Freeview: Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove, England) Full Freeview transmitter
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Full Freeview on the Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove, England) transmitter

Google StreetviewGoogle mapBing mapGoogle Earth50.825,-0.113 or 50°49'29"N 0°6'47"WBN2 5EL

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: BBCA
See How do I know if the 4G broadband will overload my Freeview? and Full UK map of 4G issue areas for details.

This transmitter has no current reported problems

The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove, England) transmitter. Click to recheck

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The symbol shows the location of the Whitehawk Hill (Brighton and Hove, England) transmitter which serves 96,000 homes.

Other maps:Whitehawk Hill DABWhitehawk Hill AM/FMWhitehawk Hill regionBBC South EastMeridian (South Coast 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.


List by multiplex|List by channel number|List by channel name|See terrain plot

Whitehawk Hill transmitter Freeview broadcasts

If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.

Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.

MuxAerial positionFrequencyHeightModeWatts
PSB1
BBCA
 vertical max
C60- (785.8MHz)171m64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		4,000W
Channel icons
1 BBC One South 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

PSB2
D3+4
 vertical max
C53 (730.0MHz)171m64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		4,000W
Channel icons
3 ITV (Meridian (South Coast 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 (Meridian south coast),

PSB3
BBCB
 vertical max
C51 (714.0MHz)171m256QAM 32KE 2/3
40.2Mb/s DVB-T2 MPEG4		4,000W
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

COM4
SDN
 vertical max
C57 (762.0MHz)164m64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		4,000W
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

COM5
ArqA
 vertical max
C56 (754.0MHz)171m64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		4,000W
Channel icons
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

COM6
ArqB
 vertical max
C48 (690.0MHz)171m64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		4,000W
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



Regional news from the Whitehawk Hill transmitter


BBC South East Today 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Tunbridge Wells TN1 1QQ, 43km northeast
to BBC South East region - 45 masts.

ITV Meridian News 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Whiteley PO15 7AD, 80km west
to ITV Meridian (South Coast) region - 36 masts.

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1950s~851984-971997-981998-20122012-132013-182013-182019-
aerial groupVHFC/D EEEC/D EC/D EC/D EK
C2BBCtv
C22SDN
C25ArqA
C28ArqB
600C35C5C5
C39BBCB
C42D3+4
C45BBCA
C48BArqBArqBArqB
700C502
C51BBCBBBCBBBCB
C53C4C4C4D3+4D3+4D3+4
C54local
C55A
C56ArqAArqAArqA
C57BBC1BBC1BBC1SDNSDNSDN
C58+C
C60ITVITVITV-BBCA-BBCA-BBCA
800C61+D
C63BBC2BBC2BBC2
C661

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 March and 21st March 2012.

  • Ofcom have projected that a local television service for Brighton and Hove could use an Interleaved Frequency on the Brighton (Whitehawk Hill) transmitter using C54

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

Analogue 1-4 10kW
Analogue 5(-3dB) 5kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-4dB) 4kW
Mux B*(-10dB) 1000W
Mux 2*, Mux C*, Mux D*(-14dB) 400W
Mux 1*, Mux A*(-17dB) 200W
local(-44dB) 0.4W

History of Channel 3 in the Whitehawk Hill transmitter area

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

Briantist
Friday 27 February 2009 1:40PM
Mark: Both BBC multiplexes or just one? Please see Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002 for general help with this.
Briantist
Friday 27 February 2009 10:05PM
lesley: No, this suggest that you have a damaged cable or a broken connector. Please can you see www.ukfree.tv link icon Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002 for some suggestions.
Peter Smith
Monday 9 March 2009 5:26PM Brighton
Can it really be true, as is reported elsewhere, that Mux 2 at Whitehawk is radiated with horizontal polarisation, while the other muxes are correctly vertically polarised?

If this is true, it makes a nonsense of mounting the antenna vertically but would explain why we get corrupt Mux 2 data on two separate aerials at the Marina.

What's your view, Brian?
Briantist
Wednesday 11 March 2009 2:48PM
Peter Smith: I can confirm that all six digital and five analogue signals are in the same polarization. How on earth would the residents of Brighton and Hove watch TV if their aerials were blocked from receiving one multiplex?

