Freeview: Sudbury (Suffolk, England) full-Freeview transmitter
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Freeview on the Sudbury (Suffolk, England) transmitter

Google StreetviewGoogle mapBing mapGoogle Earth52.005,0.786 or 52°0'17"N 0°47'8"ECO10 5NG

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): C60: ArqA
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 Sudbury transmitter which serves 440,000 homes.

Other maps:Sudbury regionBBC EastAnglia (East micro region)

Radiation patterns

Radiation patterns withheld

Map key

The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.

Sudbury 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 East, 2 BBC Two England, 7 BBC Three, 9 BBC Four, 70 CBBC Channel, 71 CBeebies, 80 BBC News, 81 BBC Parliament, 301 301, plus 12 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C44 (658.0MHz) from 229m datum.
PSB2
D3+4
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2		100,000
Channel icons
3 ITV (Anglia (East micro region)), 4 Channel 4 South ads, 5 Channel 5 Part Network ads, 6 ITV 2, 13 Channel 4+1 South ads, 14 More 4, 28 E4, 33 ITV +1 (Anglia east),
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C41 (634.0MHz) from 229m 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 Meridian Southampton), 104 Channel 4 HD South ads, plus 1 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C47 (682.0MHz) from 229m datum.
COM4
SDN
 horizontal
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/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 186m 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 C60- (785.8MHz) from 228m 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 C56 (754.0MHz) from 228m datum.


Regional news from the Sudbury transmitter


BBC Look East (East) 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Norwich NR2 1BH, 77km north-northeast
to BBC East region - 27 masts.

ITV Anglia News 0.8m homes 3.2%
from NORWICH NR1 3JG, 78km north-northeast
to ITV Anglia (East) region - 26 masts.

Self-help relays

Felixstowe WestTransposer1000 homes +1000 or more homes due to expansion of affected area?
WithamTransposer14 km NE Chelmsford.118 homes

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1984-971997-981998-20112011-132013-182013-18
aerial groupB EB EEEEW
600C31com7
C35C5C5
C37com8
C39B
C41ITVITVITVD3+4D3+4D3+4
C44BBC2BBC2BBC2BBCABBCABBCA
C47C4C4C4BBCBBBCBBBCB
C48+A
700C49+1
C50+D
C51BBC1BBC1BBC1
C54C
C56ArqBArqBArqB
C58SDNSDNSDN
C60-ArqA-ArqA-ArqA
800C682

orange background for multiplexes names moregreen background for transmission frequencieslilac background for power levels in watts800MHz band: 4G mobile to start in 2013700MHz band: possible 4G in 2019 more600MHz band: new or moved digital TV services more
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W
Italics for analogue, digital switchover was Wednesdays 6th July and 20th July 2011.

  • COM7, COM8 projected for 2013-16. COM7 and COM8 to operate as Sudbury, Tacolneston SFN.

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

Analogue 1-4 250kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, com7, com8, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-4dB) 100kW
Analogue 5(-7dB) 50kW
Mux 2*(-14.9dB) 8.1kW
Mux B*(-15.2dB) 7.5kW
Mux 1*(-15.5dB) 7kW
Mux A*(-17dB) 5kW
Mux C*(-22.2dB) 1.5kW
Mux D*(-23.6dB) 1.1kW

History of Channel 3 in the Sudbury transmitter area

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

Nick
Monday 2 July 2012 8:24PM
Please would someone say which channels Sudbury is using? The info at the top of the page is useless.
jb38
Monday 2 July 2012 8:50PM
Nick: Ch's: 44 - 41 - 47 - 58 - 60 - 56
Dave Lindsay
Monday 2 July 2012 8:53PM
Andy: See postings by Nick immediately above yours. He is a stone's throw from you off Woodbridge Walk and says that in his area only Public Service channels can be received.

See the terrain plot from the Sudbury transmitter to your approximate location:


Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location

As you can see, the path of the signal runs close to the ground for quite a few miles. Obviously there are objects on the ground, so it is not surprising that reception isn't good.

