Freeview: Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) transmitter
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Full Freeview on the Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) transmitter

Google StreetviewGoogle mapBing mapGoogle Earth52.600,-1.835 or 52°36'1"N 1°50'5"WB75 5JJ

Transmitter fauls and engineering works

SUTTON COLDFIELD transmitter - Over the next week Sutton Coldfield main transmitter: TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) Possible weak signal, Radio (digital) working normally. Digital tick
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The symbol shows the location of the Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) transmitter which serves 1,870,000 homes.

Other maps:Sutton Coldfield DABSutton Coldfield AM/FMSutton Coldfield 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.

Sutton Coldfield 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		200,000
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 C43 (650.0MHz) from 433m datum.
PSB2
D3+4
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		200,000
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 C46 (674.0MHz) from 433m datum.
PSB3
BBCB
 horizontal
Maximum256QAM 32KE 2/3
40.2Mb/s
DVB-T2 MPEG4		200,000
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 C40+ (626.2MHz) from 433m datum.
COM4
SDN
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		200,000
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 C42 (642.0MHz) from 433m datum.
COM5
ArqA
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		200,000
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 C45 (666.0MHz) from 403m datum.
COM6
ArqB
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		200,000
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 C39+ (618.2MHz) from 433m datum.


Regional news from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter


BBC Midlands Today 2.9m homes 10.9%
from Birmingham B1 1RF, 15km south-southwest
to BBC West Midlands region - 66 masts.

ITV Central News 2.6m homes 9.9%
from Birmingham B1 2JT, 15km south-southwest
to ITV Central (West) region - 46 masts.

Self-help relays

Burton (shobnall)Transposer1 km W Burton-on-Trent60 homes
CoalvilleTransposer18 km NW Leicester600 homes
SolihullTransposerLand Rover building400 homes

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1950s~851984-971997-981998-20112011-132013-182013-18
aerial groupVHFB EB EEB E KB E KW
C4BBCtv
600C33com7
C35com8
C39+ArqB+ArqB+ArqB
C40BBC2BBC2BBC2+BBCB+BBCB+BBCB
C41+1
C42SDNSDNSDN
C43ITVITVITVBBCABBCABBCA
C44+2
C45ArqAArqAArqA
C46BBC1BBC1BBC1D3+4D3+4D3+4
C47+A
700C50C4C4C4
C51+Blocal
C52+C
C55D

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 7th September and 21st September 2011.

  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Birmingham including Greater Birmingham area, part of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley could use an Interleaved Frequency on the Sutton Coldfield 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 1-4 1000kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, com7, com8, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-7dB) 200kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*(-21dB) 8kW

History of Channel 3 in the Sutton Coldfield transmitter area

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

Wrighty
Tuesday 6 December 2011 7:19AM
Sky News/Dave/Really/Pick TV all suffering sound problems via a Bush HD Ready freeview set. Going on for around 5 days and I have reinstalled- no joy. I am in Coventry near m6. I gather it is not my aerial (outside on roof) at fault and there are transmitter problems. I wish that more was done via Central News etc. and people are not fumbling in the dark, as losing a 24hour news channel is extremely annoying. Any further info. would be greatly appreciated.
steve
Tuesday 6 December 2011 9:13AM Leamington Spa
If its only happening on Arqa / Com 5 (Channels mentioned recently in this thread) then its the transmission and not your equipment thats causing the problem.

This will go one of two ways as we see it here:

1: Transmission problem will be cured at source meaning we dont have to do anything.

2: firmware updates will be required (however the scale of products on the market needing this is vast and only a small minority of products are still supported by the manufacturer)


If we here anything today i shall share it with you all. :)
Coventry Aerial Services
Tuesday 6 December 2011 9:28AM Coventry
@Wrighty
You must be near us, Steve's commments above are pretty much spot on.
Paul
Tuesday 6 December 2011 11:09AM
Also getting exactly the problems here in Dudley on the same channels, started Thursday evening using an old Grundig 1500 box here. Have also spoken to my mother down in Solihull who also receives her signal from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter. She has an old Thomson 1000 box and a newer box made by Bush, both being affected with exactly the same problems as well. Very annoying, hope someone gets it sorted soon :-(
picard
Tuesday 6 December 2011 11:23AM
Same here has been going on a few days now.
COM5 ArqA channel are broken ie sound stutter or no sound. Have tried several tvs with built in boxes and stand alone boxes. Problem is on some older tvs and boxes plus some newer tvs and boxes. So it just being a problem with older built in and older stand alone boxes is wrong. This is affecting random models old or new. signal needs to be fixed back to how it was several days ago.
Steve
Tuesday 6 December 2011 12:21PM Stourbridge
Steve

