Full Freeview on the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) transmitter
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The symbol shows the location of the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) transmitter which serves 940,000 homes. The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) mast?
Black Hill transmitter - Black Hill transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 11/11/2024 Screen may go black on some or all channels 
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Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Black Hill transmitter broadcast?
If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Black Hill transmitter?
BBC Reporting Scotland 2.4m homes 9.2%
from Glasgow G51 1DA, 26km west (271°)
to BBC Scotland region - 230 masts.
STV News 1.3m homes 4.8%
from Glasgow G51 1PQ, 26km west (271°)
to STV Central (Glasgow) region - 94 masts.
Are there any self-help relays?
| Ardtornish A | Transposer | 22 km NW Oban | 15 homes |
| Balquhidder | Transposer | 12 km NW Callander | 42 homes |
| Benmore B | Active deflector | 50 m WNW Glasgow | 7 homes |
| Blair Drummond | Transposer | 5 homes caravan park | |
| Blyth Bridge | Active deflector | 30 km SW Edinburgh | 50 homes |
| Glendaruel | Active deflector | 40 hotel | 40 homes hotel |
| Glendaruel B | Active deflector | 12 homes (second level) |
How will the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1957-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 3 Oct 2018 | ||||
| VHF | B E T | B E T | B E T | E T | W T | ||||
| C10 | ITVwaves | ||||||||
| C30 | _local | ||||||||
| C32 | com7 | ||||||||
| C35 | com8 | ||||||||
| C37 | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
| C40 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | BBCB | ||||
| C41 | +SDN | SDN | |||||||
| C43 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||||
| C44 | ArqA | ArqA | |||||||
| C46 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | BBCA | ||||
| C47 | ArqB | ArqB | |||||||
| C50tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | ||||||
| C51tv_off | LG | ||||||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | _local | COM8tv_off |
tv_off Being removed from Freeview (for 5G use) after November 2020 / June 2022 - more
Table shows multiplexes names see this article;
green background for transmission frequencies
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W T
waves denotes analogue; digital switchover was 8 Jun 11 and 22 Jun 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-5 | 500kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
| com7 | (-10.7dB) 42.9kW | |
| com8 | (-11.1dB) 39.2kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-14dB) 20kW | |
| LG | (-20dB) 5kW |
Local transmitter maps
Black Hill Freeview Black Hill DAB Black Hill TV region BBC Scotland STV Central (Glasgow micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Black Hill transmitter area
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Monday, 4 April 2011
S
Scott6:18 PM
Mike: Thanks very much for your helpful comments.
I regret to say that I have misled everyone. Although I have a Humax HD box, the readings were taken from the TV (Sony Bravia). I have now checked via the Humax menu and the HD multiplex is showing as 61% with the SD BBC multiplex at 68%. I am new to all this so beg forgiveness.
The reception is rock solid. I must be about 30 miles from the transmitter. I assume I should not be worried about excess signal.
My real purpose in posting was to make the point that although others are having problems with HD it is fine for me, and I am not exactly in a charmed position! I wonder if there could be a directionality in the temporary service that sends a good signal due west but leaves people at other compass points with problems.
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Tuesday, 5 April 2011
M
Maurice4:46 PM
Scott
10kw = Xdb
20kw = 2Xdb
40kw = 4Xdb
80kw = 8Xdb
100kw = 10Xdb
i.e. Each time the signal strength is increase by 3db you double its strength! As ex aerial installer I would say that an increase of 10db is a considerable increase!
The actual signal received at your aerial is dependant on a considerable number of variations. Therefore it is almost impossible to predict an accurate signal strength received at any one particular situation, but an aerial should be always mounted outside clear of any immediate obstructions for best results.
Maurice
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A
andrew12106:19 PM
Shotts
Hopefully we don't get problems with over powered signals :S Currently, most channels in my house are at 97/98% signal strength and quality (~ 2.5 - 3 miles from Blackhill)
I also have a relative <1.5 miles from the transmitter, who already suffers form overpowered signals on a few channel. Switch Over will probably make this worse!
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andrew1210's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 7 April 2011
S
steve10:54 AM
Glasgow
Thanks for the advice Scott. Turns out the problem looks like it is local interference / something else. The aerial is picking up all channels fine.
