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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Kieran on 26 March 2009, 21:11:40

Title: Digital switchover
Post by: Kieran on 26 March 2009, 21:11:40
Down here in the south we switched over to digital yesterday.Now i can't get Dave channel  >:(.Can get the rest but Dave, Any helpful ideas anyone :-[
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: bertiecbx550 on 26 March 2009, 21:24:58
Try re-tuning the digital side of ya telly or box...Whilst i was down there the past 2 days the hotel had to have all their tellys retuned.... :y
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Kieran on 26 March 2009, 21:29:54
Just trying to retune it again. it took countless attempts yesterday ended up having to disconnect the power then retune. Bloody things why can,t they just leave things alone. >:(
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Kieran on 26 March 2009, 21:32:24
Retuned still unable to get Dave. What am i going to do,no more Top Gear repeats :'(
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Martin_1962 on 26 March 2009, 23:01:30
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4234381.Blank_screens_after_digital_TV_shake_up/

Perhaps it is your aerial
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: zirk on 27 March 2009, 01:59:44
As far as I know (could be wrong) although certain areas are going full digital and a retune, there not going full power until after the total switch off of analogue, sometime after the Olympics (2010 / 2011).

The Bandwidth of digital TV (470 - 900 MHz) is far too wide even for a Digital TV Yagi Aerial, let alone the old Analogue ones.

Whilst the Digital signals are low power, compared to Transmitter of Kw's of power for Analogue TV, unless you’ve got the right Antenna and coax set up its could be a non starter, even after a retune of frequencies.

Use a quality ‘Digital Antenna’ as high as possible and line to site of the best Transmitter Site. Also decent coax, CT100 (min Sat Spec) should give best results.

Also bear in mind that Digital TV Signals are not currently transmitted on the old Fill In transmitter sites (Relay Stations) which you’re old TV maybe pointing to.
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 27 March 2009, 08:17:59
A yagi can be made wide enough bandwidth to cover the full frequency range....at the cost of gain of course.

But why use a standard yagi, a log or multi element yagi would be better.

And yes, there is no such thing as a digital aerial!

Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: vauxmad on 27 March 2009, 09:08:52
just get sky its much simpler and you get dave +1 too or dave ja vu as its calling itself now
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Martin_1962 on 27 March 2009, 10:44:40
Quote
just get sky its much simpler and you get dave +1 too or dave ja vu as its calling itself now


1) You have to pay

2) A lot of SD channels are worse picture than Freeview

Compare DSAT ITV1 vs DTTV ITV1 and the difference is shocking.

That said I have Freesat as well for the 2 FTA HD channels, and 95% of SD recording is done via the two Freeview PVRs
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: tunnie on 27 March 2009, 11:10:37
I took out SkyHD, love it, Sky1HD is brilliant, and the recording process is nice and simple. Also love the fact i can just hit pause, go make dinner, come back press play, then fast forward over the adverts!
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Dodger on 27 March 2009, 21:50:38
Quote
Down here in the south we switched over to digital yesterday.Now i can't get Dave channel  >:(.Can get the rest but Dave, Any helpful ideas anyone :-[

Very strange? we live in Bournemouth, and have retuned our three digiboxes, and every single one works OK, including the 'Dave' channel?? I just did a re-install, and the box found all thechannels, and resorted them. Took 5 mins or so per box. (We have three different boxes!)
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Plomien on 27 March 2009, 22:04:46
just searching for new channels doesn't always work do a full reset on it.  :y
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Kevin Wood on 27 March 2009, 23:56:15
Are you on the Rowridge transmitter, Kieran?

Just tried retuning myself and Dave is still there. Could find nothing before retuning so they have had a good sort out as you can see: http://www.aerialsandtv.com/rowridgetx.html.

A group A antenna should be fine for Rowridge, more so after the analogue switch-off so there's no need for a wideband antenna. They will take the opportunity to regroup the channels after the analogue carriers are gone as widely spaced channels are more of a headache at the transmitter end.

Kevin
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: zirk on 28 March 2009, 02:02:18
Quote
Are you on the Rowridge transmitter, Kieran?

Just tried retuning myself and Dave is still there. Could find nothing before retuning so they have had a good sort out as you can see: http://www.aerialsandtv.com/rowridgetx.html.

A group A antenna should be fine for Rowridge, more so after the analogue switch-off so there's no need for a wideband antenna. They will take the opportunity to regroup the channels after the analogue carriers are gone as widely spaced channels are more of a headache at the transmitter end.

Kevin

I’ve climbed that one a few years back (part of my job), Big b*stard guyed mast, I seem to remember it was called IBA/NTL Chilton IOW.?
Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: Kevin Wood on 28 March 2009, 11:43:58
Quote
I’ve climbed that one a few years back (part of my job), Big b*stard guyed mast, I seem to remember it was called IBA/NTL Chilton IOW.?

I hope someone turned the power down first! :o

Nearest I've been is a few tens of feet up a trailer tower when "some breakwit" ::) wired up the masthead preamp the wrong way round. That was scary enough. ;D

Kevin

Title: Re: Digital switchover
Post by: zirk on 28 March 2009, 13:00:02
Quote
Quote
I’ve climbed that one a few years back (part of my job), Big b*stard guyed mast, I seem to remember it was called IBA/NTL Chilton IOW.?

I hope someone turned the power down first! :o

Nearest I've been is a few tens of feet up a trailer tower when "some breakwit" ::) wired up the masthead preamp the wrong way round. That was scary enough. ;D

Kevin


Most of the High Power is up the top, which is a no-go area on most masts. There very strict with outside contractors as to where there going and what there doing on their Masts.

Below that level you’re fairly safe climbing as it’s mostly PMR, Paging or Cellular.  :y

There Scariest one for me was back in the mid 90's on the Ostankino TV Tower in Moscow. Once you get past the roof level, there was strange noises, bits of loose metal banging together and swinging loose coax cables all over the place, we couldn't wait to get out of that place. :o