See 'This week's commercial multiplex changes'. Has the modification to the "forward error correction" caused lip synchronisation problems.
Jamie
Tuesday 6 December 2011 12:53PM
I'm getting the same sync problem on two Samasung TV's with built in freeview, both are approximately 3 years old. Only affecting the same Mux as mentioned before on Sutton Coldfield. Very annoying!
Steve
Tuesday 6 December 2011 1:41PM Leamington Spa
@Other Steve

The times dont match OR the mux from that info. Thats talking about November 1st for Arqa B - No mention of Arqa A


Had another phone call from them this morning saying that last week, monitoring equipment was installed - That is all, no other work was done? . Now passed on to Technical advisor in charge to see what they can do.
crudge
Tuesday 6 December 2011 2:44PM
I have the same problem as Dave Doubledecks. I am in Wolverhampton
Earthed
Tuesday 6 December 2011 3:09PM
3pm 6/12/11
All programs and channels appear to be working now...Sky News etc ...ok
Earthed
Tuesday 6 December 2011 3:12PM
3pm 6/12/11
All programs and channels appear to be working now...Sky News etc ...ok I'm in Derby
Steve
Tuesday 6 December 2011 3:56PM Leamington Spa
Just had the call to say they have sorted it. The "Exciter" was faulty. :)

Happy days
Kevin Porter
Tuesday 6 December 2011 4:52PM Dudley
Just check my Freeview STB.
All appears to be sorted now.
Coventry Aerial Services
Tuesday 6 December 2011 4:56PM Coventry
Have just called customers who were having problems and all seem to be ok now so fingers crossed thats the end of it :-) Thanks again for the info @Steve
David
Thursday 15 December 2011 8:10PM
I have three freeview boxes. My two earlier ones are Nokia 220T (originally top-notch and quite expensive).

I have the same problem with both of those boxes as follows. However I try to install all Mutexes from Sutton Coldfield, I cannot get the programme numbers to come in correctly. For example, ITV4 should be 24, but appears as 807, and Yesterday is 802, not 12.

If I do a full reinstall, with the aerial in, the boxes tell me they find 88 new TV stations and 22 radio stations, but lock up without saving anything. Clearly some kind of memory overflow. Same if I dont put the aerial in until past MUX 21 which is picked up from Cambridge.

If I do a reinstall without the aerial in and then install individual MUXes I can get all programmes with a few numberings wrong as described. Same if I do MUX by MUX and also delete the programmes I dont need (like the sex rubbish all over the place) between tuning in each MUX.

OK, I have a working system, but the el cheepo third box does everything correctly and so much better.....it is as annoying as hell.
Stephen
Monday 19 December 2011 4:16PM Belper
Freddie.

I live 50 miles away in Belper, Derbyshire.

If you say that the signal strength levels are low where you live, how is it that I can signal strength levels from Sutton Coldfield on my Freeview HD television and DVD recorder on ALL channel, in all weather condition, at about 70% to 75% where I live?

The signal strength levels here are now also a lot higher than they were before the switch over.
Dave Lindsay
Monday 19 December 2011 7:51PM
Stephen: It is not simply the distance from the transmitter that determines strength. One other factor is line of sight.

