should the government pay for my vast box??? long rant ahead...

[Ozzyjim]

I think so... Well maybe not the government but either the ACMA or Broadcast Australia (my "target").. I would like to know what you guys think so here is my story...


For MANY years I have been living in a crappy area for tv reception, with the advent of digital the local MP fought to get a translator installed to improve our reception... HOOORAAAY... We had a new antenna with new RG6 quad installed throughout the house and it all worked great for 12-18 months.. October 2012 rolls around during a F1 race and network 10 hits the crapper pixelating everywhere constantly for around 5 minutes has a short break then repeat. I had to hand the network 10 techs number out to neighbours that were complaining to me about the issue also before the problem got fixed around xmas / new years 2012.. That is when I applied for and was granted full vast activation... EVER SINCE THEN the seven network has been dropping out to no signal for 3-5 sec at regular intervals.. I have kept complaining to the seven network and Broadcast Australia (who manage the site maintenance) and they have NOT fixed the problem.. several neighbours are also saying they get the same thing but will NOT call the network.. Network 7 did send a van out with techs who said they got good signal outside our house and didn't see any problems. ACMA did tests and supposedly everything was so much worse in our house to even just outside our house.. The signal is excellent 99% of the time but now about every 3.5 hours no signal and you can actually time it to within about 15-20 minutes, of course network 7 and ACMA did not want to hang around to witness the problem and BA say the site alarms do not match the times I have given them for the "no signal".. BA and ACMA have gotten together and said they recommend me to use a terrestrial tv / VAST hybrid system (as of about October 2013).. Now the ACMA has NO officers here in south Aust to be able to keep an eye out for the problem and do not seem interested in it any further, but did agree that if I could prove it was a fault or a interference issue affecting more than just a small cluster of houses I should contact them again... I guess I will have to spend MY time / effort with a tv receiver out near the tower and in other areas while someone stays at home just to verify the fault is wide spread.. BA have told me they will NOT pay for the VAST equipment and was going to send me a letter back start? November but the lady never did and is away til 6 or 7 jan.. I think I will still fight for compensation tho as it is THEIR lack of maintenance why I paid for VAST AND have to do BA AND ACMA's job of finding the source of the interference...

rant over..

[LeroyPatrol]

If others were having issues why aren't they complaining? I'd just buy a vast box and get over it.

Leroy

[Rick]

pensioner??

[Ozzyjim]

Yea others are having trouble and having spoken to the antenna installer he states it is a wide problem with people saying about it to him but that they probably put up with it as it was better than when using the original VHF transmitter site. The installers wife says they have no problem???.. I called a 2nd installer out and he said he could not improve anything from what there is already but that he would not warranty any work done (if he did any) given the read outs from his meters..

I have purchased the VAST box in oct 2012 when the 10 network was so bad as a choice so I could watch the rest of the F1 season before they decided to fix the problem.. I just now think that they should pay considering there is a problem there that nobody really seems worried about fixing, the 10 network signal strength and quality for the past 4-5 months has been jumping around like a kid with add sometimes but perfect others. The 9 network has also had some problems with strength / quality.. My thought is that if like 2012 a component is going out of spec, due to their lack of interest it may fail totally..

In 2012 when the 10 network was so bad it actually took nearly 2 weeks for enough people to complain for them to investigate the problem (or so they say)..

And yes I am a pensioner but I am 29 and on a disability support pension, one of the problems I have is ocd, and I have invested many thousands of dollars in different stb's pvr's dvd recorders and 2 tvs of different brands and models trying to find the ones with better tuners etc so if I have done EVERYTHING I can to get perfect tv and there is a fault they ignore it really f**k* me off, honestly if they used a wifi link for anything I'd just shut em down for payback..

[viewer]

I 100% doubt you will get any compensation, as the issue is only tv, and the user is expected to pay if they want to watch. If you don't , then you have to opt out.

I sympathy with your problem 100%, as I am also in a problem area, and had to change to satellite tv 10-15 years ago, in the days of analogue. Digital came, I got everything replaced by a good reputable antenna technician, but alas, pixelation remained a problem he could not resolve, after many repeated attempts to do so.

If you cannot get additional support from your neighbours, or a petition to present, then you are on a hiding to nothing.

Vast is your alternative, albeit you need one vast box per room you view in, and at approx. $275 a pop, plus installation costs of a dish and cabling. That is much more cost than a terrestrial viewer who can simply put a $40 digital box( providing they have the outlets) in each room.

Sometimes tv just sucks...you would not believe in this day and age, that reception issues anywhere should be a problem, but they are.....

[Seymour Butts]

Short answer in my opinion is 'NO'. The Govt, and associated agencies, pay for far too much as it is and too be honest my taxes can no longer afford it.

Might I suggest that if you have the funds to purchase (Sorry I cannot see any of this as an investment) thousands of dollars of electronic equiptment, then pensioner or not is irrelevant, simply research the subject and if required purchase a new (better) VAST package if you are actualy in the defined parameters of the VAST system. I'm am a little confused (Not unusual at my age) but you speak of both antenna installers and the VAST system, one being terrestrial and one being satellite, could it be you are attempting to aquire the best of both worlds and then expect someone else to pay for it?

[admin]

For anyone that thinks we have it too hard, I would suggest they take a look at what is required in a large part of the world to be allowed to watch TV. You need to pay a licence to watch TV.



Personally I think the "whinging pom" has nothing on the "gimmee australian" these days.

[LeroyPatrol]

You already have a VAST box so what kind of compensation would you like? I would just move on since you already have a box.
Get a second box activated for WA so you can watch the F1 every race in full HD on One. (It's not on One live anymore only SD 10)

Leroy

[mtv]

I applied for and was granted full vast activation... EVER SINCE THEN the seven network has been dropping out to no signal for 3-5 sec at regular intervals.

