I have been having some issues with my freeview TV reception today. The picture keeps breaking up every now and then and I wonder if its reception problems from the transmitter at Pontop Pike or if its more to do with my TV aerial.

 

Anyone else having issues or is it just me?

One for threegee

Are any trees to your South coming into bud?

Nope. I never have any issues all year round with reception so its maybes an aerial issue I think.

If the cable goes straight to the aerial then pull the coax plug out of the TV or digibox and see if there is any trace of water or corrosion.  Also eyeball the aerial (head) and see if it is pointing in the same direction as others.

Wind causes problems with mine.

Its a little like cable junction behind the TV. With Sky and a 4 way signal amplifier sending Sky around the house its sadly not as simple as plugging the aerial into the TV. I have checked the coax plug which was fine but remade the connection on the offchance it may have been the issue.

Do plug the aerial straight into the TV for test purposes, then you'll be able to bypass any amplifier troubles, and check if the aerial is delivering a clean signal..  Cheap amplifiers and digital do not necessarily go together - cable mismatch problems can corrupt the bitstream.  If the amplifier has a gain control turn it right down and step it slowly up. The lowest setting that works will likely be best.

 

The aerial download is always suspect, particularly with digital, and particularly if it's more than say ten years old.  If it's well over ten years old then it's likely worth re-cabling with good quality coax anyway.

Sometimes 4g interferes with the signal.

No reflection on our very own Fourgee.

An indoor aerial from Argos can help.

Very interesting Maggie, you could well be right. I've noticed EE's 4G coverage checker is now totally covering bedlington which it wasn't a few weeks ago.

Even more interesting Brett

Their coverage checker and my phone says otherwise https://coverage.ee.co.uk/ee/coveragechecker.html

Must just be up the posh end 

You could be right Maggie.  By the looks of that coverage map there's a mast now in or very near Bedlington.  Also OUR local UHF channelling is at the top end of the band which is in the 800Mh/z 4G range.  First thing to get is a FREE filter.

 

For a small number of homes, the provision of filters or shifting to another platform will not solve the interference. In these cases, up to £10,000 per household will be used to find a solution.

 

I smell money! Go for it Bedlingtonians!

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/eliminating-interference-with-tv-signals-from-4g-mobile-services

After thinking about this, I have experienced some blocky images on the 2nd TV using FreeView recently.

 

Can't remember which channels specifically but Quest is often on in an evening so that would make it SDN multiplex.

 

I just assumed it would be the kids messing about with the aerial.

 

https://at800.tv/