[Wolves] OT: Freeview in WV postcode area

[Kevanf1]

On 22/04/06, Adam Sweet <drinky76 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi all
>
> We were talking about Freeview in the WV postcode area
> a while back and I thought I'd let people know how
> I've gotten on.
>
> With quite a bit of research, I have managed to get it
> all working great first time. As people might know,
> most of us use the Sutton Coldfield transmitter in
> this area. Where I live, Coven Heath, but also true of
> most of Wolverhampton, we shouldn't be able to get
> Freeview and in fact, where I live is a particularly
> bad signal area for analogue TV.
>
> With the help of a map and some software to show the
> relief of the land between here, Sutton Coldfield and
> the Wrekin, I worked out that we didn't have line of
> sight for Sutton Coldfield, but we could see the
> Wrekin, with the difference in distance being trivial.
>
> I needed a wideband aerial, Triax Unix or Televes are
> the best. I bought a Triax Unix 52, though the
> equivalent Televes aerial would do (I don't know which
> model). The wideband part is v important, also known
> as group W. In some cases you may also need a higher
> gain aerial, a signal booster or what is known as a
> masthead amplifier (I have a signal booster).
>
> The bearings for Sutton Coldfield are 102 degrees
> which is where all of your neighbours aerials will be
> poiting and the Wrekin is 277 degrees which is almost
> 180 degrees in the opposite direction.
>
> I rang several aerial fitters for quotes, which
> started at £85 to £125 for the aerial I bought and
> most wouldn't tell me what aerials they used. I got my
> aerial from Ebay for just under £20 and also bought a
> chimney lashing kit (£30).
>
> Below are the websites I used for research.
>
> Really good site with most of the basic details you
> will need to know:
>
> http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/freeview.html
> http://freespace.virgin.net/john.cletheroe/freeview/
>
> This site explains the way things are and why
> regarding Analogue/Freeview signals, it helps it all
> make sense:
>
> http://www.arar93.dsl.pipex.com/mds975/Content/dtt.html
>
> Details about channels and what multiplexes they are
> on:
>
> http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/terrestrial/mux/
>
> A website with technical details (it's a cgi not a
> Windows exe):
>
> http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe
>
> Transmitter details, the latter 3 links are specific
> for Sutton Coldfield, Wrekin A and Wrekin B:
>
> http://www.ukfree.tv/transmitters.php
> http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=SK113003
> http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=SJ628082
> http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=SJ628083
>
> Those of you living a little more Dudley way might
> think about Brierley Hill:
>
> http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=SO916856
>
> You can get a Freeview box for £30 from Asda, but you
> might want to pay a little more for one that has a
> slot to put in a 'Top-Up TV' card so you can buy some
> extra channels like UK TV Gold and ahem, the pr0n
> channels.
>
> Hope that helps someone. Any questions feel free to
> ask, but all of my knowledge comes from the above and
> some mapping/land relief software (Windows, not
> mine...)
>
> Ad
>

I can add that for anybody in the Cheslyn Hay area, you can point an
aerial (check Ad's list to get the right one) at either the Wrekin
(the one we use) or the Sutton transmitter.  For us, the Wrekin one is
the only one because we are the bottom of a hill.

Just make sure you get that aerial absolutely spot on in terms of
alignment.  Not all channels are at full power yet so even a few
degrees of misalignment can mean pictures breaking up and pixellating.

Nice one Ad.
--
==============================================
I am only human, please forgive me if I make a mistake it is not deliberate.
==============================================
Xmas may be over but,  PLEASE DON'T drink and drive you'll make it to
the next one that way.

Kevan Farmer

Linux user #373362

Cheslyn Hay
Staffordshire
WS6 7HR