Having stuck up enough aerials myself in Brighton and Hove, I can confirm it is vertical polarization all the way.


Ricardo
Wednesday 11 March 2009 3:52PM Brighton
Hello.
Apologies if this sounds too basic (my knowledge in this field is very little) or has already been answered in other posts but I recently moved to Saltdean (Winton Av) and even with an outdoor 48 element high gain antenna I cannot catch any freeview channels (none really). At the moment I have it aimed NNW, as suggested in your page, towards whitehawk hill but no luck. Is this the correct setup?
Briantist
Wednesday 11 March 2009 5:57PM
Ricardo: I'm sure you can get Freeview in Saltdean, but you need it to be high enough up to get a really good signal from the Whitehawk Hill transmitter.

Can you watch FIVE on analogue OK? This would determine you are getting a signal from the correct transmitter, as no others around carry FIVE on analogue.
Carol Case
Thursday 19 March 2009 11:14AM
My dad lives close to the racehill and can get all digital channels on his new digital tele however gets intermittent break up of picture. Comet have blamed this on low signals on this transmittor and weather could this happen?
Jordy
Thursday 19 March 2009 7:25PM
Hi Carol - Yes it can depending on your location certainly were a hill is involved can cause ghosting and passive interference with the pictures... Could you post your postcode?
John Latimer
Saturday 28 March 2009 10:17AM
When, if ever will all the freeview channels be available on the mileoak fill in transmitter, as we have no line of site with Whitehawk? we have no CH5 on analogue and only 3 freeview channels, parliament, cbeebies and 301??
jay
Thursday 9 April 2009 2:09AM
2 points.. did anyone lose their anologue tv earlier this evening in Brighton..

And why do some ihf channels have + next to them
Bal
Friday 10 April 2009 6:05PM
I live in Winchester and we were enjoying watching free view channels but from 25th March we are unable to watch ITV and BBC freeview channels, could you please suggest what should I do to get them?
Peter Smith
Wednesday 15 April 2009 5:45PM Brighton
Brian,

In spite of your dismissive reply to my earlier post on 27th February, we have now done some tests with a vertically polarised antenna mounted on the West Quay pub at Brighton Marina. I can report that, when the antenna was turned to a horizontal polarity, the signal from Channel 50 (Mux2) improved while the signals from the other five Muxes worsened as expected.

This means that we can now erect two antennae; a horizontal one just for Ch 50 and the vertical one for the rest. Tests show that the BER improved from E-5 to E-7 from Mux 2 when we used the horizontal antenna.

Whether or not this is intentional for transmissions in the southerly direction so as not to upset the French, I do not know, but it doesn't seem likely. Why Ch50 and not the others? Is it accidental or an artefact of propagation paths?

Anyway, the proof of the pudding...
Martin Waters
Thursday 16 April 2009 11:25PM Bognor Regis
I have recently bought a samsung 50" plasma tv (ps50a456p) - digital reception on the main channels (bbc1/2,itv) is poor. I also have a sony tv with built in freeview and a separate freeview box, both of which give perfect reception. Is this likely to be a problem with the tv?
Peter Smith
Friday 17 April 2009 6:50PM Brighton
Martin Waters: I'm not sure if Briantist is still unable to answer because of his shoulder, so I'll try:

If you have three receivers all fed from the same aerial and two of them are perfect, your problem is not likely to be the aerial. However, you have three separate cables coming from the back of the three receivers so I would start by swapping cables between two of your receivers and see if the problem moves and is due to a faulty cable or amplifier/splitter.

If you can't do that because the Samsung is in a different room to the others, then can you carry the Sony to that room and plug in in place of the Samsung to see if the picture is OK on that? If it is, then the Samsung is likely to be faulty or not as sensitive to a marginal signal as the Sony and you should refer back to whoever sold you the Samsung. However, if the picture on the Sony is then not present or poor, then you have a problem with the cable or the device that shares out the aerial signal to the three sets.

Of course, you may already have tried all three receivers on the same aerial cable feed in which case you have narrowed down the fault to the Samsung and should seek advice from the supplier.

