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

[Ozzyjim]

The antenna looks like a cheap model that is known to deteriorate. (not that cost matters as much as long as it works)

The driven element looks bent... just an optical illusion?

A yagi antenna of that type is generally OK for good signal areas.

Other antenna types which 'can' perform better than a yagi in marginal signal situations are the (particularly good for vertical polarised signals, such as those from the Craigmore site)

And the which has excellent BER figures.

There are also narrow-band yagi antennas which are designed to reduce signals outside of the operating frequency range they are tuned for.

It it also vitally important that not only the most suitable antenna for a given installation location is selected by comparative testing, but that the mounting position of the antenna is also selected for optimum performance.

Did both installers you used actually perform a comprehensive site signal test with different antennas to determine the best mounting location and height?

Many installers fail to do this, just installing the cheapest antenna in the easiest, quickest and cheapest mounting option.

Many installers just use the same antenna for every job in a particular area.... however, what works well for your neighbour, does not necessarily mean it's the best option for you.

A lot of additional signals now occupy what used to be part of the UHF TV band, such as LTE.

It's possible some of these signals are causing some interference.

A simple inexpensive LTE filter generally solves that problem.

All of these things individually can cause reception issues, but when combined, increase unreliability.

Craigmore was a terrible area for reception from the main Mt Lofty transmitters, which is why the translators were established.

With the exception of any transmission site issues, reception from those translators has always proved to be excellent with any antenna installations I have done in the area.

Once again, it's impossible to know exactly what the signals are doing at your location without being there to test them, but I suspect part of the issue is with your reception and not just all transmission related.

From memory (it's raining at the mo) the element is fine and would just be a result on looking up and to an angle toward the antenna.

I had mentioned the LTE problem to ACMA investigators and they didn't think that was it..

mtv - Have you found the Zip I sent you?



Just trying to clear things up into a list.

Both Installers used test equipment and different antennas while walking around the roof to find the best mounting location, the second installer I called in to recheck everything even went through checking VHF from Mt Lofty again.

At the moment the no signal events seem to be sporadic and no frequency pattern to them

Friday? There was a large amount of no signal events in a short time - clear weather

When the tower failed it changed the frequency of the no signal events

When they did maintenance it changed the frequency of no signal events

Neighbours have the problem at the SAME TIME as us

NO SIGNAL events happen at the base of the tower AT THE SAME TIME AS OUR HOUSE 1.2KM AWAY

Network 7 and 10 seem to be the main culprits, though they are the main ones we watch

Broadcast Australia HAVE ADMITTED A FAULT EXISTS

It has happened on a number of occasions that there will be no pattern to the no signal events - then for some reason a pattern starts to emerge

We never experienced ANY problems until the 10 network had a major failure and just kept pixelating, All this seemed to start after the faulty transmitter module was replaced.


I am probably forgetting something but that is what I can think of for now.

WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SAYING IT IS MY RECEPTION WHEN I KEEP SAYING IT HAPPENS AT THE TOWER AND BA HAVE ADMITTED A FAULT??????

[lsemmens]

It looks like may aerials are both pointed at Mt Lofty which is LOS from my rooftop. Though, as you have observed, some installers seem to have taken the easy way out. The analogue aerial is mounted on top of my chimney and has clear line of sight whilst the digital is mounted about 3' lower on the barge board and has a few trees nearby that tend to obscure vision of the TX. Signal does get flaky on occasion, but I have yet to lose signal completely.

[Ozzyjim]

I do feel sorry for a female That sounds like she is maybe inexperienced at BA who answered my call Friday. She had a male commenting to her telling her what to say and the repetition of We DONT DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC and WE ONLY DEAL WITH SBS AND ABC SERVICES Well that is wrong at site 5073 they maintain ALL services but would not listen and did not seem to believe me about this sign:




I have tried to be patient but it is hard when they don't listen and bark through someone who doesn't know any better.. maybe I should try the local number listed - not just the network operation centre..

[Ozzyjim]

Just to be fair here is a letter I got from BA 8/jan/14 but please bear in mind I have since found the problem happening AT THE SITE and THEY ADMITTED A PROBLEM AT THE SITE

so I say it was a bs letter to fob me off

Mr James XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX St
Craigmore 5114
18 November 2013
Dear Mr XXXXXXXXXXXX

Thank you for your phone call on Wednesday 6 November 2013.
You have advised Broadcast Australia (BA) previously that you have experienced some intermittent reception issues for Channel 7 at your home. While the majority of Australians receive TV signals from local transmission towers, there have always been, and will continue to be, places that cannot get a good or reliable signal from a tower. Households can fall into these ‘blackspot’ areas for a broad range of reasons, usually unrelated to the transmission itself. For these households the VAST service has been established.
BA has, in good faith, tried to resolve your reception issue at BA’s Craigmore transmission site in case there was a problem at the site with BA’s equipment. I have outlined below the steps taken since you first contacted our office with your reception issue:

19 December 2012
The Broadcast Australia Field Service team (BAFS) changed input antenna feeds at the Craigmore Transmission site and installed a different front end receiver on the Channel Seven transmission.

