256 replies to this topic

[Shanks]

Electronicman, on Oct 11 2007, 12:37 AM, said:

Chriswoo

Two transmitters in the far north west - Tier Hill at Smithton, which basically covers the Smithton township and out to Montagu westward and Irishtown to the south.

Lileah is the main transmitter in the area (10kW as I recall) and that covers from the Sisters Hills in the east to Woolnorth and Marrawah on the West Coast. Channels VHF6 - SC; VHF8 - ABC; UHF50 - WIN and UHF53 - SBS. As to be expected, the VHF channels are quite strong over the entire area but the UHF are a very hit and miss affair. The ACMA had a rethink on the DCP for Lileah and made them entirely VHF! The latest DCP I have seen has SC on 7; ABC is on 9; SBS is on 9A; WIN on 10 and TDT on 12. Could be sweet, or could be major co-channel problems - it'll remain to be seen!

As to radio, 7BU has an FM translator on Tier Hill, Sea FM from Table Cape has good coverage around the area, (it only faded once on me today near Edith Creek) and I think JJJ is a self help translator on Tier Hill run by the Council (matter of fact - I think it was your good self who pointed that out on an earlier post! )

You are correct with what you say about Mt Barrow, it is very hit and miss but there are a few places receiving DTV from there, namely Rocky Cape, Detention River, Edgecombe Beach and Cowrie Point. No doubt it would be quite probable from Stanley - I wish I had more time to try today. I am back that way next week, so I'll try if I get a chance!

Hi Electronicman

I'm interested in your assessment or assistance to enable reception of all digital channels if possible. The question is if broadcasting is going to begin in November is it worth the expense (whatever this might be) for your time and expertise? Maybe I could get a rough idea of potential costs via your email?

Cheers

[HillsTas]

Heres an interesting tidbit of info.

Up until this week the DBA website has shown Burnie's three commercial digital stations to be initiated Nov 07. This has now changed back to TBA!!!

Does this mean another delay???

[dave.b]

Hills Antennas, on Oct 17 2007, 02:33 PM, said:

Does this mean another delay???

Just great ,after geting a new lcd and pvr they go and put it back again,,,not happy Jan

[ianh]

They have been doing that for the last 18 months, everytime it gets near the date it then changes to TBA.

Let's hope we get digital before the turn off analogue.

Ian

[Shanks]

So what's going on with ABC, ABC 2, SBS here in Burnie? No signal last night and barely one now?

[dave.b]

Anyone got any updates or info on the rest of the channels hitting Burnie/Wynyard this month ??

[Shanks]

-->

Anyone got any updates or info on the rest of the channels hitting Burnie/Wynyard this month ??[/quote]

I gave up waiting after on again/off again misinformation and got Electronicman to come and assess my location. Have been receiving digital SC, TDT, WIN plus ABC, SBS, ABC2 and SBS News from Mt Barrow for five weeks now. Really enjoying using my Topfield PVR for what it was meant for!

• Back to top

[bundy23]

i'm currently flicking between 7, 9 and 10 broadcasting from Table Cape. the signal's a little flaky but hopefully this will be a permanent addition and not just a few days of testing.

i should add that i'm in Parklands.

Edited by bundy23, 16 November 2007 - 07:07 PM.

[M'bozo]

bundy23, on Nov 16 2007, 08:07 PM, said:

the signal's a little flaky

Not surprising.

I rather suspect you are getting enhanced reception from the mainland which is happening atm.

[Electronicman]

bundy23, on Nov 16 2007, 08:07 PM, said:

i'm currently flicking between 7, 9 and 10 broadcasting from Table Cape. the signal's a little flaky but hopefully this will be a permanent addition and not just a few days of testing.

i should add that i'm in Parklands.

Sorry to disappoint you, but M'bozo is 100% correct here! Brilliant weather, mainland signal ducting now interfering with the Mt Barrow DTV channels - worst still to come I reckon!  

There is absolutely zilch coming from the Table Cape DTV channels    (Not even a poofteenth of one percent!!!) And I can also vouch that there is also NO test broadcasting coming from the Cape!

