Freeview: Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) full-Freeview transmitter
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Freeview on the Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) transmitter

Google StreetviewGoogle mapBing mapGoogle Earth51.790,-1.179 or 51°47'25"N 1°10'46"WOX3 9SS

4G at 800MHz (at800) Freeview reception issues

A retune will happen 29 May 2013 to clear C62: COM4 C62 to C50. When 800MHz 4G mobile broadband services start there will be 2 multiplexes in the higher risk range (C21-23, C30, C59-60): C59: ArqA, C60: 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



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The symbol shows the location of the Oxford transmitter which serves 410,000 homes.

Other maps:Oxford DABOxford AM/FMOxford regionBBC OxfordCentral (South 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.

Oxford 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 Oxford, 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 C53+ (730.2MHz) from 295m datum.
PSB2
D3+4
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		100,000
Channel icons
3 ITV (Central (South 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 (Central west),
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C60- (785.8MHz) from 295m 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 Central West), 104 Channel 4 HD South ads, plus 1 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C57 (762.0MHz) from 295m datum.
COM4
SDN
 horizontal
Above average64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		50,000
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 C62 (802.0MHz) from 295m datum.
COM5
ArqA
 horizontal
Above average64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		50,000
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 C59- (777.8MHz) from 319m datum.
COM6
ArqB
 horizontal
Above average64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		50,000
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 319m datum.


Regional news from the Oxford transmitter


BBC South (Oxford) Today 0.4m homes 1.6%
from Oxford OX2 7DW, 6km west-southwest
to BBC Oxford region - 6 masts.

ITV Central News 0.7m homes 2.7%
from Birmingham B1 2JT, 91km north-northwest
to ITV Central (South) region - 25 masts.

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1950s~851984-971997-981998-20112011-1329/5/13-2013-18
aerial groupVHFC/D EC/D EWC/D EC/D EW
C2BBCtv
C29D
600C31com7
C341
C37com8
C48C
700C49C5C5
C50SDNSDN
C51-Alocal
C52-B
C53C4C4C4+BBCA+BBCA+BBCA
C55ArqBArqBArqB
C57BBC1BBC1BBC1BBCBBBCBBBCB
C59-ArqA-ArqA-ArqA
C60ITVITVITV-D3+4-D3+4-D3+4
800C62SDN
C63BBC2BBC2BBC2
C682

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 14th September and 28th September 2011.

  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Oxford including Abingdon, Didcot could use an Interleaved Frequency on the Oxford transmitter using C51
  • COM7, COM8 projected for 2013-16.

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

Analogue 1-4 500kW
com7, com8, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-7dB) 100kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB(-10dB) 50kW
Analogue 5(-11dB) 40kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*(-17dB) 10kW
Mux C*, Mux D*(-18dB) 8kW
Mux A*, Mux B*(-19.2dB) 6kW

History of Channel 3 in the Oxford transmitter area

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

jb38
Monday 19 September 2011 1:02PM
shirley evans: Your DVD recorder is obviously picking up Anglia's (Sandy) multiplexes as these are on low channel numbers.

Although you will have to carry out a re-tune anyway on the 28th when changes take place at Oxford, but to get over the present difficulty what to do is remove the aerial from your DVD recorder and carry out a scan without it inserted, this blanking out anything stored in its memory, then "before" re-connecting your aerial carry out an auto-scan on the DVD whilst immediately observing the progress bar as it starts to move up the channel numbers, then as soon as you see it approaching roughly Ch48 reinsert the aerial and this will allow Oxfords main multiplexes to be loaded.

This will then exclude Sandy's higher powered multiplexes from registering on your DVD recorders EPG list. It will of course also exclude Oxfords Mux channels C&D (Pick TV / ITV4 etc) but if required they can be added via a the "manual tune" facility.


jb38
Monday 19 September 2011 1:06PM
shirley evans: The above said taking it that you are actually using Oxford for reception? although if not the procedure would be basically be the same.
rob
Monday 19 September 2011 1:26PM Reading
a silly question to ask.. my areial is pointing oxford.. its a wideband array areial by labgear with 26db masthead booster.... i seem to get oxford and hanningtion reception.... i get bbc oxford news very well... but ITV is set to hanington breaks up badly... before today was fine... i have tried to re tune to oxford itv ch 68 but no signal found only ch 43 from hannington.... am confused why this happen.. get bbc oxford fine... strange things going on... i am now worried i will have to remove the masthead and boosters after september 28th switch over... i live in RG8 8DB i get london tv as well.. the reason i got oxford and london.. because i am deaf.. say bbc london subtitles dont work i switch to oxford it works....
The london areial is 19 years old it works fine on freeview
rob
Bill
Monday 19 September 2011 5:35PM Leighton Buzzard
Just returned home from holiday, retuned as advised, lost countless channels (inc ITV1, Ch4, Ch5) can't wait for 24th to retune again.
Finger's crossed eh?
jb38
Monday 19 September 2011 6:04PM
rob: The point is that if your aerial is pointing towards Oxford (@ 22 miles) then it will be at about 345 degrees, whereas Hannington (@ 15miles) is at located at 215 degrees, so this alone is liable to make your reception from Hannington more susceptible to performing adversely to any minor fluctuations in the signal received.

