Full Freeview on the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.324,0.520 or 51°19'25"N 0°31'13"E |  | ME5 9RD |
The symbol shows the location of the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter which serves 200,000 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.
This transmitter has no current reported problems
The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter._______
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
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Bluebell 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
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Bluebell Hill transmitter?
BBC South East Today 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Tunbridge Wells TN1 1QQ, 28km southwest (218°)
to BBC South East region - 45 masts.
ITV Meridian News 0.7m homes 2.7%
from Maidstone ME14 5NZ, 5km south-southeast (155°)
to ITV Meridian (East) region - 36 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with all of Meridian plus Oxford
How will the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2012 | 2012-13 | 19 Jul 2018 | |||||
| E | E | E | W T | W T | |||||
| C21 | _local | ||||||||
| C28 | _local | ||||||||
| C32 | com7 | ||||||||
| C34 | com8 | ||||||||
| C39 | +ArqA | ||||||||
| C40 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | +BBCB | SDN | ||||
| C43 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | ArqA | ||||
| C45 | SDN | BBCB | |||||||
| C46 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | ArqB | ||||
| C54tv_off | ArqB | ||||||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off | ||||||||
| C65 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves |
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 13 Jun 12 and 27 Jun 12.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 30kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-1.8dB) 20kW | |
| com8 | (-7.8dB) 5kW | |
| com7 | (-8.1dB) 4.7kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-10dB) 3kW | |
| Mux 2*, Mux A* | (-11.8dB) 2kW |
Local transmitter maps
Bluebell Hill Freeview Bluebell Hill DAB Bluebell Hill TV region BBC South East Meridian (East micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Bluebell Hill transmitter area
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Thursday, 18 October 2018
MikeP
10:41 AM
10:41 AM
Chris SE:
I am very well qualified as I spent 50 years working in the TV inductry in technical roles, as a Senior Technical Trainer for a large TV rental company before moving to similar roles in other related companies. I also have a Masters Degree in Electronics and Physics. So I am very well qualified to make the comments I do based on both technical knowledge and understanding as well as relevant experience.
Further, you miss the point that we do not know what equipment is being used by the person reporting a problem. So we need a general approach unless a specific question is asked. Further, due to the varying attenuation by the atmosphere we do not know how much their signal varies, as it does on every receiver, so we need to give guidance in such a way as to avoiud the overload conditions whilst still meeting the minimum requirement levels needed by tuners.
I know of instances where a 90% signal strength gives intermittent problems. My younger brother, also an electronics engineer with higher degrees, was suffering from just such a problem and when we checked the strength it was in the 90% range and varying. So a 3dB attenuator was fitted, reducing the signal levels to 84% on most multiplexes and that cured the intermittent sound problem. A family friend was having problems with apparent loss of some channels. All the usual checks were made of the aerial system and the only feature visible was the strength being 96% on the worst affected mux. A 6dB attenuator solved that with a signal strength now showing as 86%.
You asked why I and others so often quote the 60%-85% range, they are examples of why. You assumed I didn't know what I was talking about so I have now corrected your understanding.
QED.
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Monday, 22 October 2018
C
Chris.SE10:12 PM
MikeP:
Quote - "You assumed I didn't know what I was talking about so I have now corrected your understanding. "
I did nothing of the sort, NOR did I state that, NOR did I state that there were not cases where signals greater than 85% gave problems.
You made a statement in another post elsewhere that "any more WILL cause significant problems".
That is patently NOT true, whilst it MIGHT cause a problem in some cases, it won't in all cases.
It's your definitive wording that I'm quibbling with.
I'm certain that there are plenty of others who have posted here (and no doubt elsewhere) that have signal strengths greater than 85% with no issue.
Your post on Tuesday, 16 October 2018 11:24 AM was posted in a tone that assumed I did not understand anything to do with the issues involved, as does your last post. That is arrogant. Nor am I missing any points. I am also a degree qualified engineer (as I indicated in my previous post) with a similar number of years experience with TV and in other electrical & electronic fields.
As stated, I just don't agree with your definitive wording, IMHO you should use that word MIGHT not WILL, "simples" as the saying goes. Now doubt you will carry on using wording of your choice.
Having now thrashed this to death, Endof.
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Tuesday, 23 October 2018
MikeP
11:02 AM
11:02 AM
ChrisSE:
I wonder where you got those quotes from as they do not apear in any of my postings - I am careful not to be so deliberately rude!
Your understanding is different from mine, so please stop trying to change physics.
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Friday, 26 October 2018
C
Chris.SE1:49 AM
MikeP:
I don't believe I've been rude at all, just because I didn't agree with your choice of words.
I have quoted from your posts.
Try reading your post on Monday, 15 October 2018 10:47 AM on the Sudbury transmitter page -
Quote "So start by checking the indicated signal strengths on all the multiplexes. They need to be between 60% and 85%, any more will cause significant problems that can be cured by fitting an attenutator into the aerial cable behind the set ........."
Other "quotes" are from your posts on this transmitter board.
I notice some of your more recent posts have been worded in a way I totally agree with.
As I've said, this has been thrashed to death, so we'll have to agree to disagree.
However one query - what equipment was your younger brother using that had the intermittent sound problem?
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MikeP
11:01 AM
11:01 AM
ChrisSe:
We disagree. End of. Please don't mislead anyone further.
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C
Chris11:38 PM
Chris.SE & MikeP:
Why does my signal drop out when vehicles pass by my house? I live on a busy road and it is worse at rush hour or when a bus goes by. I live within 2km of the transmitter and my signal strength is 70 to 90%. Signal quality 90 to 100% but drops off when traffic passes. Often goes black and displays "No Signal" message. Didn't happen before changes on 19th July 2018. What has changed to cause this? Thanks
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Saturday, 27 October 2018
MikeP
10:52 AM
10:52 AM
Chris:
We need a full post code so that we can see exactly where you are in relation to the transmitter and road. Is the road level above your house?
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Monday, 29 October 2018
C
Chris8:19 PM
Chatham
My postcode is ME5 8UN. The house is at the same level as the road.
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Chris's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE11:40 PM
MikeP:
Why couldn't you answer my question - "However one query - what equipment was your younger brother using that had the intermittent sound problem? " I was genuinely interested!
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Tuesday, 30 October 2018
C
Chris.SE5:58 AM
Chris:
In a reply to one of your previous posts in August, Mike suggested the possibility of too much signal as you are only 2km from the transmitter with which I agree is a possibility. However, as you have mentioned in various posts that this only started happening with HD channels after the July transmitter changes, I think we'll need a lot more information.
The transmitter changes only moved some of the SD muxes around existing UHF channels, the exception being the move of COM7 and 8 to UHF 55 & 56, both of these are DVB-T2 (HD) muxes. Both of those are lower power (no change) than the other 6 muxes.
So, precisely which HD channels are you having a problem with?
How old is your aerial installation, has it been changed in say the last 12 months and have there been any other changes to the installation?
If the coax is old, it may have degraded and/or become damaged.
Have you checked all your internal coax connections/plugs?
Do you know what aerial you have, how big is it and where is it installed?
Is the aerial still pointing in the correct direction, has it moved at all?
Have there been any nearby structural changes to buildings, any scaffolding etc.?
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