For example, there are people who live within a few miles of high-power transmitters but cannot get a signal from it because they live behind a hill down in a valley.
Valerie
Tuesday 20 December 2011 7:05PM
Bought Humax HDR-FOX T2. Can you please tell me how to get broadband onto my tv from computer in next room?
Paul Norris
Wednesday 21 December 2011 12:41PM
Valerie: Assuming that you have a router with Wifi, the cheapest option is to buy an Edimax Wifi stick from Amazon, official name 'Wireless nLite High Gain USB Adapter' type EW-7711UAN which will couple to the Wifi at 150Mbps which is fast enough for ordinary BB at 6-8 Mbps. It comes with a nice remote mount which you can tuck behind the TV. Plug it into either the Front or rear USB Socket on the Humax (I used the front originally because the Humax didn't recognise the stick at the back at first. No problem subsequently).
Navigate to the Internet Page on the Humax and select the connect by Wifi option, select your network from those you can see and put in your Wifi password (should be WPA2 type). It requires the latest Humax Software of June/July 2010 from memory. Mine also seemed to require to download and install an additional file from Humax first.You'll know the stick is working as the green access light will start flashing when you are downloading. Do note that as the Humax is a Linux Box it will not accept a password with spaces in it!
The web offering are not very wide with only the reduced iPlayer being of much use to me. Still no sign of 4OD or ITVPlayer yet! It's a bit clunky and you cannot just connect to your ISP home page or anything like that!
revs
Thursday 22 December 2011 9:37AM Kidderminster
I'm having some picture breakup on COM5 and COM6 (Sky News, Dave, Film 4)

I live just north of Kidderminster.

All other channels are perfect.

I use an amplified 2 way splitter (to split the signal to two separate TV Cards in my PC).

Any ideas? Looks like all MUX have the same power - so if I can get one mux perfectly, should I not be able to get the others too? Or does it not work like this?

My only guess is that the signal is too strong and I should replace the amplified splitter with a non-amplified one?
revs
Thursday 22 December 2011 9:59AM Kidderminster
Reading more into it - I guess my amplified splitter - which I just brought along from an old house - isn't needed anymore and I should just swap back to a non-amplified splitter.

I'll give that a go tonight and see what happens
jb38
Thursday 22 December 2011 1:35PM
revs: If you are receiving from Sutton Coldfield then the DRG site (trade view) power indicator shows Ch42 (SDN) as being on 141.6Kw / Ch45 (ArqA) at 100Kw / Ch39 (ArqB) at full 200Kw, the two lower powered muxes operating that way until April 24th 2012.
Gee
Wednesday 28 December 2011 6:15PM Bedworth
signal breaking up again....it's windy!!!! Aerial is ok, have super duper Panasonic freeview box. All works perfectly when weather is ok. Is it really acceptable that we can't watch TV just because it's windy...or raining.....unbelievable. BBC said they would email me after reporting this problem but heard nothing. Never had a problem until digital was introduced. No one is listening, no one is doing anything about these problems. Always it says the Sutton Coldfield transmitter is clear and no problems reported. Really????? Even ofcom were not very interested. Who is going to do something or is this how it's always going to be??????? It's so so annoying and frustrating when faced with a big fat zero from every 'helpline'
Adam B
Thursday 29 December 2011 1:34PM Dunstable
Gee:

Some things to check.

Do you have nearby trees/tall bushes between you and the Sutton Coldfield transmitter? If they are being blown into line of your signal when windy, this could be the problem. Rain can also cause the problem as it can increase the attenuation of the signal.

Secondly, when windy, is your aerial stable or does it blow about in the wind? Again a possible cause of the problem.

Lastly, a damaged connection between the aerial and the downlead may be allowing rain to enter the downlead and cause shorting, which again affects the signal.

Hope this helps,
Adam.
Dave Lindsay
Thursday 29 December 2011 3:41PM
Gee: Like Adam B says, after discounting any issues with your aerial system (might be difficult, particularly high up), then trees would seem to be the logical suspects for poor reception during wind.

The BBC, Ofcom or any helpline is not responsible for removing or pruning trees that affect viewers' reception. It would also not be wise for you to take a chainsaw if the tree(s) aren't yours.

I had a look down your road on Google Streetview and there are a few talls masts and large aerials. One or two are on Waltham.

There are trees in your street that may affect reception of those on one side. There are also trees in the direction of Sutton Coldfield in and around the Weston Hotel. They could be the reason for the larger aerials.

The only solution might be to call in a rigger.
Bob Loader
Sunday 1 January 2012 10:49PM
Getting excellent signal strength from Sutton Coldfield but on freeview I can't find ITV or BBC i players either on the TV or the Panasonic HDD recorder. both equipped with and connected to internet access.
However BBC i player is OK on Freesat reception.
Are they available on Freeview please?
Dave Lindsay
Monday 2 January 2012 12:14PM
Bob Loader: BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD and similar services do not come via Freesat or Freeview. They come to you over the internet, either using a wired ethernet cable to your router or wirelessly (wifi) to your router.

