Freeview: Clacton-on-Sea (Essex, England) digital TV transmitter
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Clacton (Essex, England) digital TV transmitter

Google mapBing mapGoogle Earth51.803,1.165 or 51°48'10"N 1°9'53"ECO15 6PP

Transmitter faults and engineering works



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The symbol shows the location of the Clacton transmitter.

Other maps:Clacton-on-Sea AM/FMSudbury regionBBC EastAnglia (East micro region)

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.

Clacton 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
Below average64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		400
Channel icons
1 BBC One East, 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 47m datum.
PSB2
D3+4
 horizontal
Below average64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		400
Channel icons
3 ITV (Anglia (East micro region)), 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 (Anglia east),
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C52 (722.0MHz) from 47m datum.
PSB3
BBCB
 horizontal
Below average256QAM 32KE 2/3
40.2Mb/s
DVB-T2 MPEG4		400
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 C42 (642.0MHz) from 47m datum.


Looking for these 26 channels?



The Clacton-on-Sea (Essex, England) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: 4Music, 4seven, 5*, 5USA, Al Jazeera English, Challenge, Channel 5 +1, CITV, Community Channel, Dave, Dave ja vu, E4+1, Film 4, Food Network, ITV 2 +1, ITV 3, ITV 4, Movie Mix, PICK TV, Quest, Really, RT English , Sky News, The Zone, VIVA, Yesterday.

If you want to watch these channels, your aerial must point to one of the 80 Full service Freeview transmitters. For more information see the will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? page.

Regional news from the Clacton transmitter


BBC Look East (East) 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Norwich NR2 1BH, 92km north
to BBC East region - 27 masts.

ITV Anglia News 0.8m homes 3.2%
from NORWICH NR1 3JG, 92km north
to ITV Anglia (East) region - 26 masts.

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1984-971997-981998-20112011-132013-182013-18
aerial groupA B C/D E K VHFA B C/D E K VHFA B C/D E K VHFB EB EB E
C42BBCBBBCBBBCB
700C49BBCABBCABBCA
C52D3+4D3+4D3+4

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 6th July and 20th July 2011.

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

BBCA, D3+4, BBCB 400W

History of Channel 3 in the Sudbury transmitter area

• Breakfast ◊ Weekends ♦ Friday night and weekends † Weekdays only. Clacton 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


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.

Ken Porter
Monday 18 October 2010 9:03AM
Hello ,

Do you know the expected footprint of the new
Clacton on Sea transmitter
GPS: 51.8027,1.16486
or where to find such infomation

Regards
Ken Porter
East Essex Television Services
Mike Dimmick
Monday 18 October 2010 11:37PM
... consumers.ofcom.org.uk link icon http://consumers.ofcom.or….pdf says Clacton is predicted to cover 8,900 homes.

As far as I can tell, no-one has prepared a map indicating expected coverage. Complicating the matter is the fact that Burnham on Crouch has been allocated the same frequencies, which may indicate the intention to run the two sites as a Single Frequency Network, so the coverage area would be the joint coverage of both transmitters. This won't be in full effect until 2012, though, because Clacton BBCA will be on channel 48 for the first year of its life.

DUK have these new transmitters in their postcode predictor, so you can try putting postcodes into it to see what the results are: www.digitaluk.co.uk link icon Postcode Checker - Trade View gives the result for your shop's postcode. I would expect something to be carried in the Almanac at www.digitaluk.co.uk link icon Transmitter Network - Digital UK Almanac closer to switchover. (RG47SH)
Ken Porter
Friday 22 October 2010 2:35PM Clacton-on-sea
Many thanks for your reply , I guess, as always those of us in the trade will be last to know what's going on

