Freeview on the Bluebell Hill transmitter

Bluebell Hill transmitter: (Google Earth) (Live Maps) (Google maps) GPS: 51.3237,0.520264

This transmitter has no current reported problems

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The symbol shows the location of the Bluebell Hill transmitter. The Bluebell Hill transmitter covers 200,000 homes.

Freeview on Bluebell Hill requires aerial group/position WH, transmitter ERP 2666W, at 242m -

The yellow area has the strongest signal from this transmitter, green areas are served by stronger signals from other transmitters, white shows low signal areas. See Overlap Map Key for details.

You may not be able to receive all the Freeview channels

Some channels on the Bluebell Hill transmitter have lower transmission power so you may receive only some of them.

Your cables, connectors and aerial may need upgrading to get all the Freeview channels.

If you are missing your electronic programme guide (EPG), your channel line-up is wrong or incomplete, you have no subtitles or the 'press red' services do not work, please try this reset procedure first.

Mux is an abbreviation of multiplex. The Effective power level takes into account the transmission mode - and does not indicate a fault condition.

Mux	Effective power level	Rating	Mode	Watts
1		Maximum	16QAM-2k 18Mb/s MPEG2	3,000
	1 BBC One (South East), 2 BBC Two (England), 7 BBC Three, 70 CBBC Channel, 80 BBC News, 105 BBC Red Button, on C59 (778.0MHz)
2		Low	64QAM-2k 24Mb/s MPEG2	2,000
	3 ITV1 (Meridian Maidstone), 4 Channel 4, 5 FIVE, 6 ITV2, 13 Channel 4+1, 14 More4, 28 E4, 33 ITV2+1, 100 Teletext, 102 Rabbit, 106 Direct Gov, 107 Gay Rabbit, 728 Heart, on C24 (498.0MHz)
A		Low	64QAM-2k 24Mb/s MPEG2	2,000
	10 ITV3, 16 QVC, 20 Virgin 1, 23 Bid TV, 30 FIVER, 31 FIVE USA, 38 Quest, 39 SuperCasino, 72 CITV, 84 CNN International, 88 Teachers' TV, 101 Teletext Holidays, 103 Teletext Casino, 104 1-2-1 Dating, 109 MOBILIZER, 307 TOPUP Stream 1, 308 TOPUP Stream 2, 309 TOPUP Stream 3, 712 Smash Hits! Radio, on C27 (522.0MHz)
B		Maximum	16QAM-2k 18Mb/s MPEG2	3,000
	0 BBCi 302, 0 Community, 9 BBC Four, 71 CBeebies, 81 BBC Parliament, 105 BBC Interactive text, 301 BBCi 301, 303 BBC Sport Interactive, 700 BBC Radio 1, 701 1Xtra BBC, 702 BBC Radio 2, 703 BBC Radio 3, 704 BBC Radio 4, 705 BBC Radio 5 Live, 706 BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, 707 BBC Radio 6 Music, 708 BBC Radio 7, 709 BBC Asian Network, 710 BBC World Service, on C45- (665.8MHz)
C		Maximum	16QAM-2k 18Mb/s MPEG2	3,000
	11 Sky3, 19 Dave, 25 Dave ja vu, 29 E4+1, 37 price-drop tv, 41 Ideal Extra, 82 Sky News, 83 Sky Sports News, 108 Sky Text, 723 talkSPORT, 725 Premier Christian Radio, 727 Absolute Radio, on C42- (641.8MHz)
D		Maximum	16QAM-2k 18Mb/s MPEG2	3,000
	12 Yesterday, 15 Film4, 18 4Music, 21 VIVA, 22 Ideal World, 24 ITV4, 43 Gems TV, 45 Lottery Xtra, 85 Russia Today, 89 Al Jazeera English, 711 The Hits radio, 713 Kiss radio, 714 Heat Radio, 715 Magic radio, 716 Q radio, 718 Smooth radio, 722 Kerrang! radio, 36 Create and Craft, on C39 (618.0MHz)

To receive Freeview from the Bluebell Hill transmitter you will require an aerial of group W (or wideband) positioned horizontally. This transmitter is 242 metres above sea-level, and transmits at 2,666 watts.

Full list of Freeview transmitters.

Digital switchover process details

Digital switchover happens over a number of weeks, this is to allow people in areas who where unable to use Freeview before switchover time to purchase equipment before the analogue service is terminated.

Sunday 1st July 2012

BBC TWO C46 closes. PSB1 starts on C46.