Some Freesat and Freeview devices (TVs/boxes) have the capability to show iPlayer type services.

What are the make and model numbers of the TV and the HDD recorder so we might check up on their capabilities and advise as to how you might get it to work?
Chris Davies
Wednesday 4 January 2012 7:04PM
For the last Month, every WENSDAY we have not been able to change any channels unless we switch off both TV set and freeview box and then for a very short time we can change channels. We are using a humax box for freeview reception, and are tuned to the Sutton Coalfield mast. We have tried retuning but without any difference.
Any suggestions
get it fixed
Sunday 8 January 2012 2:45PM
No colour on picture just black and white?
avril
Thursday 12 January 2012 9:11PM
hi ive checked everything and for the last two days ive had no tv im in newbold rugby area can anyone help ive tried three different tvs and they have three different ariels can anyone help
Briantist
Sunday 15 January 2012 8:57AM
avril: Please can you see Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for help?
b smith
Saturday 21 January 2012 2:56PM
I have a panasonics txl32c4e non freeview ,its tuned to my needs,
however I cant tune the 4 uk HD
cannels.Can you tell me how?
jb38
Saturday 21 January 2012 7:18PM
b smith: I checked the specifications of that model which indicates that it only has a DVB-T tuner fitted, and not DVB-T2 as is necessary for HD reception of any channels in the UK.

You will be able to tell by channels 51 - 54 being missing in the EPG list.
Chris Onion
Sunday 22 January 2012 6:32PM Derby
Is there a problem today because of the weather. All the channels on 674 (ITV1 in particular but all the others on that frequency) and 642 seem to have signal quality down to 15% and a signal strength of about 25%? The picture keeps freezing and pixelating and then states the Freeview signal is of twoo poor a quality. Have disconnected and reset the box but the fact the BBC isgnals are fine, I can't see it being a problem with my equipment or surely all the challens would have some sort of interference.

It is a pain as the programs are impossible to watch.

This seems to be happening a lot since the digital switchover.

We have had new aerials - the HA came out and put them in. Seriously why on earth can't they sort these problems out - isn;t that what we pay TV licences for????
Phil
Saturday 28 January 2012 11:31PM Pershore
Postcode WR10 2BP. Tuned to the Sutton Coldfield transmitter, and signal strengh is an average 51% on nearly all channels. What I want to know is why, when watching some channels, the sound and vision go completely out of syncro? It starts off OK but after a while you can sense the syncronisation is out of phase with the picture. Switching channel off, then back on again solves the problem for a while, but surely one should not need to do this to digital TV. Never had this problem with analogue, and yet they say digital is better. If I set my PVR to record a programme whilst I am in bed, how can I correct the sound syncronisation? At the end of the programme it would be out by as much as 5 minutes.
barry lloyd
Tuesday 31 January 2012 7:15PM
i have a loft aerial that was fitted brand new about 12 months ago,my lounge TV is analogue and i have a PVR hard drive recorder,for some reason over the last 2 months it keeps freezing, and will not let you record or change channels,i have sent it to a company who specialise in these PVRs, and they tell me there is nothing wrong with it,if i connect it to my bedroom TVs [we have two] both with freeview built in it works fine, can any one tell me what to do im at my wits end.
c/s GBXZ
Tuesday 31 January 2012 8:49PM
barry lloyd:

A couple of main things spring to mind -

1/ THE USUAL CULPRIT IN MOST HOUSES - Overheating in the lounge, but not in the bedroom??? Allow plenty of ventilation around and under it. Don't put it in a cabinet for example, even if it's an open-fronted one (+on top of a TV is a _very_ bad place, both old CRT/glass TVs (heat, strong magnetic fields and static) and new "flat" ones (mainly heat)

To improve ventilation, stand it on 4 empty matchboxes or similar small blocks and make sure the vents aren't blocked with dust.

NEVER cover things like this with ANYTHING. Even a TV remote left on top can make some consumer-grade kit overheat nowadays.

If it lasts longer when better ventilated, prove it by blowing a desk fan over it for a few hours and see if it still locks up.

