Freeview: The Wrekin (Telford and Wrekin, England) full-Freeview transmitter
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Freeview on the The Wrekin (Telford and Wrekin, England) transmitter

Google StreetviewGoogle mapBing mapGoogle Earth52.670,-2.552 or 52°40'13"N 2°33'6"WTF6 5AH

4G at 800MHz (at800) Freeview reception issues

When 800MHz 4G mobile broadband services start there will be 2 multiplexes in the higher risk range (C21-23, C30, C59-60): C23: D3+4, C30: BBCB
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



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The symbol shows the location of the The Wrekin transmitter which serves 280,000 homes.

Other maps:The Wrekin DABThe Wrekin AM/FMThe Wrekin regionBBC West MidlandsCentral (West 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.

The Wrekin 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		20,000
Channel icons
1 BBC One West Midlands, 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 C26 (514.0MHz) from 455m datum.
PSB2
D3+4
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		20,000
Channel icons
3 ITV (Central (West micro region)), 4 Channel 4 Midlands ads, 5 Channel 5 Part Network ads, 6 ITV 2, 13 Channel 4+1 Midlands ads, 14 More 4, 28 E4, 33 ITV +1 (Central west),
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C23 (490.0MHz) from 455m datum.
PSB3
BBCB
 horizontal
Maximum256QAM 32KE 2/3
40.2Mb/s
DVB-T2 MPEG4		20,000
Channel icons
101 BBC One HD (England no regional news), 102 BBC Two HD (England), 103 ITV HD (ITV Central West), 104 Channel 4 HD Midlands ads, plus 1 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C30- (545.8MHz) from 455m datum.
COM4
SDN
 horizontal
Above average64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		10,000
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 C41+ (634.2MHz) from 455m datum.
COM5
ArqA
 horizontal
Above average64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		10,000
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 C44 (658.0MHz) from 455m datum.
COM6
ArqB
 horizontal
Above average64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		10,000
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 C47 (682.0MHz) from 455m datum.


Regional news from the The Wrekin transmitter


BBC Midlands Today 2.9m homes 10.9%
from Birmingham B1 1RF, 49km east-southeast
to BBC West Midlands region - 66 masts.

ITV Central News 2.6m homes 9.9%
from Birmingham B1 2JT, 49km east-southeast
to ITV Central (West) region - 46 masts.

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1984-971997-981998-20112011-132013-182013-18
aerial groupA KA KWKKW
C211
C23ITVITVITVD3+4D3+4D3+4
C24+A
C26BBC1BBC1BBC1BBCABBCABBCA
C27+B
C29C4C4C4
C30-BBCB-BBCB-BBCB
600C312
C33BBC2BBC2BBC2com7
C35C5C5com8
C41+SDN+SDN+SDN
C44ArqAArqAArqA
C47ArqBArqBArqB
C48local
700C51local
C53C
C57D

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 April and 20th April 2011.

  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Telford could use an Interleaved Frequency on the The Wrekin transmitter using C48
  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Shrewsbury could use an Interleaved Frequency on the The Wrekin transmitter using C51
  • COM7, COM8 projected for 2013-16. COM7 and COM8 to operate as Bromsgrove,Sutton Coldfield, The Wrekin SFN.

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

Analogue 1-5 100kW
com7, com8, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-7dB) 20kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB(-10dB) 10kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*(-17dB) 2kW
Mux C*, Mux D*(-20dB) 1000W

History of Channel 3 in the The Wrekin transmitter area

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

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.

Dave Lindsay
Friday 27 April 2012 4:45PM
JORDAN: Not usually.

I do remember a case of someone on here who said that he had no quality but good signal on the Commercial channels after they'd changed, so it may be possible, but very unlikely.
Mike Dimmick
Friday 27 April 2012 5:49PM
JORDAN: ArqB's capacity increase should have occurred on 21 November last year. If your box handled that, it should handle the upcoming changes to SDN and ArqA. Those are scheduled for 1 May, next Tuesday.
JORDAN
Sunday 29 April 2012 12:13AM Wolverhampton
mike dimmick: i thought that the 3 muxes change capacity on 1st may
JORDAN
Sunday 29 April 2012 12:14AM Wolverhampton
DAVE LINDSAY: won't need to do a retune :)
Dave
Sunday 13 May 2012 10:24PM Oswestry
hi, yesterday night i did a random retune and managed to pick up ArqA again with 50% signal, now tonight its 0 with showing 10 bit level error.

any advice or reason why? thanks
leslierainer
Saturday 19 May 2012 9:51AM Skegness
Dave: it dont always work properly but u can keep trying
Paul
Saturday 16 June 2012 11:34AM
Anyone else having problems with the Wrekin transmitter yesterday & today?

