In message , Cap'n
wrote


I'm just moving into a new flat, and after finding out my TV couldn't
get CH5, looked into the 'Freeview' thing (only had terrestrial
before). Looked like there were some cheapie ones out there, so checked
my postcode on the Freeview website. 'Nope' it said, 'you'll need to
get a new aerial to use Freeview'. Bugger.

The post code checker assumes that you have an aerial of a certain type
that may only be covering only a limited range of transmitter channels.
This grouping may be okay for analogue channels but digital may be
transmitted on channels outside of this band.

Every transmitter is different. On some transmitters no change in aerial
is required whereas on others a different group aerial is needed for
digital. However, some people may already have fitted suitable aerials
(to get analogue Channel 5 is some areas for instance) or they are
pointing at a different transmitter to that assumed by the post code
checker.

The post code checkers also are very pessimistic in their predictions. I
live in the shadow of some nearby tall buildings and according to one
post code checker I cannot get Freeview. I can, from Crystal Palace I
can get all channels but during certain weather conditions not reliably.
Turning my aerial to Bluebell Hill gets all channels reliably. Bluebell
Hill requires a wideband aerial whereas a Group A aerial will have been
okay for Crystal Palace..


Well, I went ahead & bought one anyway. It works perfectly! Maybe my
building already had a new aerial? It was from one of those Cash
Generator places. Factory refurb. Box said Matsui, unit says
'Techwood'. Quick Start guide in box (easy setup), but no 'Main User
Guide' (which it mentions - maybe I can download it?) £29.99.


You may have found that this is the price for a new box from the Dixons
chain.

OT: I pass two 'cash converters' type establishments on the way to my
local pub. Do people really pay the advertised price for the second hand
goods that they sell? Perhaps people are fooled into thinking that the
selling price will be cheap because these shops trade on people
desperately needing quick money and the buy in price may be a very small
fraction of the worth of the goods. In the real world the selling price
is often the same, or exceeds, the price of a new item from elsewhere!

Links:

Post code checker
http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?

If you click on the link in the resulting table (table heading OS grid
ref) you will get a diagram of the terrain between you and the
transmitter. You need a Postscript viewer to see the picture. A small
utility can be downloaded from
http://www.rops.org/
Version 5.3 is 350kbytes and is free.

Another post code checker
http://www.dtg.org.uk/consumer/coverage.html

Transmitter information (giving channel numbers for digital)

http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/transmitters.html



--
Alan
news2005 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com