I will keep searching ,if I find any info I'll let you know

Thanks for a great web site

Best regards

Ken Porter
Briantist
Friday 22 October 2010 3:09PM
Ken Porter: Thank you. I'll post if I find anything else too.
matt
Sunday 12 December 2010 4:39PM
the new ariels went up on the valley road mast at clacton on the 11dec, and by the looks of it some fmradio transmit arriels, maybe dream100 radio moving tx sites???
Briantist
Monday 13 December 2010 6:59AM
matt: I don't think there are any plans for the radio services to move to this mast.
Rick Marsh
Wednesday 22 December 2010 11:37AM
I live within 1km of the new digital transmitter and in line of sight. Will I be able to get good reception with a loft aerial please.
Briantist
Wednesday 22 December 2010 1:51PM
Rick Marsh: No, you should still use a rooftop aerial for reliable reception.
Peter
Wednesday 29 December 2010 9:11AM
Rick, loft aerials do work, try it. (Mine does).
Briantist
Wednesday 29 December 2010 10:12AM
Peter: But not reliably.
matt
Friday 14 January 2011 5:29PM
dream100radio,on 100.2fm has now started using the valley road mast, the same that will be used for digital tv
Lee Baker
Friday 4 February 2011 5:32PM Clacton-on-sea
I live in the little clacton area just outside of Clacton where a new transmitter is being installed/turned on later this year. Will I have to reposition my aerial to get a reception from this transmitter. Currently the aerial is in the loft and to date have no problems with reception from Sudbury. Anyone help?
Briantist
Saturday 5 February 2011 7:32AM
Lee Baker: If your aerial is not pointing at the transmitter, you won't get a signal from it.

I would suggest you don't use it, you need to use a rooftop aerial pointing at the Sudbury transmitter.

You might find it easier to use Freesat.
Rick Marsh
Wednesday 9 February 2011 6:45PM Clacton-on-sea
I was speaking to a local aerial fitter today and he told me that the new Clacton transmitter will have a very limited range of channels. If this is the case, it seems we will need to receive our signal from Sudbury to receive all the available channels after switchover. I can't therefore see the point of this new transmitter if it isn't going to give us the full Freeview channel line-up.

Do you know exactly what channels we will receive from this new transmitter.

Many thanks.
Briantist
Thursday 10 February 2011 8:28AM
Rick Marsh: I have listed the channels at the top of the page.
Rick Marsh
Thursday 10 February 2011 12:16PM Clacton-on-sea
Thanks for that, but when you compare the list of available channels shown on the Freeview website against those shown above for the Clacton transmitter, there are a lot of digital services missing (Yesterday, Sky 3, Dave, Quest, Fiver, Five USA, Sky News, QVC etc etc). Why won't we be able to receive these channels like everyone else?

Thanks
Briantist
Thursday 10 February 2011 1:56PM
Rick Marsh: Yes, this is a public service transmitter, the commercial multiplex operators do not wish to transmit from here.
martin cox
Thursday 28 April 2011 8:43PM
Again Clacton loses out to weak signal strength even with a new transmitter. Whats the point of digital if its not available because of signal strength.
I have a larg Digital areal which is amplified, but still I have TV's which drop out.
Briantist
Friday 29 April 2011 6:38AM
martin cox: This transmitter is not yet on air, nor has your region switched to high power transmissions.
Matt
Wednesday 4 May 2011 12:18AM Clacton-on-sea
Used to live in CO15 3HS and had all the ITV and 5 channels. Recently moved into CO16 8FP and ITV and 5 have disappeared can anyone help???
Briantist
Wednesday 4 May 2011 7:58PM
Matt: That is correct, you won't get reasonable Multiplex 2 (D3+4) until switchover on the 20th July 2011 from the new Clacton transmitter at your new postcode.
Corinne Bradd
Saturday 28 May 2011 5:46PM Clacton-on-sea
Hi Briantist, is this why I can rarely get anything other than BBC channels now. Problem started a few weeks ago with things breaking up on E4, but in the last couple of days I've got no signal for the vast majority of the channels I used to get even with a relatively new digital aerial and a retune?
Do you think this will go on until July?
thanks
Corinne
Briantist
Monday 30 May 2011 12:54PM
Corinne Bradd: Yes, this is much as you might expect until the Clacton transmitter comes on next month. Then you will get the HD transmissions and the 3+4 multiplex, but you will not be able to receive any more channels, without using Freesat.
Lee
Wednesday 6 July 2011 6:40PM
I have a samsung dvd recorder with freeview but due to an inherent fault that samsung refuse to aknowledge I am unable to retune properly as it thinks the unit is in Austria.
I can manually retune but need the frequencies of channels and bandwidth. Ive found the channels needed via the switchover site but hope that inputting these may allow me to get freeview back working.
matt
Thursday 7 July 2011 3:39PM Clacton-on-sea
can report the clacton transmitter started on channel 48at around midday on 6july , live around 2miles from it and pick it up on 1st floor on a bit of wire, also sudbury channel 44 nice and strong now
Briantist
Sunday 17 July 2011 1:14PM
matt: Thanks for the information.
Kevin
Friday 22 July 2011 8:55PM
I live in Dovercourt.For best reception on Freesat should my aerial be pointing to the new Clacton transmitter or should i leave it where it is pointing to Sudbury.
Chris
Sunday 24 July 2011 2:05PM Clacton-on-sea
Hi Kevin, I'd give Clacton a try, it's much stronger than Sudbury where I am in Thorpe and you should get line of sight if you are on the seafront side of Dovercourt
Rick Marsh
Monday 25 July 2011 2:03PM
Where I live in Clacton I am in line of sight of the new Clacton transmitter and get all the available channels with a strong signal.

