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Missing Freeview channels on a Humax DTR-T1000

ShaunIOWShaunIOW Posts: 11,326
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I've just setup a Humax DTR-T1000 500Gb PVR Freeview/Youview box but am only getting 37 services (including radio) - I'm getting all the HD channels plus their SD versions, BBC4, E4, More4, Film4, Red button channels and a few radio ones but am missing the rest like Channel 5, 5*, 5 USA, Dave, Yesterday, Drama etc.

The signal strength is 72% and quality 100%, I've tried retuning but it still only finds 37 BUT what is puzzling me is my TV has FreeviewHD built-in and with the same aerial connected to that it finds 123 services including all the missing channels from the Humax, so any ideas why the TV finds them but the Humax doesn't?

Cheers

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    Wbc-WorkerWbc-Worker Posts: 815
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    are you sure ?

    going by http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=SZ447865

    PSB2 has Channel 5 and also More4 and Film4 { and others }

    so if you cant see Channel 5 then you should not be able to view More4 and Film4

    so it does not add up.

    have you tried the re tune when aerial is not connected ? well you never know it may do some good.
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    JohnH77JohnH77 Posts: 121
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    Go to the Postcode checker at http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/coveragechecker/. Enter your postcode and click Detailed view.

    This will list all the transmitters you should be able to see, which channels all the multiplexes broadcast on, and their likely strengths. That will help you to diagnose the problem. In particular, the Humax tells you which channel each station it receives is being broadcast on.

    Signal strength is much less important than signal quality.
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    Bob1942Bob1942 Posts: 1,025
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    JohnH77 wrote: »
    Go to the Postcode checker at http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/coveragechecker/. Enter your postcode and click Detailed view.

    This will list all the transmitters you should be able to see, which channels all the multiplexes broadcast on, and their likely strengths. That will help you to diagnose the problem. In particular, the Humax tells you which channel each station it receives is being broadcast on.

    Signal strength is much less important than signal quality.

    I'm not impressed with these postcode checks,I'm next to Southend On Sea & one site says my best transmitter is Dover!
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    technologisttechnologist Posts: 13,382
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    The digital uk one is the best......
    And it is not strange that best reception us from a more distant transmitter ...
    Because for instance a very distant co channel Tx behind the nearest Tx to you.
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    JohnH77JohnH77 Posts: 121
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    Bob1942 wrote: »
    I'm not impressed with these postcode checks,I'm next to Southend On Sea & one site says my best transmitter is Dover!

    That could be quite possible. Have you checked your line of sight to both transmitters? What does the site say about the quality from both transmitters? And don't forget, the two transmitters will be on different frequencies, so you may need a different group aerial for each. And if one is a repeater, it will be vertically polarised, whereas main transmitters are horizontally polarised.

    If you have a hill between you and your nearest transmitter, then a more distant transmitter with an unrestricted line of sight will give a much better, more reliable signal. Also, if you are that close to France, you might be getting co-channel interference from France which is worse on your local transmitter (varying with frequency, polarisation, line of sight, reflection from the Channel etc) than on the Dover transmitter.

    I have found the checker to be very good. If nothing else, it will tell you which channels the multiplexes broadcast on.
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    ShaunIOWShaunIOW Posts: 11,326
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    JohnH77 wrote: »
    Go to the Postcode checker at http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/coveragechecker/. Enter your postcode and click Detailed view.

    This will list all the transmitters you should be able to see, which channels all the multiplexes broadcast on, and their likely strengths. That will help you to diagnose the problem. In particular, the Humax tells you which channel each station it receives is being broadcast on.

    Signal strength is much less important than signal quality.

    It's been weird, I've retuned 5 times now and am getting all the channels including Com7 as of yesterday - some channels appeared Saturday but were unwatchable due to breakup, then Monday they became watchable and a retune added Com7 (now getting 126 channels).
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    Bob1942Bob1942 Posts: 1,025
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    JohnH77 wrote: »
    That could be quite possible. Have you checked your line of sight to both transmitters? What does the site say about the quality from both transmitters? And don't forget, the two transmitters will be on different frequencies, so you may need a different group aerial for each. And if one is a repeater, it will be vertically polarised, whereas main transmitters are horizontally polarised.

    If you have a hill between you and your nearest transmitter, then a more distant transmitter with an unrestricted line of sight will give a much better, more reliable signal. Also, if you are that close to France, you might be getting co-channel interference from France which is worse on your local transmitter (varying with frequency, polarisation, line of sight, reflection from the Channel etc) than on the Dover transmitter.

    I have found the checker to be very good. If nothing else, it will tell you which channels the multiplexes broadcast on.
    I pick up Crystal Palace,Bluebell Hill,Sudbury Never Dover even with unusual weather conditions
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    chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    ShaunIOW wrote: »
    It's been weird, I've retuned 5 times now and am getting all the channels including Com7 as of yesterday - some channels appeared Saturday but were unwatchable due to breakup, then Monday they became watchable and a retune added Com7 (now getting 126 channels).
    That sounds a lot like you may be getting more than one transmitter and the Humax has placed the channels from the weaker one first. If it is the case there may be duplicate channels up in the 800s. If they have a stronger signal then it does point to multiple transmitter reception.

    Alternatively when you first retuned the reception conditions were such that the weaker transmitter was just about receivable but now the signal has weakened so the Humax no longer picks them up and locks onto your local transmitter properly.

    If you use the Postcode checker to find your local transmitter compare the UHF Channel numbers it lists (in the grey columns headed N) against those your Humax reports (it should be able to tell you that information).

    If they differ then it might be worth deleting every TV and radio channel and performing a manual tune using the UHF channel numbers for the "correct" transmitter from the DigitalUK website.
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    JohnH77JohnH77 Posts: 121
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    Bob1942 wrote: »
    I pick up Crystal Palace,Bluebell Hill,Sudbury Never Dover even with unusual weather conditions

    Find out which is the strongest transmitter, and manually tune to it.

    And don't forget that you could be in a null for just one (or a few) multiplex - you might need to move the aerial closer or further from the transmitter by up to half of a wavelength (which could result in a different multiplex now being in a nul). This is why aerials are mounted on cranked arms and installers have meters to measure signal strength so as to optimise aerial location.

    If you are going to do it yourself, you will have to improvise using the Humax signal strength meter, and the postcode checker information on channels, aerial group and polarisation, and multiplexes, to get the optimum result.
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    ShaunIOWShaunIOW Posts: 11,326
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    chrisjr wrote: »
    That sounds a lot like you may be getting more than one transmitter and the Humax has placed the channels from the weaker one first. If it is the case there may be duplicate channels up in the 800s. If they have a stronger signal then it does point to multiple transmitter reception.

    Alternatively when you first retuned the reception conditions were such that the weaker transmitter was just about receivable but now the signal has weakened so the Humax no longer picks them up and locks onto your local transmitter properly.

    If you use the Postcode checker to find your local transmitter compare the UHF Channel numbers it lists (in the grey columns headed N) against those your Humax reports (it should be able to tell you that information).

    If they differ then it might be worth deleting every TV and radio channel and performing a manual tune using the UHF channel numbers for the "correct" transmitter from the DigitalUK website.

    Unfortunately manually tuning isn't available in the Humax YouView box:(

    On the plus side, I seem to have all the channels now, with nothing in the 800's.
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