Oxford BBC1 is already on high power, and if you are receiving it OK then you should do with the other multiplexes on the 28th, however should overloading be suspected at any time (signal cutting out etc) then a simple attenuator in line with the TV's aerial input will instantly cure the problem, if that is, its not an easy task to remove the mast head amp.
Lee T
Monday 19 September 2011 10:40PM
can people on here stop keep saying that the signal in banbury could be too much ...we are bairly getting a glimmer of signal...amplifires are the only think making any pick up possible and that is patchy at best
Briantist
Tuesday 20 September 2011 5:21PM
Lee T: It's a bit hard to say without a postcode, I would actually read www.ukfree.tv link icon Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice as well.
Spartan
Tuesday 20 September 2011 9:11PM
Now the Oxford area has lost the analogue tranmsmissions from Beckley, we are back to swapping aerials over to receive Hannington (analogue) when digital invariably dips below the required level of signal to support a satisfactory picture. I am aware that power levels are for the most part still at a low level, so by how much will they be increased at the end of the month? Is this likely to give us watchable pictures again, i.e. on a par with what we had before when Beckley pumped out half a megawatt?

It seems to me that digital is fine for those within line of site of the transmitter or in an elevated geographical location, but I suspect it will force the rest of us to contemplate the expense of satellite reception. And digital radio is even worse! Only one place in the house where it 'half' works. I don't believe this is progress...
Briantist
Wednesday 21 September 2011 9:12AM
Spartan: Please see "Comparison of analogue and digital signal levels" at the top part of the page.
Tigminor
Wednesday 21 September 2011 5:13PM
Interestingly, my ITV channels have miraculously returned today. We are still only half way through the switch over and I have done nothing to my box since last Wednesday. Would this miraculous restoration of ITV channels have anything to do with the fact that other areas (ie West Midlands) have now completed their switchover and multiplexes may have moved, or am I being totally naive here? I am a complete technophobe, I know, but there seems to be absolutely no rhyme or reason as to why I had absolutely no watchable ITV yesterday, and yet it is almost perfect today.
Briantist
Wednesday 21 September 2011 6:14PM
Tigminor: Yes, it is quite likley that the shift in frequencies in other areas will suddenly allow digital services to break though.

High power analogue services will knock out a digital signal quite easily.
Kathleen
Wednesday 21 September 2011 6:51PM Didcot
Briantist - I wish the same could be said for my channels - I had ITV Sat & Sun evenings but since then absoultely nothing. Still, keeping my fingers crossed for the 28th when all should be back to normal!!
Spartan
Wednesday 21 September 2011 9:04PM
Briantist, if I'm reading it correctly, power for say ITV1 is currently 10Kw and it'll increase to 100Kw. Is that right?

Whilst we're told that digital transmissions don't required the same output power as analogue, are we really going to get received signal levels similar to that previously with just a fifth of the RF transmitter power?
Briantist
Wednesday 21 September 2011 9:20PM
Spartan: Yes, that's correct, the digital signals provide same coverage as the analogue ones at -7dB.
Briantist
Wednesday 21 September 2011 11:16PM
Kathleen: Yes, that is more than likely. You can always watch online using the channel logos in the right hand panel.
Kathleen
Thursday 22 September 2011 9:06PM Didcot
Briantist - Yes, thank goodness for ITV player during this long period waiting on things getting back to normal.
Ralph Jolly
Friday 23 September 2011 3:43PM Didcot
I am at a total loss to see what all the trouble regarding the Oxford transmitter is all about. I re-tuned last week to recover BBC channels and back they came. In the 7 years I have been living in Oxfordshire I have had no trouble at all, never lost a channel and never had any break-up. I use a Wideband antenna with CT100 coax straight into my Panasonic.
Spartan
Friday 23 September 2011 8:36PM
Ralph, you're one of the lucky ones living in a spot where the signals from Beckley are strong and not affected by trees, buildings and hills between your aerial and the transmitter. Many of us live in lower lying areas where the received signal strength and quality is poor and very variable. Lucky old you...
Mr Angry (still)
Saturday 24 September 2011 10:21AM
Firstly, don't panic.

I came up with a plan when my old man told me he EVENTUALLY retuned his box and got the channels back. I took my box round his house and retuned it there, successfully, which proves the box is fine. I plugged it back in at home last night and got all the channels back, not for long as the signal was too weak, but it proves my equipment is not the problem.

