The signals from Pontop on Ch.33 and Ch.34 seem to have vanished today. I guess yesterday was just a temporary test ahead of the proper launch next Tuesday 25th Mar.
Just got back from supermarket and have them on Channel 33 now. I wondered what reception would be like with loft aerial and transmitter just below horizon but quality and strength are both 10 according to Panasonic TV.
I'm getting a signal on COM7 here again, and can actually watch the channels when my USB DVB-T2 tuner is connected directly to the aerial, and they look fine, despite the indicated Quality level varying between about 10% and 25%. The Strength is 80 out of 100 as it was last Wednesday (which essentially means 4 out of 5 with that tuner as it goes in jumps of 20 for Strength). It is borderline though as using a passive 2-way splitter results in no picture. This is in Jesmond.
No signal on Channel 34 (for COM8) though, so last Wednesday when both signals were on but without any data whilst I checked was clearly just to test the transmitters and aerials on Pontop.
Not as technical as some of you guys - sorry! Here on the Cheshire / Shropshire borders, with a group C/D aerial for Winter Hill and a group A for The Wrekin wired-in together and distributed between 4 rooms (with an amp) the new HD channels from Lancs are absolutely screaming in.
Just outside Nottingham on the Waltham aerial the multiplex is coming in really strong - my media centre reporting 100% signal strength vs the 81% on PSB3 (which is really odd considering the lower power 10.16kW vs 50kW!) and 100% quality (PSB3 jumps between 99.9 and 100%).
A reminder that the Digital UK postcode checker suggests Tacolneston should be in service on Tuesday - UHF Channel 31 for COM7 and 37 for COM8. I haven't noticed any tests but they may have happened at some point in the last few weeks.
City centre Nottingham, indoor aerial, Waltham transmitter.
The psb and com 4-6 are error free 86% strength, local MUX is also error free 30% strength, can't even detect a signal on com7.
The coverage checker suggests Sutton Coldfield would be a better choice but I can't detect any signal on that either (on any multiplex).
Well my Tesco/Technika box, which previously refused to register any sort of signal, has now decided to pick up COM 7 from Crystal Palace, it's only registering 14% strength and 80% quality but it's pulling in stable pictures at the moment.
Comments
To be really precise, Pontop serves the middle of the Tyne Tees region, Chatton
serves much of Northumberland ;-)
The new channels are there now
No signal on Channel 34 (for COM8) though, so last Wednesday when both signals were on but without any data whilst I checked was clearly just to test the transmitters and aerials on Pontop.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/faqs/loss_bbchd_channels
NB: The list does not include the Tesco Technika STBHDV2010 which is also affected.
The psb and com 4-6 are error free 86% strength, local MUX is also error free 30% strength, can't even detect a signal on com7.
The coverage checker suggests Sutton Coldfield would be a better choice but I can't detect any signal on that either (on any multiplex).