Saorview skipping/freezing

CarPark2

My parents are based in Oughterard Co. Galway. They receive terrestrial signal through what used to be called a 'BBC aerial', I.e., the one shaped like an arrow. I set them up with saorview a few years ago, using a Triax TR112. All seemed to be fine, but I am visiting now for the first time since last August and the service is shocking. It is constantly freezing, sometimes just for two seconds, or sometimes for 10 mins (we missed the end of the match today). They say that this is very typical of what they get and that it is worse at night.
Does anybody have any idea if the box or the signal is the problem? It all worked fine last year, so what could have changed in the meantime?
Thanks in advance.

The Cush

Most likely a signal problem, aerial and/or cable related.

The aerial may not be correctly aligned on the recommended Saorview transmitter for your location and may have moved in windy conditions. Could also be a cable problem, bad connection to the aerial or water ingress.

Would suggest getting a professional in to have a look.

According to the linked coverage checker the Castlebar transmitter to the north provides coverage of Oughterard.

odckdo

It might be the Triax TR212 box - this is a known problem but Triax don't seem bothered. If you change channel does the freezing stop?

Calahonda52

I have a similar problem, only since yesterday.
I have a Triax box and a Lidl box and they are both the same.
RTE 1 fine, the rest are crap.

I have a TV with receiver built in and all terrestrial are fine.

Based on above I don't think its a dish/cable/splitter. etc problem.
I have retuned Triax
Thanks

CarPark2

Calahonda52 wrote: »

I have a similar problem, only since yesterday.
I have a Triax box and a Lidl box and they are both the same.
RTE 1 fine, the rest are crap.

I have a TV with receiver built in and all terrestrial are fine.

Based on above I don't think its a dish/cable/splitter. etc problem.
I have retuned Triax
Thanks

Yesterday during the match, RTE 1 was fine, but all of the others were gone. Are you saying that in your house, both the TRIAX and Lidl boxes were not working, but the TV with built in decoder did work? And that both boxes did not work in the same way, I.e., both worked for RTE 1, but not for either of the others?
Do you mind me asking (approximately ) where are you based?

Thurston?

Calahonda52 wrote: »

I have a similar problem, only since yesterday.
I have a Triax box and a Lidl box and they are both the same.
RTE 1 fine, the rest are crap.

I have a TV with receiver built in and all terrestrial are fine.

Based on above I don't think its a dish/cable/splitter. etc problem.

Assuming it's Saorview you're talking about, the problem will have nothing to do with a satellite dish, since it's a terrestrial service.

If you check RTE1 +1, & RTE jr., they should be working as well as RTE1, since these services are in the same multiplex (mux for short), with the others being carried in a different mux.

More than likely, the problem is overall poor Saorview signal, at least at these 2 TV points, with that for the problem mux just being slightly worse off, & showing up the 'all or nothing' nature of digital TV.

The cause of problems like this is typically some deterioration in the receiving aerial system: do you have an outdoor aerial?

Calahonda52

Tks guys,
1 my bad re dish vs aerial
2. Carpark, yes to all questions. Between Swords and Malahide.
I cut down a tree Friday that was in the line of the externally mounted aerial which is 3 years old So maybe it was deflecting signal.

Will try the other stations as suggested by Thurson , I dont watch tv every day, just events like the match yday so dont know when it started, the OH watches mostly satellite stuff. the installation is all my ow work so am happy to replace aerial if needed
Anyway thanks again

Stinicker

Is there any wind turbines nearby?

Calahonda52

Thurston? wrote: »

Assuming it's Saorview you're talking about, the problem will have nothing to do with a satellite dish, since it's a terrestrial service.

If you check RTE1 +1, & RTE jr., they should be working as well as RTE1, since these services are in the same multiplex (mux for short), with the others being carried in a different mux.

More than likely, the problem is overall poor Saorview signal, at least at these 2 TV points, with that for the problem mux just being slightly worse off, & showing up the 'all or nothing' nature of digital TV.

The cause of problems like this is typically some deterioration in the receiving aerial system: do you have an outdoor aerial?

RTE1 +1, & RTE jr., they should be working as well as RTE1 are working on both the Lidle and Triax boxes.

On the TV with integrated tuner RTE1 +1, & RTE jr., and RTE1 are all 100%, the rest are there but fuzzy/pixilation.

I am near Swords so should I be pointing pretty much due South t 3 Rock?
Thanks.

ps no wind turbines

Thurston?

Calahonda52 wrote: »

I cut down a tree Friday that was in the line of the externally mounted aerial ...

Maybe you have too much signal now on the problem mux? Are there any amplifiers in your distribution system?

Calahonda52

Thurston? wrote: »

Maybe you have too much signal now on the problem mux? Are there any amplifiers in your distribution system?

No, single cable from aerial through a gizmo for the CCTV feed into a 4 way splitter, of which 3 are in use.

Am I right about 3 Rock for Swords?

Thanks.
Its easily enough accessed so I can tweak the direction a bit if necessary

Thurston?

The 'gizmo' is presumably an RF modulator, which usually have some gain on the loopthrough, so upping the level of the Saorview signal, although you then have the loss of the 4-way split afterwards. Obviously, we'd need to know what level the signal is starting out at.

I've seen removal of part of a tree lessening the signal at the aerial, as there must have been some kind of 'standing wave' pattern behind the tree, with alternating strong & weak spots that were altered by removal of the branches, necessitating re-siting of the aerial in a new strong spot. I suppose this could have happened in your case if there are other obstacles in the line of sight.

Kippure might be the best transmitter for that location, slightly to the west of Three Rock. Kippure uses channels 54 & 58 (738 & 770 mHz), while Three Rock uses 30 & 33 (546 & 570 mHz).

Calahonda52

Thanks, will repoint it to Kippure and revert.

Thurston?

If you've had satisfactory reception from Three Rock for the past 3 years, it's pretty safe to assume you have a wideband aerial, so no problems changing to Kippure.

Calahonda52

Thurston? wrote: »

If you've had satisfactory reception from Three Rock for the past 3 years, it's pretty safe to assume you have a wideband aerial, so no problems changing to Kippure.

In fact having looked at it now, its currently pointing toward where the tree was which is more towards Cardiff which is east of due south I need to go west of south :eek:

Calahonda52

Okay, realigned to Kippure so all is well, thanks to all.

Now for a question re the CCTV feed and the Triax box

It only allows a digital search and won't recognise the analogue feed from the CCTV from the RF modulator.
The TV with the built in saorview box allows analogue and digital searches so the CCTV gets picked up.
Any thoughts?

Thurston?

Connect a cable between the Triax box aerial-out & the TV's aerial-in, & tune in the CCTV channel on the TV.

Calahonda52

Thurston? wrote: »

Connect a cable between the Triax box aerial-out & the TV's aerial-in, & tune in the CCTV channel on the TV.

Thanks, thats the workaround i have but it means switching the TV from Digital to analogue as its a older LCD TV with what I think are separate analogue and digital tuner.
I know I could change the TV to one with a Sat receiver but don't want to write off the Triax and SAT box investment just yet.
Thanks again