My Humax Forum » Freeview HD » FVP 4000T, 5000T

Lack of BBC4 HD

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    sclg

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    Moving away from Sky so just bought a 5000T. Mostly going well but I can't seem to get BBC4 HD. I'm on the Ridge Hill transmitter and I seem to see all the other channels from there and what I've read implies the BBC4 HD (and BBC News HD) should be available.
    I've tried a manual tune to channels 55/56 but no sign of anything.

    (I can also get the Stroud transmitter but that's a 'lite' one and doesn't include those channels.)

    We watch a lot of BBC4 so important for me to try and sort this!
    Any ideas?
    Thanks

    | Sun 31 May 2020 13:24:03 #1 |
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    Luke

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    UHF channels 55 and 56 are broadcast at lower strength than the other channels. You may be too far away, or your aerial may be not suitable for picking up signals that weak.
    Another possibility is that you have the traditional Ridge Hill aerial, and these are not capable of receiving UHF 55 and 56.

    See
    https://www.freeview.co.uk/corporate/platform-management
    and enter your postcode to get an idea of how strong the reception could be at your location with an average wideband roof aerial pointing and polarised in a suitable direction at a height of 10 metres.

    If it shows that your area can receive 55 and 56 then check that you have a wideband aerial and not a group A aerial.

    With the eventual closure of TV on UHF for 55 and 56, and the talk of BBC 4 HD being considered for closing down, you could look into using HD catch-up for BBC 4.

    | Sun 31 May 2020 14:27:56 #2 |
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    sclg

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    Thanks.
    That shows green and 99% for all Ridge Hill channels including COM7 & 8 HD.
    (... and the Humax box is showing 100 signal strength for all the channels it is getting)
    Aerials haven't been touched for many years so I'll investigate that.
    S

    | Sun 31 May 2020 14:56:02 #3 |
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    Martin Liddle

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    sclg - 1 hour ago  » 
    That shows green and 99% for all Ridge Hill channels including COM7 & 8 HD.
    (... and the Humax box is showing 100 signal strength for all the channels it is getting)

    100% signal strength can be too high and overloading the tuners. If you have an amplifier in the system then try removing it or temporarily bypassing it. Is the aerial pointing in the right direction for Ridge Hill and does it have the correct polarisation (elements horizontal or vertical)?

    | Sun 31 May 2020 16:52:14 #4 |
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    sclg

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    No amplifier. There are actually 2 aerials, one pointing at Ridge Hill and one at Stroud combined into one downlead. They were professionally installed about 10 years ago so I presume(!) they point the right way. Ridge Hill one is horizontally polarised.
    I can photo the aerials if it helps.

    | Sun 31 May 2020 16:57:29 #5 |
  6. Trev

    Trev

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    It looks to me like Ridge Hill was 'traditionally' a group A transmitter CH 21-30.
    With Com 7/8 now being on 55/56 they will be way out of band for a group A aerial which is what would have been fitted 10 years ago.
    As above, you need a wideband aerial unless you are really close to the transmitter which you obviously are not.

    And you possibly will not need the one pointing at Stroud (CH 40, 43 and 46) as it won't diplex well with a wideband.

    | Sun 31 May 2020 17:28:04 #6 |
  7. grahamlthompson

    grahamlthompson

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    sclg - 3 hours ago  » 
    No amplifier. There are actually 2 aerials, one pointing at Ridge Hill and one at Stroud combined into one downlead. They were professionally installed about 10 years ago so I presume(!) they point the right way. Ridge Hill one is horizontally polarised.
    I can photo the aerials if it helps.

    Recent channel carrier changes are likely to have made the diplexer fitted to combine two aerials no longer suitable. To work there has to be a gap between the UHF frequencies used to isolate the signals so they do not interfere with each other.

    https://www.aerialsandtv.com/knowledge/splitters-amps-and-diplexers/diplexers-taps-and-filters#diplexing-2-aerials-off-2-transmitters

    | Sun 31 May 2020 20:32:43 #7 |
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    sclg

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    Sounds like time I talked to an aerial installer!

    | Sun 31 May 2020 21:17:34 #8 |

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