2/ Some PVR things might get very confused if can't get it's channels correctly - a bad signal corrupting the EPG can sometimes cause the software to hang (*)
Check your wiring - coax leads to the wall aerial socket for example.

Other factors:

3/ occasionally (quite rare nowadays) florescent lights interfere with the infra-red remote control codes. Sometimes the remote control command meant for the TV or VCR/DVD/HIFI might get confused and cause a software hang (*) This fault sucks.
To try to rule this out, tape a piece of card over the infrared sensor on the PVR t shade it from the room light but NOT from the remote. This is almost unheard of nowadays but I've had to do this for a couple of mates recently.

4/ Power glitches can cause lockups - things like kettles, washing machines/dryers, welders and other heavy loads on the same ring-main sockets can cause glitches that may not affect upstairs so much. A "transient protector" can sometimes help, but in some cases a house rewire is in order (!). Very drastic but I have seen it.

5/ Some weird interaction due to leakage currents from the various switch-mode PSUs in the TV/DVD/VCR/etc etc downstairs. Try a different socket, or try a 4-way or 6-way strip and plug everything into it (eg: all TV kit on one socket) to see if it makes a difference. This problem is sometimes manifested by a little electrical "tickle" shock when you plug aerial and audio cables into set-top boxes and PVR/DVD kit whist plugged in, even if on standby. It's a nightmare to explain to a layman, never mind sort out.

(*) this is bad programming, the software _shouldn't_ "lock up" on errors like this. Dream on.

My first guess is heat/ventilation problem, given a change in room helps. Next guess is a confused EPG dues to bad connection in aerial lead downstairs

Good luck.
c/s GBXZ
Tuesday 31 January 2012 8:53PM
barry lloyd:

also, bear in mind that loft antennae are _always_ a bad compromise, the fact that there's more signal upstairs due to a shorter cable run than to downstairs may be causing the software to get confused, see above ^
jb38
Tuesday 31 January 2012 11:19PM
barry lloyd: Firstly, as your query concerns a reception issue then you really have to state your location and with this preferably in the form of a post code for accuracy, as this would not only enable the freeview signal strength expected at your location to be assessed but also details the transmitting station that covers your area.

Secondly, maybe you could indicate the model number of the PVR in question, as there is a number of these devices in existence that has problems dealing with certain characteristics concerning the transmitting channels being used by some stations.
David
Saturday 18 February 2012 12:57PM
During the recent cold spell, I again had trouble receiving just one of the Muxes (COM6) in Great Barr Birmingham.

This is exactly as before the power-up when the signals were low. Now they are high the problem persists, on different Muxes, exactly as I predicted they would do, it is interference from more distant broadcast sites is all that has changed.

As I have said before, no matter how well-spread the channel frequencies are around the country, those using the same frequency will interfere at some times during the year. The whole concept of freeview has this inglorious fault that would never have occurred if the powers-that-be had ignored the whole idea ofground-based broadcast and gone for renting a satellite.
jb38
Sunday 19 February 2012 5:31PM Birmingham
David: Fully appreciating and up to a point agreeing with the comments made by yourself regarding Freeview reception, as although being extremely good in a high percentage of areas it will however never have the reliability of Freesat, basically because of it (Freeview) being terrestrial based thereby being open to suffer from interference from a variety of sources, many of totally out with the control of the user.

Freesat reception on the other hand being almost perfect for about 99.9% of the time because of its signal being much less vulnerable to being interfered with, and with about the only thing that can being a really heavy thundery downpour. But the reason for my posting is more from a curiosity angle as on checking back "some" of your previous postings and the problems mentioned therein, its the content of your most recent December posting that has made me curious as to what form of aerial system you are using?

My reason for asking being, that I notice you appear to be located at only about 5 / 7 miles away from the massively high powered Sutton Coldfield transmitter, meaning that unless your location is severely screened from the mast in some way then this type situation just invites signal overloading problems to be experienced in the receiving equipment being used "if" its coupled to an aerial system that just a little too efficient, this effect being made worse if the TV / boxes tuner is of the better and more sensitive type.