The only problem is that when I tune to ITV HD, I get a fab HD picture BUT when the local news comes on, I only get Meridian News? Since I live in the Anglia region and our transmitter is in the Anglia region, can you please tell me why on earth I only get Meridian News when watching ITV HD?

Many Thanks
Briantist
Tuesday 26 July 2011 9:09AM
Rick Marsh: ITV only supply ITV1HD with limited regions, and your region is not one of them (as shown at the top of the page).

You will have to return to "3" to get your local news.
craig smith
Monday 19 December 2011 7:38PM Clacton-on-sea
About a week ago I lost all but 18 channels, stuff like bid tv, five us, film 4 etc are all gone now, we didnt touch the areal, the tv or anything, it just vanished, now when we try to re-tune we get the same 18 channels, 11 radio and 2 data/other

Postcode: CO15 6AT
Dave Lindsay
Monday 19 December 2011 7:47PM
craig smith: Where is your aerial pointing? If it is pointing at Clacton transmitter (for which you posted your message on) then you will only get the channels you get. It does not broadcast Bid TV, Five US, Film 4 etc.
Nick R
Sunday 25 March 2012 12:21PM Clacton-on-sea
Hi. My Mum is 89 and lives in a block of flats with a communal boosted aerial signal. She has a brand new TV but for the last 3 nights or so, her TV has stopped receiving at sometime between 6 to 6.30 and the screen says 'no digital signal detected'. Sometimes it has come back on at around 9.00 pm, other days not till the following morning. I thought at first it was just atmospherics but the regular time for the drop out has confused things. She relies on the TV for company so any suggestions? Site is in Clacton, Essex, CO15 6PD.
Nick R
Sunday 25 March 2012 1:47PM
The aerial on the flats is pointing at Sudbury by the way.
Thanks for any advice.
KMJ,Derby
Sunday 25 March 2012 2:56PM
Nick R: Does your Mum's TV lose reception of all channels, or just those which are carried on one or two of the muxes? If it is a total loss it would suggest that possibly the power supply to the communal aerial is interrupted (unplugged while Hoovering takes place?) or a source of interference is switched on at the time mentioned, a faulty security light for example, as this is around nightfall. If it is only one or two muxes affected it is worth checking which frequencies have been stored by the TV. Until 27th June 2012 Sudbury uses C44, C41, C49+, C54, C63 plus C47(HD), whereas Clacton relay uses C48+ and C52 plus C42(HD). If Clacton frequencies have been selected the aerial will be 40 degrees off beam, so they might not be as reliable as the Sudbury alternative.
Nick R
Sunday 25 March 2012 3:57PM
Hi KMJ. She tells me it is all the channels but have not witnessed this myself, which I will do if it continues. Unlikely to be the communal aerial being unplugged as I would imagine this is locked away in some cupboard or the roof space, and the house manager works till 5.00 so would not think someone is unplugging the unit to use the socket after 6.00. Will check out for faulty external lights on timers though. Thanks for the tip.
David
Monday 16 July 2012 6:23PM Clacton-on-sea
I find the signal on this Clacton TX to be really crap out side of Clacton unless in town.
Was down the beach where the pier is and I was getting no lock on channels 49 and 52 at all yet Dover since change over was coming in 70% down the front here on my portable TV.

Briantist
Thursday 26 July 2012 3:30PM
David: I think the purpose of the new transmitters around the coast of East Anglia is to allow the power level of the main transmitters to be reduced, to prevent the signals leaking to other countries.

As I don't have the radiation pattern for this mast, it quite possible that the signal is being targetted at specific areas, causing the effect you have found.
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 15 January 2013 8:02PM
CLACTON transmitter - Freeview - No reported problems -. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 15 January 2013 8:58PM
CLACTON transmitter - Freeview No problems on any service. [BBC]
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