17 replies to this topic

[broaddd]

Hi folks,

After much reading, I am much confused - is it correct that the only digital TV available via a SD settop box in this part of the world is ABC and ABC2?

Cheers,
B

[Alista]

broaddd, on Mar 15 2009, 04:55 PM, said:

Hi folks,

After much reading, I am much confused - is it correct that the only digital TV available via a SD settop box in this part of the world is ABC and ABC2?

Cheers,
B

Hi Broaddd,
You can also get SBS on digital but not on analogue it's on air but not on the main tower, it's on the Tas Ambulance tower. Which with limited knowledge of the area not sure where it is. To get SBS if the 2 towers are near each other you could always try and point your antenna in between the two towers and you may get both ABC & SBS digital.
EDIT: Google Earth has them on the same site so you should be right.
As for any of the Commercial stations they haven't moved in yet and with this Freeview stuff and the financial crisis they could be a while!  
Take a look at this forum it was from another person in Bicheno.
sorry if I'v confused you!! do post any more questions you have!

Edited by Alista, 15 March 2009 - 05:59 PM.

[HillsTas]

Spot on Alista!

The two sites are within spitting distance of each other so the one antenna should pick up both. SBS is a community run channel in Bicheno, FYI.

Cheers

Dave

[Alista]

HillsTas, on Mar 16 2009, 08:58 AM, said:

Spot on Alista!

The two sites are within spitting distance of each other so the one antenna should pick up both. SBS is a community run channel in Bicheno, FYI.

Cheers

Dave

And if your antenna a bit off it might not pick up SBS because it's at a lower power to the ABC.

[glyndavid]

broaddd, on Mar 15 2009, 04:55 PM, said:

Hi folks,

After much reading, I am much confused - is it correct that the only digital TV available via a SD settop box in this part of the world is ABC and ABC2?

Cheers,
B

Hi guys, just bought a Panasonic LZD 850A LCD, great picture sound etc. I live in Cornwall, just outside St Marys and the TV picked up ABC1 digital, ABC1 Hi Def digital, ABC2 digital, ABC3 digital and 2 digital ABC radio stations, all coming from South Sister just behnd me. May be too far away for you in Bicheno. Alas no WIN or Southern Cross from that location yet. The Panasonic has done wonders for my analogue reception from South Sister as well

Edited by glyndavid, 22 March 2009 - 09:51 AM.

[Alista]

glyndavid, on Mar 22 2009, 10:51 AM, said:

Hi guys, just bought a Panasonic LZD 850A LCD, great picture sound etc. I live in Cornwall, just outside St Marys and the TV picked up ABC1 digital, ABC1 Hi Def digital, ABC2 digital, ABC3 digital and 2 digital ABC radio stations, all coming from South Sister just behnd me. May be too far away for you in Bicheno. Alas no WIN or Southern Cross from that location yet. The Panasonic has done wonders for my analogue reception from South Sister as well

No digital commercial channels at all on the east coast. There are assigned channels so they will come but it will be a while. Thats great that your analogue has improved as well.

[broaddd]

Hi folks,

Coming back to visit my parents after a couple of years and thought I should look at this again

So, having read the other thread, if I my Arista DVB-HD720 box can only get ABC DTV channels in Bicheno, I probably need a different antenna to get SBS? Or just wiggle my antenna a bit

Cheers,
B

[HillsTas]

Hi broaddd,

Try the following,

1: Do a manual scan for Ch37 (Fr: 592.5), see if your toppy picks it up.
2: Try adjusting your antenna and rescanning
3: Try an antenna with a higher gain and a wider FOV (like a Phased Array - Hills Ultimax or similar)

Depending on where you are, you may be able to swing North and pick up St Helens or South Sister, both of which are now broadcasting all DTV channels (No SBS on South Sister). This I stress will be a long shot. No doubt the Bicheno transmitter will be worked on soon, but they have a difficult time getting the main feed from Barrow (via microwave) to switch this area to digital. I would guess that the Bicheno (and Swansea) transmitters will be switched in the next 12 months sometime, but no word as of yet as to exactly when.

Cheers

Dave

[Alista]

Hi Dave,

Haven't visited the forum for a while but thought I might get back into things

One thing I did want to ask is, why is there such trouble getting links to these areas? Wouldn't it be a similar setup to analogue? Or link each tower along the route so the signal hops to the next one instead of trying to get things from Mt Barrow? The ABC seems to manage fine, its just the commercials. SBS is mostly satellite based as I understand so no issues there.
I think they had similar problems on the West Coast but I'm unsure if that go resolved. If it did probably at a snails pace.  

[HillsTas]

Alista, on Nov 12 2011, 09:22 PM, said:

Hi Dave,

Haven't visited the forum for a while but thought I might get back into things

One thing I did want to ask is, why is there such trouble getting links to these areas? Wouldn't it be a similar setup to analogue? Or link each tower along the route so the signal hops to the next one instead of trying to get things from Mt Barrow? The ABC seems to manage fine, its just the commercials. SBS is mostly satellite based as I understand so no issues there.
I think they had similar problems on the West Coast but I'm unsure if that go resolved. If it did probably at a snails pace.  

