Hannington Transmitter, Poor TV Reception Options

[ivan i]

I was very interested to read the recent NWN report regarding the changes made to the
Hannington transmitter in advance of the digital switchover locally.
I wonder how many others around Newbury have noticed a degradation in Freeview reception since that work has taken place.
For several years now I have used a loft mounted aerial which has pulled in all the existing Freeview channels from Hannington with no pixellation or drop-out. Now, coincidentally since the work at Hannington, I have had no end of problems with perhaps a fifty- fifty chance that the picture won’t break up and disappear at some time during a programme.
I believe the official line is that the pre-work on the transmitter will have no adverse long term affect on the existing services, however some freely available information on the Arqiva website shows regarding the new antennas states “As these are new Antennas designed ultimately for high power DTT services and used in the interim by the existing services,there will be changes to the radiation characteristics (i.e. gain, horizontal and vertical radiation patterns etc) compared to the current system.” This reads to me that there may well be some effects other than good!
I don’t feel inclined to spend out on a new outside aerial since in 2012 the new High Power digital transmitters will be switched on and should solve any current problems. I suppose I shall just have to get used to watching less TV in the interim and who knows, I may not want it by 2012!
Ps. Before someone says its down to the weather system, I don’t think so as I’ve not noticed it happen over the last few years.