I've spent some time over the last few days checking the aerial and cabling. Both seem fine.
The signal strength / quality seems fine on all channels except 55, 59 and 65. On 55 and 65, the strength sits somewhere between 30 and 70 and is variable. On 59 (the HD channels) it is the worst and sits at 0.
When I pick the fly lead up and hold it higher than the rest of the cables behind the TV (like you would with headphones on a mobile phone radio when they're acting as an FM antenna), the quality on all these channels goes up to 100 and everything is fine.
I have fiddled with the back of the box to check for bad connections there. I have also rerouted the cable multiple times to avoid sitting near all other cables. It seems quite random.
I'm suspecting the Humax HD box may have a problem with it's aerial in (dodgy solder joint / something else). That would hold if it did it for all channels, but the rest are rock solid at 100 quality.
The other option is I fitted an HDMI switch box just before all this started. Before that I'd had zero problems for years on all these channels. I completely removed the HDMI switch and left the Humax plugged directly into the TV with no other devices, but the problems still remained.
So I've narrowed it down a bit - but am still confused. If it makes any difference, the aerial has (and has had for around 4 years) a masthead amplifier powered via the 5v on the Humax. That is working fine.
Has anyone got any ideas how to solve this? I'm getting a bit lost in it, but maybe I just can't see the wood for the trees - and I'm sure there are far more experienced people than me.
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steve's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Iain
1:03 PM
Kilmacolm
1:03 PM
Kilmacolm
Steve: My Humax 9300T has an inbuilt Co-ax tester which alerts you if you have a short in the aerial circuit.I'm guessing that your newer model will also have this feature so perhaps you can eliminate this as contributing to the fault.Have you by any change workmen or gardeners using Two Stroke Power Tools nearby today? This can sometimes give intermittent interference. BIt of a long shot but I get that here sometimes.
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Iain's: mapI's Freeview map terrainI's terrain plot wavesI's frequency data I's Freeview Detailed Coverage
S
steve2:17 PM
Glasgow
Iain: Thanks for the suggestions. I will make sure about the short circuit, but I think it is fine. No power tools I'm afraid. This has been going on constantly for around a week :-(
I was thinking about shelling out for a fully screened fly lead in case the one I have is causing it, but I have tried with 3 different fly leads with the same result.
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steve's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Iain
2:58 PM
Kilmacolm
2:58 PM
Kilmacolm
Steve: If you have reverted to your original set up configuration, including the original fly lead, prior to introducing the HDMI Switch/Box. Can you, whilst leaving the TV switched on; switch off the Humax using the rocker switch at the rear of the box; leave it for a couple of minutes and switch it on again. The Screen with show you the Humax fire up sequence and any coax short circuit before showing the last channel viewed.Failing that a complete factory reset might clear things but if you do this you will lose any listed recording schedules( NOT your recordings just the schedules). Of course you may have already done this.
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Iain's: mapI's Freeview map terrainI's terrain plot wavesI's frequency data I's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
Mike Dimmick3:29 PM
Reading
steve: If signals are bad on C55, C59 and C65 but good on the others, the most likely explanation is that you have a Group B aerial, covering only channels 35-53, rather than a wideband. A Group E semi-wideband, covering channels 35-68 is recommended before switchover.
The HD service will be worse affected than Mux C and D because it's half the power, and requires more than twice as much power as those multiplexes do. (This page shows this for Mux 2 and A, which also use a mode requiring more power than Mux 1, B, C and D, but not for the HD mux.)
However, at switchover, all services move into Group B, so I wouldn't bother for just two more months (plus two weeks - only BBC SD services move on the first day, HD services don't move until 22 June).
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Mike's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Saturday, 9 April 2011
D
darryl mccoy3:29 PM
Balerno
Have a problem receiving HD mux from blackhill which has me confounded. It should be on channel 59. Am based in Edinburgh.
Am using a new Sony HD Freeview+ receiver which tunes all the SD muxes no problem.
Receiving the Mux's on ch55 and 65 no problem, so I guess aerial is ok.
What mode is this mux running? Is there something I can check?
| link to this comment |
darryl's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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