Is anyone elses Saorview signal getting glitchy?

Peter Rhea

Vince Cable wrote: »

Afaik that would require a much longer guard interval than is used by the current muxes (for a proper wide area SFN).

Would probably work on a localised basis if there was any need.

Yes, the functioning of SFNs is well explained in the DS thread.

I'd been reading about the UK Central region SFN (the Wrekin, Lark Stoke & Bromsgrove) when I thought of the reference to Killowen in the postcode checker.

I'm now aware of the limitations imposed by the guard interval in use on the UK muxes & factors such as relative timing, power outputs & radiation patterns of txs that make up these networks.

atsbury

im getting this a lot lately in the south east of ireland, when i first installed the system, it was great, plenty of channels, but now there is time s when the english channels break up get the message "weak or no signal", it also happens for the irish channel.
i find that ive got great coverage when its raining! and when the skies are clear, it just crashes completely

Gerry Wicklow

atsbury wrote: »

im getting this a lot lately in the south east of ireland, when i first installed the system, it was great, plenty of channels, but now there is time s when the english channels break up get the message "weak or no signal", it also happens for the irish channel.
i find that ive got great coverage when its raining! and when the skies are clear, it just crashes completely

Sadly this is part of the fun with DTT and weather. Today seems particularly bad. I'm loosing my local RTÉ from 5 miles away to a signal from Cornwall 200 miles away! The South East is extra vulnerable because RTÉ NL insist on using the same channel at Mt Leinster as one of the main Welsh transmitters in Preseli:(.

Macy0161

Ours was pretty unwatchable last night, although we're on Kippure, so not sure where the interference was coming from.

Would moving to a less gain aerial make any difference? Although I think this is the first time it's been quite so bad.

Sam Russell

Last night was the first time we have lost signal from 3Rock. The signal strength was jumping araound for a while, I have no idea why. The instability lasted about an hour.

s_gr

Hi,

Im on Three rock also and had loads of breakup/glitching last night and this morning. Signal and quality are perfect and nothing has changed so cant explain it. Also swapped to clermont to check and also had the same issue.

Anyone else have problems on clermont, has signal strength dropped?

magher

s_gr wrote: »

Hi,

Im on Three rock also and had loads of breakup/glitching last night and this morning. Signal and quality are perfect and nothing has changed so cant explain it. Also swapped to clermont to check and also had the same issue.

Anyone else have problems on clermont, has signal strength dropped?

Yes lost all irish channels from clermont last night. Did a rescan and got all welsh freeview stations with 100% signal, so these must be interfering with saorview stations from 3rock and clermont cairn. Hot weather is guess...

wil

Sam Russell wrote: »

Last night was the first time we have lost signal from 3Rock. The signal strength was jumping araound for a while, I have no idea why. The instability lasted about an hour.

Had same problem too. Signal strength seemed to be stable and high but signal lost for a couple of seconds every few minutes. Was about to blame power supply but was same on other receiver. Seems fine again tonight.

Begob

Sam Russell wrote: »

Last night was the first time we have lost signal from 3Rock. The signal strength was jumping araound for a while, I have no idea why. The instability lasted about an hour.

Tuesday night?
I had an unusual one that night and again yesterday morning..
Had an itv 1 appear in my epg which was english.
My son did a bit of digging and it turned out to be winter hill on ch 58.
If that was gettin all the way down to wexford and it has full power 100kw hd on ch54 he tells me then theres your culprit for the break up of 3 rock as it must have been hittin dublin strong if we were getting it.
When he was lookin around there was loads of new welsh channels along with the usual ones too,I wrote them down one of them was on 52 and on 58

Theres going to be some crack I'll tell ya if the mess they made of pickin theses frequencies shows up in everybodies telly after 2012 any time theres a bit of fine weather :eek:

Peter Rhea

Begob wrote: »

Theres going to be some crack I'll tell ya if the mess they made of pickin theses frequencies shows up in everybodies telly after 2012 any time theres a bit of fine weather :eek:

Nobody made a mess, co-channel interference is always a problem under the right conditions.
Nobody can guarantee immunity 100% of the time & still operate seperate networks in any kind of proximity.

It's just being noticed more now because of the way it affects digital broadcasts & the fact that tvs auto-tune the extra services.
It was there all along on analogue too, in similar atmospheric conditions but most people didn't know what it looked like & didn't bother looking for extra channels.