My folks had an extension and someone round who is a whizz with PCs, telephones and TVs. He said don't do anything until 28th. The digital people responded for a second time, they mirrored his view and mine by saying it should be fine after 28th WHEN THE SIGNAL IS STRONGER which reinforces my view originally that it is THEIR signal strength and not a problem with my equipment. They advise not to get in an engineer but to be patient.

What really makes me angry is the amount of ads you see on TV for the past year, poncy ads telling you what you need to do, but not reassuring people when they turn on their TVs and can't get their channels back. I am unimpressed with the way this has all been done and not remotely handled fully. We get junk through the letterbox every day, they could have done something similar. Oh but we're only licence payers, not very important and a lot of us will just buy new equipment while they provide an inadequate service - not that what's on the channels is worth watching anyway.

If the signal is too weak come 28th then people should bombard them with complaints, why should we all pay to boost our reception when they are paid to provide TV and therefore should boost their signal. Mobile phone masts appear here, there and everywhere, why shouldn't they provide signals at full strength where needed?!?
Kathleen
Saturday 24 September 2011 11:12AM Didcot
Well said Mr Angry, I just hope that when we retune again on the 28th all channels will be back with us.
mst
Saturday 24 September 2011 11:41AM Oxford
Things will change next week due to Mux frequency/channels shifting - but the COM muxes have a planned "power-up" event next year

18 Apr 12

which surely means that some people will have to wait till then...
Steve Hopkins
Sunday 25 September 2011 6:30AM
Digital Aerial pointing at Oxford & ITV1/ITV2/Channel4 reception dreadful. Pixulating & dropping completely saying selected channel not tuned on Sony digital TV, no matter how many times we retune our TV. Whoever has mismanged this needs to be taken to task cause it's a complete joke.
mst
Sunday 25 September 2011 11:41AM Oxford
As per my reply to same post in other thread - nothings been done to that Mux yet.

Sure your Sony has latest firmware and is not confused by coming across an 8k mode mux while scanning before getting to C68?

There will be upset Sony idtv users next week when they find there TVs can't received analogue or digital tv without an extra box...
andrew
Sunday 25 September 2011 12:57PM
Yes Mr Angry, this whole digital switch over has been handled very badly, a combination of poor planning and poor communication. First the planning- whoever decided to spread the digital channels so thinly to make room for masses of pornography and shopping channels? It would have been better to limit the channels to, say, 25 good ones that could be broadcast at a decent power level.
Then the communication- the whole business has not been explained at all well, and people have been encouraged to spend money unnecessarily on new aerials and equipment.
Spartan
Sunday 25 September 2011 3:11PM
The whole point of digital is to provide more channels and make more money for the people who control those channels. And of course for the government who take it upon themselves to sell off vast chunks of the frequency spectrum.

Most of us don't need or want 100+ channels, many of which are just pure rubbish or repeats. But of course as fee payers and customers, little regard is taken of our requirements for a watchable TV service.

I, too, am waiting to see if D-day provides anything like a watchable service after having to juggle between didgital and analogue for the past couple of years. If not, perhaps we should all lobby our local councils to allow us planning permission to erect our aerials on the top of 100ft masts!
Kathleen
Sunday 25 September 2011 4:17PM Didcot
What's going on today - just switched my TV on and it's completeley dead, I have no channels.
Duncan Page
Sunday 25 September 2011 9:07PM
I have a high gain digital specific aerial and masthead amplifier installed in my loft pointing at Oxford transmitter. I have never wanted to move the aerial externally to the roof and have never had a reason to with strong signals on both analogue and digital services. Despite several manual and auto retuning efforts the digital switchover has left me with no channels on Mux 2 - itv1 etc. I have all other channels fine including those with supposed lower signal strength.

Has anyone else seen this pattern?

My current approach is to view this as a mid-switchover cock-up and try again after 28th Sept.




Bill
Monday 26 September 2011 8:31AM Leighton Buzzard
I have had NO signal from Mux2 (Chan.68) since the 14th September changes. They must be on even lower power than before. BBCA on Chan. 53 is a high signal with good quality. Other MUXs are very weak and are unwatchable. Still, only 2 days to go to analogue switch-off. Pity some of the MUXs left will only be a quarter of the final switch-over power. I hope that's good enough to get some sort of watchable TV.
paulsmith
Monday 26 September 2011 5:50PM
The multiplex on ch68 is running at low power until second stage switch at which time will be moved to ch60.
Briantist
Monday 26 September 2011 7:04PM
Bill: All multiplexes, other than the BBCA one, are on the same power level they have been since 2003.
Mr Roberts
Monday 26 September 2011 9:56PM
My freeview channels are variable by the hour. Sometimes a good signal and sometimes too weak to provide a picture. One time I can see the BBC channels then the commercial channels, seldom both at the same time. What is going on?

