Not sure if this has been mentioned, however the Muxco website has been updated with a list of stations at launch in September -
Heart
Capital
Smooth
BBC Somerset
So, out of all of those, from what I'm able to receive, the only real addition is BBC Somerset, all the others (Although different regions) are available on the South Wales mux which is strong across Somerset as it's broadcast from Mendip as well.
I wonder if Somerset will get the South Wales version of Capital or the London one. Or does Capital have a generic national feed for DAB multiplexes away from London?
Also, I don't know how widely the coverage of the South Wales multiplex is available in Somerset, despite its use of Mendip. It may be very directional from that site, to the north west. I gather Kiss's FM transmitter there is configured in a similar fashion.
So it's possible that despite two multiplexes now relaying Capital, and sharing the same site, their transmitter parameters may be different thus meaning that it's only those who are fairly close to Mendip who will get two Capitals.
I wonder if Somerset will get the South Wales version of Capital or the London one. Or does Capital have a generic national feed for DAB multiplexes away from London?
Also, I don't know how widely the coverage of the South Wales multiplex is available in Somerset, despite its use of Mendip. It may be very directional from that site, to the north west. I gather Kiss's FM transmitter there is configured in a similar fashion.
So it's possible that despite two multiplexes now relaying Capital, and sharing the same site, their transmitter parameters may be different thus meaning that it's only those who are fairly close to Mendip who will get two Capitals.
The South Wales mux comes in with full signal here in Bridgwater, although I'm in a higher location and get near line-of-sigh to Mendip
That explains why I am not seeing anything on 10B on my two portable DAB radios. But on the car DAB radio it is showing up MUX Co Somerset but no service. Perhaps its just picking up the weak signal from the Hutton transmitter but unable to decode the programme information.
I suppose the delay is down to the setting up the higher powered transmitter and fitting of new aerials high up on the Mendip Mast
Yes, nothing here on the indoor portable here. Everything else DAB is from Mendip, so Somerset has not yet been switched on at this site.
I wonder how far up the mast they'll site the aerials; TV's now right up at the top (with DSO, the old analogue aerials and fibreglass shroud got swapped with a new digital array). What would appear to be Kiss' FM aerials are immediately below that.
Yes, nothing here on the indoor portable here. Everything else DAB is from Mendip, so Somerset has not yet been switched on at this site.
I wonder how far up the mast they'll site the aerials; TV's now right up at the top (with DSO, the old analogue aerials and fibreglass shroud got swapped with a new digital array). What would appear to be Kiss' FM aerials are immediately below that.
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mendip/mendip10.php
From these photos looks like the 3 DAB antennas which make a omni directional array sharing the BBC, D1 and Cardiff muxes are below the reserve UHF and main BBC Somerset VHF antennas.
So the Somerset mux must have a new directional DAB antenna unless the existing array can be made directional for on mux?.
As more new DAB relays arrive in Wales the Cardiff mux might be eventually be switched off on Mendip?
Isn't the Now South Wales Mendip transmitter just the MXR Wales & West one which was appropriated by Now South Wales to improve their coverage after MXR Wales & West was switched off?
I can see the signal on 10B from Mendip but it's unreadable with only 2-3 bars as compared to SE Wales which puts a good signal in here.
I think Somerset is on a much tighter beam from Mendip away from Bristol towards the southwest whilst SE Wales is beamed NNW up the Severn Estuary to areas not covered well by Wenvoe.
As I'm so close to Mendip I probably won't notice much of a difference in signal strength and quality between MuxCO and the other multiplexes from the same site.
From what's been said on this thread, there are plans to provide a transmitter for the Yeovil area, but sadly at some undetermined time in the future.
Is there anyone out there who can let us know if any signal is creeping into Yeovil (and also what about Chard and Crewkerne)?
My expectation is that any DAB from Mendip overshoots central Yeovil altogether due to the local geography. FM from the same site certainly doesn't fare very well at all.
However, the northern, higher-lying outskirts of the town should get good reception, as is the case with FM.
The contrasts in different parts of the town really can be that big!
