All posts by Rob Mitchell
Below are all of Rob Mitchell's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.Got the below today, not very impressed!!
Dear Mr. Mitchell,
Thank you for contacting the Radio & Television Investigation Service (RTIS). It is provided by the BBC to assist viewers and listeners in investigating and, where possible, in resolving, interference problems.
I notice from the information you provided you are using an internal aerial. I am sorry to have to tell you the RTIS service has no responsibility to investigate cases where the installation is served by an internal aerial. However, I can offer you some advice.
After studying your case, it is possible you are receiving a weak signal on your Freeview reception. The break-up of channels which you report is often a symptom of a weak signal and you may well need to re-tune to get the best signal available. A weak signal is more susceptible to interference and degradation.
It is unlikely that Virgin TV, which is fed via a cable, would give off RF frequencies and wi-fi should not interfere with your TV under normal circumstances. You could simply have a poor quality cable connecting the aerial to your TV which is not screened. There could be electric cables in your wall. Have you tried moving the aerial and leaving the TV where it is?
You should be tuned to Oxford. When using an external, Group C/D aerial or wideband aerial, horizontally polarised, on a bearing of 109 degrees, it is predicted to give you good coverage of 79 standard definition channels and 6HD.
Many areas of the UK are served by multiple transmitters. The direction in which your aerial is pointing generally dictates the transmitter whose signal you will receive. However, it is not uncommon for signals from other transmitters to be picked up by the same aerial, even if it is not pointing at the other transmitters.
The best way to ensure you are actually tuned to the signal from Oxford is to carry out a manual retune. Before you do so, remove the aerial from your receiver and ask it to do an auto tune. This will clear the memory as, with the aerial disconnected, it cannot tune to anything at all. Then reconnect the aerial as your set is now ready for a fresh, manual retune.
A manual retune will enable you to choose the channels you wish to receive, thereby stopping your receiver storing unwanted services. The procedures for undertaking a manual retune vary between receivers, so please use this guidance in conjunction with your receivers instructions and the advice on the Digital UK website, www.digitaluk.co.uk. You can ring them on 08456 50 50 50.
The following link gives instructions on manual retuning specific to your postcode:
http://www.digitaluk.co.u…7515
You say your problem always occurs when your TV is near the party wall. This suggests it could be some form of electrical impulse interference from next door, but because you are using an internal aerial you will not have the best, most resilient signal.
Electrical impulse interference can come from a wide variety of equipment inside and outside the home. It can cause pixellation on digital TV and buzzing or crackling sound on radio. The problem can occur in bursts from a fraction of a second through a minute or so to hours at a time. It can occasionally be continuous but in most cases there is a definite start and stop to the interference as in your case. Electrical equipment is usually the cause and common examples include:
Central heating or hot water thermostats
Dimmer switches and halogen lighting
Computers
Appliances using electric motors e.g washing machines, power tools, lawnmowers
Street lighting
Electricity supply transformers
Overhead power cables
Vehicle engines and petrol- engined lawnmowers and strimmers
Electric fences
Some devices operate automatically and may not be immediately obvious. These include central heating pumps, fuel pumps, sump pumps and macerators. Interference can be very localised but will often affect neighbouring properties, and occasionally a whole street or district.
First check the interference isn't being caused by something in your own home. When your TV is showing the problem, switch off domestic devices in turn, including lighting, and especially central water heating. If the problem stops (and then comes back after the device is switched back on) you have probably found the cause. Any appliance found to be faulty will need repair or replacement. If you cannot find anything in your home, ask near neighbours to see if they are also suffering interference. If they are, and you know the problem does not originate in your home, explain what you have done and ask them to carry out similar checks in theirs.
Should you decide to have a suitable, external aerial installed, it is advisable to use a qualified installer. The CAI (Confederation of Aerial Industries) or RDI (Registered Digital Installers ) are two recognised bodies who will be able to put you in touch with one of their members in your area.
With an external aerial, your case could then be considered for investigation. However, before a case can be referred to Ofcom, you must have checked the following:
That you are receiving a good signal from your preferred transmitter
You have a roof mounted antenna in good condition
(OX51EB)
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Thanks Brian,
well done for a very useful site, its been really helpful.
regards
Rob
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Hi mike,
have written back to them and explained the issue in more detail, however i have not heard back from them yet. Also have not heard back from next door on a virgin media engineer coming out so have written them a note explaining the issues in more detail.
I have asked them in the note to let me know when they can turn all there virgin stuff off when they go out so i can check once and for all.
thanks again all of the advice
regards
Rob.
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Update,
The Virgin media tech is coming over to next door today so i have asked them to send them round. Also they have agreed to turn there equipment off for two periods on Sat and Sun so should be able to see once and for all if this cures the issue.
Kind Regards
Rob
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Well,
Virgin media were really rubbish, had a tech who suggested that the loose f plug on next doors tivo might have been causing an issue, which i said is that not unlikely (he said no it can cause issue). Also he told me that all of the system was fine because the tivo box and the wifi just would not work if there was a problem with them, i think he was talking s**t.
He shrugged his shoulders when i explained all the testing i had done and suggested that even if the problem did go away when it is switched off tomorrow it would still not be virgins issue as the boxes are working fine.
He would not even come in my house for me to show him.
Very disappointed, if it does go away tomorrow when its turned off then i am going to ring virgin media directly and make a fuss to get someone out who understands something.
Grrrrrrrrrr
Rob
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Hi JB38,
We don't have a smart meter and i did not see one when i went around next door. There house is the same as there's so i would expect the smart meter would be in the hall near to the stairs which is a good 16 feet from the wall with another wall in between.
Lets see what happens when they turn the power off to there stuff, hopefully the problem will go.
Thanks again for all the advice
Kind Regards
Rob
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Hi All,
Well here is the update, next door turned there Wi Fi box and there Tivo TV box off tonight at 5:40pm and all of the interference has gone, not one glitch all night sound or otherwise.
They are back at 8 and turning it back on so i expect it will return.
Next step tomorrow i have asked them to leave the Tivo TV box on when they are out to see if i get the interference.
At least i know it's coming from next door and they are being helpful.
So its down to Tivo Box or WiFi i think or maybe there TV but they don't watch it much and it was off when i visited and still had the problem so i don't think its that.
Again thanks for all the advice.
Kind Regards
Rob
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As expected came back at 820 and it has started up again, dam you virgin media!!!
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Hi All,
Another update, next door have left the Tivo TV box on this morning and switched off the Wi Fi and i have had no interference again, so it would seem that the culprit is the Wi Fi box or maybe there TV (but this is normally off so would not expect that).
Next door still have there interference on there Tivo box too and i have suggested that they turn off the Wi Fi box and see if there issue also go's away.
Next door have contacted virgin media again (before this latest test) and they are sending out a "Principal Technician" to look at there issue and mine.
Just glad the neighbors are understanding about it.
Cheers again for all the advice, i will keep you up to date.
Rob
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Monday 3 February 2014 5:40PM
Kidlington
I am trying to update thread on the oxford transmitter page which you have been helping with but now in don't seem to see the latest posts I put on.
Is there a reason for this?
Regards
Rob.