Imagine if the transmitter was sending out a beam of light, then consider trees and buildings that are likely to be in the way.

See here for the full list of Freeview services:

www.dmol.co.uk link icon DMOL Post-DSO Multiplex Channel Allocations

The PSB multiplexes are the Public Service Broadcaster ones. The COMs are the Commercial ones which have limited coverage with respect to the PSBs. Nick has been unable to receive the COMs from Sudbury.

Based his comments, I get the feeling that you may well be limited to Public Service channels. Or the COMs may be intermittent. Which channels are causing problems (PSBs, COMs or both)? Does each caravan have its own aerial?

Digital UK predictor considers Sudbury to be "marginal" at your location, and likewise Aldeburgh. The latter is PSB-only.

The predictor should be regarded as a guide. Local obstructions such as trees and buildings aren't taken into account. It may be a clue as to likelihood of success of reception.
Dee
Tuesday 3 July 2012 9:03AM Colchester
For years I had no issue or problem watching ANY Freeview channel from my location in Marks Tey, Essex (co6 1nf).

Around three or four months ago overnight I lost a swathe of channels, leaving me with just 32 channels (19 tv,11 radio,2 text).

This was I discovered from these very pages, the next part of the Sudbury transmitter ongoing works, which would lead eventually to all the channels being restored on the 27th June......

June 27th arrived and hey presto...all channels restored to their former glory,although, on some of the channels the reception was initially iffy and a little pixellated, this gradually was ironed out during the day.

All was good until the middle of the following day when for no reason all the newly stored channels disappeared and once again I am left with just the same 32 channels I had prior to the 27th.

I have a wideband Arial and am asking anyone here with some knowledge as to why this is possibly happening.

If the arial is no good then why was it good enough for a day and a half following the power increase?

I have trawled the net looking for answers and it seems I am not alone in this despite Sudbury reporting no issues with their output.

Thanks in anticipation.
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 10:07AM
Many thanks JB
Please note, all who are trying to help with my problems, I am talking about two separate locations, one five miles north of Orford, one five miles south. The southern one is better, but still poor, apart from stuff put out on ch 41 and 44. Until 27 June, all was fine at both, except for Challenge, Pick, Yesterday, but even they came through, at both, sometimes, since then, it has all gone to pot.
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 10:12AM
Please can someone help with this one?
At a location with the aerial on Sudbury but strong signal also from Aldeburgh, my box tunes itself to stations from ch23, Aldeburgh, and then the same channels from Sudbury on ch41.
When I view, which one of these transmitters am I watching? It would not matter except that I would imagine Aldeburgh would be more prone to pixellating, as when we had analogue, the Aldeburgh picture used to break up and be very ghosty as that is not where the aerial is pointed or polarised for.
david C
Tuesday 3 July 2012 10:38AM Ipswich
Dee , I live just outside Ipswich , and did exactly the same as you .Re tuned on the 27th Jnue and had all the channels , these have now disappeared. The power has been taken down on the channels and there is now a message at the top of this page to say there is work being done on the transmitter . lets hope by next week they have it all sorted
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 10:43AM
Dee: Based on the fact that you are only 9 miles from the transmitter, the problem may be too much signal. See www.ukfree.tv link icon Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 10:53AM
Nick: When a receiver goes through its automatic tuning process, it scans all channels. Having done this it then has to "decide" which of the channels it is to go with, where duplicates are found.

In this case it is going with those from Aldeburgh. This is obviously not the desired result.

The solution is to unplug the aerial for the first 30% of the scan so that it doesn't get the chance to "see" the Aldeburgh channels.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 11:01AM
david C: The predictor thinks that Tacolneston may be more reliable at your location.

Due to this, confirm that your receiver is tuned to Sudbury for all channels, and not to Tacolneston for some.

This information (UHF channel/frequency that it is tuned to) is usually given on the signal strength screen.

