Since the beginning of the week power has been turned right down on some channels making them "untunable" according to my Sony and others are heavily pixellated.

Most BBC channels are OK.

I access the Crystal Palace transmitter.

This isn't high pressure atmospherics.

Assume somebodies undertaking work on the transmitter.

Looking at the Digital Spy site looks as if this happened in North and North east London earlier in the year.

My location North-West London.

Anybody know what's going on and how long its going to last ?

You never used to get this constant service provider fiddling with the technical service under analogue.

Another triumph for liberalisation of the air ways - hundreds of channels, most them full of carp which you can only receive for 9 months every year. Appalling.

Nick

Edited 2 December, 201015 yr by Clunkclick

We pick up from Crystal Palace and it's not been bad this week (our signal is relayed from the hogs back transmitter) some days ITV3, ITV4, dave and a few others are very bad. I have one tv freeview tuned into midhurst for TV south and that is good on all channels.

I pick up from the Sandy Heath transmitter. All throughout the summer I've had all the channels with no reception problems. The last few weeks its been awful though, tonight I can get BBC4, ITV4 and Film4 and thats it!!! Some of the other channels are there but all broken up and blocky, many channels have just gone completely.

Last night all the BBC channels were perfect, no ITV signals. Tonight, its like the BBC channels aren't there at all (apart from BBC4), and the ITV ones are there but not strong enough to watch. It certainly varies from night to night and is very frustrating.

Not impressed. Been considering Freesat instead.

I don't know what they are doing, but I lost all digital this morning, including radio. Some of the BBC channels have come back this afternoon.

I've put in a complaint to BBC transmitters, despite their website says there's nothing wrong with Cystal Palace !

Nick

Chr*st on a bike. What the hell are they doing with Crystal Palace transmitter ? Digital radio signal is now completely gone and I can just about receive Channels 1-5 +80 (with some interference). All the rest are non-tuneable.

Its been over a week.

Before all this signal was 100%.

I've taken the in-line balun out of the antenna cable line and that's stopped most of the pixellation on the channels I can receive.

Does anybody know weather the work will be done for Xmas ?

Postscript

Just got this e-mail response back from BBC:-

"Thank you for contacting the BBC.

I understand you've been experiencing reception problems recently.

Having checked our database, you most likely receive your signal from the Crystal Palace transmitter and I can confirm that it's currently undergoing work to prepare it for the digital switchover (Your transmitters web page says its fine - my words) The work is scheduled to be completed by the 10 December but there will be times when it is operating on reduced power and during these occasions, digital users will experience reception problems.

I hope you find this information useful and thanks once again for taking the time to contact us.

Kind Regards

Peter Thompson

BBC Audience Services"

- its even worse today. Whereas yesterday could get BBC1,2, ITV1, Channels 4 and 5 and BBC World News (80) cannot receive anything now - only BBC radio

Postscript

BBC1 & 2 have been restored saturday evening and now BBC3 and 4 are ****.

Generally, signal strength is up and down like a tarts drawers. And scheduled alteration work was supposed to finish yesterday !

What sort of work is it where signal strength for the same channel goes through 4 x peaks and troughs in 2 weeks ?

Haven't they got reserve transmitter capacity on the main Country/London transmitter at Crystal Palace, so that they could re-route the signals to spare transmitters and then work on the main ones without affecting service quality ? This Freeview is run on a shoe string.

Postrcript - Sunday 12/12

All BBC channels have been transmitting at half power all day with occasional pixellation. Most ITV channels are being transmitted at low power and are, as a consequence, either "Not tuneable" or terribly pixellated.

However, just switched over to BBC 4 and the signal strength has shot up to maximum and is completely stable - coincidence that Patrick Stewart is giving his rendition of the "Scottish play". I wonder if this will last ? I'll have to start a new thread "How the BBC works".

Nick

Edited 12 December, 201015 yr by Clunkclick

Its going from bad to worse.

Lost all Digital channels today 27/12/10:-

http://www.avforums.com/forums/freeview/1382625-donde-esta-freeview.html

Working on a Bank Holiday ?

Nick

I am currently 20 miles north of London using Crystal palace and have lost no channels at all. Sounds like you have an aerial issue, I suspect water has got into the wiring and caused a short to ground in your aerial amplifier, especially since today is the first chance the snow has had to melt quickly.

I have had no issues with the Crystal Palace transmitter over the last few days, so as Mannyo says the problem might be at your end for receiving the signal.

Found the problem, simples - a co-ax plug on one of the fly-leads between the wall socket and the TV set had worked loose, although it was still inserted. I'd missed it because it was out of sight.

Can't believe that it caused all these problems since the middle of the month.

All Freeview now 100% signal strength.

Nick

Edited 27 December, 201015 yr by Clunkclick