Full Freeview on the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.237,-2.626 or 51°14'12"N 2°37'33"W |  | BA5 3LB |
The symbol shows the location of the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter which serves 720,000 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 Mendip (Somerset, England) mast?
Mendip transmitter - Mendip transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 11/11/2024 Pixelation or flickering 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 Mendip 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 Mendip transmitter?
ITV West Country News (East) 0.9m homes 3.4%
from Bristol BS4 3HG, 23km north (11°)
to ITV West region - 61 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with West Country (West)
Are there any self-help relays?
| Cheddar | Transposer | 15 km E Weston-super-Mare | 1674 homes |
| Luccombe | Active deflector | 6 km w Minehead | 38 homes |
How will the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2010 | 2010-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 27 Feb 2018 | |||
| C/D E | E | E | C/D E | C/D E T | W T | W T | |||
| C30 | _local | ||||||||
| C32 | BBCA | ||||||||
| C33 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
| C34 | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C35 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
| C36 | ArqB | ||||||||
| C37 | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
| C48 | SDN | SDN | SDN | SDN | |||||
| C49tv_off | BBCA | BBCA | |||||||
| C51tv_off | LBS | LBS | |||||||
| C52tv_off | ArqB | ArqB | ArqB | ||||||
| C54tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | |||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | ArqA | ArqA | ArqA | COM8tv_off | |||||
| C58tv_off | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | |||
| C61 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | BBCA | |||||
| C64 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves |
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 24 Mar 10 and 7 Apr 10.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 500kW | |
| Analogue 5 | (-6dB) 126kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
| com7 | (-8.4dB) 72.4kW | |
| com8 | (-8.6dB) 69.1kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*, LBS | (-17dB) 10kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Mendip transmitter area
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Thursday, 16 November 2023
C
Chris.SE12:50 PM
Now only ArqA seems on reduced power or the Reserve Antenna.
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Friday, 17 November 2023
T
The_Highwayman3:24 PM
I have lost Arq b, C36 (594.0MHz).
Zero strength bar and 0% quality.
C35 and C48 as well as the other multiplexes are all good.
First noticed Wednesday 15th November 2033, I have since telephoned 03456 50 50 50, the Who to contact for further support at Who to contact for further support | Freeview who claimed there are no reports of problems reported.
If you are missing this multiplex, Please DO report it on phone 03456 50 50 50 or it will never get fixed !
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C
Chris.SE6:53 PM
The_Highwayman:
Mendip appears to have been having engineering work continuing this week as more detailed in the 3 posts before yours (whatever Freeview advice have been saying!).
If you a re in Bristol, you are north of the transmitter and so I can say that ArqB/COM6 is currently transmitting and appears to be on normal power. I've made several checks this week and not observed any long periods of no signal or breaks but then I'm not monitoring all the time.
You mentioned in a previous post that only one of your receivers is "sensitive enough" to receive the Local mux! As I mentioned in my response to your previous post, you are either in a poor reception area, but again as you haven't given a full postcode I can't advise on that,
OR of course you have some issue with your aerial installation,
There is a 3rd possibility, and that is interference from a new/upgraded phone mast.
Have you had a postcard from RestoreTV, put your postcode into this page on their website to check
https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
If the answer is YES, then you need a Free filter from them - it's more commonly known as a 5G / 700MHz filter.
If you post back with a full postcode, we may be able to give further advise.
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C
Chris.SE6:56 PM
The_Highwayman:
Forgot to add, did you retune when you had no signal? That's never advised as it usually just clears your correct tuning, you can't tune to a signal that is not there.
Try a MANUAL Retune of C36.
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Saturday, 18 November 2023
T
The_Highwayman2:07 AM
Arq b, C36 (594.0MHz) is back for me !
Thanks to anyone who made the requested telephone call.
Chris.SE: thanks for your advice. Yes, I do have weak Local MUX. I suspect it's a matter of a contract logarithmic aerial that gives medium / 48% strength & 100% quality on CH35; CH48 and now restored CH36.6.
Yes, I did retune. Manual on C36 returned same results of Zero strength bar and 0% quality. I didn't retune today, but noticed SID 12 'QUEST' worked just fine.
I appreciate the Free filter suggestion, even though No postcard - I already got one bought when 4G threatened, 800Mhz, so the 700Mhz for 5G will be welcome.