PSB1 | BBC One | Sudbury=C44 | Tacolneston=C55
PSB2 | ITV1 | Sudbury=C41 | Tacolneston=C59
PSB3 | BBC One HD | Sudbury=C47 | Tacolneston=C62
COM4 | ITV3 | Sudbury=C58 | Tacolneston=C42
COM5 | Pick TV | Sudbury=C60 | Tacolneston=C45
COM6 | Yesterday | Sudbury=C56 | Tacolneston=C50
Dee
Tuesday 3 July 2012 11:50AM
@ David C.... David, thanks for the heads up re transmitter work, I too hope that this is ironed out, it is not just affecting me, but neighbours also!

@ Dave Lindsay....Dave, thanks for the link, having read it and checked, as far as I can tell from each different device I have that can scan and tune Freeview, the signal coming in appears around 70-75% and is marked as 'Good' as opposed to the other two alternatives...poor or average.

Thanks both of you for taking the time to reply :)
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 11:52AM
Nick: I sympathise with your predicament.

The Commercial broadcasters were not mandated by law to follow the same coverage as the Public Service Broadcasters. This can only come back to politics rather any deficiencies in the engineering of the network. They follow the laws of capitalism which means that if it isn't worth it then it doesn't get done. They operate to provide them with a return.

After switchover, the Commercial broadcasters use less error correction so as to give them more space to fit in more services. This means that the signals are less robust than the PSB ones.

See the newsletter about the retune last November:

www.digitaluk.co.uk link icon http://www.digitaluk.co.u….pdf

It says that on 27th June 2012 SDN would adopt 8k mode, but it makes no mention of this for ArqA and ArqB, so perhaps they were already in 8k mode (with the less error correction).

Nick, you did say that you could get ITV3 better when it was at 14kW, and it is carried on SDN which was in 2k mode then (and presumably more error correction than now). So the change in error correction could perhaps be the dampner, irrespective of power increase.

When you consider that the signal path to Hollesley runs low to the ground for miles, then perhaps this explains why the less robust COMs aren't available. That is, they are getting "bashed about" too much.

In which case, it would seem logical to suggest that the amplification of only the COMs I suggested above may NOT do the trick because the problem is more likely to be poor quality signal (for which amplification won't solve).

This leads me on to wonder if you would be better off with a lower gain aerial and amplifier. The objective being to get a better quality signal due to the wider acceptance angle. Obviously a lower gain aerial gives less signal strength, which is why an amp is necessary. I have seen this suggested as being an improvement on a high gain aerial in cases such as at the bottom of a hill, perhaps lined with trees. Perhaps the professionals could comment how likely this might help Nick.

It is, of course, always a possibility that reception may be variable owing to rain, leaves on the trees and so on.

Your other possibility is to diplex your aerial on Dover for the COMs with one on Sudbury or Aldeburgh for the PSBs. Obviously Dover may also be subject to variable reception. Its SDN and ArqA are co-channel with two of Tacolneston's PSBs. Your aerial will also be facing the Continent which could increase your chances of suffering under lift conditions. Also, the fact that the signal isn't strong due to your distance probably means that it is more susceptible to being knocked out due to interference from other stations that are co-channel under certain conditions.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 11:54AM
Nick: Of course, as you say, the best thing is to wait until the reported engineering work at Sudbury is completed to see what you have then.
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 12:12PM
Thanks Dave,
It seems to me this is a right muddle, if only freesat had pick, challenge etc.
My aerial at H has no amp, the one at A does.
Jb was kind enough to tell me which channels Sudbury uses, as opposed to what this site tells me it does.
41, 44, 47, 56, 58, 60. Which muxes are using each of these channels? Can I assume that if, for example, Pick was on mux c before the upgrade, so called, it remains on that mux, albeit on a different broadcasting channel, or do the various stations also change muxes periodically? I hate to think of the elderly trying to follow all this messing about and trying to work out where their stations have gone!
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 12:17PM
Dave,
Why do you say my box has opted for the Aldeburgh stations from channel 23 rather than those from Sudbury on 41? How do we know which it has decided are best? It is a bit tricky plugging the aerial in when I 'guess' it is near 41 as sometimes I am too early and get ch28, which I don't want either!
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 12:32PM
Nick: Which platforms TV channels choose to go on is up to them.

