Freeview: Heathfield (East Sussex, England) Full Freeview transmitter
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Full Freeview on the Heathfield (East Sussex, England) transmitter

Google StreetviewGoogle mapBing mapGoogle Earth50.976,0.229 or 50°58'34"N 0°13'45"ETN21 0UG

This transmitter has no current reported problems

The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Heathfield (East Sussex, England) transmitter. Click to recheck

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The symbol shows the location of the Heathfield (East Sussex, England) transmitter which serves 170,000 homes.

Other maps:Heathfield DABHeathfield AM/FMHeathfield regionBBC South EastMeridian (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.


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

Heathfield 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
 horizontal max
C52 (722.0MHz)298m64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		20,000W
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
 horizontal max
C49 (698.0MHz)298m64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		20,000W
Channel icons
3 ITV (Meridian (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 (Meridian south coast),

PSB3
BBCB
 horizontal max
C47 (682.0MHz)298m256QAM 32KE 2/3
40.2Mb/s DVB-T2 MPEG4		20,000W
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
 horizontal max
C42+ (642.2MHz)298m64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		20,000W
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
 horizontal max
C44 (658.0MHz)300m64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		20,000W
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
 horizontal max
C41+ (634.2MHz)300m64QAM 8K 3/4
27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2		20,000W
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 Heathfield transmitter


BBC South East Today 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Tunbridge Wells TN1 1QQ, 17km north
to BBC South East region - 45 masts.

ITV Meridian News 0.8m homes 3.1%
from Maidstone ME14 5NZ, 40km north-northeast
to ITV Meridian (East) region - 39 masts.

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1984-971997-981998-20122012-132013-182013-18
aerial groupC/D EC/D EWB EB EW
C292local
600C341
C41+ArqB+ArqB+ArqB
C42+SDN+SDN+SDN
C44ArqAArqAArqA
C47-BBBCBBBCBBBCB
C48-A
700C49BBC1BBC1BBC1D3+4D3+4D3+4
C51-D
C52BBC2BBC2BBC2BBCABBCABBCA
C54C
800C64ITVITVITV
C67C4C4C4

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 30th May and 13th June 2012.

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

Analogue 1-4 100kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-7dB) 20kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*(-18dB) 1.6kW
Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*(-20dB) 1000W

History of Channel 3 in the Heathfield transmitter area

Aug 1958-Jan 1992Southern Television
Jan 1982-Dec 1992Television South (TVS)
Jan 1993-Feb 2004Meridian
Feb 2004-Dec 2014ITV plc
Feb 1983-Dec 1992TV-am•
Jan 1993-Sep 2010GMTV•
Sep 2010-Dec 2014ITV Daybreak•
• Breakfast ◊ Weekends ♦ Friday night and weekends † Weekdays only. Heathfield 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

  ◊  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.

Max Manners
Saturday 24 December 2005 10:44AM Brighton
Hi
Great and helpful website.
I live in BN2 8AA and as Brighton Whitehawk Hill only has partial freeview channels and Newhaven has none I have to use Rowridge I of W. However although this is a very strong signal we are at its extreme and most channels are pixelated for 50% of the time. We live on top of the hill.
Can you please tell me when it is planned for Brighton Whitehawk Hill and Newhaven to have all current freeview channels on normal power available?
Happy Christmas
Max Manners
Briantist
Wednesday 8 March 2006 11:03PM
It's going to be early 2012, I'm afraid. The proximity of France and it's analogue transmissions requires the signals to be weaker than elsewhere.
Bailey
Saturday 6 May 2006 9:10AM
I live in Lenham, on the Pilgrims Way in an alevated position on the side of the north downs.

According to my post code ME172HA I should NOT be receiving freeview.

However ALL chanels are normally received with good signal strength.
spencer payne
Thursday 11 May 2006 9:57AM
Whitehawk Hill, does have all freeview services, but some are at a lower power than others. Also, ue to the Patcham Relay mast, the ch3 and 4 services on uhf 50 are notched away from the patcham/north brighton area
steve
Saturday 20 May 2006 6:55PM
I live in Tun Wells and have an aerial
pointed North however Tutv stations like Eurosport report they come from Heathfield and the quality is poor.The aerial is mid price B&Q.Any thoughts?
abe
Sunday 21 May 2006 9:42PM
anybody suggest ways of improving
freeview for oxted rh8 ojt
currently use uhf ch39
my old philips ondigital box
Briantist
Sunday 21 May 2006 10:23PM
You may need a new wideband aerial to watch all the services from this transmitter, as the www.ukfree.tv link icon digital transmissions are "out of group". The newer boxes can function with lower signal levels, so a new box might fix the reception problems, otherwise see www.ukfree.tv link icon All about aerials
Briantist
Monday 22 May 2006 11:56AM
You can work out the transmitter from the frequencies: www.ukfree.tv link icon 66 and 42, www.ukfree.tv link icon 42 and 39, www.ukfree.tv link icon 66 and 39.