I say this based on your comment about the "cheepo" third box working perfectly where the more expensive types didn't, this somewhat suggesting that the signal overloading problem referred to may well be applying in your case, as these less costly boxes do not generally have sensitive tuners and as such much less prone to signal overloading problems, this fact making them "appear" as being better.

I do also realise that your entire area is suggestive of one where difficulties with reception is likely to be in evidence, basically because if it wasn't then there wouldn't be the necessity for the area to be covered by so many relays with 6 being seen within 6 miles, one of virtually next door to the test code used of B43 5EL.

Another thing you have to keep in mind is that any signal received slightly over the top power wise can give "exactly" the same symptoms to one on the weak side, and which also in many cases can result in a false indication of low been seen when strength checking, another point being that although muxes are all located on the same mast (albeit at different heights) its not necessarily the case that they will all be received at anywhere near the same level even although their rated powers might well be the same, but a lot of the problems I see mentioned are ones usually always associated with signal strengths of a magnitude that are on the point of causing instability in a receivers tuner.

Its just that at 6 miles or so away from Sutton Coldfield the signal should be so strong to the extent of being immune to a certain extent from interference originating from distant stations, and so I would be interested in knowing details about your aerial set up, as well as knowing if you can receive a workable signal if you tried a test using a set top aerial of the non amplified type?

David
Monday 20 February 2012 1:45PM
jb38 thank you for your thoughtful reply. You are quite right, despite being 6-7 miles from Sutton Coldfield, there is no line-of-site for me. I am in a dip, and what may be worse, there are a line of power pylons marching away over the hill in direct line towards the SC mast.

All my neighbours have aerials pointing in several directions (as you would guess) and many had aerial upgrades mounted some 15-20 feet above their roofs during the pre-switchover period, but I did not. My wide-band aerial is only about 2-3 feet above the roofline, and gave good reception except during Winter months, when 1, sometimes 2 muxes would break up.

After switchover, nothing much changed except the digibox readings went up from roughly 20-30% level to roughly 70-85 % level. Reception is just as before, generally very good, with occasional lack of picture on just one mux and that only during the coldest periods only.

Interestingly, one can watch the 'quality' reading when a channel is breaking up, and can see it slowly pulsing over a few seconds in a manner that is possibly symptomatic of a distant signal at the same frequency drifting in and out of phase.

I will try to test using just a set-top aerial as you suggest. My aerial feeds three sets, and all I have tried so far is a 12db attenuator before the better sets, which made no difference at all.
Steve
Wednesday 22 February 2012 6:03PM
I experienced problems with my freeview reception during this period and no answers were forthcoming and always was the customers fault?.... This is taken from an ofcom report into 4G and how it will cause problems with peoples TV pictures, Appears Arqiva were doing tests from Lichfield transmitter for 4G and although may or may not have been the problem, it is interesting people in Tamworth were having so many problems with freeview during this period

from Field Trial paragraph 4.32 onwards

stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk link icon http://stakeholders.ofcom….pdf
Just Me
Wednesday 14 March 2012 10:19PM Burton-on-trent
Hi, I'm also getting problems with E4+1, Dave, Really, Challenge and Pick tv. I have a Sharp flatscreen with built in freeview (Sorry, unsure about the model number). I have tried retuning and everythig else I can think of to no avail. The sound is virtually non existent and the picture is very blocky and jumpy. I live in Burton on Trent. My aerial is on the roof. Have had no previous problems, postcode is DE13 0RE.
Mark Fletcher
Wednesday 14 March 2012 10:47PM Halifax
Just Me,Burton on Trent.I would look up inversion effect as the atmospherics due to this new high pressure is playing havoc with the frequencies and not a transmitter fault as such !
Joe
Sunday 18 March 2012 2:45PM Stafford
Hi guys, does anyone know what the network id is for Sutton Coldfield? (for manual dvb equipment)

Thanks,
J
Andy
Monday 19 March 2012 10:43AM Wigan
The suuton coldfield tx identifies itself as (west midlands).

Andy
jordan
Friday 23 March 2012 9:07PM
is there any high pressure due this weekend
KMJ,Derby
Friday 23 March 2012 9:29PM
jordan: I've just checked the William Hepburn Tropospheric ducting forecast over the weekend, it looks quiet for Friday to Saturday, but Sunday and Monday could see the inversion effect at work.



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