 3 May 2013
BAFS removed the existing transmitter and installed a different type of transmitter to test if issues related to the particular model.

 14 August 2013
BAFS installed a replacement of the original transmitter while the original ran in a controlled test at the District Maintenance Workshop.

 28 August 2013
BAFS installed a receiver at the Grenfell Centre (NSW) site to monitor the Channel Seven signal from Mt Lofty (SA).

 30 August 2013
Following the lack of any discernible change at the resident’s home from these separate trials, the original transmitter was returned to service.

 17 October 2013
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) reported to Broadcast Australia that they were unable to find anything wrong during the visit to XXXXXXXX St, Craigmore or during subsequent off-air monitoring of the BA transmission site.
In the investigation of your problem (undertaken at BA’s cost), BA has replaced the entire equipment chain for the Channel Seven service. Having completed this, and finding no difference to your level of service, we have concluded that it is not BA’s broadcast transmission equipment at Craigmore that is causing your transmission issues. BA has no responsibility for your reception problem beyond the steps which it has already taken.
If you have any further questions, you will need to direct them to the ACMA.

Kind regards

Emma Rackley
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Broadcast Australia

Also just of note reading through this again it states ACMA found nothing wrong at our house?????

If I can find the zip file on my hdd I will try and upload the pics individually - but that is A LOT of pics.

[mtv]

True ACMA did say they were much worse inside the house than outside

OK, I found the file and looked at the measurements.

The results of the signal tests taken outside are all very good to excellent.... no problems there.

The results of the signal tests taken inside your home are poor, with some so bad I was surprised they even managed to lock at all.

This is a clear indication there is an issue with your reception.

From those figures, I can't possibly see how an installer could tell you your signals are OK.

I am not disputing there has been an issue with transmission at times BUT... when the ACMA took those signal measurements, the transmitted signals were fine, the test measurements taken outside prove that beyond doubt.

The measurements taken from inside your house were very poor.

Those figures do not lie.

So how do you explain that?

You seem hell-bent on blaming transmission faults for everything and not accepting you have some issue with reception within your own home.

I can only go by the readings I see, as can any engineer, investigator, or installer.

All I can suggest to you is that if you are still of the belief that ALL of your reception problems are because of transmission issues and that BA and ACMA are doing nothing about it, is to get a petition together from all the affected residents in your area and take it to the State Ombudsman.

Good luck, let's know how you get on.

[Ozzyjim]

I saw the reading in the file, but was just surprised what ba had in their letter that ACMA found nothing wrong in their visit.. All I can say tho is that it cant be a issue in our house (even if it is not anywhere near 100%) if it cuts out the same at the tower... I have been told to contact the TIO in the past but they only deal with phone and internet... Seems like it stops with ACMA... I would be ok if it was just our house or just a small block of us having problems (though I think I would have buried the person interfering with it)... I cannot recall what service(s) were being affected when ACMA visited I believe it was when the 10 network was "prancing" up and down in quality. I have had quite a lot of pics and even video of where signal strength / quality on the basic meters on the tv are all 100% for hours to days on end, then for some reason it starts jumping around..

I have a video I can email you that I had emailed a tech at network 10 back on 21/11/2012 showing the varied signal strength / quality and 2 complete drop outs.. At the moment we have had no dropouts today and it is perfectly stable all green.

I agree if there is a lower quality signal at the house that we would be susceptible to interference, and have noted it from a few sources when the signal is weaker...

I have asked ACMA if there was any monitoring / logging tools I could run to keep a better look at things but they say no..

So I ask you if you know of any.... I have many USB and PCI / PCI Express TV tuners along with computers running Linux and windows (98se all upto windows 10)

The ACMA technician was at our house for about 20 minutes or so? and could only get a small sample - I would have thought, given the varied nature a larger sample would be better over a couple of days..

[gordon_s1942]

Sorry about the misunderstanding regarding YOUR location which should be so good as to just need a 'wet piece of string' hung out to receive the signals.
I am wondering where and how your Translator receives the signal to rebroadcast because it is possible your Translator is NOT at fault BUT the incoming signal is !!!
Years ago the local translator here received the signal OFF Air from the Main transmitter on ch 8 VHF and during certion conditions in Summer, another Transmitter double the distance away did all sorts of funny things by way of interference being on the same frequency.
When the local channel shut down at night, we then watched this other channel until it closed maybe an hour or two later.
This interfering channel was located over 90 degrees from the direction our translators receiving antenna was pointing.

This is not helping you one bit but its a possibility that when they test your translator, its working within the required specs as they keep quoting.