Freeview: Winter Hill (Bolton, England) full-Freeview transmitter
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Freeview on the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter

Google StreetviewGoogle mapBing mapGoogle Earth53.625,-2.516 or 53°37'30"N 2°30'56"WBL6 6SL

4G at 800MHz (at800) Freeview reception issues

When 800MHz 4G mobile broadband services start there will be 1 multiplex in the higher risk range (C21-23, C30, C59-60): C59: D3+4
See How do I know if the 4G broadband will overload my Freeview? and Full UK map of 4G issue areas for details.

Transmitter fauls and engineering works

WINTER HILL transmitter - Over the next week Winter Hill main transmitter: TV (digital) Liable to interruption, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. Digital tick
Want to better understand the current TV faults? See the all new UK Free TV page


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The symbol shows the location of the Winter Hill transmitter which serves 2,690,000 homes.

Other maps:Winter Hill DABWinter Hill AM/FMWinter Hill regionBBC North WestGranada

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.

Winter Hill 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 North 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 C50 (706.0MHz) from 726m datum.
PSB2
D3+4
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		100,000
Channel icons
3 ITV (Granada), 4 Channel 4 North ads, 5 Channel 5 The North ads, 6 ITV 2, 13 Channel 4+1 North ads, 14 More 4, 28 E4, 33 ITV +1 (Granada),
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C59 (778.0MHz) from 726m 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 Granada), 104 Channel 4 HD North ads, plus 1 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C54- (737.8MHz) from 726m 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 C58 (770.0MHz) from 726m 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 C49 (698.0MHz) from 726m 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 C55 (746.0MHz) from 726m datum.
MEN
 horizontal
Very lowQSPK 8K 1/2
6.0Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		1,000
Channel icons
51 Movies4Men, 52 Movies4Men +1, 53 Sony SAB TV Asia, 56 Capital TV, plus 2 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C57 (762.0MHz).


Regional news from the Winter Hill transmitter


BBC North West Tonight 3.1m homes 11.7%
from Salford M50 2QH, 22km southeast
to BBC North West region - 90 masts.

ITV Granada Reports 3.1m homes 11.6%
from Salford M50 2EQ, 22km southeast
to ITV Granada region - 80 masts.

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1956~851984-971997-981998-20092009-1310/4/13-2013-182019-
aerial groupVHFC/D EC/D EC/D EC/D EC/D EWK
C9ITV
C12BBCtv
C22SDN
C25ArqA
C28ArqB
600C31com7
C37com8
C39BBCB
C42D3+4
C45BBCA
C48C5C5
700C49 ArqAArqA
C50 BBCABBCA
C54-BBCB-BBCB-BBCB
C55BBC1BBC1BBC1ArqBArqBArqB
C56+1local
C57MENMENMEN
C58SDNSDNSDN
C59ITVITVITVD3+4D3+4D3+4
C60+C
800C61ArqA
C62BBC2BBC2BBC2BBCA
C63+D
C65C4C4C4
C66+2
C67+B
C68+A

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 4th November and 2nd December 2009.

  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Manchester including Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport could use an Interleaved Frequency on the Winter Hill transmitter using C56
  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Liverpool including St Helens, Widnes, Wigan, Wirral could use an Interleaved Frequency on the Winter Hill transmitter using C56
  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Preston including Blackpool could use an Interleaved Frequency on the Winter Hill transmitter using C56
  • COM7, COM8 projected for 2013-16. COM7 and COM8 to operate as Saddleworth,Storeton, Winter Hill SFN.

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

Analogue 1-4 500kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, com7, com8, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-7dB) 100kW
Analogue 5(-16dB) 12.5kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*(-17dB) 10kW
MEN(-27dB) 1000W

History of Channel 3 in the Winter Hill transmitter area

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


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.

