please help:- MUX A - mayhem!

[mrspaces]

Hiya all!

Set up GBPVR again using my local transmitter Winter Hill. All channels are picked up but I cant actually tune into fiver,fiveUSA,QVC,Virgin1,Quest or ITV3.

Now these are on MUX A according to the ukfree.tv website and for Winter Hill the power is currently showing as LOW. But so is the MUX 2 and I am receiving that ok.

Has anyone a clue as to why I can't pick up these channels on MUX A as with all these changes the freeview bods made a few days a find it absolutely crazy that so many channels are still messed up.

Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.
mrspaces

WINDOWS XP SP2
ZAP E3C FREEVIEW USB DONGLE
NORTH WEST WINTER HILL TRANSMITTER

[martint123]

Can I recommend that you try running the Hauppauge scanning tool (It should work with all BDA DVB-T tuners, not just Hauppauge) and it will create a log file of what it finds and the relative strength/qualities. This will show if it is a transmission or gbpvr type problem.

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=12081

[mrspaces]

Thanks so much for that martint123.
I used the tool and it found all the muxes except MUX A which is the one I am missing.

I have found out that MUX A uses the C68 frequency which is the frequency some receivers and VCRs use for their RF channel and apparently any disruption to that frequency can cause a loss in that mux.

As it seems I have lost MUX A completely it would point to something odd going on with some type of C68 interference. However, I very muich doubt my PC is causing the problem and a regular set-top box in another room picks up all the Muxes perfectly - it just seems to be my PC that cant get MUX A.

The maiin thing to remember here is that MUX A & MUX 2 are these 'jam-packed' muxes and are currently on 'low power' at winter hill transmitter and probably alot of other transmitters too. Since they are both operating the same I would have thought that if MUX A could not be received then MUX 2 should not either - yet I dont have a problem with that.

I am getting frustrated with this and it is very annoying.

any help from any clever bods in the know would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.
mrspaces

[martint123]

How is your PC getting it's signal? are you splitting it or sharing it? What devices might you have that output RF ? Sky box, VCR,

I used to have mine where it went - Aerial, Sky box, RF2 out to shack and amplified splitter to PC tuners - so that I could get analogue RF, Sky and Digital in the shack. The shack is upstairs and the Sky box and TV downstairs so it was a fair old bit of (good quality) coax.

I recently changed this to it goes aerial, shack splitter then to shack pc tuners and down to sky box and TV. The digital signal is vastly better and no more problems when it rains.

[mrspaces]

Its an absolute nightmare martint123, the setup I got going around various rooms in the house is just so complicated it would take a group of scientists about 3 years to figure out how it works.

I got my PC signal coming directly from the loft, but that loft also has another coax that runs to another upstairs room which has its settop box permanently unplugged now. The loft also send the coax downstairs into the VCR which then splits out to our TV with the other feeding the TV in the kitchen.

Everything works very well indeed and it is pure 'art' that I have setup with my wiring - except this MUX A is missing from the input into the PC and so I am wondering if even though they are not directly affected - the signal from the VCR is somehow interfering with the C68 frequency and blocking it... but it comes through on a seperate freeview settop pbox we have in the kitchen.

I know all that is way way over complicated, but in terms of a working setup we have:-
Living Room:- VirginMedia Cable Box. VCR
Kitchen:- Freeview Set Top Box
Upstairs:- PC Freeview Dongle

Everything is fine and everything is received except for this bloomin' MUX A on the PC.

Cheers all.

[ACTCMS]

Just as martin123 has explained how his aerial connection is routed and split, could you describe yours.

[Graham]

I also have one dodgy mux ... on Mendip.

My experience has been that I still get reception and can view and record even when nothing is found during a scan. If you ask nicely, some kind soul might post a scan cache file for Winter Hill.

And if you are really desperate, a laptop, a USB tuner, a car and a route map to the transmitter should help you out.

Winter Hill has its switchover in a month or so. That should fix it for good.

[mrspaces]

Thanks Graham.

A scan cache file sounds great but would appreciate knowing what it is before I ask for one.

Will this put the frequencies in myh GBPVR as during a scan is has found the channels on the MUX A but they just seems to be so weak nothing is coming through.

For example, I can go onto FIVER and hear broken sound going on and off but the screen remains black. I cant even get any EPG info on it - but yeah... the channel names are there.

Would a scan cache file still help me?

Cheers again Graham.

[ACTCMS]

Its an absolute nightmare martint123, the setup I got going around various rooms in the house is just so complicated it would take a group of scientists about 3 years to figure out how it works.

Not half as complicated as mine (three TV's with built-in tuners and four Nova-T 500s)...

Assuming that you have just one antenna, how are you splitting your signal in the loft - passive splitters or powered (amplified)?

[Graham]

When you do a scan, the results are written to scan cache files in the GBPVR\BDA folder. It is the content of this file that is shown in the box at bottom right of the "map digital channels" dialog.

If the scan finds all of the channels but the reception is rubbish, then I know of only three options ...

Move house.

Wait a month or two till switchover.

Wait for the weather to improve. The reception on my dodgy mux is usually worse when it rains.

A new aeriel might help but it ain't worth it with switchover so close.

Edit: I use a powered amplifier to split the signal to my various tuners ... I have tried several and the quality varies a lot.

Another Edit: My reception is also affected by the trees round the house. Better in winter after the leaves fall.