Challenge, Dave, Pick TV and Yesterday make themselves available on the Sky subscription service and via the Freeview Commercial multiplexes. These are decisions which they believe are better financially for them. Presumably they consider that the cost to be on Freesat is not as beneficial as being on Sky. Similarly, the outlay they make to be a on Commercial Freeview is better for them than not being on it.

Challenge and Pick TV are owned by BSkyB, so it isn't surprising that they don't make themselves available via satellite services that are in competition with Sky.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 12:33PM
Nick: This site is independent. The channel numbers above have not been updated since the changes which took place on 27th June.

Briantist: Can you update the channel numbers and powers following these changes?
Robert B
Tuesday 3 July 2012 12:46PM
After reading the list of channels used by Freeview from Sudbury (re: jb38) my scans have never picked up channel 47. Is this an error or am I missing out here?
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 12:58PM
Nick: I said that your box tunes itself to Aldeburgh because in your posting at 10:12AM today, you said "my box tunes itself to stations from ch23, Aldeburgh".

You said subsequently in your posting at 12:12PM that your Aldeburgh aerial has an amplifier but the Sudbury one doesn't. Are these diplexed together or are they fed separately into your lounge (allowing you to connect to either but not both) or have you "combined" the feeds in some other way?

If the Aldeburgh aerial is connected, then just turn off the power to the amp, leave the aerial in during all of the scan. Turning off the power to the amp will mean that no signal will come out of it.


Or, if you still need to make your receiver avoid Aldeburgh during its scan, plug the aerial in when it gets to 30%. Some devices are more helpful than others, so obviously I can only be general. If it gives percentage progress, then 30% of the scan (which runs from 21 to 69) is about C35. If it gives no percentage and no UHF channel number and is simply a bar the goes across the screen, then you will have to guess or improvise. For example, can you hold a ruler up to the screen and measure the bar and hence work out roughly where the target point is for plugging in the aerial?

The target area is from 15% to 40% so there is quite a big area to aim for. I have calculated these on the basis of the highest channel from Aldeburgh and the lowest from Sudbury. If it has manual tuning, then use it to add any that are missing, if you get the aerial in a bit too late.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 12:59PM
Robert B: 47 is the HD multiplex.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 1:07PM
Nick: It may be that you will have to trial PSB reception from each transmitter to work out which is best. With digital reception, variable or poor reception may only become apparent at certain times, e.g. momentary freezing may be intermittent. The automatic tuning process is unlikely to be able to make this decision for you.
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 1:08PM
Dave, I have misled you.
I have no Aldeburgh aerial at either of my locations, but the signal is strong. I need to know how to tell whether I am watching the progs from ch 23 or ch41, he latter theoretically being stronger, although I take your point about unplugging the aerial, which gives my fingers a tingle when I plug in.
I cannot find the thing you referred to to tell me which muxes are on which channels, but, one up to me, have found the freesat box can be manually tuned to get Pick and Challenge, both in plus 1 for some reason.
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 1:24PM Aldeburgh
Can anyone tell me what exactly is included as PSB? Obviously not ITV 3. If the Aldeburgh transmitter included this rather than all the plus ones, Gay Rabbit etc, I would settle for this, rather than all the aggro from Sudbury.
I think if there is a regulator for how this freeview is set up, he must be money for old rope.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 1:31PM
Nick: If a receiver gives information as to what channel/frequency it is tuned to, then this is usually given on the signal strength screen. A few don't, so there is little way of knowing, particularly if two possible transmitters broadcast the same regional programming.