Hi Alista,

I can't really answer your questions, and I agree that tower hopping seems a good idea. As I have little to do with the broadcast side of things, I am unsure why they draw from Barrow.

Yes, the West Coast had similar issues and still have I believe. From what I hear Mt Owen has more power (or lack of) issues than receive issues.

Cheers

Dave

[Tazzy2Heads]

HillsTas, on Nov 14 2011, 09:28 AM, said:

Hi Alista,

I can't really answer your questions, and I agree that tower hopping seems a good idea. As I have little to do with the broadcast side of things, I am unsure why they draw from Barrow.

Yes, the West Coast had similar issues and still have I believe. From what I hear Mt Owen has more power (or lack of) issues than receive issues.

Cheers

Dave

  Hi Guys,

Not sure whether this is old or new news, I have just  been to ST HELENS on a mission not related to tv but had time for a quick look for Digital Tv Signals
in the area. I found two different  UHF channel groups up there of 4 networks each , i.e. ABC and the 3 Commercial channels (NO  SBS ) in the area with a DR20
UHF antenna VERTICALLY POLARISED and no 'booster' . I didn't have time to check direction of signals too much or time to check around BICHENO area
this time.
Hope that helps somebody.
Tazzy.

[HillsTas]

Those groups of frequencies would be Binnalong Bay and St Helens probably. Could also be South Sister (St Marys).

Cheers

Dave

[Tazzy2Heads]

HillsTas, on Nov 28 2011, 10:39 AM, said:

Those groups of frequencies would be Binnalong Bay and St Helens probably. Could also be South Sister (St Marys).

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave,
  I was in the bush to the North of St Helens with the antenna held at head height pointing back down towards town so one group would be the normal tx sight for St Helens
  and the second group were also in the same general direction but further clockwise (to the right). I did a full 360 deg . sweep and these seemed to be
the only channels with a rough check, I didn't have my 'proper' meter only a 'pretend' Chinese one with pictures, and not much time to spend looking.
  The two groups I found I THINK are ABC-53, WIN-63, STH CROSS-60,TDT-68 and the second group was a bit weaker where I was and hard to lock onto
so not sure if correct , WIN-47,TDT-46,ABC-37 or 38, and something on CH 50 STH CROSS I guess .
No doubt I'll be corrected.
Cheers Tazzy

[HillsTas]

St Helens:

ABC - 37
STX - 45
WIN - 47
TDT - 46

Binnalong Bay:

ABC - 37
STX - 65
WIN - 47
TDT - 46

South Sister (St MArys)

ABC - 53
STX - 61
WIN - 63
TDT - 65


I would guess that the first group was from the South Sister tower and the second group is from either St Helens or Binnalong bay, most likely St helens as that is where the antenna was pointing. Strange that the South Sister tower was stronger than the St Helens one, but it could be because you had the antenna at nearly ground level, and the St Helens tower is close to the ground but the South Sister tower is on top of a hill/mountain.

Got a GPS fix for where you were????

Cheers

Dave

[Tazzy2Heads]

HillsTas, on Nov 29 2011, 09:02 AM, said:

St Helens:

ABC - 37
STX - 45
WIN - 47
TDT - 46

Binnalong Bay:

ABC - 37
STX - 65
WIN - 47
TDT - 46

South Sister (St MArys)

ABC - 53
STX - 61
WIN - 63
TDT - 65


I would guess that the first group was from the South Sister tower and the second group is from either St Helens or Binnalong bay, most likely St helens as that is where the antenna was pointing. Strange that the South Sister tower was stronger than the St Helens one, but it could be because you had the antenna at nearly ground level, and the St Helens tower is close to the ground but the South Sister tower is on top of a hill/mountain.

Got a GPS fix for where you were????

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave,
  -41.288  148.165 or -41 deg 17 m 25'  148 deg 09m 90'  off the highway a bit in wet trees and scrub, not ideal for weakish UHF signals.I seemed to get
  some different channels each time I scanned, so I think I had some signals from all three TX sites at times, from South Sister and St Helens for sure,
  and the odd one from Binnalong Bay. Cheers Tazzy

[HillsTas]

There is no way you would get South Sister from there, I was assuming you were on the coast. You may be getting the repeaters at Goshen and/or Pyengana, but not real sure, I would have thought the only option would have been St Helens or VAST.

Cheers

Dave

[Tazzy2Heads]

HillsTas, on Nov 30 2011, 11:38 AM, said:

There is no way you would get South Sister from there, I was assuming you were on the coast. You may be getting the repeaters at Goshen and/or Pyengana, but not real sure, I would have thought the only option would have been St Helens or VAST.

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave,
I didn't take those gps readings myself, they were given to me to use if I couldn't find the required spot, I knew where to go without them, sounds like they
may be wrong. I was about 7km in a straight line Northish from ST Helens up the Tasman Hwy. All signals received were Digital, are the Goshen and Pyengana repeaters now Digital ? Pyengana was only ABC Analogue last time I was up that way last year. I might go for a run up the Coast one day soon and spend a bit more time with the meter etc.
Tazzy

[M'bozo]

BICHENO early switchover details.

SWANSEA early switchover details.