You should remove any unused areials from your roof as these will lower the signal collected by the one you are using.

There is no Freeview box that is particular to your area.
Peter Trott
Friday 5 January 2007 3:43PM Hassocks
When I put in my Postcode - BN6 9DS I am told I cannot receive freeview, but i connected a freeview box up last week and got 84 channels please explain
Briantist
Friday 5 January 2007 4:26PM
Peter Trott: You didn't put the postcode into the UK Free predictor! Please go to My Freeview and enter your postcode.
Rob
Sunday 7 January 2007 5:08AM Lewes
I live in Lewes, postcode BN7 2DH and according to Freeview's own site, there are no plans for digital here, but some in teh town seem to get it from Heathfield.

I've tried Freeview with a box, Dixons plastic exterior aerial (£39.95 and not very big) and amplifier but no joy. Would I be wasting my money paying for a roof aerial, pointing at Heathfield, to be fitted?

Also, DAB reception here is also poor. Isd it related?
Briantist
Sunday 7 January 2007 2:31PM
Rob: yes, you would be wasting your money, you will not be able to get Freeview until June 2012. The scope for high power frequencies in the South East of England is limited because of other countries being so close. DAB reception will probably improve by the end of 2012.
John Parritt
Tuesday 23 January 2007 10:43PM Hastings
I have succumbed to the onward march of digital due to ITV switching the World Rally Championship from ITV1 to ITV4.
So off I went and bought a set top box and duly connected it up and switched on; alas NO ITV 4!
My external aerial is pointing towards Heathfield from my house at TN35 4NF approx 6 miles NE of Hastings.
AnY answers?
Mike North
Thursday 8 February 2007 11:56AM Polegate
This site seems to be implying that Freeview is available across the Heathfield transmitter region now, but it appears it is ONLY available North of the transmitter, with NO coverage to the South except for a low power repeater in Hastings. I know the switchover is scheduled for 2012, but does anyone know if/when Freeview signals will start to be transmitted Southwards alongside the analogue transmissions? My postcode is BN26 5AS.
Thanks... Mike
Briantist
Friday 9 February 2007 8:49PM
Mike North: There is no primary source for the attenuation of the signal to the south, so it is not listed here.
steve
Saturday 10 February 2007 12:01AM
I live in hailsham and have been tried a couple for freeview devices, but can only see a few channels, I have installed a new loft aerial.

But I have also read the signal is reduced south of heathfield so am loath to spend anymore money if it is not going to help.

I have a feeling once the signal strength is increased I will be able to get all channels, but dont really want to wait 5 years.

