267 replies to this topic

[GlennP]

BamBBBam, on 27 September 2012 - 08:40 AM, said:

Anyone know if the centrl coast transmitters are doing an early switchover? Wondering about the forresters beach transmitter in particular.

No not planned at this stage, no need. All Central coast analogue, will be switched off in December next year (2013), at the same time as Sydney metro, & will be re-stacked in time after that.

[alanh]

BamBBBam

Bouddi
1# TEN 65  down to 44
2# ABC 37 up to 41
3# SBS 34 up to 40
5# Southern Cross 48
6# Prime 59 down to 46
7# Seven 61 down to 42
8# NBN 68 up to 47
9# Nine 62 down to 43

All vertically polarised
Only a receiver rescan should be required.

Gosford

1# TEN 65 down to 44
2# ABC 37 up to 41
3# SBS 34 up to 40
5# Southern Cross 48
6# Prime 59 down to 46
7# Seven 61 down to 42
8# NBN 67 down to 47
9# Nine 62 down to 43

All signals horizontally polarised
Only a receiver rescan should be required.

Wyong/Entrance


1# TEN 65 down to 44
2# ABC 37 up to 41
3# SBS 38 up to 40
5# Southern Cross 56 down to 48
6# Prime 59 down to 46
7# Seven 61 down to 42
8# NBN 67 down to 47
9# Nine 62 down to 43

All signals hare vertically polarised
Only a receiver rescan should be required.

Note: All those on large MATV systems will need a technician to retune the channel amplifiers to the new channels, prior to receiver retuning.

AlanH

[CCClaire]

Hi folks, I am a non-techie with a newish Samsung TV (about two and a half years old) and we've just moved to the Central Coast (Wyoming, north of Gosford). At times we get no reception at all on digital channels 11, 10, 9 and NBN. They are sometimes okay, but when they disappear, they all go together. Seven is always fine. At the moment I can get Nine on analogue but I know that's not going to last forever. Ten is unwatchable on analogue. Is there anything I can do, other than get satellite (which I can't afford)? Thanks so much for your help!

[CMatten]

CCClaire, on 16 March 2013 - 07:07 PM, said:

Hi folks, I am a non-techie with a newish Samsung TV (about two and a half years old) and we've just moved to the Central Coast (Wyoming, north of Gosford). At times we get no reception at all on digital channels 11, 10, 9 and NBN. They are sometimes okay, but when they disappear, they all go together. Seven is always fine. At the moment I can get Nine on analogue but I know that's not going to last forever. Ten is unwatchable on analogue. Is there anything I can do, other than get satellite (which I can't afford)? Thanks so much for your help!

For Wyoming you need to point to the tower just east of Gosford  (Rumbalara). Wyoming has some big hills/valleys, where are you located?

[CCClaire]

Hi and thanks - do you mean my aerial needs adjusting? I'm quite high up (for Wyoming!), near Valley View Public School (Chamberlain St).

[CMatten]

CCClaire, on 17 March 2013 - 06:51 AM, said:

Hi and thanks - do you mean my aerial needs adjusting? I'm quite high up (for Wyoming!), near Valley View Public School (Chamberlain St).

It's hard to say exactly what you need to do to fix the reception. You house is most likely 20+ old, it most likely still has the original antenna and coax. It may need new antenna and coax.

Most parts of Chamberlain Rd are quiet low. The Day St end probably has line of site to Rumbalara, the rest of it would require a tall mast

Do you have a tall mast?


Regards

Colin.

Narara

[CCClaire]

Hi again Colin - sorry for the late reply, I couldn't get on this forum for most of yesterday, for some reason. Yes, the oldest part of the house is 80+ years old. It's not an exceptionally tall aerial - it looks reasonably new but the mast is about 6ft, which is nowhere near as huge as the monster on the roof of my last place in Queanbeyan, also a dodgy reception area. So do I need a similar one for this place?

[mtv]

Have a look at what neighbouring houses have for antennas and masts.

What works for them is not necessarily what will work best for you, but it may give a general indication.

Height isn't always the answer, as moving an antenna just a few centimetres in any direction, including up/down, can make a huge difference in marginal signal areas.

To do this accurately and to find the best-possible mounting location and type of antenna, you need an installer with digital signal measuring equipment and different antennas to perform a site test.

As mentioned, the house may have old, unsuitable cabling and the antenna may also need replacing.

Difficult to diagnose without being there and testing it.

[CCClaire]

Okay, no worries - I'll put it on my extremely long list of things this house needs done to it

Thanks again for your help!

[CMatten]

Are you near Maya St?

[groybe]

Anyone watch sydney station TVS from the coast? What are your setups?
I've got a uhf yagi and a vhf phased array.