Macy0161

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Nobody made a mess, co-channel interference is always a problem under the right conditions.
Nobody can guarantee immunity 100% of the time & still operate seperate networks in any kind of proximity

Whatever about other transmitters, they were (and still are) asking for trouble with Mount Leinster. They deserve everything they get regarding that.

Vince Cable

Afaik, with 64 QAM DVB-T, the co-channel interferer has to come within about 20 dB of the wanted signal before it causes problems & it takes a lot less CCI to affect an analogue transmission.

But, in the usual way of these (pointless) comparisons, the analogue channel will still be watchable until it finally becomes a mess of either multiple images from different programmes, or black lines across the screen if the same service is being picked up from multiple sources on the same frequency, all usually accompanied by unpleasant high pitched sound effects.

The digital service is actually more resistant to this problem, it's just that when it eventually fails (here we go again) it does so completely.

markc1184

My box lost it's signal on Tuesday. It came back after about half an hour but it had all the BBC's, ITV's and ch4/e4/ch5 etc as well as a load of radio stations. They stayed on for the rest of Tuesday, for watching and recording to USB, but they were gone again on Wednesday.

What causes this? And is there a way of keeping them there permanently?

EDIT. When the signal dropped I put a signal booster onto the aerial to improve the UK channels reception on the tv. Would this have anything to do with it?

Peter Rhea

For UHF frequencies it would be tropospheric propagation/ducting.

The effects are generally fairly short lived & can't be maintained permanently.

Begob

Vince Cable wrote: »

Afaik, with 64 QAM DVB-T, the co-channel interferer has to come within about 20 dB of the wanted signal before it causes problems & it takes a lot less CCI to affect an analogue transmission.

But, in the usual way of these (pointless) comparisons, the analogue channel will still be watchable until it finally becomes a mess of either multiple images from different programmes, or black lines across the screen if the same service is being picked up from multiple sources on the same frequency, all usually accompanied by unpleasant high pitched sound effects.

The digital service is actually more resistant to this problem, it's just that when it eventually fails (here we go again) it does so completely.

pointless comparisons?
The digitual signal is more resistant ?

I think theres great comparisons been made.
I've been picking up the rte for 40 odd years now in wexford by the old way and no problem.
This new way I have to get the sky or pay for a dish!

As well as that can ya tell me how many times people complain about a total loss of the rte in dublin due to the weather when they are getting it the old way? none on this board only with the new thing.
I know a lad who's been puttin up aerials all along the east for those last 40 years and he tells me no one has ever had the problems that this digital yoke is going to suffer in the good weather.
Good job we dont get much good weather!!! but still wait till everyone that has the aerial has to go digidal.
It will be a lot more noticeable then so it will.

It will be great most of the time no doubt but its gonna have trouble a lot more than the old way.
These engineer lads are only learning an I hope they come up with a way around what theyre only findin out now and have it fixed by the end of next year.

Vince Cable

In the UK, coverage planners regard an area as 'served' if reception is trouble free for 99% of the time (this won't be possible for every single location in the service area, I think they use the figure of 70% of area within each 100 square metre division).

Not sure what reference they work to in this country.

Maybe people in the worse affected areas, with a decent aerial setup for the Saorview channels only should log these disturbances from foreign networks & their duration.

Begob

1 % ? More like it's goin to be 10% of the time or more goin on this thread.

Besides the welsh are only at this high power new stuff for 2 years as it is and most a England only startin! There's no way they can know enough of what's going on in the ground and do they even care!

I spose they have some aul computer programme telling them what it should be like and that's probably alright for normal weather but like a lot of things that way it didn't think of everything!

STB

And for that very reason Begob people need to use Grouped UHF aerials without MONSTER gain aimed at the local Irish transmitter.

The whole debate of whats happening in Wexford is down to people doing everything in their power to ensure I/F from Wales - high gain/wrong group/combined arrays/pointing in the wrong direction.

Lets face it if people hadnt massive gain on these aerials and IF these aerials were in pointing the right direction they wouldnt have issues even in extreme lift conditions.

I dont think its going to get down to a situation whereby the RTENL enginners and the Freeview Enginneers will be having a battle of wits with the ERP.

You can pick up Mt Leinster in Wexford Town with an indoor aerial!

Begob

But ya can pick up preseli in my part of wexford on an indoor too.
We have all the welsh radio too even on a dab yoke my nephew brought over from england
I have the welsh on a grid an no amp!
Most lads here have very small welsh aerials!
No Irish digidal though. Think the lad had digidal rte radio on the dab alright can't remember

Anyway don't think you have the answer only for me to buy a satellite an that looks like what we'll have to do for the Irish.

