TV lost main radio stations

[Harry Bloomfield]

I don't usually listen to the radio channels on the TV (never), but I did have a nosey round a couple of weeks ago. All were working fine, except for the main BBC ones, which were stuttering and breaking up. Odd I thought and promptly put it on the back burner, to think about why that might be. I tried it again yesterday, with the same results. Today the TV suggested I do a retune and no more stuttering from the main channels.

My guess is the software became confused at the last retune and saved radio stations from the wrong transmitter somehow.

 

[Toria J]

How do you receive them?

When they turned off analogue on a local transmitter years ago here, the digital signal was too weak so I don't get 'terrestrial' radio or TV. I have to use a Sky box.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

How do you receive them?

When they turned off analogue on a local transmitter years ago here, the digital signal was too weak so I don't get 'terrestrial' radio or TV. I have to use a Sky box.

They are part of the Freeview channel lineup. Channels 700 to 803, contains lots of radio channels. Problem here is not a weak signal, I am at a local high spot and receive our local transmitter 22 miles away, plus two more transmitter a bit weaker from more distant regions. The rest of the TV's in the house are fine, but our latest big screen in the living room - I find becomes confused with so many transmitters. I finally resolved it with a variable antenna attenuator.

 

[ericmark]

I had the same with old house, and the Panasonic TV was a real problem continually asking to be retuned, we had aerial aimed at Winter Hill, but Moel-y-Parc was much closer, plus some repeaters, could even get central, but whole reason for Winter Hill was we wanted programs in English, when we went digital we could get English programs from Moel-y-Parc so I fitted an aerial on side of garage so shielded from Winter Hill by the house, this stopped the TV wanting to re-tune, however other TV's in the house did not have a problem with retuning, but the Panasonic electronic TV guide seemed to work a lot better than the other TV's.

New house given up with freeview, we can get it, but local repeater only does some channels, all of the UKTV channels are missing, we can get BBC and ITV but nearly back to pre-digital channels, so TV is satellite and Radio is internet. We got some Nest Mini units, and for radio they are great, they can be a little mischievous at times, turning off things they shouldn't, but as far as Radio goes, they are great.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

As said, the variable attenuator has fixed mine, to stop the constant suggestions from the TV to retune. It has a built in sat receiver, but apart from testing it works, I have never used it. I only use sat when away in the caravan, I gave up long ago on terrestrial, which I found to be much more fiddly to get any reception than sat. I am just surprised more who have caravans and motorhomes, don't use sat for their TV.

 

[Rodders53]

I am just surprised more who have caravans and motorhomes, don't use sat for their TV.

Many do use satellite. But it can be a pain to get alignment just right and sometimes trees or hedging can obscure the satellite completely.

Pre-plan with the Freeview prediction tool and you can be up and running quickly enough in most places (but not all)! Modern caravans have directional log periodic aerials on the roof that can be adjusted from inside - handy when it's raining

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Many do use satellite. But it can be a pain to get alignment just right and sometimes trees or hedging can obscure the satellite completely.

Pre-plan with the Freeview prediction tool and you can be up and running quickly enough in most places (but not all)! Modern caravans have directional log periodic aerials on the roof that can be adjusted from inside - handy when it's raining

I long since found, that I can simply choose a site where I can see the area of sky needed to get a clear view of the satellite. I have toured from the tip of Cornwall, to the north of Scotland, most of Wales and never failed to get satellite reception. Getting any Freeview reception has often been impossible in some of the more sheltered places.

The thing with satellite reception is, there is only one variable, providing have have a clear bit of sky where the sat is - the dish alignment. With Freeview you have both returning and antenna pointing, with no certainty there is a signal to be found. I use a small plastic dish bought decades ago. It came with lots of mounting options, but I modified it, by making it fit on top of a pole. I just knock the pole in the ground, fix the dish, plug the dish in and fit the alignment thingummy. Its a combined compass and inclinometer, you just dial in your favourite satellite and turn the dish to suit. It gets you within a few degrees, then you fine tune with a tone from the TV speaker. I can usually have reception in 2 or 3 minutes, of hundreds of channels.

I have seen people messing about with TV antennas for ages, to get any reception at all.

 

[Rodders53]

I have seen people messing about with TV antennas for ages, to get any reception at all.

Same with satellite. (Even been there and done that myself).

Not always possible to choose a pitch with a clear view.
Sometimes you are allocated pitch or there's only 'Hobson's Choice' left.

Was at CMC Ferry Meadows and a big RV with a large motorised roof dish, a pitch or two away, could only point at a tall tree. I was OK with my dish on the ground in front of my jockey wheel as a) I was slightly further from said tall trees) and b) I could point between them. But many pitches along that part of the site were no go for satellite. I think he got out a tripod dish but still had problems.

At York Racecourse I had to extend my sat cable using an extra 25m plus of TV coax to get the dish to a location where it could see the satellite (and only with the help of a fellow camper with a smart satellite meter) over the trees and hedges there. (Hobsons Choice pitch). In the pouring rain. So much rain we were cancelled by CMC for the next planned site due to flooding there.

 

[winston1]

At a site in Dorset I was told by the warden that if I wanted TV I would need a high gain aerial plus amplifier and then it would not work well. Looking around most campers had aerials pointing at Stockland Hill but nearby houses had aerials pointing at Rowridge. So I decided to try Rowridge and got good reception with a 10 element aerial and no amplifier. At another site the misses said she had been talking to a camper that could not get satellite reception and she had volunteered my help. I got it in 30 seconds, he had been pointing the dish at a too high angle.

At the end of the day most campers have no idea about TV reception.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

I've been using Freesat on the caravan for about 6 years now- got bored trying to get terrestrial to work. Its a touring setup, big dish for Scotland, came with a flimsy tripod, some very poor cables and the elevation adjustment on the dish was a tad coarse. So bodged a mounting post on the side of the caravan, sorted elevation with some baby scaff and a length of studding and usually can get signal in 5 minutes or so and keep it in decent wind. A recent problem seems to be the LNB getting damp- it failed dismally in Bury last outing (setting up in the rain obviously) so derigged lnb, stuck it in front of the fan heater for 10 minutes, rerigged- perfect.