Frequently asked questions

I have re-tuned and I have the wrong region or Welsh TV.

The channel frequencies have been moved so your TV aerial maybe picking up a signal from an alternate transmitter.Winter hill (Granada) and Moel-y-parc (Wales) are now very close together so the only option may be to change the aerial for one with a narrow beam width and attenuate out the unwanted signal.You could try un plug the aerial then start a re-tune, then insert the aerial when the regional channels are to be stored.

I have water in my aerial wire / coaxial cable what should I do?

The aerial downlead will need replacing, possibly the aerial too.

Can I run more than one TV/freeview box off my existing aerial?

It all depends on signal strength,if the signal is strong enough a splitter can be used to run extra TV points, if the signal is low then an amplifier can be installed to run multiple TV aerial points from one aerial.

How do you bring a TV aerial wire into the house?

There are a number of ways to do this,on a mature property our Bulwell Aerials engineer would usually drill through an external wall with a 10mm drill,then run the aerial lead through a grommet on the internal wall and sealant on the exterior.If you have wood windows we can bring the aerial wire through the frame,but as the majority of properties now have upvc frames the wall option is the better one.

Can I have a plug in aerial socket fitted?

Yes, there are a few different types of coaxial sockets.There are surface mounted ones that screw to the skirting board, or flush sockets that go onto a back box, that is screwed to the wall, or cut into the plaster board,all these options are neat when installed.

My digital TV aerial has fallen down off its brackets on the chimney,will it still receive a good reception?

If it is facing the transmitter it will probably still receive some channels,but it is advisable to get a Bulwell Aerials engineer out to repair the aerial problem before any more damage is done.

My picture on my digital TV is breaking up/going into squares/pixellating,is this my aerial?

The majority of time yes it is an aerial fault,but sometimes it can be a tuner problem in the digital TV or digi box.If it is an aerial problem it usually points to a weak or poor signal.At Bulwell Aerials all our engineers have spectrum analyser meters to check the signal strength.

I have some channels missing on Freeview, why is this?

The signals are transmitted in what is called a multiplex or mux,each one carries a number of channels,if any of these are weaker than the signal level required for the digital TV/Freeview box to lock onto, the channels carried in that mux will be missing.This then points to an aerial fault.

Can I run more than one satellite receiver off my dish?

Yes,but you have to have a multiple feed Lnb on your satellite dish,they come as quad (4 way) or octo (8 way).You have to remember if you a running a pvr box(recorder) the box will require a twin feed from the dish a standard box will only require a single cable.

What is a wide band aerial?

TV signals are transmitted in a frequency band known as UHF.A wide band aerial covers the whole band width channels 21-69.Different transmitters use different parts of the bandwidth so you can also have what are called grouped aerials,they are split into four different groups and are identified by letter and colour,they are:
A group .Red .channel 21-37
B group. Yellow .channel 35-53
C/D group. Green. channel 48-68
Wideband. Black. channel 21-69

Ofcom has announced that following TV switchover, Digital UK will deliver a government project paving the way for the next generation of mobile services.

The project, starting in late 2012 and continuing through 2013, will see some of the airwaves currently used for Freeview TV signals released for 4G mobile broadband. Viewers in the areas concerned will need to retune their digital televisions and set top boxes to pick up TV channels on their new frequencies.

Re-Tuning

During 2013, changes will be made to Freeview TV signals in certain parts of the country which may require you to retune your digital equipment. Local publicity and on-screen messages will tell you about an upcoming retune in your area and further information

Will it affect me?

About one-in-four UK households are likely to be affected by these changes. They only apply to TVs which get their signal via an aerial, including those connected to a BT Vision or TopUp TV digital box. Satellite and cable services are not affected.

What is retuning?

Retuning instructs your digital TV or box to reload all the channels and services available in your area. You do it using the remote control and it normally only takes a few minutes.

Why are these retunes necessary?

Retuning keeps your digital equipment up to date when new services are launched or there are technical changes to TV signals in your area. In this case, some channels are being moved to new frequencies to make way for new, faster mobile broadband services throughout Europe.

What do I have to do?

Changes at transmitters will often take place overnight but may continue until late afternoon in some areas. if you find you are missing channels once services have been restored, retuning will bring them back. Here are some general retuning instructions, though note that menus and instructions may vary.

• Make sure your Freeview TV or box is on and in digital mode. Press ‘menu’ on your remote control.
• Select the ‘set up’ or ‘installation’ option. If you see picture icons, select the tool box, satellite dish or spanner.
• If you are prompted for a code, try 0000 or 1234.
• Select the full retune option. This is sometimes called ‘first time installation’, ‘factory reset’, ‘default settings’ or ‘shipping conditions’. Do not select ‘channel update’ or ‘add channels’.
• Press ‘OK’ if your equipment asks if you want to delete all your channels. Don’t worry this is normal
• Channels will automatically be installed. This may take a few minutes and your equipment may shut down and restart

What is the difference between a masthead amplifier and a setback amplifier?

A mast head amp usually goes up on the aerial mast, so you can run TV aerial cables from the aerial to multiple points,the amp has to be powered by a 12volt power supply that is installed internally at one of the aerial points.

A set back amp is an amplifier that goes internally and is usually plugged into a mains socket,but there are a few amps that also run off a 12volt supply.

What is an omni directional DAB/FM aerial?

DAB is digital radio. FM is analogue radio.
Omni directional means the aerial will pick up from all around, so it can take radio signals from different transmitters where the reception is good enough.If you are in a fringe reception area Bulwell Aerials recommend a multi element directional aerial primarily focused to one transmitter to achieve maximum signal gain.

How do I know if the 4G broadband will overload my Freeview?

During 2013, some of the frequencies that were used for television before the Digital Switchover will be auctioned off and used to provide 4th generation (4G) mobile broadband. Many homes will need to fit a filter, and a small few will have to switch (for free) to Freesat. Knowing in advance where these homes are is a complicated matter