STB

Begob wrote: »

Anyway don't think you have the answer only for me to buy a satellite an that looks like what we'll have to do for the Irish.

Okay - where are you ? Lets take Mt Leinster out of the equation for a sec.

Have you tried a specific grouped aerial for the Saorview Channels alone?

Forth Mountain - Ch 52
Gorey (Clonattin) - Ch 55

Either of those would require a Group C/D Aerial and would filter out the out of band stuff from Wales. Obviously aerial positioning would be important.

Vince Cable

STB wrote: »

Okay - where are you ?

And who are you, Begob?

I notice you don't use that annoying 'folksy' language in other forums, are you just taking the piss here? (your punctuation seems vaguely familiar too)

STB

Vince Cable wrote: »

And who are you, Begob?

I notice you don't use that annoying 'folksy' language in other forums, are you just taking the piss here? (your punctuation seems vaguely familiar too)

Are you okay there Vince ? Other fora ?

Begob

We tried all them before and get nottin!
but we'll have another go when they turn up the power

Vince who are you? What's that got to do with anything I'm not putting my name an address up on this!!
This is the lads computer anyway and I type with 1 finger the same way I text an I don't do that a wlole lot cause it takes too long
They don't let me play with it too often!
I know nothing about anything else wrote here or how to get to it on this yoke.
My brother is right good at it though,he has the cattle on it an everything an wants me to do that! No way!!
I like watching the welsh and the Irish and they showed me this.
Anyway that's that.

STB

Okay very slow on the uptake Vince.

Now that could be put down to CCI!

Vince Cable

Begob wrote: »

This is the lads computer anyway and I type with 1 finger the same way I text an I don't do that a wlole lot cause it takes too long
They don't let me play with it too often!

They could at least show you how to create your own user account here.

FRIENDO

HI Begob,

As STB pointed out you should try Forth or Gorey, Forth on 52V so you have to turn your aerial vertical also.
I live close to Gorey and I get good Forth reception approx 20-25 miles away.
However if you are trying to combine with wales freeview you may find trouble with Irish saorview.

Ronnie Raygun

Begob wrote: »

This is the lads computer anyway and I type with 1 finger the same way I text an I don't do that a wlole lot cause it takes too long
They don't let me play with it too often!
I know nothing about anything else wrote here or how to get to it on this yoke.

Hmmm.....IMO it takes a bit of sophistication to type in what's referred to above as "folksy" style, people who are uneasy with media are usually very formal.

NIMAN

Mine was freezing for maybe a half second or so, maybe couple of times per hr - that was 2 nights ago.

Last night it seemed fine again.

Begob

folks style? I'm from wexford not america somewhere! I'll try an type a bit better after more practice bare with me!
I wrote to my sister on this an she thought it was great that I was on it.
yez are all at me I'll go

Frieno we're half way between barahurra an croghan if ya know the area about 10 0r 11 miles from arkla or gorey.
Theres a great view of the sea for a bit between the two but cant see either but from the hill behind us theres a great view over the whole of wexford down to waterford an if they put the digidal on top of that we'd be grand!

FRIENDO

@Begob, ye I have a rough idea of your location between Arklow-Aughrim-Carnew-Gorey, Saorview coverage is shown Mth Lenister Ch45H, you may also want to try Arklow I think its on Ch 21V.

FRIENDO

Begob, if you try the saorview.ie web site you can enter your address and get a very accurate idea of the coverage in your area. On the map you can also press another button to show coverage in colour.

topspur

i'm living in south kilkenny and find the saorview signal goes off from time to time . my question is saorview up and running fully or will we have to wait until late 2012?. any ideas thanks:)

Peter Rhea

Mt. Leinster is getting a new mast (works currently ongoing), so there will be an improvement in coverage from there once the work is complete, filling in some of the red areas on the coverage map.

topspur

thanks peter just have to put up with until its done:)

bernardo mac

In nth Wexford ,seems the signal is lost when the weather is fairly good.Just paid my licence fee.You can't win!

Ronnie Raygun

The channel change after switchover should reduce the interference problems in the south east (Mount Leinster service area).

jrmb

This frequently happens with my parents' Saorview box. We used to get analogue RTE1, RTE2 and TG4 perfectly through indoor aerials but to receive Saorview, we need to turn an amplified aerial up to full power. Even then, we get frames freezing, abrupt losses of signal and parts of the picture turning green/pink.