Not giving this information is poor design in my opinion and it is not confined to "cheapo" devices. I came across a Sony RDR-HXD860 which gives no clue as to which UHF channel it is tuned to. I have a RDR-HXD870, which I believe superceeded it and that does give the channel number on the strength screen.

Some use frequencies instead of chanel numbers and C28 is 530.0MHz and C41 is 634.0MHz.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 1:43PM
Nick: I'm not familiar satellite receivers as I've never used one. However, I have read that "Freesat" branded set-top boxes will automatically tune in all services that are part of the Freesat offering. Other free-to-air channels can, I understand, be added manually. Presumably this is where manual tuning is available (I have no idea whether some devices are more restrictive than others, as is the case with terrestrial receivers).

See here:

en.wikipedia.org link icon List of free-to-air channels at 28°E - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Obviously this Wikipedia page is not forced to be up-to-date or correct.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 1:48PM
Nick: The full list of Freeview services by multiplex are here (those with a bullet in the "E"/England column apply):

www.dmol.co.uk link icon DMOL Post-DSO Multiplex Channel Allocations
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 2:04PM Aldeburgh
Thanks Dave.
It strikes me that those on Dover are very fortunate. I can get it at the moment, though probably not in the winter, [struggled to get analogue in the winter.] They have their transmitter digitalised and all the channels come through straight away. Here, on Sudbury, they are still piddling about a year after switchover. Dover are also fortunate that all the channels used seem to be within the old group c aerial group, whereas we have to use wideband, and by definition not high gain, aerials to cover channels as far apart as 41 and 60.
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 2:06PM Aldeburgh
Dave, do you know which stations are classified as public service? Obviously not ITV 3.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 2:16PM
Nick: Sudbury has had to wait for Dover to switch-over so as to throw free the three final COMs channels. A few other transmitters have had to go through similar "temporary" stages, although at a year, this is one of the longer ones.

See the DMOL link I provided as it lists services by multiplex which are identified as either "PSB" or "COM".
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 2:23PM
Nick: For Sudbury, a Group E aerial is semi-wideband as it spans Group B and Group C/D channels.

The other alternative is to use a Group C/D aerial for the COMs and diplex it with a Group B for the PSBs. Or the wideband may be suitable for the PSBs with it being diplexed with a C/D to pick up the COMs.

For diplexers, see www.aerialsandtv.com link icon Online TV Splitters, Amps & Diplexers sales

The one that "splits" at C51 should be suitable if the two-aerial approach is to be employed.

As I say, I'm not a professional so I don't know under what circumstances that may be better than a single Group E aerial.

Clearly the diplexer acts as a filter so on the COMs channels only the C/D aerial is used, and on the lower PSB channels only the other aerial is used.

See also:

www.aerialsandtv.com link icon Sudbury Transmitter
Mike Dimmick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 2:55PM
Nick: For the BBC, it is the list of UK Public Services defined in the BBC's Agreement www.bbc.co.uk link icon BBC - BBC Trust - Charter and Agreement , with any changes made by the BBC Trust since that was last revised. Basically, anything with 'BBC' in the name, plus CBeebies. On top of that you have the Qualifying Services: ITV1/STV/UTV, Channel 4/S4C, Channel 5, and the public service teletext provider (position vacant). That's it.

The +1 services are not counted as Qualifying Services, they are licensed as general TV services.
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 2:58PM
Nick: I used Megalithia to plot the terrain between Hollesley and Dover transmitter and I reckon that you may have line of sight at 66 miles.

I am not so sure that the same is true of the location which is further north and closer to Aldeburgh.
Robert B
Tuesday 3 July 2012 4:12PM
Dave, thank you for explaining that channel 47 is the HD multiplex. I currently haven't got an HD tuner. I'm considering updating my equipment and think it would be better to switch to Freesat as there are more stations available and should I move into a poor reception area or one with just PSB coverage I'd be ok. I also believe that Freeview capacity is limited and that little expansion is possbile and it will limit the number of stations able to transmit HD over Freeview.
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 5:46PM Aldeburgh
Thanks, Dave, yes, Dover too far from Aldeburgh. Might try Tac if Sud misbehaves.
Guess you don't know what constitutes a psb channel.
Can you tell me what happens if, say, the ITV on channel 23 and 41 are different regions? If the box tunes to both, can I see both and where would I view the second one, channel-wise?
Dave Lindsay
Tuesday 3 July 2012 6:57PM
Nick: For which channels are PSB (and which are COM), see the "DMOL" link I provided in my posting at 1:48PM.