Yesterday evening (15/6/12 20.30) recording only found 6 mins of a 90 min program.

Checking today, no signal on HD channels. Did a rescan and no HD channels found. SD channels all fine, so looks like single frequency interference.
Gil
Monday 18 June 2012 12:40AM Worcester
Paul,

Ironically, I've had issues with HD channels for about 3 months now - absolutely no signal at all. However, just looked at them tonight out of interest, and they are all absolutely fine now!

Not sure what is going on :)
Dave Lindsay
Monday 18 June 2012 12:12PM
Gil: You should confirm that you are tuned to The Wrekin for HD channels. There appear a number of possibilities at your location and even though your aerial doesn't point their way, and in some cases is the opposite polarisation, you could be picking them up.

Click the Tradeview link next to your posting and view the channel numbers used by each transmitter for BBCB. Then check what you're receiving by looking at the signal strength screen whilst tuned to one of the HD services.
Paul
Friday 22 June 2012 12:29PM
The response from BBC still maintained that there are no issues with transmissions from the Wrekin transmitter.

Re-tuned again today (for about the 5 time this week) and the HD channels are back, but the signal strength seems low and there was some break-up in the few minutes I watched. It's showing as 60% when I'm 6 miles from the transmitter with direct line-of-sight to it.

So I still think something isn't right. Will have to check out the cables & connections in the loft when I get time.
Transmitter engineering
Wednesday 26 September 2012 1:54PM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Weak Signal from 09:48 today HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 09:50 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Wednesday 26 September 2012 7:54PM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Weak Signal from 09:48 today to 15:02 today HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 09:50 today to 15:02 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Thursday 27 September 2012 4:53AM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Weak Signal from 09:48 yesterday to 15:02 yesterday HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 09:50 yesterday to 15:02 yesterday [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Friday 28 September 2012 4:53AM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Weak Signal from 09:48 on 26 Sep to 15:02 on 26 Sep HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 09:50 on 26 Sep to 15:02 on 26 Sep [BBC]
John
Friday 16 November 2012 8:27PM Market Drayton
We are on The Wrekin transmitter, all was fine until we retuned on the dreaded 14th November, we now get BBC1 Wales ITV1 is totally unviewable. What has happened to my old channels? I have retuned three times and still get the same poor signal. I have changed nothing at my end so can someone explain why? I checked The Wrekin I should be getting all west midlands channels but I am not.
Dave Lindsay
Friday 16 November 2012 9:32PM
John: I should imagine that your TV has tuned to Moel y Parc instead. Unfortunately The Wrekin's COM channels (ITV3, Pick TV, Film4 etc) are interleaved with Moel y Parc's PSBs (BBC, ITV1, S4C, C4 etc), so unplugging the aerial for Moel y Parc will miss out some of The Wrekin's channels.

If your receiver has manual tuning then run the automatic tuning scan through and unplug the aerial when it gets to 30% (or past UHF channel 30 if it gives channel numbers during the scan).

Once completed, plug the aerial in and manually tune in The Wrekin's three COM channels which are 41, 44, 47.

If you have a signal amplifier, then turn it down. The objective is to reduce all signals and hopefully reduce Moel y Parc enough that it doesn't get picked by your TV but not to reduce The Wrekin too much.
John
Friday 16 November 2012 9:37PM Market Drayton
Follow up on poor Wrekin signal.
In the early freeview days our TV engineer fitted a signal amplifier, so my thought was try it without. Success all channels back where they were and good signal strength. Just goes to show the minute you put it in writing you wished you had not.
Dave Lindsay
Friday 16 November 2012 9:39PM
John: The irony is that the retune on 14th November did not affect The Wrekin.