any confirmation would be grateful
Briantist
Monday 12 February 2007 12:06PM
steve: There are reports that the signals to the south are attenuated, but that does not mean it is impossible to receive Freeview to the south, but certainly not with a loft aerial. www.ukfree.tv link icon Loft aerials | ukfree.tv - get free UK television
Gus
Thursday 22 February 2007 12:38PM Northampton
I bought a freeview box from Argos and tuned it into my tv in the conservatory. The TV is a modern widescreen tv and can pick up 4 of the analogue TV channels (cannot pick up channel 5 for some reason) on the directly from the aerial lead linking directly to the aerial socket in my wall. However when I plug in the freeview box, the menu comes up and when it searches for channels it says "no channels found, please check aeriel". What am I doing wrong? I am not usinsg any extension leads, boosters or a VCR or any splitter and the aeriel lead is about 20cm from the wall to the TV. My postcode is NN4 6AY
David Ambrose
Thursday 22 February 2007 8:46PM
We live in Wadhurst (TN5) and have noticed a decline in freeview reception over the last two weeks, and now C5 has disappeared. Anybody know if there is a problem with Heathfield?
David Ambrose
Friday 23 February 2007 9:36AM
Ref the above, make that all of MUX A.
Grahame Jackson
Monday 16 April 2007 5:31PM Heathfield
I live in Heathfield (TN210XA) with a roof mounted 48 element wideband aerial pointed at Heathfield. I recieve all Freeview chanels except ITV, CH4 etc which I get full strength at around 06:30 for a few hours then the signal goes. The line up shows Crystal Palace and Heathfield, any ideas?
Briantist
Monday 16 April 2007 6:15PM
Grahame Jackson: Hmm... Heathfield is 1km away from your location! I suspect that your box may be receiving signals from Crystal Palace transmitter which is "behind" the Heathfield. As Freeview boxes start scanning with transmission channel C21 and run up to C68, what is happening is that the box is detecting ITV1 and C4 can be received from Crystal Palace, and probably sticking other versions of the channels on 800-899. If this is the case, you might just be able to swap them into the correct place (depends on your box). Another option is to rescan but pull out the aerial whist it scans past C23 (the offending London multiplex) and get it back in before C29 (the lowest frequency used by this transmitter). Sorry it's no easier!
Grahame Jackson
Saturday 21 April 2007 12:40PM Heathfield
Ref the adove, Leaving out the aerial as you recomended but getting it it before C29 (put it in at C26) got me Heathfield but no ITV 1 or channel 4 etc, it only started finding channels at C38. I have a clear line of site to transmitter. The other option on 800-899 was again to weak, any ideas .
Briantist
Sunday 22 April 2007 8:03AM
Grahame Jackson: I presume your aerial IS a wideband sort... Can you switch off any device that might also be using the RF channel C29 such as a VCR, games console, Sky digibox or similar.
Grahame Jackson
Sunday 22 April 2007 11:03AM Heathfield
Ref the above, Yes new 48 element wide band aerial roof mounted with clear line of site connected direct to Tevion Freeview box then to TV nothing else connected while sorting this. Is it best to angle the aerial up as I am so close to the mast and should I actually receive C29 at the moment. Many thanks for your help.
lep
Monday 7 May 2007 9:28AM Burgess Hill
Hi. I live in Burges Hill RH15 9XG and I was getting quite god reception from Heathfield and Midhurt. H/F is using a wideband DAT45 aerial and a non-DAT45 WB aerial for Mid. Both are cabeled well and have good connections. Recently there is no ITV from Mid and the H/F signall is bad too. Wonder if this may be due to trees in the way but ormally they were good all last year?
Briantist
Monday 7 May 2007 9:35AM
lep: Yes trees can cause the problems, please also see Freeview modes | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV and switchover advice
Ian Gale
Monday 25 June 2007 4:43PM Uckfield
Can you please tell me if the Freeview signal varies with time or weather conditions? I live in Maresfield and for some time have received Freeview perfectly OK with a Liteon set-top box using my old aerial pointed at Heathfield. I have just bought a Sony DVD/HDD machine with a Freeview tuner and although it works OK most of the time, occasionally I lose ITV, Channel 4, More4 etc (MUX 2 Group). Looking at the signal for these channels, the strength remains at maximum but the quality varies from poor to good over quite short time periods. Presumably replacing my aerial with a Group W aerial would help or is variable signal quality caused by something else?
Grahame Jackson
Monday 25 June 2007 7:30PM Heathfield
Can you please help? I live in Heathfield (TN21 0XA) and have a roof mounted 48 element wide band aerial pointed directly at Heathfield but I can't get C29 ITV and CH4 etc but friends who live further ie Horam and also face Heathfield get these channels, what am I doing wrong?
Briantist
Monday 25 June 2007 9:17PM
Grahame Jackson: I would think that you might have interference from a local device such as a VCR, games console or Sky Digibox that is producing an analogue RF signal on C29? Also, are you 100% sure the aerial is wideband?
Owen
Friday 29 June 2007 9:08PM Heathfield
I, like Grahame also live in Heathfield and have exactly the same issue. BBC is fine, no ITV or C4.

Will have a tinker across this weekend and see if the settings are replicated and if rf interference is the problem.
Briantist
Saturday 30 June 2007 1:53PM
Owen: Loss of a single 64QAM multiplex is usually because of either distance from the transmitter (they drop off first) or use of a loft or indoor aerial.
Grahame Jackson
Sunday 8 July 2007 4:49PM Heathfield
Hi Briantist, Grahame Jackson (TN210XA)back again re lack of CH29 Heathfield. In answer to your question I have a new Philex 48 element wide band roof mounted aerial with a clear line of site to Heathfield transmitter The down lead is digital coax connected directly to freeview box (plug is soldered) then to tv with no other devices connected. Ch29 shows good signal strength but no quality. In poor weather quality improves. I have tried aligning aerial using the freeview box signal strength/quality meter and have used a different box but can't get 29.All other channels ok A better aerial surely can't be the answer as I am so close, can you help?
Briantist
Monday 9 July 2007 1:47PM
Grahame Jackson: Perhaps you might need an attenuator as you are so close to the transmitter? This is not supposed to be the case, but you are only 1km from the transmitter and seem to have no local or remote source of interference. The only other thing to try might be another Freeview box?
Sarah
Wednesday 11 July 2007 1:47PM Tunbridge Wells
Yesterday we installed a Freeview box, a new wideband aerial and new cable (we're in Groombridge, TN3 9NB, pointing to Heathfield). It worked fine - loads of channels - and then a couple of hours later (early evening) suddenly we got nothing - no channels, no EPG - just ablank screen. Analogue still worked fine. Today it's up and running again. Can you tell us why, and if there's anything we should do to stop it blanking out?
Briantist
Wednesday 11 July 2007 4:20PM
Sarah: Sounds like your box is overheating - I would return it for an immediate replacement from the store you bought it from.
Grahame Jackson
Sunday 29 July 2007 11:18AM Heathfield
Hi Briantist, Grahame Jackson from Heathfield back again TN210XA,nothing helped my problem with ITV & CH4 etc on ch29 which I think is due to being to close to the transmitter so I turned the aerial round to Bluebell hill, rescaned and now get all the freeview with good strength and quality. Analogue is a bit weak but acceptable with ch4 the worst but retuned to 67 instead of 65 for a better picture. Many thanks for all your help.
Gary Kingsland
Thursday 13 September 2007 10:01AM Haywards Heath
For the last two days the CITV channel (75) has not been working. We have updated the channel list and all other channels work. Post code is RH17 6LY.
Thanks
Mark Guest
Friday 5 October 2007 11:27PM Cranbrook
I live in Hawkhurst kent TN18 4XB,I get all the freeview channels fine of the Heathfield transmitter.But I notice the ITV1 Meridian advert on freeview are different to the analogue Meridian ITV1 ones.Reasons? Freeview has Kent based adverts, analogue has Sussex based ones.
Thanks Mark.
Justin Smith
Saturday 6 October 2007 2:15PM
Although it has been confirmed by Ofcom that Heathfield will become a B group after DSO, the fact is that the VAST majority of those on it will pick up all the MUXES fine on a C/D.
The lowest of the new frequencies will be MUX6 on CH41, and hours (days....) of aerial testing by my good self confirms that C/Ds still give decent gain down to that frequency. In fact they`re not that far behind widebands, which many aerial installers would "persuade" people they need, at this channel. Of course a B group would be significantly superior to them both. The relevant sources are :