Ken Clay
Tuesday 31 July 2012 9:44AM Warrington
I've just installed a Humax Fox t2 box for HD Freeview reception. The signal is usually at 70% strength and 100% quality but frequently drops (about every 10 mins) giving pixelated picture and sound muting. My arial is a high gain in the loft (under a slate roof). I can see Winter Hill from the roof. My postcode is wa42pg. What is the reason for these fluctuations? Also my box can show strengths for channels 54-60 but doesn't tune in channels 55-60. Should I attempt to tune in 55-60 manually and would that fix the problem?
I had no trouble on non-HD digital on my system
Mark Fletcher
Tuesday 14 August 2012 6:48PM Halifax
Ken Clay,Warrington.One possible reason for your fluctuating signals on the BBCB (HD) multiplex from Winter Hill on frequency 54 is the siting of your aerial,in the loft under a slate roof.And it is common for BBCB (HD) multiplexes anywhere in the UK to suffer picture pixellations more so than the normal SD multiplexes which are often unaffected as such in normal conditions.
You may have to consider either moving your aerial within the loft to alleviate the difficulties you stated or to relocate the aerial externally onto the roof.
As for manual tuning or scanning this is highly recommended as auto tuning or scanning often picks up weaker transmissions on the lower frequencies while more often occasionally failing to pick up stronger transmissions on the higher frequencies,and believe me Winter Hill currently uses the higher frequencies and these transmissions can be omitted when the weaker Moel-Y-Parc transmisions lower down the frequency bands (middle bands) are often picked up first during automatic tuning/scanning around Warrington,Liverpool and South Manchester conurbations,etc.
Joe
Saturday 18 August 2012 9:33PM
JB38 I've not got round to doing anything with my aerial yet. I'm tempted to swing it round and point it to Pendle Forest rather than try for Winter Hill.

Thanks for your suggestions.
jb38
Sunday 19 August 2012 12:20AM
Joe: Well if you can carry out this task yourself then you have nothing to lose by trying a few experiments, although unfortunately Digital UK's reception predictor is down and so its impossible at this present time to be able to assess the results you are liable to get by swinging your aerial around to Pendle Forrest, albeit that its not shown as being possible to receive on this sites terrain indicator, of course neither is Winter Hill!

However the differences between each of the stations are /

Pendle Forrest (100W full Freeview) located @ 12 miles 53 degrees (V) polarisation, (A) group aerial. BBC1 Ch28 / ITV1 Ch25.

Winter Hill (100Kw full Freeview) located at 7 miles 183 degrees (H) polarisation, (C/D) group aerial. BBC1 Ch62 / ITV1 Ch59.

Darwin (100W Freeview Light PSB only) located @ 4 miles 133 degrees (V) polarisation, (B) group aerial. BBC1 Ch45 / ITV1 Ch49.

BBC & ITV only mentioned to enable you to carry out a manual tuning test on each station, also if you have a wide band aerial (black blanking plug on end of elements support) then disregard the aerial groups given.
Transmitter engineering
Wednesday 22 August 2012 4:52AM
WINTER HILL transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 01:33 today to 02:41 today [BBC] Over the next week Winter Hill main transmitter: TV (digital) Liable to interruption, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
Transmitter engineering
Wednesday 22 August 2012 9:10AM
WINTER HILL transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 01:33 today to 02:41 today [BBC] ter Hill Transmitter works 23 August 2012: Engineering transmitter work will take place between 00:01hrs and 06:00hrs. TV services that will be disrupted: Analogue services - n/a Digital services - PSB1, PSB2, PSB3, COM4, COM5 and COM6 will be subject to periods of shutdown. [DUK] Over the next week Winter Hill main transmitter: TV (digital) Liable to interruption, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
Transmitter engineering
Thursday 23 August 2012 4:52AM
WINTER HILL transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 01:33 yesterday to 02:41 yesterday [BBC] ter Hill Transmitter works 23 August 2012: Engineering transmitter work will take place between 00:01hrs and 06:00hrs. TV services that will be disrupted: Analogue services - n/a Digital services - PSB1, PSB2, PSB3, COM4, COM5 and COM6 will be subject to periods of shutdown. [DUK] Over the next week Winter Hill main transmitter: TV (digital) Liable to interruption, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
Transmitter engineering
Thursday 23 August 2012 11:10AM
WINTER HILL transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 01:33 yesterday to 02:41 yesterday [BBC] Over the next week Winter Hill main transmitter: TV (digital) Liable to interruption, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
Transmitter engineering
Friday 24 August 2012 5:03AM
WINTER HILL transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 01:33 on 22 Aug to 02:41 on 22 Aug [BBC] Over the next week Winter Hill main transmitter: TV (digital) Liable to interruption, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
Transmitter engineering
Friday 24 August 2012 6:10PM
WINTER HILL transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 01:33 on 22 Aug to 02:41 on 22 Aug [BBC]
Joe
Friday 24 August 2012 9:14PM Blackburn
JB38: One site I looked at suggests that Pendle Forest is a possibility but this site shows insufficient coverage. I personally doubt that I will be able to 'see' Winter Hill from my location. Darwen Light is not sufficient for my needs.