Rooftop arial pointing at Oxford/
Sandy
Tuesday 27 September 2011 7:05PM
I have done all the reset procedures and the reception has been fine until now, but last few weeks no digital bb1 1,2 or 3. 4 and ITV ok cannel 5 been gone some time.
Colin
Tuesday 27 September 2011 7:16PM
Well,not long now, so RIP to our faithful servant analogue TV you have given me much pleasure since 1954 with very few problems, all things considered. I hope and trust your successor digital TV will be as reliable. To use a personal analogy as an avid collector, I still prefer the sound of vinyl to CD, yes you can get the odd click but a faulty CD won't play at all!
David Pinfold
Tuesday 27 September 2011 7:34PM Banbury
Just a reminder that the three commercial multiplexes (SDN, ARQ A & ARQ B) are restricted to 12.5KW ERP until april next year so a lot of people (I suspect that includes me) may struggle to receive these muxes in all conditions until then.
jb38
Tuesday 27 September 2011 8:29PM
Sandy: Advice can only be given when a person
with a query on reception states their location, this preferably in the form of a post code.
Briantist
Tuesday 27 September 2011 8:33PM
David Pinfold: 12.5kW is still more than 6kW and 8kW...
JD
Wednesday 28 September 2011 12:44AM Wantage
Hi just lost all channels at bang on midnight -something to do with the switchover?

I've rescanned several times & just getting the BBC group back.
Tried doing a scan with no ariel to wipe the channels & rescanned - still nothing.

We have a loft ariel (but don't know what sort -but we've never had any reception problems except for when the transmitter went down).

Any ideas whats going on?
JD
Wednesday 28 September 2011 8:44AM Wantage
Just to update : all channels back this morning.So assume it was something to do with the switchover.

Really annoying to loose most of the channels last night mid-programme. Was there any warning transmission might be off-line from midnight or is it like last time - no information to customers at all?
Briantist
Wednesday 28 September 2011 9:06AM
JD: Yes, as per the plan, the transmitter was off air from midnight to 6am. As per my posting above, as per www.ukfree.tv link icon Oxford sees the end of analogue TV as high power digital starts | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
Stuart
Wednesday 28 September 2011 9:11AM Swindon
Just retuned to the new MUXs after switchover, but I cannot tune to C57, which is the HD channel. I know I need an HD tuner to get the HD channels, but do I need an HD tuner to even find the channel? I was about to buy one but clearly do not want to if I can't receive the signal.
I have a roof aerial and digital reception is fine otherwise
Briantist
Wednesday 28 September 2011 9:13AM
Stuart: Yes, the DVB-T2 service is invisible to DVB-T equipment.
Howie B
Wednesday 28 September 2011 9:33AM
My Sony bravia quietly retuned itself this morning - quite how or why I don't know but all is well touch wood, including the four HD channels 50,51,52,54. Was Freeview HD worth waiting for? Definitely! Couple of minor quibbles. No red button on 50 or 51 - is that a fault? No local optouts on 50, just a caption card. Also ch1 showed BBC London not South Today. Switching problem?
Howie B at OX9 3JE; freeview always trouble free even in ondigital era. Goodbye analogue, you did us pround - I saw the first clour tx's from Winter Hill way back in 69. We've come a long way since then.
Tricia
Wednesday 28 September 2011 9:41AM Oxford
I live in Central Oxford and have retuned my TV this mornng 28/9 and have lost EVERY channel! I have no channels whatsoever now?

Before the switchover I couldn't get 3,4 and 5 but could get some digital channels. Then when we first switched I lost 1 and 2 but still got some digital channels and now nothing.

Please can someone help me?
mst
Wednesday 28 September 2011 9:44AM Oxford
Turning off the ITV mix on C68 revealed some of its former problems - my box still saw 10-20% noise signal on that channel, not sure what maybe Midhurst on wrong polarization?

I have a bit of a problem with the new received signal strengths - the BBC A/PSB1 mux on C53+ has a signal strength on my Toppy almost double any other mux. If I use a variable attenuator to get it off 100% nothing else is watchable, and with the smallest attenuator I have 3dB (donated by NTL) I start to lose quality on PSB2 (ITV etc) on C60.

Anyone else see this, maybe its my aerial - originally aligned for best quality on weakest Analogue channel or C68, so maybe misaligned to avoid interference!
David
Wednesday 28 September 2011 10:02AM Towcester
I have a roof mounted Aerial , with a masthead amp ,new cable one feed to a HD tv , at NN12 8HQ. No HD channels on CH 57.

Kind Regards

David
mst
Wednesday 28 September 2011 10:04AM
@Tricia

see

www.ukfree.tv link icon TVs and boxes that do not support the 8k-mode | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice

Then head down to Argos or out to Tesco and choose a new box from 17.99 before they sell out! (OX13PJ)



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

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

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

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