Fog & Freeview

[laser_jock99]

I can't seem to get a stable Freeview signal tonight (we have two different receivers fed by two separate, roof mounted ariels). It is VERY foggy here tonight though. Our normal analogue signal looks poor too- but at least we can get a picture.

When they turn the analogue service of in two years time - will we be tellyless every time it's foggy?

[MattF]

When the analogue is switched off, they are going to be transmitting digital
signals at a higher output. If you're in a bit of an iffy area, however, you'll
still be screwed.

[drunkmonkeyboy]

When the analogue is switched off, they are going to be transmitting digital
signals at a higher output. If you're in a bit of an iffy area, however, you'll
still be screwed.

nicely put

[laser_jock99]

When the analogue is switched off, they are going to be transmitting digital
signals at a higher output. If you're in a bit of an iffy area, however, you'll
still be screwed.

We generally get a good signal from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter- not today though!

The idea of switching the analogue signal off is to allow more bandwidth to be available for digital signals. This will mean either subscription-free (Skyless) High Definition tv for all- or they will transmit even more chanels of $$$$e (which is exactly what we don't want or need....).

[MattF]

We generally get a good signal from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter- not today though!

The idea of switching the analogue signal off is to allow more bandwidth to be available for digital signals. This will mean either subscription-free (Skyless) High Definition tv for all- or they will transmit even more chanels of $$$$e (which is exactly what we don't want or need....).

They'll use it as an excuse to transmit more cr@p. They do transmit at
reduced power at the moment, though. Can remember the bumph when they
first brought the digital transmissions on line. It won't cause any interference
with analogue, they said. My arse. Caused more problems in that first few
months than you could shake a stick at. Must admit, personally, never have
and never will rate the digital transmissions and equipment as good quality.

[da SLUG man]

our sky is a bit shaky when it's damp out...

but i do keep driving into the cable, so i reckon that's the problem!!

[MattF]

our sky is a bit shaky when it's damp out...

but i do keep driving into the cable, so i reckon that's the problem!!

Take it your cable ain't clipped up properly, then?

[da SLUG man]

Take it your cable ain't clipped up properly, then?

hehehe!!... yeah!... it's securely clipped to the wall!!

it's just in the area that i drive into most!!

[MattF]

hehehe!!... yeah!... it's securely clipped to the wall!!

it's just in the area that i drive into most!!

Is there anything left of your bumper?

[Purpledoris]

Adding to this ours is consistently poor! but we do get a good channel 5 on analogue unlike our neighbours........

Has anyone else noticed how it is always really foggy after bonfire night?

[mark g8awo]

The reason you are gettin $$$$ pictures is down to the high preasure in the atmosphere in the weather pattern creating the right conditions to propagate radio waves. I have spent all afternoon working deep into europe on VHF without trying, From holland germany france switzerland. Some of the distances have been in the region of 800kms using only 50watts of power.
As far as your Tv goes its the same but your digital tv needs lots of signal to maintain a lock but if it is getting corrupt signals then you get blocking.

[kitesurf_phil]

Mark beat me to it - by about three days. A telephone conversation earlier in the week with a Line Controller:

"Hello, It's the ******** Line Controller here. Our radio is as $$$$ as ever."
Me. "What is the problem?."
"We are getting interference."
Me. "So third party interference means it is a $$$$ system. Ho,hum. Did you note any callsigns or clues as to what kind of service they were ooperating, eg mini cabs, couriers, stuff like that?"
"No not really."
Me. "Were the accents local?"
"What has that got to do with anything?"
Me. "The source of interference might be hundreds of miles away."
"Funny you should say that. He sounded like a brummie."
Me. "The interference should only come up to your console on the tail end of a train call because the the other radio system won't be using the right tones to open up your system. Anyway when the barometric pressure goes over 1030 millibars it creates a temperature inversion, which causes radio signals that would normally not follow the curvature of the earths surface to be refracted and even tunnelled for many hundreds of miles. Have you noticed disturbance to your domestic TV pictures? Blah, blah, blah,blah..................... ."
"OK. I haven't got a clue about what you just told me. I am not putting up with it all shift."
Me. "The BBC, ITV and the digital braodcaster have a huge budget and they can't compet with Mother Nature. I'm afraid there is not a lot we can do about it."
CLick, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Big round of applause from the other guys in the fault report centre and cries of, "You can't half bull$$$$ mate." They didn't believe me either. It's all true, isn't it Mark?

[Vultch]

power is everything

There is the chance that the transmitters were at reduced power for either transmitter or antenna maintenance... it does happen ....

[da SLUG man]

i was picking up german radio in the truck the other day and it's had bad interferance on wheat's usually a really good radio!

mrs slug couldn't get Kiss100 on her radio the other day and moaned like $$$$!

[kitesurf_phil]

Where I used to live, on the hill overlooking Devils Pit, we were in line of sight of the Sandy Heath TV transmitter (we only had a 6" length of wire hanging out of the aeriel socket otherwise it overloaded the set) and an outdoor aerial for London ITV.

During the Winter of 82/83 (I think) the snow stayed on the ground from mid November until Boxing Day and there was freezing fog nearly every night. During that time there was a Dutch TV channel that would start off causing wavy lines behind the picture from Anglia TV and then completely take over for up to half an hour at a time. I was picking up Dutch TV and Yorkshire, Central and Southern TV on the set top aerial in my bedroom at that time. I remember watching a James Bond film in English with Dutch sub-titles. Very surreal!