Peter Rhea

The Saorview signal could be coming from a more distant transmitter than the analogue signal is. The Saorview coverage map will tell you which one is recommended for the area (the coverage checker isn't infallible btw). The analogue signal might be coming from a nearby local relay that hasn't or won't carry Saorview.

bernardo mac

Saoview:RTE radio/tv lost during this brilliant spell of high pressure.Wales UK.freeview less unreliable.Others in area experiencing same.

marclt

bernardo mac wrote: »

Saoview:RTE radio/tv lost during this brilliant spell of high pressure.Wales UK.freeview less unreliable.Others in area experiencing same.

Yes, you'll find lots of co-channel interference at the moment.

Signals are travelling much further - blocking other channels. Should be less of a problem with the RTE mux takes up the current TG4 analogue allocation.

ralphie

I had the same problem from Mullaghanish last night .Picture coming and going from 10.30pm until 1am.

The Cush

ralphie wrote: »

I had the same problem from Mullaghanish last night .Picture coming and going from 10.30pm until 1am.

Yes, had the same problem around midnight last night, the worst I've seen since I started receiving DTT in early 2009. It's going to an annoyance for people once analogue is switched off, especially fringe areas with less than adequate aerial installations.

marclt

As many of Ireland's DTT channels are new allocations, it'll be interesting to see how co-channel affects in the future.

ralphie

marclt wrote: »

Yes, you'll find lots of co-channel interference at the moment.

Signals are travelling much further - blocking other channels. Should be less of a problem with the RTE mux takes up the current TG4 analogue allocation.

The Cush wrote: »

Yes, had the same problem around midnight last night, the worst I've seen since I started receiving DTT in early 2009. It's going to an annoyance for people once analogue is switched off, especially fringe areas with less than adequate aerial installations.

I am probably in a fringe area for Mullaghanish (North Tipp just under west side of Keeper Hill but with a view towards Mullaghanish).I have always had very poor analogue reception and had to resort to putting aerial about 35 metres away due to high trees around house.I've been getting DTT now for nearly two years having changed to a suitable aerial and its been brilliant.
As an experiment I tried to get DTT in the attic with a broadband aerial I had and I got a signal that gave me a picture.This is now connected to a Saorview TV in the bedroom and that also went last night.

jabarrett35

No Saorview or very much Freeview today, though I've got French TV on Ch 39,35,36,37. What a nightmare! Tropospheric ducting is mad today. My poor parents are having to watch the match via my laptop connected to the tv with a HDMI cable.

Gerry Wicklow

jrmb wrote: »

This frequently happens with my parents' Saorview box. We used to get analogue RTE1, RTE2 and TG4 perfectly through indoor aerials but to receive Saorview, we need to turn an amplified aerial up to full power. Even then, we get frames freezing, abrupt losses of signal and parts of the picture turning green/pink.

If you are in Dublin make sure you are tuned to the right transmitter. 3rock and Kippure used to be on the same frequency but 3rock moved. If you should be on 3rock, it's possible you are trying to watch Kippure instead.

Johnboy1951

jabarrett35 wrote: »

No Saorview or very much Freeview today, though I've got French TV on Ch 39,35,36,37. What a nightmare! Tropospheric ducting is mad today. My poor parents are having to watch the match via my laptop connected to the tv with a HDMI cable.

They might have been better off if they couldn't

nomoreindie

I have an akura saorview set top box and have been using it with an indoor aerial, the signal was perfect until 3 weeks ago when I got a no signal message for days and days, it was then ok until this evening and I'm getting the same message, is anyone else having trouble with akura or is the problem not caused by the set top box?

The Cush

nomoreindie wrote: »

I have an akura saorview set top box and have been using it with an indoor aerial, the signal was perfect until 3 weeks ago when I got a no signal message for days and days, it was then ok until this evening and I'm getting the same message, is anyone else having trouble with akura or is the problem not caused by the set top box?

It could be the indoor aerial combined with the high pressure atmospheric conditions. Even people with outdoor aerials can be susceptible to interference in these conditions. A good outdoor aerial installation can help reduce/eliminate potential interference.

adox

What's more important, the signal strength or quality? On my tv the signal strength is only showing as 30% at the moment but quality is 100%. Last week I had 70% strength. No picture breakup but just wondering.

Also are these readings(they are from the TV menus) in any way accurate?