Also see this page, particularly starting at the heading "Independent Television Commission: 1, 2, A, B, C and D":

www.ukfree.tv link icon Why do the six Freeview "multiplexes" have twenty different names? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice

For more general information on what Public Service Broadcasting is, type into a search engine something like {uk public service broadcasting}.

Basically, as explained in the link above, BBC, Channel 3 (branded "ITV1" by ITV Plc in England), Channel 4 and Channel 5 are Public Service Broadcasters and as such have obligations placed upon them. This includes achieving a particular level of coverage and which means the installations of small relay transmitters in populated areas that aren't otherwise served.

The PSB1 multiplex is for exclusive use of the BBC. PSB2 is licensed to D3&4 which is collectively owned by Channel 3 licencees and Channel 4. This multiplex must carry ITV1 (or STV in parts of Scotland and UTV in Northern Ireland), Channel 4 and Channel 5. The Public Service broadcasters can decide which other of their sister services they wish to carry on their PSB multiplexes.

You're now going to ask, why have they included ITV1+1 on PSB2 instead of ITV3? I imagine that the answer is down to the return they expect from the advertisers. Presumably providing an ITV1 one hour behind is seen as being more lucrative than ITV3. So it is all down to money and only ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 must be carried on PSB2.

PSB3 is the only HD one, and whilst licensed to the BBC also carries HD services on behalf of ITV1 and Channel 4.

------

I am not sure that Aldeburgh 23 and Sudbury 41 are classed as different "networks" or "regions".

Aldeburgh is a relay of Tacolneston. According to this site, both Tacolneston and Sudbury carry BBC East and ITV Anglia East. I would be interested to know whether, as far as the receiver is concerned that these are the same network/region.

Sandy Heath is the third Anglia transmitter and it carries "ITV Anglia West". So there appear to be two variants of ITV Anglia; "East" broadcasts from Tacolneston and Sudbury and "West" comes from Sandy Heath. Do you know different?


I receive from Emley Moor, but I'm in a location where I can usually pick up Belmont up off the back of the aerial.

Emley Moor and Belmont are part of different BBC and ITV1 sub-regions. When I run the automatic tuning function on my Sony RDR-HXD870 is removes 80-odd duplicates once it completes. This leaves me with all services from Emley Moor plus the BBC One and ITV1 from Belmont. So I end up with two BBC Ones and two ITV1s but not two of everything else.

On another TV, I have all the duplicates, with the highest logical channel number (LCN) being 937! So it would appear that how it works depends on the design of the set.