My expectation is that any DAB from Mendip overshoots central Yeovil altogether due to the local geography. FM from the same site certainly doesn't fare very well at all.
However, the northern, higher-lying outskirts of the town should get good reception, as is the case with FM.
The contrasts in different parts of the town really can be that big!
Yes - that's what I would expect. Where my in-laws are many have to use Stockland Hill for TV, due to the poor quality from Mendip - which seems stronger around the New Huish Park, and the new estates.
Receiving a very weak signal here in watchet only just stable on my roberts was hopeing for a good dab signal for bbc somerset as fm signal is rubbish around here get a stronger signal on the south east wales mux than somerset one
Comments
Edit 2: Labels are MuxCo 1, MuxCo 2, MuxCo 3, Muxco 4.
PTY's of 1 & 2 are Pop Music, 3 is Easy Listening, 4 is Varied Speech.
Also, I don't know how widely the coverage of the South Wales multiplex is available in Somerset, despite its use of Mendip. It may be very directional from that site, to the north west. I gather Kiss's FM transmitter there is configured in a similar fashion.
So it's possible that despite two multiplexes now relaying Capital, and sharing the same site, their transmitter parameters may be different thus meaning that it's only those who are fairly close to Mendip who will get two Capitals.
With London shows and national ads or something like that.
The South Wales mux comes in with full signal here in Bridgwater, although I'm in a higher location and get near line-of-sigh to Mendip
http://www.muxco.com/blog/2014/09/12/somerset-launch-preparations/
That explains why I am not seeing anything on 10B on my two portable DAB radios. But on the car DAB radio it is showing up MUX Co Somerset but no service. Perhaps its just picking up the weak signal from the Hutton transmitter but unable to decode the programme information.
I suppose the delay is down to the setting up the higher powered transmitter and fitting of new aerials high up on the Mendip Mast
I wonder how far up the mast they'll site the aerials; TV's now right up at the top (with DSO, the old analogue aerials and fibreglass shroud got swapped with a new digital array). What would appear to be Kiss' FM aerials are immediately below that.
From these photos looks like the 3 DAB antennas which make a omni directional array sharing the BBC, D1 and Cardiff muxes are below the reserve UHF and main BBC Somerset VHF antennas.
So the Somerset mux must have a new directional DAB antenna unless the existing array can be made directional for on mux?.
As more new DAB relays arrive in Wales the Cardiff mux might be eventually be switched off on Mendip?
From the Muxco blog switch on is Friday 26th September at around 8.30am and from Allan Lake's twitter Triple hits starts Oct 1st?
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/09/somerset-dab-to-carry-new-music-station/
Massive signal improvement from today - I'm now getting a solid 85%
I'll test on the kitchen portable when I get home. In there, for DAB, I think we can only get DAB from Mendip and nothing else.
My radio reports the same PTY's apart from Muxco 4 which states Talk.
I see the Bit Rates are Muxco 1 = 112 kbps stereo, Muxco 2 = 96 kbps mono,
Muxco 3 = 112 kbps stereo & Muxco 4 = 128 kbps stereo.
The mono startion stands out at 96 kbps, only 16 kbps lower than the 112 kbps stereo stations!
My assumptions are Muxco 1 = Heart, Muxco 2 = Capital, Muxco 3 = Smooth & Muxco 4 = BBC Somerset.
I think Somerset is on a much tighter beam from Mendip away from Bristol towards the southwest whilst SE Wales is beamed NNW up the Severn Estuary to areas not covered well by Wenvoe.
As I'm so close to Mendip I probably won't notice much of a difference in signal strength and quality between MuxCO and the other multiplexes from the same site.
Is there anyone out there who can let us know if any signal is creeping into Yeovil (and also what about Chard and Crewkerne)?
However, the northern, higher-lying outskirts of the town should get good reception, as is the case with FM.
The contrasts in different parts of the town really can be that big!
Yes - that's what I would expect. Where my in-laws are many have to use Stockland Hill for TV, due to the poor quality from Mendip - which seems stronger around the New Huish Park, and the new estates.
Four services were independently testing. Muxco1 - 4
Photo Here