Unable as yet to check the plug colour, but I suspect it's black. I've never seen any other colour bar black. :-)
Mark Fletcher
Friday 24 August 2012 11:29PM Barnsley
Joe.Blackburn,BB2 4TS.If as you state your aerial has a black bung,it denotes a group W wideband aerial and although perfectly okay for Winter Hill main transmitter itself which uses high frequencies,and group W wideband aerials perform well on the higher frequencies,it is however not a type of aerial to be used on an all group A mast,main transmitter or relay mast in a poor/marginal area due to their poor perfromance as such.My best advice either retain your group W wideband aerial and use this polarised horizontally for Winter Hill main transmitter,or change your group W wideband for preferably a group A aerial (red coloured tip/bung),or a semi-wideband group K aerial (grey coloured tip/bung) polarised vertically for all group A Pendle Forest major relay which carries all six multiplexes between frequencies 21-28.Bear in mind Pendle Forset major relay is only 100w and at your location from abode to that mast is effectively a poor/marginal signal area,and your current group W wideband aerial switched vertically to all group A Pendle Forest will most likely give a poor result possibly only picking up two or three multiplexes and with considerable pixellating pictures in the process.The decision is entirely up to you Joe.
jb38
Saturday 25 August 2012 12:28AM
Joe: Yes, Pendle Forest (@ 12miles / 52 degrees / V Polarisation) would "appear" as your best bet for "full service" reception when viewed by clicking "Digital UK tradeview" at the R/H/S of your posting.

Just out of interest, on a quick look at the rooftops in your Lane I see aerials facing a variety of directions, this always a indication of an area being a touch iffy for reception.

As far as your aerials cross beam end blanking plug colour is concerned, black (wideband) is perfectly OK albeit that "red" (group A) favours Pendle Forests channel group, but I wouldn't let that worry you as in practical terms the difference in strength isn't that great.

Just out of interest you should try a test manually tuning in Ch28 then Ch25 (BBC & ITV1 from Pendle Forest) although the impediment to good reception from Pendle that I see is that signal path between there and you passes over quite a number of trees and industrial units at various points along the way, this not exactly being an ideal situation when the transmission source is only 100 watts.
Joe
Saturday 8 September 2012 3:20PM Blackburn
Thanks guys. I've done some preliminary via a loft aerial. I received nothing at all from Winter Hill and can receive almost a full compliment of channels from Pendle Forest.

Rotating the existing external aerial to Pendle Forest is looking like my best option.

I'll give Winter Hill another go from the loft before I commit myself though.
Joe
Saturday 8 September 2012 4:05PM Blackburn
Just had another at getting a signal from Winter Hill. To my surprise it worked. Now I know that I can either get my existing aerial re-aligned or a new one installed.
js
Friday 14 September 2012 6:07AM
There are a few puzzling items in the "North West" aka "Winter Hill" service tables at present.

Sometime in the last two weeks, the Time Offset Table (TOT) has had an entry for Ireland added to it, as shown below.

