Checking Your Predicted Digital TV Reception: Made Simple
Digital UK, the company responsible for ensuring the Digital Switchover runs smoothly, have launched their new Digital TV reception postcode checker.
The new and improved predicted reception checker gives you a better idea of your Digital TV reception now and after Digital Switchover: together with information on what channels you can receive, your date of switchover, local transmitter information and whether a TV aerial upgrade may be required.
The new postcode checker is also great for aerial installers and trade personel alike. Giving more in-depth information such as the future frequencies of digital multiplexes, and when frequencies may change post switchover to coincide with fringe transmitter changes.
Should adequate Freeview Reception not be attainable the site will also give you information on other TV service platforms to help you make an informed choice.
To use the postcode checker and for all the latest news on the Digital Switchover visit www.digitaluk.co.uk
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4 Responses to “Checking Your Predicted Digital TV Reception: Made Simple”
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I have tried several sources trying to get an answer to this; perhaps you can do better. I am at DT3 6PT (Weymouth). I would like to receive full Freeview, and this would have to come from our main transmitter (Stockland Hill not Rowridge). But St. Hill does not develop full power (a big increase compared with the present service) until the end of our switchover period (30/05/09). It would obviously need a high gain Group A aerial, and I won`t proceed with this in the absence of reliable information on my chances. How can I obtain this sufficiently in advance of 01/06/09 to implement an alternative, if necessary?
Ian,
There is only one answer that can be 100% reliable in this situation. You would need to get a local aerial installer round to test the signal at your location, with a small test aerial rig.. A site survey.
No online prediction service could give 100% accuracy compared to a physical signal test.
I Hope that helps you.
Thanks for your reply to mine of 14 Feb. At present, as I understand it, Stockland Hill transmits Freeview with a power of 5000W or 2500W, depending on mux. Power will rise to about 35000W at the end of our switchover period. Could someone with appropriate expertise and equipment carry out the test you suggest now, and extrapolate to post-05/09?
It wouldn’t be 100% accurate for someone to say for certain about future untested conditions, but an aerial installer with a bit of local knowledge should be able to make a very educated and almost accurate guess (if that makes sense?).
The lowest power output of a given multiplex is 2.5kw at the moment and will be increased to 35kw come 2009: this doesn’t in effect give you 14 times more signal at your location - but; if for instance your weakest signal is now being received at a power level of 30 dBµV, and the recommended signal level is 40-45 dBµV, then that sort of transmitter power increase should put you in the area of reliable reception. Even still if an exsisting contract aerial was receiving a lowish power level of 30dBµV a change to a High Gain ‘A’ aerial can harvest around 4-7dB extra, extra height can sometimes give you 1dB per foot gained, and a low noise pre-amplier (mast head) could give you that kick over the edge for reliability. Obviously without getting too technical those are the basic factor’s, aswell as flatness and noise.
It would be wise to get a local aerial installer round to conduct a test survey. You never know, it could throw up a surprise. The postcode reception predictor is conservative most of the time, and myself working in the trade have on many occassions received reliable reception using the correct equipment where people have assumed it isn’t yet possible.