Strangely today I got up on the roof to disconnect the old vhf with the hopes of cutting down the old huge mast but lost TVS and ABC which are supposed to be UHF. Also my next door doesn't get ABC and they are running a single yagi on uhf which I was hoping to run. I'm in the budgewoi area. Facing the antenna towards foresters.

Also of note is I get all the newcastle channels as well even though im facing the wrong direction and on verticle polarity. Whats the go there?

[debruis]

Forresters Beach transmits both CC programs and Sydney programs. ABC is a UHF frequency where you are located. Instead of a yagi I suggest using a phased array such as an EE-06.

[CMatten]

groybe, on 02 April 2013 - 03:27 PM, said:

Anyone watch sydney station TVS from the coast? What are your setups?
I've got a uhf yagi and a vhf phased array.

Strangely today I got up on the roof to disconnect the old vhf with the hopes of cutting down the old huge mast but lost TVS and ABC which are supposed to be UHF. Also my next door doesn't get ABC and they are running a single yagi on uhf which I was hoping to run. I'm in the budgewoi area. Facing the antenna towards foresters.

Also of note is I get all the newcastle channels as well even though im facing the wrong direction and on verticle polarity. Whats the go there?

Not sure if anything has changed since the Newcastle analogue switch off, ABC reception has problems in your area as it is transmitted from Sugarloaf and Forresters on the same frequency. These 2 sites aren't in the same SFN.


TVS website is a little confusing
http://www.tvs.org.au/info
TVS is a resource to promote community involvement working with students from the University of Western Sydney. TVS began operating in Sydney in 2006 and is broadcast on Digital Channel 44.


http://www.tvs.org.au/info/tune-in
TVS transmit Digital on a frequency of 536.625MHz.

[groybe]

Yeah we seem to get all the newcastle channels except abc. We did have a phased array up but was hoping a yagi would be more directional and cut out newcastle but no difference. Oh well looks like the vhf is staying put.

[GlennP]

groybe, on 03 April 2013 - 10:34 PM, said:

Yeah we seem to get all the newcastle channels except abc. We did have a phased array up but was hoping a yagi would be more directional and cut out newcastle but no difference. Oh well looks like the vhf is staying put.

At Budgewoi (Halekulani oval to be exact), is approx. 38km from Mt Sugarloaf (Newcastle TV transmission site), & 20km from Forresters Beach TV transmission site.
Mt Sugarloaf transmits at 250kW of power, Forresters Beach transmits at 1.25kW of power, (1/20th the power of Mt Sugarloaf if I'm correct). As you can see, Mt Sugarloaf is/will be many, many times stronger at Budgewoi, even though you're 18km closer to Forresters Beach.
Even though the Forresters Beach signal reaches into parts of Northern Lake Macquarie, Budgewoi is actually on the fringe of the Forresters Beach transmitter service area (which goes to around Toukley). Not far I here you say, but it does make a difference at low transmitter signal power.

ABC Mt Sugarloaf & Forresters Beach both transmit on the same frequency & are part of a Single Frequency Network, but because of the distance between transmitters, there are issue with the signals arriving at slightly different times & interfering with each other. It's been like this since day one, & nothing can be done to solve it, (the ABC have tried). It also happens in reverse, for people in Lake Macquarie, behind large hills who get their reception from Forresters Beach, but still have signal strength (but not quality) from Mt Sugarloaf. This situation will change next year, after the re-stack, when all Mt Sugarloaf channels will be on different frequencies to Forresters Beach & the ABC (& SBS) won't be part of the SFN between the Central Coast & Newcastle.

If you're getting the Sydney channels on the VHF antenna (bit surprised about TVS, but it's possible), you'd be best to stay with them there & turn your UHF antenna around to Mt Sugarloaf, then you'd be receiving the strongest signals & blocking the weakest (back of antenna, different polarisation), & probably wouldn't have the ABC issue any more. Your neighbours could do the same, but they'd lose the Sydney channels from Forresters Beach, (if they don't have a VHF for Sydney?), so depends do they want to lose them & pickup the ABC or not?

[CMatten]

I know people closer to Forresters Beach transmitter suffer for Sugarloaf interference. As Budgewoi is closer to the midway point it should be within the guard interval period.

You need an installer with a meter that can measure echo, this will show if Sugarloaf is causing interference.

[CMatten]

Just found this on the Rover website. With 1/16 Guard interval you're just outside the limit so Sugarloaf will cause you problems. 1/16 can accommodate 16.8km

http://www.roverinst...<!--NoParse1-->

Edited by CMatten, 04 April 2013 - 08:01 PM.

[groybe]

Thanks for replys guys interesting info. Will tell next doors to turn theirs around.