www.aerialsandtv.com link icon TV Aerial Tests

and

www.aerialsandtv.com link icon Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial
Terry
Saturday 6 October 2007 7:33PM
Why do we have to worry about the effects of higher power Freeview on the French? I seem to remember that they spent years messing up our old 405 line VHF tv!
Briantist
Sunday 7 October 2007 9:11AM
Justine Smith: After switchover this transmitter uses *C41 *C42 *C44 *C47 C49 C52 - which will work with a B, C/D or E, but because the DDR may result in more multiplexes (for HD etc), so the standard advise is to get a wideband aerial, as there is no point getting a grouped aerial for digital reception as the grouping is a fix for an analogue only problem.
Briantist
Sunday 7 October 2007 9:21AM
Mark Guest: Merdian used to operate three regions (one is now part of ITV Thames Valley). Looking at your reception, you seem to be able to receive both Meridian regions.
Justin Smith
Monday 8 October 2007 9:19AM
To say that grouping is a fix for an analogue only problem is totally incorrect.
As the graph on the above post clearly illustrates wideband aerials CANNOT and DO NOT work as well as grouped antennas, this disparity is particularly marked at the lower end of the band.
As our published test results makes clear even a huge aerial like a DAT 75 (wideband) is blown away by a decent Yagi18B (in the B group) and I would say that even a crappy Contract 10A would give significantly more gain than DAT 75 in the A band.
Obviously this additional gain is only important in poor signal areas but a large proportion of the population live in poor signal areas.....
If you aren`t one of the latter we advise you should fit a Log Periodic (which is a wideband) as the broadcast authorities do
Briantist
Monday 8 October 2007 12:13PM
Justin Smith: You are correct to say that the gain of grouped aerials is higher than that for wideband, however this is not a consideration for digital reception. Either your signal is good enough and you get perfect reception of the bitstream, or it isn't and you get nothing. The BBC and Ofcom recommend wideband aerial because it is possible that new digital TV multiplexes will be introduced after switchover - if the broadcasters buy them in the "Digital Dividend Review" and there is no guarantee that these will be "in group" in any particular area, and that the "published" frequencies will not change before switchover is complete. Therefore it is vital that wideband aerials are used (larger ones if necessary) so that consumers can get the new multiplex transmissions, if they happen.
Briantist
Monday 8 October 2007 12:15PM
Justin Smith: Also grouping IS a fix for UHF TV reception - VHF 405-line TV did not have the problem, it was only when 625-line UHF TV was introduced that anyone found out about the Inversion Effect!
martyn20
Wednesday 24 October 2007 7:40PM
I just bought a freeview box, living in Burgess Hill, RH15. The advice is that I may not get BBC News but should get Sky News but it is the other way around, is this normal for the Heathfield Transmitter.
The advice was the postcode checker on the Digital TV website.
Christopher Bosker
Wednesday 7 November 2007 7:39PM Haywards Heath
My post code is rh16 2jq and I have until recently received a good signal on most freeview channels. In the last 2 weeks the signal from the bbc channels has remained good with a BER of about 1 but the itv channels are now poor with a BER of 8 and a signal strength of about 10.
Is my aerial defective or my TV or your areal.
Regards, Chris



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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