Freeview TVs usually store duplicates starting at LCN 800.
Nick
Tuesday 3 July 2012 7:24PM Aldeburgh
Thanks again, Dave. I only go up to 300 odd, and they are blank. Yes, Sud and Alde are the same region, I was just wondering if I opted for Dover, which seems crazy, if I could get Anglia from Aldeburgh also, as Aldeburgh comes in with a bit of damp string, no need for separate aerial. In any case, diplexing aerials leads to loss of gain on both.
Yes, Sandy is Anglia West, all others mentioned, East.
Thanks also to Mike.
Mark Fletcher
Wednesday 4 July 2012 1:59PM Halifax
Nick.Aldeburgh.As i mentioned in an earlier text to you on Monday 2 July 2012,12.44am,if you decide to opt for Dover go for it.
A good quality semi-wideband group E (brown tipped) X-Beam XB16E aerial plus copper-copper black coloured co-ax cable and brass co-ax plug will be sufficient for Dover transmissions.
Or if you prefer Aldeburgh relay then a group A aerial (red tipped) will do.
Nick
Wednesday 4 July 2012 4:00PM Aldeburgh
Thanks Mark,
I will give Sudbury a few days and see if it settles down, otherwise I think Tacolneston is worth a try. I understand since going digital it has a higher mast and coverage, Aldeburgh is no good, not even got ITV 3.
Nick
Wednesday 4 July 2012 6:56PM Aldeburgh
Please would someone explain what is meant by 'line of sight' re tv transmissions? Presumably this does not mean that with sufficient magnification we could see the transmitter. I ask as Dave kindly said from my location Dover was 66 miles, line of sight. Apart from North Kent, there is just sea between here and Dover, and the curvature of the earth means there is a huge wall of water between.
Incidentally, it was only in summer I could get good analogue from Dover, with C4 particularly unwatchable in winter, so guess I am currently getting some help to get all digital channels. In winter the signal could vary significantly minute to minute, sea mist being suggested as the cause. Thanks.
Russell Battle
Wednesday 4 July 2012 7:30PM
Had new high gain aerial fitted yesterday. All the channels are back. Had to do a complete new auto tune to get them back all is good now. I tried to add new channels first, no good.
Les Nicol
Wednesday 4 July 2012 7:46PM
Nick - Line of sight in simple terms means that you have no immediate obstruction i.e. Trees, Buildings, Ground terrain obstuctive issues that may impede the digital signal coming to your TV via your TV aerial from the transmitter. Unlike the analgue transmissions the digital transmission is precise similar to that received by satellite to a satellite dish. If you have an unobstructive clear line of sight to the tramsmitter and everything locally in terms of your aerial, connectivity etc should see you free of any recxeption issues. Satellite reception can be a little bit more problamatic in certain weather conditions extreme heavy rain or snow build up on the LNB - the item that's seen on the end of the dish boom arm. In this scenario it's a case of usually a brief or interrupted signal signal.
Nick
Wednesday 4 July 2012 8:17PM Aldeburgh
Thanks Les, but what about all that sea? I can't see beyond a few miles from my upstairs window which overlooks Dover, theoretically, nor can my aerial, because of the curvature of the earth giving me 60 odd miles of deep water in the way.
Nick
Wednesday 4 July 2012 8:24PM Aldeburgh
Why is it that the info, top, is out of date re xmitter power/frequencies, yet there is a seemingly current message about xmitter works?
On the other page about Sudbury switchover it says xmitter works from 18 June for a week, so how do we know if they have finished?
Mark Fletcher
Thursday 5 July 2012 1:11AM Halifax
Nick,Aldeburgh.Oddly enough i did mention in my text on Wednesday 27 June 2012,1.40pm then on my hols in St Annes on Sea,Lancashire in my first paragraph that the Sudbury page requires updating due to the COM multiplexes increasing in strength to 100kw apiece,albeit i forgot to mention the change in frequencies back then.
Im sure Briantist the owner of this ever valuable and useful website will ultimately update this page in due course once he catches up with the Sudbury pages,after all he is a very busy man assisting us all.
Les Nicol
Thursday 5 July 2012 6:55AM
Nick - The sea shouldn't make any difference it's the transmitter coverage - whether it's a main or relay transmitter and their respective outputs. In most cases an existing aerial should suffice, but if your on the fringes of a transmitter(s) you may well need to consider if a particular aerial, cabling etc is up to the job. Alternaitvely as in my area Low Powered Relay transmitters and ground terrain and obstruction issues often dictate the installation of "Freesat" service over "Freeview".