If you retuned as a result of being prompted to do so as a result of on-screen messages, then this must have come from the fact that your receiver had tuned one or more multiplexes from Moel y Parc, probably with them in the 800s, unless this was also broadcast across the Central region as well. The fact that you are receiving Moel y Parc now suggests that you probably received a message (if indeed there was such a message) from it.
Clamityjane
Tuesday 20 November 2012 8:18PM
Has anyone else had a problem with the strength of the signal since the foggy weather on the 15th November. That night we lost all channels including the BBC. Although most returned ITV4, Film4, 4Seven, and Yesterday (and many others) did not with the message Bad Signal. Having read the forums earlier today, I thought it best to perhaps retune, now they are completely gone! Is there any hope they will return, along with the long gone and much missed Quest and ITV3? (We are in Tarporley which is never very good, but we do seem to be getting worse, soon we will be back to the standard 5) Any advice? In hope.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 20 November 2012 9:52PM
Clamityjane: For The Wrekin, you will probably have needed to have your old Group A aerial installed for analogue replaced.

The COM channels (ITV3, ITV4, Film4 etc) are on lower power than the PSBs.

PSB1 (BBC standard definition) from The Wrekin is co-channel with Storeton. Also, PSB2 (ITV1, ITV2, Channel 4 etc) from The Wrekin is co-channel with Storeton. Storeton is vertically polarised, and I'm not sure whether that could affect you at your location.
Clamityjane
Wednesday 21 November 2012 7:24PM
Many thanks for your information Dave. I will get my husband to look at it, I am definitely not a techy. Failed Physics....!
Stephen P
Wednesday 21 November 2012 8:25PM
http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?DX=L&HT=10&OS=CW6+0AG

cjane plug your own postcode into the above for a choice of transmitters.

I suggest you contact a LOCAL aerial man - but ask your neighbours if they have your problem too.
David Bullock
Sunday 23 December 2012 3:25PM Newcastle
We live in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 3TB, and get good reception for all the main channels except ITV3 and ITV4. Also we would like to get Yesterday and some of the other channels. I have tried retuning several times. Are there any plans to increase the signal for our area? Or please let me have any tips you have.
Jacquiline Brassington
Monday 24 December 2012 8:21PM Oswestry
Hi our aerial is on the roof and yesterday and today despite the signal being fine by 7pm we are on low signal strength and cannot get a steady picture with ITV being the worst please help
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 15 January 2013 8:02PM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview - No reported problems -. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 15 January 2013 8:50PM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview No problems on any service. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Saturday 19 January 2013 4:31PM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Reduced Quality from 14:07 today to 14:47 today. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Sunday 20 January 2013 7:31PM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Reduced Quality from 14:07 yesterday to 14:47 yesterday. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Monday 21 January 2013 4:32AM
THE WREKIN transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Reduced Quality from 14:07 on 19 Jan to 14:47 on 19 Jan. [BBC]
d crannage
Wednesday 6 February 2013 10:35AM Stourport-on-severn
I have lost ITV3 and 4 in the last few days, roof aerial fitted aimed at Wrekin BBC and others although limited are of good reception quality.
Dave Lindsay
Wednesday 6 February 2013 11:07AM
d crannage: The COM channels do not have as great a coverage as the PSBs. For a list of Freeview services by multiplex, see:

www.dtg.org.uk link icon DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex

There are three PSB (Public Service) multiplexes, of which PSB3 is the HD one, and three COM (Commercial) multiplexes.

Only the larger transmitters carry the COM channels and of those that do, some are marked down in terms of power with respect to PSBs. In the case of The Wrekin, its COMs are on lower power than its PSBs. So whilst the PSBs may be adequate to reach you, the lower power of the COMs may make them somewhat intermittent.

There is another factor and that is that the COM channels from The Wrekin are outside of the former analogue channel Group and so a replacement aerial may be required.

What I suggest that you do is confirm that you are tuned to The Wrekin (so that you aren't unknowingly thinking that you are when in fact you're watching the output of another transmitter). Bring up the signal strength screen whilst on ITV3, Pick TV and Film4 and observe which UHF/RF channel they are tuned to. For The Wrekin they are 41, 44 and 47 respectively. Sutton Coldfield's are 42, 45 and 39 respectively.


What you can get can only really be determined by an installer whist on site. However, Digital UK suggests Sutton Coldfield might be a better possibility for a full service; much better than The Wrekin.

If you have already had your aerial replaced, then it will be suitable for use on Sutton Coldfield; it will just need turning clockwise 63 degrees. If you haven't had your aerial replaced from the analogue days, then it won't be suitable for Sutton Coldfield and you may find that with a replacement on The Wrekin that it brings in the COMs much better.
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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.

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