Or whereabouts in the postcode you are! A postcode can cover 80-odd houses, and some might be in a better position than others (e.g. a hill or a block of flats makes a difference).
Have just flashed our GDB3 back to earlier firmware to see if that helps here...!
In message , Stuart Noble wrote
or the tall building just in the line of sight to the transmitter, or the tree overlooking property, or the.......
I've got four, and the best by far is the Sony VTX-D800U. It's also the most expensive. ;-(
The predictions behind the postcode database take what is referred to as "clutter data" into account, so the effect of large buildings and groups of trees is to a considerable extent allowed for. As Bob said, the coarseness of the postcode areas is one of the main limitations.
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.
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.
I am well chuffed with it! :-)
Depends what you mean by 'near'. On the last switch off - VHF TV transmissions - the switch off date was moved many times, to the point where very few VHF sets were still in use.
They might have done better by checking your aerial installation...
In message , Cap'n wrote
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..
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
Version 5.3 is 350kbytes and is free.
Another post code checker
Transmitter information (giving channel numbers for digital)
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