Peter
Martin Waters
Friday 17 April 2009 10:24PM Bognor Regis
Peter, Many thanks for the response - I should perhaps have been clearer - if I connect the aerial cable direct to the Samsung then the reception is poor (only on some channels) but if I connect the same aerial cable to a dvd recorder/freeview box and connect that to the Samsung then the reception is fine on all channels. I have contacted Samsung customer services for advice, but no answer so far. Regards, Martin.
Peter Smith
Saturday 18 April 2009 11:17PM Brighton
Martin: different receivers have different sensitivities so it's quite possible to have the Sony work OK and the Samsung not work OK if the signal levels are marginal.

Most PVRs and set-top boxes with a pass-through aerial output include an amplifier so this could be compensating for the low signal. I don't think it's yet proven that the Samsung is faulty.

You could try buying an aerial amplifier or ask a local aerial installer to check the signal levels with a spectrum analyser. Or just leave the "dvd recorder/freeview box" connected? The spectrum analyser test would enable you to definitively say whether or not the Samsung has low sensitivity outside the spec, but that would cost you a few quid in call-out charges.

Peter
John
Thursday 23 April 2009 1:43PM Brighton
Can anyone tell me why sometimes I get perfect freeview reception on all channel but then lose ITV stations which tends to be during the day. Analogue reception is fine at all times. I use a Labgear 450 high gain a aerial and with the sometimes perfect reception suggests the aerial is correctly positioned.
Kelly Beer
Thursday 23 April 2009 4:54PM Newton Abbot
PLease could someone tell me why i can only receive a few freeview channels and not all of them, such as Dave, Dave ja vu, film four, itv+1, E4+1, Virgin 1? Do i need to replace my aerial?
Peter Smith
Friday 24 April 2009 5:36PM Brighton
John: I still have the suspicion that Mux2 which carries the ITV channels and Channel 4 is wrongly transmitting in the wrong polarisation (horizontally instead of vertically). I assume your aerial is pointing at Whitehawk with the elements horizontal? Can you say whether you also lose Channel 4 when you lose ITV?

Further evidence for the wrong polarisation would be if you continue to receive Five and Fiver OK. This is carried on MuxA at an even lower power than Mux2 and at the same bit rate.

As to a cure: well, thousands of others are receiving all channels OK with a vertical aerial but it would be interesting to see what happened if you turned your aerial horizontal. If my theory is correct, and your signal is marginal, you would then receive ITV and Channel 4 OK but the channels broadcast on the other multiplexes may well suffer. Not much help, really!
Mike
Saturday 25 April 2009 8:50AM Brighton
All our Mux 1 BBC channels just disappeared (08.40 25th April). We're in Fiveways area (BN1 6FH). Anyone else having the same problem? Checked it on our main tuner (BT VIsion box) and the EyeTV on the computer - no reception on all those Mux 1 BBC channels.
Mike
Saturday 25 April 2009 8:53AM
The BBC Mux 1 channels came back (08.52) - must have been someone at the transmitter accidentally unplugging the wrong bit of kit? Why do these peculiar outages happen on digital TV? I don't remember them happening on analogue TV.
Mark
Saturday 25 April 2009 11:56AM Brighton
Anyone having problems with reception since around 21st April.
I live in Oriental Place Brighton BN1 and have lost digital reception completely and the analogue is very week and snowy.

May not be a transmitter problem?

shaukat
Saturday 25 April 2009 1:31PM
This morning, between 0830 and 0845 the BBC Freeview Mux1, on the Brierley Hill TX went off as well, Analogue remained unaffected, so did all the other channels
John
Sunday 26 April 2009 12:46PM
Kelly: thanks for your support - I have my area as does everyone else in Mile Oak pointing to the Isle of Wight (Rowridge) Some are pointing to Brighton in the horizontal position. I have read that they are carrying out work the Rowridge transmitter throughout April and full service will not be resumed until May - Who knows currently some time its on sometiimes its not.If the reception does not improve in May I might well try the aerial in the horizontal position.
Michael
Sunday 26 April 2009 7:17PM
I've just bought my first LCD TV with built-in tuner and Freeview, but the picture quality/reception is awful on analogue and rubbish on digital - picture breaking up/ constantly resizing/going. One of the few channels the Digital tuner recieves is Sky News and the picture quality is very good. But I just want to watch the main terrestrial channels in half-decent quality.