For reference purposes I am in Bristol, post code BS5 9 ... and that's all you get !
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C
Chris.SE3:48 AM
The_Highwayman:
I don't suppose anyone made a phone call as I'm sure they would have posted here had they read the post and were getting no ArqB signal. The fact is that ArqB (nor any other multiplex) had been off-air for any sustained period this week, there may have been very short breaks (seconds) when there's been switching to the Reserve Antenna or Reduced power which appears to have affected several multiplexes at times. It would be interesting to know what your reception of AyqA was like at this time.
Reception predictors don't work with partial postcodes, so you'll have to go and check yourself, all I can say is, that the general Locale will have many spots that will have poor reception from Mendip due to their general elevation being quite low and not having line-of-sight to Mendip and possible obstructions from other buildings etc. Transmitter operation on the Reserve Antenna will make matters worse, it being lower down the mast.
There will be many places in the Locale that apart from having clear line-of-sight to Ilchester Crescent also appear to do so for Kings Weston and Mendip!! However I'd suggest you check out the possibility of using Ilchester Crescent for more reliable reception (aerial rods vertical).
The area is of course full of mobile masts, even if you haven't had a postcard (plenty of cases where people haven't but should have) I'd be surprised if that check didn't claim a YES.
If you get the 700MHz Filter it will clobber 4G as well so you won't need both filters.
But you might also want to consider upgrading your aerial, maybe a high gain Group K log-periodic (eg. a BLA-LP56K). Whether that'll do may depend a bit on the gain of your current LP. Higher gain may be needed, but if Ilchester Crescent is an option then the BLA-LP28K or your existing LP may do.
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Monday, 20 November 2023
S
Sim B8:14 PM
Looking for some advice - recently very high error rate on the D3+4 PSB2 and all channels now pixelated. PSB1 working totally fine on all channels. Signal strength on PSB1 and PSB 2 similar could this be local interference from something not there previously - in in GL19 4 so a reasonable distance away from Mendip
Any thoughts or advice gratefully received
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C
Chris.SE10:10 PM
Sim B:
It could be anything to be quite frank. As mentioned in the previous post, and umpteen times around this site, reception predictors don't work on partial postcodes. GL19 4 is a very large area with extremely variable terrain. Reception may vary from zero to quite good despite the distance.
Also we can't check if you may be susceptible to interference from a new/upgraded phone mast using 700MHz (5G/4G+). It could be you should have had a postcard from RestoreTV but haven't (we've encountered a number of such cases).
Check you are correctly tuned to Mendip's UHF channels as listed in the section at the very top of this page.
Please give the signal strength and Error figures for each UHF multiplex as well as your full postcode.
Do check some obvious things such as is your aerial looking intact and still pointing as it was, is the coax secure and not flapping in the wind? Check all accessible coax connections and ensure there's no corrosion or water. Sometimes these sort of problems can affect one multiplex without an observable effect on the others.
Do you have any amp and/or splitter maybe to feed more than one set?
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Sunday, 26 November 2023
B
Bristol_Rich9:31 AM
Grateful for some pointers...
I've a loft mounted aerial, tuned into Mendip - no historical issues.
Watching tv Friday night no problems, yet Saturday morning I can only receive BBC channels, all others are 100% strength 0% quality - Chanel idents and EPG available - broken sound no image.
Have checked aerial for damage and no obvious signs of damage, post code checker reports no problems.
Thoughts?
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C
Chris.SE3:22 PM
Bristol_Rich:
I wouldn't rely on the postcode checker for problems I'm afraid, it's not always accurate.
Without your full postcode to look at your predicted reception, it's not possible to give any specific suggestions.
You mention 100% signal strength, do you have an amp or amp/splitter. If so, and it has variable gain, turn it down a touch so that the strength drops to just below 100%. Too much signal can be as bad a s a very weak signal with similar results.
There was a little bit of Tropospheric Ducting around yesterday morning, but that should have cleared by now.
Have a read of my previous half dozen posts on the Mendip transmitter page, any of the main content of which could be applicable, but pay particular attention to NOT retuning when you have no signal/badly pixellated pictures/broken sound, if you were correctly tuned initially.
Also to the possibility of mobile mast interference.
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