must first do this Freeview reset procedure then see: Freeview reception has changed, Single frequency interference, and Freeview intermittent interference.

If you have no satellite signal, see Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fault'

If you have other problems, please provide a full (not partial) postcode (or preferably enter it in box at the top right) and indicate where if aerial is on the roof, in the loft or elsewhere.

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