I can't be bothered to wade through all the technical information on this excellent site - I just want a decent picture!

I'm depressed, and thinking about sending the TV (Samsung T220HD 22") back. I live in Kemp Town, Brighton. The reception I got on my old CRT TV was fine.
Tina
Wednesday 29 April 2009 7:24PM
My freeview reception has been off for 48 hours now. Is anyone else having problems in the Gravesend, Kent area?
David Sayers
Sunday 24 May 2009 10:44PM
why was ITV1 digital so unavailable on Sat and Sun early evening? Did someone pull a plug in error, or has my digibox just taken a disliking to this one channel??
Sam Smith
Friday 29 May 2009 9:04PM
I seem to have a problem in that I can usually get all the channels in the day time but by the evening they tend to drop off and I am lucky to get any channels at all, does anyone know if this could be some kind of atmospheric/aerial issue, I had my aerial upgraded once, did I not go for a large enough one?
Mary Kaukas
Saturday 30 May 2009 7:14PM
Has anyone else lost Mux 2 since yesterday from Whitehawk Hill? The pictures on all three of my TVs are unwatchable - pixellating and freezing. I am getting truly fed up with keep getting the aerial company in to make adjustments because the transmitters are mucked about with.
JimD
Sunday 7 June 2009 12:40PM
@Mary: Yes, big problems with ITV1, C4 and E4 here in BN1 5 for the several days.
Jim
Jim
Monday 8 June 2009 9:37AM
Can anyone say 'for sure' whether Mux2 from Whitehawk is horizontal or vertical? There seem to be different ideas about this.
JohnD
Monday 8 June 2009 8:31PM Brighton
I've also lost Mux2 sometime in the last week or so (been away). Has anybody heard anything to explain what has happened?
JohnD
Monday 8 June 2009 8:52PM Brighton
Incidentally I can get Mux1 and MuxA ok which are broadcast at lower power so it's not my ariel.
Dave
Monday 8 June 2009 10:24PM Brighton
I have lost MUX2 also... been off for a few days now. Living in BN1 4
Jim
Tuesday 9 June 2009 8:06AM
@JohnD: Ditto re. other muxs - it's just the Mux2 channels that are too weak the vast majority of the time.

Anyone know the best number to moan at ITV or whoever?
DanP
Tuesday 9 June 2009 8:39AM Brighton
Hi all, I have just moved to the area...can anyone help please!

I can't seem to get any digital TV signal, and very weak analogue. My postcode is BN41 2JB. The ariel is loft mounted, 48 element high gain.

Where ever I point it, the signal is weak.

Thoughts please...thinking of trying another areil of better quality.

Dan
Jim
Tuesday 9 June 2009 9:38AM
@Dan: Are you fairly clear towards the Isle Of Wight? If so, Rowridge on the IOW is probably your best bet. The aerial should be set for horizontal polarization, i.e. the small elements along the length should be horizontal.

As you probably know, but it's worth repeating for others, the higher the gain of the aerial, the more directional it is. Yours is quite high gain, so ideally use a compass or other method to get the direction.

Jim
DanP
Tuesday 9 June 2009 10:18AM
Jim, thanks...just been in the loft and set the elements to horizontal + pointed west. I now have a signal. It is very sketchy at the moment with lots of breaking up...I'll find a compass later and try again.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Thanks,

Dan
Jim
Tuesday 9 June 2009 4:42PM Brighton
@Dan: Good luck. A roof mount would be better than the loft if possible, and I better say that the 'compass' direction may not be the absolute best if you have any tall buildings, trees etc. in the way!

Jim
DanP
Wednesday 10 June 2009 10:23AM
Jim,

Thanks for the help!!! Compass trick and a bit of fidling with wires worked a treat! Now all sorted!!

Dan
Jim
Thursday 11 June 2009 8:42AM Brighton
@Dan: Great - enjoy your chans!

Now if only we could get a decent signal on Mux2 from Whitehawk here in BN1...