david
Thursday 5 July 2012 8:14AM Eye
could someone update the transmitter power info etc. - it is STILL showing the pre-DSO levels
Nick
Thursday 5 July 2012 8:46AM Aldeburgh
Thanks Mark.
Les, I am afraid I still do not follow your reasoning about the sea. I have a shed at the bottom of my garden where I play about with tellies. I cannot get my local transmitter, Sudbury, as there is a tree in the neighbour's garden.
I can, however, get Dover as it comes from a different direction with no tree in the way. There is, however, a wall of sea, probably 50 miles thick due to the curvature of the earth between here and Dover 66 miles away.
What is the difference between that tree and the wall of water?
Dave Lindsay
Thursday 5 July 2012 9:43AM
Nick: I used Megalithia to plot the terrain between you and Dover:


Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location

The curvature of the Earth would appear to be exagerated which is what I've experienced with Megalithia before over such long distances. What I did then was click the link below the plot to view the map between the two points.

I then found the co-ordinates for the point on the Kent coast where the signal path line intersects; this is at Birchington.

A plot from Dover to this point shows that there is clear line of sight:


Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location

Unless there is any obstruction between your house and the coast, then this would appear to suggest that you do have line of sight to the top of the Dover mast.

The curvature of the Earth is said to be 8 inches per mile. This works out as 13.4 metres over the 66 miles.
Nick
Thursday 5 July 2012 10:08AM Aldeburgh
Dave, you are a mine of information.
But why is it when I look out of my window over the sea, I can only see ships, say, 10 miles out at most before the sky meets the sea? Are you saying that if my upstairs window was only 13 metres higher I could technically see Dover?
What effect do you think a sudden sea mist has? Is it like the tree in the neighbour's garden?
When Dover was analogue the picture could go from strong to almost imperceptible in minutes.
Dave Lindsay
Thursday 5 July 2012 12:41PM
Nick: The horizon is where the ground or sea "meets" the sky. There can be things on the horizon which are effectively "protruding" from the horizon.

Imagine if, after having gone over the horizon, the ship were to sprout a tall mast and fly a flag on it. The height of the flag may be visible over the horizon, even though the ship itself is not visible owing to the curvature of the earth.

The same appears to be true of the top of the Dover mast. Whilst it may not be possible to see it due the air not being clear, there is no land (hill) or other object inbetween it and you when on the top of your house.

It could be that the Kent coastline, and even the high ground on which the transmitter sits, is over the horizon (from your vantage point), but the top of the mast is not.


Visible light is also carried as electromagnetic waves. If you're driving your car at night you have the headlights on and they shine into the distance and on to objects which reflects the light back to you.

The more the mist and fog set in, the more difficult it is to see the objects. Headlights in dense fog result in illuminating the water droplets. The light becomes much more of a "ball" in front of you than a beam shining afar.

Conversely, other drivers see nothing of the radiated light until they are close. This is because the light is no longer travelling as far as it does when visibility is clear.

And so, I imagine that TV reception is much the same. The almost sudden loss of signal is probably down to a sudden mist moving in. The signal is travelling over the sea for over 40 miles.

Imagine what it would be like to look out from the top of the transmitter and see the signal being radiated. On a clear day, the signal will travel and objects a long way away will be visible in the "light" of the signal. When the mist comes in, the electromatnetic energy will end up getting "caught" in the droplets. What will be seen is the "light" reflecting back from the droplets. Those who can normally receive the signal will find that they get nothing or much less "light" than they normally do.

This suggests that you may not have stable reception of the COMs from Dover after all. You may have to listen to the Shipping Forecast to find out whether your viewing may be affected.
Nick
Thursday 5 July 2012 2:12PM Aldeburgh
You are a treasure, Dave.
I wonder why you differentiate the coms, though.
I suppose the fact that the atmosphere in winter is just plain damp also reduces the signal.
I had thought that my current good reception was similar to the fact that those blessed Dutchmen mess us about in summer, ie atmospherics, but presumably not so. I just get a good signal in its own right, with it reduced due to moisture.
I suppose if I play about trying to get an inland xmitter such as Tacolneston I will be less affected by mist etc. To think, you have given me all this time when all these problems might be caused by men playing with the Sudbury xmitter, who knows if they are or if they have finished.



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