16 replies to this topic

[alanh]

All,
Community TV Adelaide does not have the same coverage area as SBS.

Both CTS signals and SBS are radiated from Broadcast Australia Tower Summit Road CRAFERS.(Mt Lofty)

Effective radiated power from Mt Lofty. All transmissions are Horizontally polarised.
SBS28 analog 795 kW SBS33 digital 200 kW. Most digital transmitters are 1/4 of the analog power vor the same coverage area.
CTV31 analog 30 kW CTS30 7.5 kW.

To have the same coverage area as SBS, CTS needs to radiate 200 kW which will cost a lot more.

SBS61 Horizontal  repeats their programs from 25 Grenfell St Adelaide to cover the foothills.
SBS61 Vertical repeats their programs from the Water Tower, Kettering Rd, Elizabeth South for Elizabeth South
SBS34 Vertical repeats their programs from Lot 100 Uley Road ELIZABETH DOWNS for Craigmore/Hillbank.

When the viewer asks the receiver to scan for channels and they have adequate signals from Mt Lofty, they should see channel 30. The receiver will then decode the Logical channel number 44 which is what the viewer uses to select your program.

For comparison SBS uses channels 33, 34, and 61 to transmit their programs. All of their transmitters sends out Logical Channel Numbers 3, 30, 32, 38 and 39 to identify the programs they transmit.  

The advice to viewers should be if you can receive a good analog picture they should be able to receive your digital signal.

For more information: Get the best reception - Adelaide.

Channel 31 website

AlanH

[Will Plumridge]

alanh, on Oct 31 2010, 12:35 AM, said:

Community TV Adelaide does not have the same coverage area as SBS.

C31 digital signal not on air as at 8:50 am Sunday morning.  It has been mostly or entirely off-air since Friday.

Regards,
Will

[GoForMoe]

alanh, on Oct 31 2010, 01:05 AM, said:

To have the same coverage area as SBS, CTS needs to radiate 200 kW which will cost a lot more

A reminder that the QPSK encoding of the signal means that the effective power is far higher, and that the coverage area will be roughly similar to that of SBS and in most cases larger than the analogue signal.

[wot-eva]

Thanks for the info alanh.

Just did a channel scan and cannot see channel 44 or any new channels at all.
Will try again tomorrow.

[Will Plumridge]

C31's digital signal (RF channel 30, LCN 44) has reappeared this evening.

Regards,
Will

[halsboss]

Will Plumridge, on Nov 5 2010, 08:15 PM, said:

C31's digital signal (RF channel 30, LCN 44) has reappeared this evening.

Help !  My TVs see it but TV Scheduler Pro doesn't (same antenna) ... Greenwith SA.

I think the frequency for channel 30 is 541250 Khz.  I could add custom channel if I knew these things -

"Add Custom Channel"
Name
Frequency Khz
BandWidth 7 ?
Program ID
Video ID
Audio xxx and type (AC3, MPG)

A manual scan in that tool of 541250 does not find anything.  Info and ideas appreciated.

Edited by halsboss, 27 November 2010 - 07:41 PM.

[alanh]

halsboss,
Channel 30 is 543500 kHz
All Australian channels are 7 MHz wide.
Sound MPG.

You don't need anything else.

If you still can't get a signal either there is a fault, or there is not enough signal.
The frequency you are trying to quote is for analog.

AlanH

[Ladybug2]

I am connected to the Elizabeth Downs tower and have been unable to scan C31 digital. We got a new antenna installed to pick up the Elizabeth Downs tower not long after they put it up and lost all analogue channels as it only transmits digital. We have several set top boxes and none of them pick up C31 since it went digital. We've never had any trouble picking up other new channels. Can anyone else get it on that tower? I sent an email to C31 and never got a reply.

[mtv]

Ladybug2, on Jan 1 2011, 08:23 PM, said:

I am connected to the Elizabeth Downs tower and have been unable to scan C31 digital. We got a new antenna installed to pick up the Elizabeth Downs tower not long after they put it up and lost all analogue channels as it only transmits digital. We have several set top boxes and none of them pick up C31 since it went digital. We've never had any trouble picking up other new channels. Can anyone else get it on that tower? I sent an email to C31 and never got a reply.

As far as I am aware, C31 is only transmitted from the main Mt Lofty transmitter.

[Ladybug2]

mtv, on Jan 1 2011, 11:25 PM, said:

As far as I am aware, C31 is only transmitted from the main Mt Lofty transmitter.

Thankyou. I had a feeling maybe that might be the case which is why I emailed C31 but nobody replied. So basically anyone who switched to the Elizabeth Downs tower has no hope of getting C31 unless somebody decides to transmit it from towers other than Mt Lofty?

[mtv]

Ladybug2, on Jan 2 2011, 09:54 AM, said:

Thankyou. I had a feeling maybe that might be the case which is why I emailed C31 but nobody replied. So basically anyone who switched to the Elizabeth Downs tower has no hope of getting C31 unless somebody decides to transmit it from towers other than Mt Lofty?

Unfortunately, it's usually a matter of cost, funding additional transmitters for multiple translator sites that prohibits community broadcasters from doing so.

This is a common problem for community broadcasters in other cities too.

[CWulf]

mtv, on Jan 2 2011, 01:53 PM, said:

Unfortunately, it's usually a matter of cost, funding additional transmitters for multiple translator sites that prohibits community broadcasters from doing so.

This is a common problem for community broadcasters in other cities too.

Hi

I don't think it is just cost but also a legal/licensing issue. I don't think the ACMA has been keen to license metro CTV analog (or digital) translators. The South Yarra CTV service from the Como building in Melbourne is the only CTV translator (installed quite a long time ago).

[split_city]

Sorry to hijack this thread but thought it might be best to post in here. Im interested in finding out the name of program that use to air on Ace TV several years ago. Does anyone know how I could go about finding this info?

[halsboss]

Yes AlanH, thanks, I checked my TV digital setup and it said ch30 was 543500, so I tried that and it worked.

[halsboss]

Now the only problems is, @ Greenwith, scratch signal and/or strength.  

Line of Sight OK to Mt Lofty and other channels are all OK apart from SBS where the same thing happens occasionally - the picture goes all blocky everywhere with bright colours and the blocks travel all over the place, once that starts forget watching it for a while.

Anyone else get that too ?

[Ladybug2]

halsboss, on Jan 10 2011, 11:30 PM, said:

Now the only problems is, @ Greenwith, scratch signal and/or strength.  

Line of Sight OK to Mt Lofty and other channels are all OK apart from SBS where the same thing happens occasionally - the picture goes all blocky everywhere with bright colours and the blocks travel all over the place, once that starts forget watching it for a while.

Anyone else get that too ?

We had that problem with a few channels, mainly HD ones but it didn't last a long time but it was recurring so it was pretty difficult to record anything without having it happen. There was also a screeching sound when it would start like a lightning flash. We switched to the Craigmore tower as it's not far from where we live and don't get it anymore. But in doing so we've lost C31.

[halsboss]

Ladybug2, on Jan 11 2011, 12:50 AM, said:

We had that problem with a few channels, mainly HD ones but it didn't last a long time but it was recurring so it was pretty difficult to record anything without having it happen. There was also a screeching sound when it would start like a lightning flash. We switched to the Craigmore tower as it's not far from where we live and don't get it anymore. But in doing so we've lost C31.

Yes, SBS doers it for me occasionally, however C31 (why don't they call if 44 now?) does it nearly all the time.  

Given we're on a hill with direct line of sight, one wonders how the populace fares and indeed whether C31 does sampling of areas and is even aware of the issue.