Monday 30th July 2012

BBC One C40 closes. ITV-1 C43 closes. Channel 4 C65 closes. Mux 1 C59 closes. Mux 2 C24 closes. Mux A C27 closes. Mux B C45 closes. Mux C C42 closes. Mux D C39 closes.
Freeview power increases from 2,667 W to 20,000 W, 7 times stronger.
PSB2 starts on C43. COM4 starts on C45. PSB3 starts on C54. COM5 starts on C48. COM6 starts on C61. NEW7 starts on C56.

See also Bluebell Hill transmitter - analogue shutdown schedule.

Transmission frequencies

Before Sunday 15th November 1998

C40	C43	C46	C65

BBC One	ITV1	BBC TWO	C4

Sunday 15th November 1998 to Sunday 1st July 2012

C24*	C27*	C39	C40	C42-	C43	C45-	C46	C59	C65

Mux 2	Mux A	Mux D	BBC One	Mux C	ITV1	Mux B	BBC TWO	Mux 1	C4

After Monday 30th July 2012

C43	C45	C46	C48	C54	C56	C61

Mux D3+4	Mux SDN	Mux BBCA	Mux ArqA	Mux BBCB	Mux NEW7	Mux ArqB

Colour bands denote aerial groups: Red:A Yellow:B Green:C/D Brown:E Grey:K Black:Wideband

Notes

'Out of group' frequencies are marked with a star. Analogue power output 30,000 Watts, post switchover average digital multiplex output will be 17,143 Watts.

To receive signals from this transmitter, the aerial must be mounted for horizontal polarization - the elements going from left to right.

Before switchover, the public service broadcasting multiplexes were 1, 2 and B; afterwards they were first PSB1, 2 and 3 but now called BBCA, D3+4 and BBCB. The commercial multiplexes A, C and D had initial post-switchover names COM4, 5 and 6; now they are SDN, ArqA and ArqB. At switchover BBCA, ArqA and ArqB will switch from 16QAM to 64QAM mode transmission, so five multiplexes will transmit in the 64QAM (2/3) 8k mode. BBCB is used for Freeview HD (DVB-T2, 256QAM), and has a pre-switchover service on selected main transmitters.

Upgrade to Wideband aerial requried to watch all Freeview channels during dual running of analogue and digital television. After switchover an existing group E aerial will provide all digital TV services.

itv1 - Bluebell Hill transmitter area*

Date	Incumbent ITV company
22nd Sep 1955 to July 1968	Associated-Rediffusion (weekdays only)
24th Sep 1955 to July 1968	Associated TeleVision (weekends)
July 1968 to 31st Dec 1981	Thames (weekdays only)
July 1968 to 31st Dec 1981	London Weekend Television (Friday night and weekends)
1st Jan 1982 to 31st Dec 1992	Television South (TVS)
1st Feb 1983 to 31st Dec 1992	TV-am (breakfast)
1st Jan 1993 to date	Meridian
1st Jan 1993 to date	GMTV (breakfast)
Note	For digital switchover this region is now known as Meridian Maidstone.

* The Bluebell Hill transmitter was not an original ITV VHF 405-line transmitter: the historical information shown above includes the details of the company reponsible for the Bluebell Hill transmitter when it began transmission.

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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.

Claire - I believe some scheduled engineering work is taking place at Bluebell Hill for the upcoming digital switchover...

Posted by Jordy gold

(1,712 posts) on Sunday 20 December 2009 3:15PM

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Thanks Jordy. The signal I got this afternoon only lasted for half an hour! It's all gone again now.

Posted by Claire (3 posts) on Monday 21 December 2009 12:03AM

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We get bbc south east (the one from tunbridge wells) does this mean we are receiving from bluebell hill transmitter? thanks.

Posted by Emma (1 post) on Friday 1 January 2010 11:57PM

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We live at ME10 1DB & our aerial points to Bluebell Hill. The aerial is a wide band type with a mast head amp. About 10 days before Christmas we lost MUX1 on CH59 for a couple of hours. Since then & over the holidays it would come & go being stable from Tuesday, yesterday evening it went off again for a couple of hours. I have had an aerial man come & visit, he said that he has receives a few calls about this problem. When we were outside the house my nieghbour came out & said that he has had the same problem with MUX1. The aerial man checked my installation & said there was nothing at fault with it.
I have tried rescans, aerial lead out & in, I also do manual scans to make sure I get the correct channel.
Have they a problem at Bluebell Hill?