Time Offset Table
UTC_time = 14/09/2012 03:16:16
country_code = GBR
country_region_id = 0
local_time_offset = 01:00
local_time_offset_polarity = 0
next_time_offset = 00:00
time_of_change = 28/10/2012 01:00:00

country_code = IRL
country_region_id = 0
local_time_offset = 01:00
local_time_offset_polarity = 0
next_time_offset = 00:00
time_of_change = 28/10/2012 01:00:00

For quite some time now, maybe a year, Welsh transport streams "BBC A" and "D3&4" have been listed in the SDT.
These transport stream are not listed in the NIT so no frequencies are given for them, nor are LCNs assigned to the services on them.
They are, however, listed in the EIT, where full schedule data is present for the following services:

BBC ONE Wales
BBC TWO Wales
ITV1 Wales
S4/C

Perhaps someone can shed some light.
js
Saturday 15 September 2012 12:49AM
Thanks Dave, that accounts for the Welsh puzzle.

I've just checked the TOTs on satellite. There are two networks at 28 degrees East, namely ASTRA and Freesat, each with their own service tables. The ASTRA TOT has an entry for Ireland (to be expected since BSkyB officially broadcast to Ireland). The Freesat TOT does not.

So, why is there a TOT entry for Ireland from Winter Hill? Is this another case of accommodating a regional overlap?
cliff kenyon
Wednesday 19 September 2012 11:36AM Macclesfield
bad reception yesterday and today.
Macclesfield, Cheshire, sk11 6px
Dom Robinson
Wednesday 19 September 2012 8:55PM
I have a TV in the kitchen which doesn't have a brilliant signal, so low-strength mux TV channels will suffer.

In the last few days, my 4Seven reception has almost died. Is that mux having problems, please?
Peter Harrison
Thursday 20 September 2012 7:24PM
I'm on the Wirral and pick up my signal from Winter Hill. Since the changes on 19/9/2012 I've lost the HD channels. There's not a strong enough signal on channels 50 etc, but no sign of them on channels 101+. Have retuned from scratch multiple times. Anyone know what's going on?

Cheers,
Peter Harrison
Thursday 20 September 2012 7:54PM Wirral
I'm on the Wirral and pick up my signal from Winter Hill. Since the changes on 19/9/2012 I've lost the HD channels. There's not a strong enough signal on channels 50 etc, but no sign of them on channels 101+. Have retuned from scratch multiple times. Anyone know what's going on?

Should have mentioned postcode is CH49 2QT and the aerial is a professionally fitted one on the roof.
Charlie
Sunday 23 September 2012 5:46PM Wigan
My postcode is WN4 9LG and I have recently attempted to retune, as per broadcast instructions. Apart from losing channel 8 - which was planned to be "local tv", and finding that the intention of channel 100 - planned to be a Freeview information page - still remains as the first in the adult lineup. I had also noticed that Yesterday and Dave did a number swap, but I recall seeing that changeover pre 19th Sept '12. I use two Philips digiboxes model DTR 220. Is the digibox responsible for this non-event? Also the intention to show channels 101-120, reserved for HD didn't budge but I put that down to having a ordinary Freeview receiver. Can you help? Advanced thanks.
Dave Lindsay
Sunday 23 September 2012 7:59PM
Charlie: See www.ukfree.tv link icon Updated - changes to Freeview channel numbers this week on September 19th 2012 | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice

