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Local DAB Multiplexes That Go A Long Way
Jonathan1990
Posts: 1,520 Forum Member
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I think the multiplex for Leeds on 12D goes quite a long way. You can get it around most parts of North Yorkshire with a good antenna. It's only meant to cover the Leeds and Wakefied areas as well and not the whole of West Yorkshire with Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale been covered by the Bradford and Huddersfield block on 11B.
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There is a DX'er in Clacton-on-Sea who gets the London Mux's continuously even under flat conditions.
And yet reception on a mobile device of HBB in Stevenage, Hertfordshire's second largest town, is non-existent
How do you know it's Epping Green specifically and not another Tx or a mixture of several ?
With a properly fitted external car aerial, mobile reception of DAB usually exceeds predictions. In fact, indoor reception often does too. (Apart from a nice null spot of London II about 2 miles south-east of Reigate!)
My old car had a JVC-HAL2 and Sony DAB unit and the reception was amazing. HBB was usable most of the way along the East Surrey section of the A25. Essex and Reading battle out on 12D. My new car has a Pioneer which is less sensitive, but I still get the above in pockets around East Surrey/Kent/Sussex area. Essex comes in pretty well around the A25 in Tandridge, with Reading just to the south side of the hill.
A 'nice' spot is along the A2 between the M25 and the M2 where it's possible to get a good signal on every used channel: Surrey, HBB, London III, Kent, D1, London II, BBC, London I and Essex.
Other muxes I've seen get out a way include Swansea into Pembrokeshire, South Wales into East Somerset, and Humberside in Scarborough. Also the London muxes can go pretty well into Essex and Cambridge!
Essex is far stronger than Kent (I'm sure we could 'argue' which is the most pitiful - but Now Kent coverage is abysmal for so many reasons) around the north Kent area. Perhaps a TX site in Essex for Kent and vice-versa would be sensible. Bluebell Hill will almost certainly do a good job of getting a signal out to Essex, but will easily be shadowed by hills to the east in Kent.
Hopefully something will start happening with DAB local Mux buildout plans at some point soon.
I did get the Peterborough multiplex once in Worksop on a pocket DAB radio when atmospherics were good enough to pick it up years ago. Now that Leeds from Emley Moor is broadcasting, I'd suggest that won't happen again unless you're very lucky.
Looks like most of Essex goes out to Kent and most of Kent goes out to Essex! To be honest Essex isn't too bad, but the north and mid (where I live) suffers a bit. The south is covered above and beyond!
I did read somewhere that there were plans to transmit NOW Kent from Benfleet near Canvey Island down into Medway which would certainly help.
Also as this is about Local DAB getting out further than it's TSA, is French DAB available along the South Coast?
That'd be this: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/coverage/dab-coverage/annex-b
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/dab-coverage-planning/annex-b/
There's nowt so strange as radio signals.
I can just about hear the Kent Mux here in N London, but it's breaking up which is strange since I can see Bluebell Hill with binoculars from my location.
On the other hand, the Essex Mux romps in here almost full scale on the signal meter.
I find that fact quite impressive! I know it's not really that far, but considering London high-rise suburbia, it's pretty good
The Essex MUX can be received not too badly here if you play about with the indoor aerial or wire. There is nothing special enough though you can't hear somewhere else (apart from BBC Essex) to go to all the effort!
I'll agree. Apart from BBC Essex & Radio Essex, it's just all the same stuff. Picking it up in North London & around Hertfordshire, that'll come in from Rye Hill at Harlow
Back at home, nr Bristol, I am able to receive the Gloucester and Swindon Mux's and sometimes the new Hereford and Worcester Mux from Ridge Hill.
"I am pleased to say the major parties have agreed the principles of the local DAB coverage plan. To be clear, following intense negotiations, the funding principles and final price for the building of around 200 new local digital transmitters and the upgrade of around 50 sites have been agreed.
The “moggies” as we have described the multiplex operators collectively are almost there and subject to final agreements which we anticipate will be concluded in the next couple of weeks, the main works are due to start next March finishing mid-2016."
It's so nice to finally have a time scale for the plan considering that news regarding it fell relatively mute in terms of when it was happening.
Ok - it could have been Sandy Heath or Northampton but I suspect it was Epping Green. Bob FM was blasting through.
Can you point me to any articles about this please? Is there a timetable yet?
Well they do use the Carmel mast (near Cross Hands)
The Carmel site is also higher than Kilvey Hill (looking at this http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/mcamaps/dl000039.pdf )
Also, on the A44 in Worcester you can get (as well as Hereford & Worcester, D1 and BBC National):
Gloucester
South Wales
Coventry & Warwiskshire
Birmingham
Wolverhampton
Oxford
Bristol
Gloucester is perfect signal, the others are partial signal.
Coventry & Warwickshire and Oxford are received in "pockets" every few yards alternating
Bristol can only be received on first floor of buildings in the area
South Wales can only be received on the south side of buildings along that way looking towards the Malverns. While driving you probably won't get South Wales or Bristol.
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/10/ed-vaizeys-full-speech-to-radfest2014/
The speech is all available here. There doesn't appear to be any news regarding a timetable or where the roll out of coverage improvements will begin though.