Sorry to disappoint those out there who are holding their breath for it! You'll have to wait a lot longer yet I reckon!    [Exhale - breathe - exhale - breathe].

[M'bozo]

Noticed when at Shearwater yesterday that ABC C53 (Gumbowie Drive) digital is up and running.

This gave me some grief in getting good readings for TDT C52 from Mt Barrow.

[dave.b]

Is there a chance that Burnie/Wynyard will recieve full digital in 2008.

The last 2 years havent give much hope.

[cdn]

-->

Is there a chance that Burnie/Wynyard will recieve full digital in 2008.

The last 2 years havent give much hope. [/quote]
Like a lot of other areas in Tassie we are not holding our breath in anticipation of a miracle happening

• Back to top

[Electronicman]

I heard a wee little whisper, just prior to Christmas, from the manager at an extremely popular TV wholesaler on the N W Coast of Tassie, who apparently heard it from the horse's mouth at Sthn X, that Penguin and Ulverstone were supposed to have digital  switched on air on Jan 1st! Burnie and Wynyard was to follow early in the New Year. I know that this does not follow the AMCA's DCP as apparently problems developed at Burnie!

I am, like cdn, not holding my breath with this whisper as the Digital translator switch on times have come and gone many times since August 2005 when it was supposed to happen! I would have thought that if this whisper had some truth about it, some form of notification would have appeared in the local rag today! But this was not the case, so we'll just ride it out and wait!

Now you can all forget what I just posted and go back to our dreamtime!

[M'bozo]

Ain't nothing going to happen until ACMA allocate an operating frequency to the respective sites.

As I pointed out to that same whisperer.

You would be better off scanning the ACMA frequency register to see when this happens, and then guess at when the rest will follow.  

[Fiery_WA]

I rang the Burnie City Council yesterday, about when HD would be operational on Round Hill.  The young lady I spoke with, said, I quote "well we were supposed to have it two years ago, then we were promised last year, at this point in time however the people the Council have contracted to get HD TV up and running are dragging there feet, and we have been foregotten about" end quote.

My response to her was quote "Can you kindly give me the name of the Contractor, so that I may put in writing my dissatisfaction of there services, and if necessary start a petition, to get HD TV up and running on Round Hill" end quote.

I am now waiting for the people who are in charge of HD TV in Burnie contact details, they are still on bloody holidays!!

Once I have this information I will post it on here, so that anyone who could receive HD TV anywhere in Tasmania may like to protest on Burnies behalf.

Cheers

Susan

[dave.b]

Fiery_WA, on Jan 5 2008, 11:12 AM, said:

may like to protest .

Cheers

Susan

Hey good job Susan, I would like to help protest.

This is getting beyond a joke, laying out all this money for Digital and HD gear just to get SD signal.

[Fiery_WA]

Bah Humbug Channel 10 doesn't have an email in which to lodge anything ...... however if you go to http://ten.com.au/ten/contact_us.html

Scroll down to Click here to download the viewer contact form. And snail mail it to Network 10 GPO BOX 10, Sydney, NSW 2001.  I snail mailed my complaint about HDTV to them today

[Harry C]

Hi all,

I'm another new member to the forum.  I've been frustrated for nearly five years now by this issue.  I first started looking into this on the mainland in about 2003 where I checked the reception locator for Burnie to see if I would be able to use my then new STB in Burnie.

After many dozens of attempts at communication with all the networks, I finally got a reply from SCTV which included the following statement from Paul Hogan, the general manager of Southern Cross.

"We are finalising the required engineering at the moment and hope to enter the installation phase very shortly to bring the rest of the north west coast on line as it is holding up our digital development of the far NW coast and west coast digital roll-out.  We have been testing our Single Frequency network equipment in our Engineering Department over November (2007) and unfortunately we have found that the system was not working properly as it needs a software upgrade from the manufacturers.  This equipment cannot be placed in the field until we can guarantee that it is working correctly otherwise it will cause major interference to our other sites with the same channel therefore breaching our licence conditions.  We are hopeful to have the issues rectified soon and the links installed so that we can begin the installation phase over the next two months."