The HD channels and news channels did not move. They may be the subject of another retune next month.
Eric
Tuesday 25 September 2012 1:52PM
I have prog sent to numbers 800 and upwards that have proper channel numbers. The channels that this happens to depends on the make of freeview box. Why are the program numbers made up from two different locations in the transmitted data?
KMJ,Derby
Tuesday 25 September 2012 2:57PM
Eric: If you are able to receive signals from two or more transmitters the tuner will store the channels which are identified as having a variation in the 800s after the normal (LCN) positions in the channel list have been filled. When scanning mux BBCA, for example, the channel which shows the variation (BBC1) will be placed in the 800s, then additionally, depending on the make of box the other channels on this alternative mux might also be stored in the 800s giving what appear to be duplicates of identical channels.
James Veals
Friday 28 September 2012 9:41PM Bury
What will the introduction of 4G have on my present television reception. I am advised that a channel move is anticipated which necessitates the fitting of a broadband aerial.
John V
Thursday 4 October 2012 11:47AM Knutsford
I can receive perfect signal strength on all Winter Hill channels except for Ch 62, which is so poor there is no picture at all. Does anyone know why this should be? (I live near Knutsford & have a loft mounted digital aerial).
Malbro
Saturday 13 October 2012 4:15PM
I'm having trouble with a Grundig tv with built-in Freeview.
Until the recent retune it was OK but now it won't retain most of the channels.
There is roof-mounted C/D aerial which picks up Storeton Wales and Winter Hill and on doing an auto-retune everything is where expected - Wales on 1,2,3 etc. and NW in the 800's. But, put the tv into stand-by and then switch back on again and NW has moved to 1,2,3, nothing at all in the 800's and COM6/ARQB (C55), COM4/SDN (C58) and COM5/ARQA (C61) have disappeared altogether, just leaving the two PSB Muxs.
I've tried re-tuning with the aerial out to clear everything and done manual retunes but it makes no difference.
There is another tv on a separate aerial pointing in the same direction and that is OK and I've connected the Grundig to this one but result is the same as its own aerial.
Anyone any suggestions?
jb38
Saturday 13 October 2012 11:33PM
Malbro: Although you have tried re-scanning with the aerial being disconnected and which in most cases is suffice to get over various difficulties, but for problems such as yours the only way is to completely start afresh by carrying out a "factory reset", this also known as "default setting" or "first time installation", although the latter is not quite so effective as the two former procedures mentioned.
Malbro
Sunday 14 October 2012 5:40PM
jb38:Thanks for that. When I go there tomorrow I'll try it but I don't recall seeeing a factory reset option on the on-screen menu. I might have to resort to the old adage of "When all else fails, read the instructions".
jb38
Sunday 14 October 2012 11:19PM
Malbro: Could you please supply the model number of Grundig TV in question.
Malbro
Monday 15 October 2012 2:41PM
jb38:Cracked it. First time installation, a bit of deleting and manual retuning to get North West on 1,2,3 and the job's a good 'un.
If you are still interested the tv is a Grundig GU22WDVD3.
Thanks very much for your advice.
jb38
Monday 15 October 2012 11:14PM
Malbro: Many thanks for the update and pleased to hear that your problem is now rectified by basically carrying out the "first time installation" procedure, this always being the best policy to adopt when any odd problems are being experienced, as by starting afresh it cuts out having to try a variety of procedures in the hope that the correct one is found, as sometimes it isn't!

The reason I requested your TV's model number was only really to check on the menu system offered on the model, although as it happens I only have access to the service manual and not the user version, the latter as would be expected being the one that concentrates more on user access rather than the former which is dedicated to technical repair info which doesn't.
Charlie
Friday 19 October 2012 8:47PM
Well, that seems to be all the channel numbers for now . . . but wait . . . channel 8 is still proving elusive. Or is it something I've done wrong?
KMJ,Derby
Friday 19 October 2012 11:20PM
Charlie: Channel 8 in England and Northern Ireland is allocated to local tv stations, which are not yet in service. In Scotland BBC Alba is transmitted in that slot and transmissions from Wales put Channel 4 on position 8, with S4C occupying the fourth position in the channel list.
G4LDS
Sunday 21 October 2012 7:26PM
Hi
Living in Morecambe, we have Winter Hill Almost line of sight maybe 20 miles away. We have been watching Freeview for last couple years with Northwest BBC/ITV with no problems. Recently some channels have changed so had to retune the digibox (Low spec off the shelf from AS@@ DVB-T V 3.6) Now we have got very low level signals from BBC NW which has swung to ch 800-803 & BBC Wales !! has taken over as default 1-2 etc. Aerial is outside on roof beaming to Winter Hill. Any ideas ??? Is mainteance still ongoing and how do we remove BBC/ITV Wales??
Dave Lindsay
Sunday 21 October 2012 7:48PM
G4LDS: The receiver has tuned to the wrong transmitter. Moel-y-Parc broadcasts BBC on C45 and ITV1, C4 etc on C49; the signal strength screen should tell you which UHF channel it is tuned to.