Posted by Tony May (1 post) on Saturday 2 January 2010 1:08PM

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I live CM36RX and have the same problem I recive all muxes between 55% - 85% apart from Mux 1. which is only 25% - 40% signal strength. (map)

Posted by den (15 posts) on Sunday 3 January 2010 2:49PM

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I live in a block of flats at SS4 1GB. The aerial was retuned to bluebell hill several months ago and a new wide band aerial fitted. Freeview reception on all Mux was excellent to begin with but Mux 2 and A channels have recently become so poor that they are unwatchable while the BBC channels remain excellent. The same problem is experienced by other residents

Is this likely to be a temporary transmitter
problem or a problem in the general wiring installation.
(map)

Posted by brianM (1 post) on Sunday 3 January 2010 5:20PM

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I live in DA8. For the past few weeks the number of Freeview channels I can receive has decreased. Since last Friday my neighbour and I can get no channels using Freeview and can only get a very poor picture using analogue. Does anyone know of any problems and how to report it?

Posted by Gaby (1 post) on Monday 25 January 2010 9:39PM

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Gaby: Please can you see Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV + switchover advice, since 2002 for help with that.

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Tuesday 26 January 2010 10:26AM

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For the last few weeks we have been getting a green flash every 30 seconds or so across the E4 (and related) channels. I get it on both my main TV which uses the roof arial and the upstairs one which uses a portable arial. I've searched high and low for anything in or near the house which may be causing it. Has anyone els experienced this?

Posted by paul naughtin (1 post) on Tuesday 26 January 2010 4:19PM

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paul naughtin: Please can you see the Freeview intermittent interference | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV + switchover advice, since 2002 page for some suggestions?

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Tuesday 26 January 2010 4:32PM

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Hello
I can only receive BBC and Virgin today - it was working fine this morning - but now I have hardly any signal - is there a fault?
It is normally ok to receive all chanels on freeview. Now I am getting just ' no signal detected' signs on all but BBC 1&2, Virgin 1, sky 3 and Film 4. Can't get any ITV or channel 4 and 5 etc (map)

Posted by kate (6 posts) on Tuesday 26 January 2010 6:39PM

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kate: Please can you see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV + switchover advice, since 2002 for some suggestions?

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Tuesday 26 January 2010 6:41PM

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Hi - I am spotting a pattern here - last Friday til Sunday I could only get one strand of programmes (BBC1 etc as above)- I even reprogrammed my tv daily, then they appeared all of a sudden on Monday. Now today - the picture is failing on all but the BBC1 strand - just like it did last week. This cannot just be single frequendy interference, etc - it is too regular and too severe, with no cause for the problem or for the recovery. Any ideas?
(map)

Posted by kate (6 posts) on Friday 5 February 2010 5:45PM

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kate: If you are having programmes on multiplex 2 effected then that clear IS single frequency interference.

Or are you now having problems with channels on other multiplexes?

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Sunday 7 February 2010 12:41PM

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yes, I can only get the signal from one multiplex, all the others are either missing entirely for several days, or they are heavily affected/pixilated so as to be unwatchable. On Friday only multiplexes 1, and 2 Band D were working. The others were all unwatchable - then the problem cleared, and it was fine all weekend - now tonight, again, only Mux 1, 2B and 2D are ok, the others are all pixilated and the sound has gone. Whenever the signal goes, it is only these Mulptiplexes that work here, the others all go. help! (map)

Posted by kate (6 posts) on Tuesday 9 February 2010 9:50PM

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kate: I suspect you might need to have to call Ofcom for help on this one, see the Broadcaster complaints details | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV + switchover advice, since 2002 for details. Please let me know how you get on.

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Wednesday 10 February 2010 8:04AM

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Thanks - will do. (map)

Posted by kate (6 posts) on Wednesday 10 February 2010 5:21PM

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I live in South Essex (SS7 post code) and most TV arials in the area point to Crystal Palace. Your predicter service only finds Bluebell Hill and Dover for my post code; for people in South Essex the south east news is of little relevence, hence we prefer the London services from the Palace. Should the CP transmitter not be showing for my post code as we get an excellent signal from there. (map)

Posted by Phil Bentley (1 post) on Monday 22 February 2010 9:16PM

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Phil Bentley: I'm looking at that at the moment, I can't see why not.

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Monday 22 February 2010 9:21PM

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Since Sunday 21st February ITV1,2,3 C4 C4+1, E4, C5 have all gone dark. Is it me or is there a problem - rescanned - all no longer there, BBC1,2,3,4,News24,& radio parliment Film 4, Sky 3, News, Sports News all ok.
As Mux 2 and A are showing as low power, but the site states there are no problems, have we lost all these channels for the next 2 years. All has been ok in Faversham for the last 2.5 years, so why have these gone dark - if there is no problem with TX, Had to go back to Analogue to see ITV1 & C4 when I need to, which isn't often. Strangly enough, I also have an ariel pointing to Anglia' Sudbury B Tx, and the same bank of channels have gone dark

Posted by Ken Reaveley (1 post) on Wednesday 24 February 2010 10:21PM

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Evening, I live in the ME2 postcode and am about 4 miles as the crow flies from the Bluebell Hill Transmitter. I have also experienced issues in the last couple of weeks with the above channels and reception, after 5 or so years with no probs at all the channels within MUX 2 and A have severly degraded in quality, not black screen but so pixelated and glitchy as to be unwatchable! Strangley in the late evening (11pm+) they seem to come back a bit. Not a solution I know but it's not just you! I wonder what it could be!?!