Unfortunately, Paul Hogan gave me no further indication how much longer after that it would be before transmission commenced.  Back to square one....waiting.

[shan75]

Fiery_WA, on Jan 5 2008, 11:12 AM, said:

I rang the Burnie City Council yesterday, about when HD would be operational on Round Hill.  The young lady I spoke with, said, I quote "well we were supposed to have it two years ago, then we were promised last year, at this point in time however the people the Council have contracted to get HD TV up and running are dragging there feet, and we have been foregotten about" end quote.

My response to her was quote "Can you kindly give me the name of the Contractor, so that I may put in writing my dissatisfaction of there services, and if necessary start a petition, to get HD TV up and running on Round Hill" end quote.

I am now waiting for the people who are in charge of HD TV in Burnie contact details, they are still on bloody holidays!!

Once I have this information I will post it on here, so that anyone who could receive HD TV anywhere in Tasmania may like to protest on Burnies behalf.

Cheers

Susan

i would love to get a petition happening. If you do susan, i will certainly be behind you on this. It is getting beyond a joke now!!

[HillsTas]

shan75, on Feb 5 2008, 10:06 PM, said:

i would love to get a petition happening. If you do susan, i will certainly be behind you on this. It is getting beyond a joke now!!

I spoke with one of my customers who is best mates with the senior tech at southern cross on Monday (4th Feb) and he has said, providing there are no other setbacks, Round hill will be online by end of Feb. Unfortunately he also said that the local councils were dragging their feet for the other transmitters (Penguin, Ulverstone, Table Cape ec...) in regardsto renewing their contracts and licences so he could not give us an ETA on commission of these towers.

Now this of course all sounds good, but proof will be in the pudding.

Everybody out there in TVland must keep all toes and fingers crossed that some lightning strike (or any other type of strike for that matter) doesnt hit the round hill equipment and fries it or something.

Dave

[Harry C]

Hills Antennas, on Feb 5 2008, 11:26 PM, said:

I spoke with one of my customers who is best mates with the senior tech at southern cross on Monday (4th Feb) and he has said, providing there are no other setbacks, Round hill will be online by end of Feb. Unfortunately he also said that the local councils were dragging their feet for the other transmitters (Penguin, Ulverstone, Table Cape ec...) in regardsto renewing their contracts and licences so he could not give us an ETA on commission of these towers.

Now this of course all sounds good, but proof will be in the pudding.

Everybody out there in TVland must keep all toes and fingers crossed that some lightning strike (or any other type of strike for that matter) doesnt hit the round hill equipment and fries it or something.

Dave

Dave,

Your friend and the senior tech might be like the rest of us and be real wishful thinkers.  I have had another update from Paul Hogan from SCTV and he has now put the Round Hill date back to mid year.  Good news is that Penguin and Ulverstone are to come online around the beginning of March (if that can be believed), but who knows when Burnie will ever get its own transmission.

regards

Harry C

[M'bozo]

In "The Advocate" today, SCT & TDT advise DTV test transmissions will commence on the 1st of March 2008 in the Penguin & Ulverstone service areas.

SCT public notice

TDT public notice

Edited by M'bozo, 23 February 2008 - 10:38 AM.

[cdn]

M, on Feb 23 2008, 11:09 AM, said:

In "The Advocate" today, SCT & TDT advise DTV test transmissions will commence on the 1st of March 2008 in the Penguin & Ulverstone service areas.

SCT public notice

TDT public notice

OMG movement, what in the L happened did not hear of any reports of earthquakes in the NW region of Tassie. There is hope for the rest of us yet.

Edited by cdn, 23 February 2008 - 10:21 PM.

[Electronicman]

So that will be half of the N W Coast covered with Digital. Still no word on Burnie and beyond yet   Last rumor to be heard was that it'll be at least mid year - more possibly at the years end! We'll wait.............and wait................and wait  

There'll be little, if any, coverage from these two locations toward the west so I wouldn't bother trying if anybody is thinking of doing so!