The weaker BBC North West... I wonder, could this be from Lancaster? I say this particularly as Lancaster uses low channels (in the 20s) and will therefore be found before Winter Hill. Is Winter Hill further up in the 800s?

It may well also be the case that other national channels will be tuned incorrectly and will therefore be being received off-beam of the aerial which obviously could result in poor or intermittent reception.

Winter Hill channels are: 62, 59, 54(HD), 58, 61, 55

Lancaster's are: 27, 24, 21(HD), 25, 28, 22

Moel-y-Parc's are: 45, 49, 42(HD), 51, 52, 48


These six channels each carry a multiplex and in order they are:

PSB1 | BBC One
PSB2 | ITV1
PSB3 | BBC One HD (and other HD services)
COM4 | ITV3
COM5 | Pick TV
COM6 | Film4

The automatic tuning scan goes from UHF channel 21 to 69. You will note that Winter Hill's are the highest and so get picked up last. You may be able to manually tune to them (if the receiver allows and probably after what is already stored has been wiped).

Or run the automatic tuning scan with the aerial unplugged and plug in about 65%. This should get it in for the Winter Hill channels.

Once done, confirm that the five channels (or six if it's HD) are correct.
G4LDS
Monday 22 October 2012 1:41PM
Dave Lindsay,
Thanks for the post. I knew we had tuned to the wrong channels & didnt realise digibox went by channel rather than Signal strength! Didnt think we could Rx Welsh Tx, wondered if Winter Hill NW channels were under maintenance so weaker. I had cleared all channels by removing Ae and re-tuned then put Ae back & carried out a full new installation but it put low channels as default! Removed Ae retuned & put back Ae @ Ch 50 and lo it now defaulted to NW Tx. BTW its a long time since I saw the Winter Hill Tx as was part of the team involved in the then IBA/Ch 4 analogue upgrade at Winter Hill in 1980s when at Marconis in Chelmsford!! Where does the time go
Thanks Chris
Dave Lindsay
Monday 22 October 2012 2:32PM
G4LDS: So you will have seen mb21 and the articles in the IBA staff newsletter:

mb21 - The Transmission Gallery
G4LDS
Monday 22 October 2012 11:19PM
Mr Lindsay
Wonder if you hold a ARS call???
Saw the pictures in the link.
Memories of Marconi as part of the Tx team in Chelmsford setting up the IBA Ch4 national upgrade. Never went on site though but had great contacts with the IBA/BBC ARS engineers. had the 4 port Tx combining systems explained, 4 TX in one combiner going out to one aerial and each Tx electrically not seeing any other port!!!
long time ago now!!! now learning fast on digi TV!!
William Kane
Tuesday 23 October 2012 6:03PM
I know I'm on some north east transmitter or other but can someone help, please. Every time I re-tune my freeview box, I find that the next day some of the channels have gone. As far as I know, this has only happened since the north-east switchover a couple of months back.
It always seem to be Dave and Sky News that vanish. Any advice, anyone?
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 23 October 2012 7:30PM
William Kane: Knowledge of the transmitter and possibly your location may well be imperative here. Asking for help on the basis that you are receiving from "some" transmitter is either not going to get any response, or some guesses may have to be made as to the blanks you've left.

The problem you describe can happen when a receiver runs out of memory because it has found more channels than it can remember. This is usually as a result of it picking up signals from additional/other transmitters and the desired transmitter being picked up last.

In the North East there are four full-service transmitters (those that carry the Commercial channels which include Dave and Sky News).

Pontop Pike uses high channels which are therefore found near to the end of the scan. Dave and Sky News are carried on Pontop Pike's highest channel which makes me wonder if you are receiving from it. If you are and this is the problem then just run the automatic tuning scan with the aerial unplugged for about the first 50% to miss out scanning of the channels used by other transmitter(s) (that you probably don't use anyway). This should leave you with memory to store COM5 which carries Sky News and Dave.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 23 October 2012 7:30PM
G4LDS: Just interested in the subject. Never heard of ARS!
William Kane
Wednesday 24 October 2012 7:01AM
Yes Dave, I do believe you're right about it being Pontop Pike. I shall try what you advised.
Sorry for being so ignorant in my original post.