Jim
Mark
Sunday 14 June 2009 6:30PM
I've had signal problems in Brighton for a few months now. The ariel is big but not accesable without a very long ladder - a 4 floor house!

Very frustrating to have to constantly retune the freeview. Somedays we get just BBC, other days just FIVEs, Virgins and Sky's signal and others just ITV ones. Today nothing but radio. Does my head in when you want to see a programe and not be able too. Now, generally seeing a lot less TV!
Peter Smith
Friday 19 June 2009 8:36PM
@Jim - officially, all TV transmissions from Whitehawk are vertically polarised. However, in experimental tests from the Marina, we have found that a horizontal aerial improves Mux2 but worsens all others.

If you have access to your aerial, I would be very interested to see if your Mux2 reception improves if you turn it horizontal. You can't leave it like this of course because you will get poor reception on the others.

Here, we are proposing to install a second, horizontal aerial for Mux2 and mix with the existing vertical aerial (having filtered out Channel 50).

Whether or not Mux2 is actually polarised vertically or horizontally at the transmitter, we have found by trial and error that a horizontal aerial works better for Mux2. I have all the test figures.

Peter
Briantist
Friday 19 June 2009 8:37PM
Peter Smith: There's no Virgin Media in the Marina Village either, is there?
Jim
Saturday 20 June 2009 9:56AM Brighton
@Peter - Many thanks.

I have access to our aerial if the WD40 didthe trick with some bolts (don't ask...), so we'll try the 'horizontal' experiment soon.

Still having big problems with Mux2 in BN1 5, by the way.

@Briantist: I checked BN2 5WA in the Virgin Media conline checker, and it says "You're not currently in a fibre optic cable area", so I would think no Virgin Media TV there. I guess Freesat or SKY are the options if you're having trouble with DTV.

Jim
Briantist
Sunday 21 June 2009 1:18PM
Jim: Yeah, the Marina village was more-or-less abandoned when Nynex did their installations in Brighton, and Virgin Media are not expanding their network anymore so your options are limited.

Being under the cliff, the Marina was never going to be a great reception spot, really. Shame you can't all club together for a local relay.
David
Wednesday 24 June 2009 2:31PM Brighton
Have been getting worse and worse reception at BN1 6ZE over the last few weeks to the point that now a poor or no signal is all I can get for Mux2.
We had perfect signal for all multiplexes after the whitehawk antenna was repaired on Dec 10th 2008.
Nothing has changed with our equipment or aerial in the meantime.
It does not seem to be coinciding with the periods of high pressure either (though I know we are in one at the moment).
Briantist
Wednesday 24 June 2009 2:41PM
David: Multiplex 2 has proved to be very unreliable from Whitehawk Hill over the years. First just check www.ukfree.tv link icon Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002 - does the problem effect your neighbours?
Jim
Thursday 25 June 2009 9:15AM Brighton
@David - Good to know it's not just us! (BN1 5)

I've resorted to analogue for ITV and C4 where 'needed' by family - but they want E4 etc.!

I guess we should be phoning ITV?
David
Thursday 25 June 2009 10:28AM
Briantist: Thanks for your good advice (as ever). I have checked all our equipment and aerial (which is more than adequate) and these things remain in fine condition. My neighbours use analogue or sky so not easy to speak with them.

It does seems to be the exact same problem I have faced before - that the cause is external. Last time this happened (Dec 08) and I posted on these pages I replaced ALL my equipment to no avail, then the antenna was repaired and I achieved a full strength signal for all multiplexes for several months, regardless of the weather, until as I say, just recently.

Jim: I am not entirely sure of the connection between ITV and Whitehawk, as Whitehawk is managed by Aqiva, but last time this happened in Dec 2008 lots of people complained to ITV from this forum and eventually a repair was made (with ITV going off-air for a morning) to great effect at my postcode (see page 7 onwards).
Jim
Thursday 25 June 2009 11:21AM Brighton
David: Thanks - so we should phone Aqiva?
David
Thursday 25 June 2009 12:36PM
Apparently (I have just looked online) 'All viewer enquiries are dealt with by our broadcast customers'

www.arqiva.com link icon 404

I might drop the ITV duty office an email and maybe call channel 4.




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

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