Have Freeview In Westmeath!

mickeyboymel · 10-12-2003 5:42pm #1

I have just installed a Goodmans GDB 400 DVD with a built in Freeview tuner and I am now watching crystal clear Digital tv

cant believe it!!!!

The reception Im getting is as follows(From Brougher Mountain)

CH23- MUXA- 50% SIGNAL
CH26- MUXB- NO SIGNAL- (a very weak analog tv3 causing interference)
CH29- MUXC- NO SIGNAL- ( a very weak analog rte1 causing interference)
CH30- MUX1- 50% SIGNAL
CH33- MUXD- NO SIGNAL-(a very weak analog net2 causing interference)
CH34- MUX2- 50% SIGNAL

In viewing terms, the box is showing

CH 1 BBC1
CH 2 BBC2
CH 7 BBC3
CH 30 CBBC
CH 40 BBC NEWS 24
CH 51 BBCi
CH 89 BBC RADIO ULSTER
CH 90 BBC RADIO FOYLE

This is all of multiplex 1

The software is V.0.7,and I'm thinking it is not up to date to recieve the other multiplex (2 & A) which are showing up as a signal in the manual tuning menu but not appearing in the EPG

Any ideas, how long would I have to wait for a goodmans update? None scheduled for the next two weeks

PS:Im in North Westmeath, 15 miles northeast of Mullingar

Greenman · 10-12-2003 9:03pm

I'm happy for you mickeyboymel. Keep us up to date on what happens!!!

I wonder has anyone in south Dublin got Freeview?? I have a pal living quite high ie near The Lamb Doyles I wonder would it be a runner there???

DMC · 11-12-2003 6:38am

It may be possible, I've recieved DAB from Divis from Lamb Doyle's car park.

lawhec · 11-12-2003 8:50pm

First of all mickeyboyme, congratulations on now holding what is now probably the record for receiving Freeview the furthest south from Northern Ireland!

Although you have two signal strengths available for Muxes 2 & A my guess is that their 64 QAM modulation is making the received signal harder to decode. It looks like analogue signals from Mount Leinster and Three Rock are giving you bother for the remaining multiplexes - if they didn't exist I'd say you'd have 4 out of six multiplexes available. Since I recall you saying you used a wideband UHF aerial at Brougher Mountain. If it's not already a high-gain variety, one of them designed for Group A reception might help pull in Mux 2 & A to keep them steady. As for the other three, the aerial would have to have a very good front-back ratio. A wideband aerials' fb ration usually isn't as good as that of a grouped one. But it's entirely up to yourself, if you're happy with what you've got. And there's no certainty that a bigger aerial will pull in more.

I wonder has anyone in south Dublin got Freeview?? I have a pal living quite high ie near The Lamb Doyles I wonder would it be a runner there???

As I'm not familiar with the area, I don't know how much Mt.Leinster could affect it but Three Rock would almost certainly kill off any chance of receiving the multiplexes from both UHF channels 29 & 33 from Divis & Brougher Mountain - and if Mt.Leinster does, 23 and 26 as well. That would leave only UHF channel 30 from Brougher Mountain (Mux 1), 34 from both Brougher (Mux 2) and Divis (Mux D) and 48 from Divis (Mux C). You might be able to get a chance also if you have a view out towards the sea to Wales for Presely.

mickeyboymel · 11-12-2003 10:31pm

Thanks for the feedback folks,

To be honest Northern Correspondent, im not too well up on aerial types, its a large aeriel similar to everyone in the area, but not high up (its only on a 4ft pole on a single story house!!!) I just presumed it was wideband, must look it up on the web and verify this.

Changed the amp today to a triax wideband which gives me 34db as opposed to 30db with a fringe amp---no difference however, only to the quality of the analog which improved slightly, also have a one for all line amp for distribution which gives me an extra 10% or so on the bar while tuning, but still cant decode the unavailable channels.

I'd imagine even just 100w of an increase in power would make all the difference-any plans for this in the future(seeing as Brougher is running the lowest of all NI digital signals-probably a European thing with the proximity to the border)

I have no plans to upgrade as Im just chuffed to have got it, an extra waveband to keep an eye on when the weather conditions permit. Hope to go down the "upgrade to Sky plus and then get a free to air card for existing box" road, after xmas.

Will keep you posted of any changes ....... cheers folks

PS only adverse effect on signal----MOTORBIKES ON THE ROAD OUTSIDE!!!!!--- cause a little breakup.

mickeyboymel · 13-12-2003 9:47pm

Managed to pull in Mux A & Mux 2 for long enough on Thursday night to store the channels in the EPG before I lost them again. They were breaking up pretty bad though but still I now have them tuned for future reference.

Still get ting all of Mux 1 consistencly, so weather permitting I may have the other channes from time to time

I am resigned to the fact that I will never receive Mux B,C or D due to the "local" analog stations on the same channels, but I can live with this!

Hope this has been some inspiration to anyone in North Westmeath/Meath, Longford, Cavan and Monoghan, if it travels down this far, it might be worth giving it a go......

My analog reception of BBC,ITV & CH4 is and always has been perfect---better than RTE. TV3 & TG4, this is always the starting point.

mickeyboymel · 16-12-2003 11:13pm

Just found this really useful link explaning all about aerials and digital reception.....

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/digitalterrtvrecep.htm[/URL]

Also I reckon that I'm located approx 160km from Brougher Mountain "as the crow flies"

lawhec · 21-12-2003 8:55pm

I'd imagine even just 100w of an increase in power would make all the difference-any plans for this in the future(seeing as Brougher is running the lowest of all NI digital signals-probably a European thing with the proximity to the border)

I wouldn't think 100W more would do the trick - another 1KW might though! The problem is though that the frequencies Brougher uses (for four of the multiplexes) for DTT have to be protected for viewers who receive their Irish TV servies from Holywell Hill and Castlebar. However, I'd assume the first BBC Multiplex and the UTV/CH4 Multiplex would have less restrictions than the other four and could be "jacked up" on an experimental basis to at least 1kW, as when all the transmitters started DTT, some of them had their power doubled by combining the output with reserve DTT transmitters.

watty · 23-12-2003 9:33am

I think some DTT is due to go up in power again.

A large expanse (4ft x 4ft) of "chicken wire" attached to rear reflector may block out unwanted other transmitters. As does using double screened CT100 satellite type cable. Ordinary cheap TV coax has too open a braid and can pickup local signals and interference!

The power needs to be DOUBLED each time to notice a difference. For Analog an increase of TEN TIMES power is needed to go from noisy "fringe" reception to a clean picture.

Four times power is needed for twice the distance, for Line of Sight.

mickeyboymel · 08-01-2004 3:43pm

mickeyboymel · 30-03-2004 2:51pm

Well looks like the weather is improving at last!!! I had all the channels on all muxes, including all the TUTV tests, here for a few hours overnight, however, it was back to the BBC only this morning.

I intend to upgrade the aerial when the weather gets a little better, maybe even do the twin stack (like my fellow Westmeath poster, "mullingar") but in the meantime I will have to rely on high pressure.

I would be more than happy with the setup, if I could get the ITV mux stable, just solely for ITV2 (not nesc, to watch it, just that I have everything else on Sky and FTA)

Ah well , Rool on the summer!

Have Freeview In Westmeath!

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