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Middle Brother Digital television


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  • 9 months later...
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  • 2 months later...
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is there any truth in the rumour that middle brother will be upgraded around march '09. reception in my area (wooton) has been going downhill over the last 12 months, don't know if it is environmental or not.

wacko

If you're talking analogue - No

Reason - the analogue transmitters are gradually having their power output ramped down to:

1. extend the life of the existing equipment (particularly High Power Aural and Vision transmission valves/tubes) do no capital expenditure is incurred on them between now and switchoff - so you will experience a deterioration in the analogue (PAL) tv reception over time as the transmission engineers decrease the power output of the sites to around a half power (e.g. 20000 Watts down to 8 or 9000 Watts PEP at some sites) - and as a result it will get progressively worse the further you are from the transmission site/s up to 2012 switch off - so expect more ghosting, squiggly lines and snow on those analogue tv sets.

2. To coerse the general population to increase the take up of DVB set top boxes and HDTV's.

Middle Brother is somewhat uniques in that most of the analogue frequency allocations were/are VHF, and that Band is also what the Digital transmissions were allocated and as such the digital transmissions experience the cliff effect at shorter distances from the transmitter and obstacles such as mountains and trees and things have a greater effect on disturbing the electromagnetic tv transmission signal. You'll find that there are lot more digital deadspots down Taree way and inland from MB.

You might need to improve your existing TV Antenna reception system as I'd expect the the other technical solution of all of the channel allocations becoming UHF and the new transmitters to accomadate that are Pie in the Sky wishful thinking.

E&OE

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ENG-01

Interesting.

I wonder how many sites are involved in power reduction.

Digital will look crystal clear!

Another major difference for the Middle Brother site is the use of vertical polarisation for the VHF channels. Whilst VHF is better for the terrain, the use of vertical polarisation makes phased arrays a better antenna except for blocked paths. Phased arrays particularly large ones are expensive and heavy!

Adding a horizontally polarised band 5 signal to the mix just adds to the viewer's costs.

The ACMA has gone this way because they wish to minimise interference with Sydney transmiiters on the same channels, hence the vertical polarisation.

The change of some networks to VHF will help and NRN (Southern Cross) going down to channel 44 will help.

The use by SBS Digital of channel 9A will be interesting, because DAB+ Digital radio will start in Sydney on 1st May 2009. Instead of the testing power of 12 kW used upto now, they will be using 50 kW.

These radio channels are within TV channel 9A. They will both be vertically polarised.

These 272 km apart with bearing of 210 ° from Middle Brother site.

AlanH

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ENG-01

Interesting.

I wonder how many sites are involved in power reduction.

Digital will look crystal clear!

Another major difference for the Middle Brother site is the use of vertical polarisation for the VHF channels. Whilst VHF is better for the terrain, the use of vertical polarisation makes phased arrays a better antenna except for blocked paths. Phased arrays particularly large ones are expensive and heavy!

Adding a horizontally polarised band 5 signal to the mix just adds to the viewer's costs.

The ACMA has gone this way because they wish to minimise interference with Sydney transmiiters on the same channels, hence the vertical polarisation.

The change of some networks to VHF will help and NRN (Southern Cross) going down to channel 44 will help.

The use by SBS Digital of channel 9A will be interesting, because DAB+ Digital radio will start in Sydney on 1st May 2009. Instead of the testing power of 12 kW used upto now, they will be using 50 kW.

These radio channels are within TV channel 9A. They will both be vertically polarised.

These 272 km apart with bearing of 210 ° from Middle Brother site.

AlanH

Thanks Alan for filling in the technical gaps on Middle Brother.

In so far as ramping down of analogue transmitters are concerned - I can't attest to all broadcasters following this modus operandi - but generally speaking, where one goes the others are likely to follow...

As it stands, one transmitter that I have first hand knowledge of have been ramped down about 25% for the reasons I outlined - mainly preservation until switch off - I know of at least one other that has been backed off a bit but I dare say there are others that I haven't been involved with, which might include Middlebrother but I'm confident Moombil hasn't as it is a major signal hub (South - West & North) for some (if not all) broadcasters.

I can't state in this forum which broadcaster and which site/s as that might be libellous, but I can say that one is a major transmitter way out west NSW on a BA site with a view that extends to the Queensland border. :winky:

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Eng_01

Please keep your anonymity on the public area of this site.

I can see the logic of this arguement, however it may be limited where off air translators are used.

I suppose most ABC/SBS low powered repeaters in regional areas which are not remote, are not off air but satellite fed.

AlanH

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  • 3 months later...

Does anyone have an email contact address for SC10? I can only find a physical address on the SC10 website.

I fell the need to vent my frustration to them regarding the whole HD content & OneHD delays... I love this quote from their site...

The company's Network Ten affiliate stations operate in Victoria, southern and northern New South Wales and Queensland, with a potential reach of over 28% of the Australian population or 5.7 million people

5.7 million!, get your **** together SC10!

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This is not the place for this Post, but I need help.

I cannot start a topic, it comes back no permission!!!

So what have I tried,

1) Contacting Forum Admin, for weeks-----no result.

2) My Assistant--No result.

If Admin reads this, Please Help.

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This is not the place for this Post, but I need help.

I cannot start a topic, it comes back no permission!!!

So what have I tried,

1) Contacting Forum Admin, for weeks-----no result.

2) My Assistant--No result.

If Admin reads this, Please Help.

you need 5 posts before you can start a topic

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  • 2 weeks later...

Was it just me, or did anyone else lose all VHF channels around 10 minutes ago (1:10am). I was watching the AFL footy show, switched to 10HD to watch the pretty loop during the ads, and came back to no signal on all VHF channels. Thought it may be the PX80A, checked the CRT & PVR out the back, only to get the same thing..... :blink:

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