Posted by Neil (1 post) on Thursday 25 February 2010 6:58PM

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That was exactly what I was experiencing - strangely, after a few days away, I have come back to a perfect service!

Posted by kate (6 posts) on Friday 26 February 2010 9:53AM

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i was receiving BBC, ITV and Channel 4 HD on Freeview with good reception until Sunday, when they stopped (channels 42 to 44). Has power dropped on the transmission? Frank

Posted by Frank Horvath (1 post) on Tuesday 20 April 2010 10:34AM

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Frank Horvath: No, but it could be What is the Inversion Effect and why does it effect my Freeview TV reception?
| ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ?

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Tuesday 20 April 2010 2:52PM

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Both me and my nan (she lives 2 mins walk away) can no longer receive the BBC Mux for the last month or 2 (we have both been receiving it fine for the last 6 years). My dad who lives 5 mins walk away can receive it fine.

Anyone know why, how to fix??? (map)

Posted by Adam (4 posts) on Tuesday 25 May 2010 5:27PM

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Adam: Please can you see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ?

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Wednesday 26 May 2010 5:43PM

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Hi Briantist,

I am not using any other equipment that requires an RF connection.

I have not had a problem with the transmissions for 6 years and seeing as the BBC has always been on ch 59 and ITV on ch 24 I assume I have a sufficient aerial.

My nan is the same, her setup has not changed at all.

I work in Sittingbourne repairing Digital STB's so am tuning in to Bluebell Hill several times a day and have never had a problem there.

Also note I cannot get ch 59 on my TV's inbuilt tuner with the roof mounted aerial or on a brand new STB using an amplified indoors aerial.

Cheers (map)

Posted by Adam (4 posts) on Friday 28 May 2010 1:37PM

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Adam: It could be What is the Inversion Effect and why does it effect my Freeview TV reception?
| ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice - but that would only happen in the right weather.

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Friday 28 May 2010 9:28PM

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This evening there seems to be no C4, ITV1, C5 at all on Freeview. I live in ME9 area and have not had a problem before. Good thing we have Freesat on the main TV. Does anyone have an explanation for this?

Posted by Philip (1 post) on Wednesday 2 June 2010 9:38PM

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I don't know what the cause is but I can confirm I have the same problem as Philip, basically nothing on Mux2 is being received. I live in the ME10 area.

Posted by Tony (1 post) on Wednesday 2 June 2010 10:13PM

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Briantist,

Like I said before, I received all transmissions fine for 6 years in all weather conditions so why would it be a problem now?

Cheers (map)

Posted by Adam (4 posts) on Friday 4 June 2010 12:48PM

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Adam: It is perfectly natural for an installation to degrade, with the components rusting and being constantly battered by wind, with heating and cooling.

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Friday 4 June 2010 1:29PM

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New digital aerial,new TV and BT Vision all correctly installed. Superb picture/sound on all channels EXCEPT BBC 1, BBC2, and BBC 3.
Problems only between midday and around 7pm.
Picture freezes, electric clicking etc.
Signal strength for these 3 channels is around 38% ALL other channels 100%
These 3 channels are the only channels operating on 778 mhz.
What's my problem?

Posted by Kevin Cannon (3 posts) on Wednesday 23 June 2010 4:06PM

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Kevin Cannon: It might depend on your location, but please see Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Wednesday 23 June 2010 5:19PM

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Dear Sir/Madam
Up to a couple of months ago the picture on Mux 2 and Mux A suffered intermittent breakup and clicking during daytime viewing. Since that time there has been no further problems. I am 84, my post code is ME20 6BP and not very technically literate so a simple answer will be appreciated.
The improvement coincides with a change from cold to hot weather and I question if this has any effect on my problem or was there engineering improvements during that time. It would be interesting to know why these two Mux are on Low rating whereas all others are maximum. I am reluctant to incur expensive additions to my equipment if the picture breakup is not expected to return in the future.
Regards
Ron Edwards

Posted by Ron Edwards (1 post) on Monday 12 July 2010 4:05PM

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Ron Edwards: Please see Two frequency interference
| ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .

Posted by Briantist platinum

(21,369 posts) on Tuesday 20 July 2010 4:28PM, 5 days ago.

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