So you are saying that seven on VAST has an issue?

I don't see what BA and terrestrial TX sites have to do with VAST.

I've checked all SA VAST signals and they are all fine.

If you have an issue, it's likely your installation, or a source on interference in your home.

[viewer]

Following on from your last post Jim, you already have Vast, so your viewing problem was solved.

Your case is really no different to all of us whom has invested in Vast, and we paid ourselves for that right, even though it is an unfair playing field.

If everyone wanted compensation for bad reception problems, I'd hate to think of the cost to taxpayers....I certainly wouldn't support it, and I am in your same situation, but a taxpayer, and not a SS recipient.

[Ozzyjim]

Lol if I had to pay for a tv license, I wouldn't bother with most of the crap that is on now.. As far as I can see there is NO benefit if you live in a area like me that should have perfect dvb-t reception to use vast.. well other than LP's suggestion, and the fact I didn't have to switch between 7 and 7mate to see all the v8 race complete in Sydney. .. With VAST I cannot get local programming so it is a waste for ads, news etc.. It wouldn't be so bad I guess if I could have used my existing sat receiver, but having to use another box too, I leave it disconnected now only connect for important things (V8's haha)...

Is the F1 live on any other bird anymore?..

It's just stupid that If I take a receiver to the tower and 1.2km the other side of the tower and experience the same fault they will fix it doing their work for them.. Supposedly the letter I am waiting on from BA includes all the work they have done to try and fix the issue, yet when I called BA's network operations centre they said the only work on the computer was a temp transmitter for 9 months at the site !!!..

sound like I hold a grudge much

[Ozzyjim]

So you are saying that seven on VAST has an issue?

I don't see what BA and terrestrial TX sites have to do with VAST.

I've checked all SA VAST signals and they are all fine.

If you have an issue, it's likely your installation, or a source on interference in your home.

Sorry mate, no probs on vast signal

[Antennaman]

So you are saying that seven on VAST has an issue?

I didn't read it that way.


Unless I miss something, whereabouts is Ozzyjim exactly?

Don't say SA, I read that, SA's a pretty big place, a town might help.

[Ozzyjim]

I am in Craigmore... We used the mt lofty transmitter for years with heaps of problems like everyone else but it was all fixed for a short time with the new translator on Uley Rd.. Talking about complaints to networks tho, I was watching Lois Theroux one night and every 8-9 minutes that would drop to no signal for 3-4 sec than back again, I kept switching back to it for an hour or so and it still was doing it.. around 10am the next morning I called the ABC as it was still doing it and they had no other complaints strong sig level / quality then nothing... about 12pm I called them again to say there was no longer the problem evident but the strength / quality was now jumping around.. Turns out the Grenfell Centre TX Site had been re-stacked and that was interfering with Mt Lofty TX site and as the Uley Rd Translator only re-broadcast Mt Lofty on UHF it killed that too... Or so they said..

[viewer]

I think you will find that most commercial broadcasters will listen to your problem, and endeavour to help.

When our area switched to digital via Mt Moombil in northern NSW and were experiencing teething difficulties, all the broadcasters were glad to hear from us, and always returned our calls, sometimes speaking with their local broadcast engineers directly. I found them most helpful and eager to resolve issues.

In many instances, our problems were with 7 (Prime) and 10 (Southern Cross)....we were in constant contact at some stages, and they had a number of dedicated other viewers in other locations, whom sourced information from, to see if it was a localised problem, or actual transmitter problem that needed addressing....I was suitably impressed with the service received.

Perhaps a personal visit to one of those offices, with a spirit of willingness to co-operate, be polite, and coherently explain your findings, would be a good use of your time, and perhaps help to resolve your reception problems. In fact, if you also had information on hand with you, from your antenna installer, of which array ( antenna used), your cabling, amplifier if used, splitter details etc, and some readings from when he did your job, that would also be helpful.

Good luck....keep us informed.

[Rick]

Short answer in my opinion is 'NO'. The Govt, and associated agencies, pay for far too much as it is and too be honest my taxes can no longer afford it.

Here here!

[Ozzyjim]

Gday mate, I have been in contact with the chief technical officer (I think that's what he is called) from the 7 network before they sent out their van.. Basically after talking to him he said that when the 2 crew did a drive around the area they reported lots of people with different antennas pointin in different directions.. There are really only the people using VHF antennas still on Mt Lofty and a lot of people using the same UHF antenna as us for our local translator.. there are a few that are using different styled antennas that have done self installs, even one who has change his VHF from horiz to vertical pol and aimed to at our uhf translator with excellent results.. The crew only raised the mast on their van with their antenna and said yup we get a picture with no pixilation, no interest at measuring signal levels inside from our points or testing from our antenna.. Network 7 co-operation seemed to cease there..

I do have a zip file full of screen captures that the ACMA took off their test equipment if anybody is interested. Measurement points were in house, across the st (outside) and near the Uley Rd translator..

I have also used a crappy Omni antenna I got with a usb tuner with my tv and got the same dropouts so I know it is not related to our antenna (that and neighbours have said to me about their problems)...

I just cannot understand WHY they complain to me but not the network????

[viewer]

It is frustrating when other users don't bother to keep chasing up on these type of things, but a voice in the wilderness ( you alone) is little to move things along.

The only thing I can suggest to you is to try to type up a letter, and take it to your neighbours to see, asking that if they agree with the contents, that they agree to sign and name their addresses on such, and present this to the broadcasters.

You could also submit that to your local Federal and State MHR's, and ask for assistance in seeking a resolution. People/company's, have a tendency to start to listen when contacted by politicians.

[viewer]

Try some of these links for your right translator etc


A helpful forum

[viewer]

note the correct antenna