Thanks.
John Ovenden
Tuesday 30 October 2012 7:57PM
I have a Humax PVR 9150T and it cuts some programmes off before they are due to end. It does this every night during news at ten on bbc1.It can also cut off other programme before their due time.My dealer tells me that this is not the fault of the recorder,but the transmitter which switches the signal which tells the rcorder to record,off early.THIS IS MOST FRUSTRATING.
Can anything be done about this?
jb38
Tuesday 30 October 2012 8:43PM
John Ovenden: A Humax allows you to manually add up to 5 minutes to the end time of any programme being recorded by pressing "menu", then press OK on the top icon of the five seen running down the left hand side of the screen, followed by scrolling down to the bottom of the list and pressing on "recording end time".

The point to remember being that this action will take the recording mode out of being fully automatic in operation, albeit under normal circumstances this is neither here nor there.
jb38
Tuesday 30 October 2012 11:29PM
John Ovenden: Just a small addition / correction to that already said, insomuch that after you press "menu" select "record" from the choice that comes on and then scroll down to "recording end time".
js
Thursday 1 November 2012 10:22PM
What's this about then?

From the Winter Hill NIT:

Network Change Notifications

cell_id = 0946

network_change_id = 02
NetworkChangeType = Major - multiplex frequency changed
network_change_version = 01
ReceiverCategory = all receivers
start_time_of_change = 14/11/2012 00:00:00
change_duration = 06:00:00
invariant_ts_onid = 233A
invariant_ts_tsid = 1048
ISO_639_language_code = eng
message text = "On 14 November TV services may be subject to disruption until late afternoon. You may need to re-tune to get your channels back."

network_change_id = 03
NetworkChangeType = Major - multiplex frequency changed
network_change_version = 01
ReceiverCategory = all receivers
start_time_of_change = 14/11/2012 09:30:00
change_duration = 05:30:00
invariant_ts_onid = 233A
invariant_ts_tsid = 1048
ISO_639_language_code = eng
message text = "On 14 November TV services may be subject to disruption until late afternoon. You may need to re-tune to get your channels back."

end Network Change Notifications

Charlie
Friday 9 November 2012 5:00PM Wigan
Basically I have absolutely no reason to give adverse comment or to complain since I enjoy Freeview transmission on my pc with the aid of a very simple indoor aerial. After Yesterday channel and a few others were increased in power about two years ago everything became just perfect . . . until the recent changes in channel numbers came about. Now I find that with the same humble equipment that all of those channels associated with ARQB have become unwatchable. Sorry if I seem ungrateful but this is how it appears to be. Is there a fundamental reason for those under ARQB have becoming icky? Yours faithfully WN4 8LG
jb38
Friday 9 November 2012 5:40PM Chester
Charlie: As Winter Hill is indicated as being your main station you should carry out a signal check on ArqB (e.g: Yesterday-19) to make sure that the mux channel associated with the signal strength reading is Ch55 and not Ch48, the latter being ArqB from Emley Moor.

My reason for suggesting that this check be carried out is because Emley Moor is also indicated as being receivable at your location, albeit with the commercial channels with the status of poor, but "if" any automatic retunes have been carried out by your equipment Emleys ArqB which operates on a lower channel number could have been picked during a scan, as scanning starts from Ch21 running upwards towards Ch69 locking onto any channel with a high enough signal level.

This of course might not be the cause, but its a possibility that has to be eliminated.

Charlie
Sunday 11 November 2012 10:01PM
jb38: Thanks for your information. On my little receiver, a WinTV Nova stick (am I being too ambitious?) there does not appear to be a facility for a signal check. The peculiar thing about this is that all of the channels which have now become unwatchable show a frequency 746,000 MHz. Is there any significance in this? It seems quite a coincidence in my lay thinking. Any further suggestions? Would be much appreciated. Kind regards



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