Changes in NZ

[arjoll]

I was meaning to post this earlier this month - lots of changes here, and I was too late to catch the end of Teletext so have pinched the attached from a friend!

Teletext is still running on TVNZ analogue channels but there's no page 100 any more, only the subtitles on 801 are still operational.

Also, for those of us in the South Island, analogue switch off is this coming Sunday morning. One, TV2, TV3, FOUR, CUE, Prime and Māori TV will probably be gone, although it'll be interesting to see when CUE shut down seeing they're not on Hedgehope (the major Kodia site).

It would be interesting to know what is on NZ digital now (or when it's finished) we have some very good Radio stations with high quality audio. Radio 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_4 and 4 Extra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_4_Extra are my favorites, along with the World Service.

[malvision]

Try this http://www.freeviewnz.tv/tv-guide.aspx

[arjoll]

Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell

It would be interesting to know what is on NZ digital now (or when it's finished) we have some very good Radio stations with high quality audio.

The link malvision posted gives a general idea - basically we have all the channels that were on analogue (One, TV2, TV3, FOUR, Prime, Māori and CUE) plus two timeshift channels and a handful of extras - the mix depends on where you are if you're on terrestrial, and there's a couple of terrestrial-only channels, and some satellite-only ones.

Radio on Freeview hasn't really been promoted much - again there are differences between satellite and terrestrial, and the terrestrial mix depends on whether you have service from JDA or Kordia. I think the only stations on Freeview here that we can't get on FM are Base FM and George FM, not really interested in either! Most of the time I listen to Life, Hauraki or ZM, none of those are on Freeview.

Anyway, this morning we woke up to static over most of the VHF and UHF bands - as predicted CUE (our local regional station, also on DVB-T locally and DVB-S nationwide) are still on-air, but I suspect they didn't want to pay for a weekend callout! I'll see if they're still on air tomorrow night. A bit weird having only one station instead of seven pop up with an auto scan though!

[SteveCG]

Arjoll,

... so now all those huge Band I, Channel NZ1, TV aerials are now just forlorn crow perches? ...

[arjoll]

Originally Posted by SteveCG

... so now all those huge Band I, Channel NZ1, TV aerials are now just forlorn crow perches? ...

Pretty much, the first fine weekend after Cue turns off I'll take our old Lincrad 1-3/5-11 down. I might even cut the band III stuff off and modify the rest for band II

There's a bit recycling drive going at the moment, I think it's someone like the Child Cancer Society offering to collect old VHF aerials as a fundraiser. Maybe in 20 years there'll be a thread here about sightings of old VHF aerials in NZ

[SteveCG]

Quote: " Maybe in 20 years there'll be a thread here about sightings of old VHF aerials in NZ "

... well I hope somebody, somewhere, will keep a pristine example for future generations to marvel at 'How Quaint and Primitive' things were ! ... (c.f. Stonehenge?)

[Hybrid tellies]

It's sad but inevitable that you will be losing your analogue tv. But my research suggests that New Zealand digital tv will use the Mpeg4 system which apparently gives improved picture quality and better protection against noise so improving transmitter coverage.
Here in the UK There are a few old VHF 405 line tv aerials surviving even after 40-50 years so it will be interesting to see how long your VHF tv aerials will survive for.

[paulsherwin]

It's the same system that the Freeview HD mux uses here. The Irish also use it.

Most of the UK band I aerials have fallen down now, but there are still plenty of band III arrays about. Many people just never had them removed - it's a fair job, what with 1960s installation standards and decades of corrosion on the bolts.

[ntscuser]

I was recently amazed to find a Band I X-array on a chimney in a nearby street. One of the upper elements had fallen off so it now forms an inverted-Y.

The houses in that particular area are very old so there will probably be some more if I look out for them. A lot of people around here didn't bother with Band III aerials as ITV was in roughly the same direction as BBC and reception was "good enough" for them not to worry about it.

[Synchrodyne]

Here in the sunny Bay of Plenty, Band I is alive and well for a few months more; analogue switch-off is around the year-end, I think.

It is vertical polarization country, too. And whereas the Band I aerials point more-or-less northwest to the Te Aroha transmitter, The Band III aerials point southish to a relatively local transmitter. So there is something rather British about the sea of aerial arrays one sees around these parts.
Mind you, there are some differences. The Band I arrays are wideband to capture both NZ1 (44 to 51 MHz) and NZ3 (61 to 68 MHz), and folded dipoles are the norm. And the use of baluns to couple the aerials to the coax is fairly standard. (My recollection is that in the UK, direct connection was commonplace, at least at VHF.)

Frustratingly the digital tuner DVD recorder that we used in Australia does not work on the NZ digital system, so new equipment will be required. But the analogue tuner DVD recorder does work here. That is not surprising, as both Australia and NZ are System B/G countries, albeit with different channel allocations at both VHF and UHF. But it also works on NICAM (as used here) and Zweiton (as used in Australia). Analogue 1, digital nil.

I have attached some of photos of the array on the house that we are in.

Cheers,

[arjoll]

Originally Posted by Synchrodyne

It is vertical polarization country, too.

For channel 1 horizontal seems so much more practical - you see a lot of vertical channel 1 around Timaru pointing at Mt Studholme and it's not uncommon to see the end of the reflector bent because it would touch the roof otherwise!

The downside here for horizontal is that Invercargill, Hedgehope and Kaukau are roughly in line so co channel interference was common on channel 1 any time there was a high pressure system - sometimes One would be unwatchable because the signal from Wellington was so strong!

Actually it'll be interesting to see if I can pick it up next time the weather is right; maybe I should leave the VHF aerial up a bit longer

Originally Posted by Synchrodyne

That is not surprising, as both Australia and NZ are System B/G countries, albeit with different channel allocations at both VHF and UHF.

Australia is system B on both VHF and UHF. NZ is B on VHF, G on UHF.

[arjoll]

Originally Posted by Synchrodyne

I have attached some of photos of the array on the house that we are in.

Interesting to see you're horizontal UHF. We are vertical here - the original licenses issued on Hedgehope in 1990 were horizontal, but when Sky TV started 1993/94ish they switched to vertical.

[arjoll]

Originally Posted by Hybrid tellies

But my research suggests that New Zealand digital tv will use the Mpeg4 system which apparently gives improved picture quality and better protection against noise so improving transmitter coverage.

Terrestrial is H.264 for video and AAC or AC-3 for audio. Satellite is MPEG2. The quality on HD (One, TV2, TV3) can be stunning, SD on the other Mediaworks channels (TV3+1, FOUR, C4) is pretty good, with TVNZ's other channels (One+1, U) still ok. The likes of Prime and Choice are pretty average at times.

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

Many people just never had them removed - it's a fair job, what with 1960s installation standards and decades of corrosion on the bolts.

Lots of the photos I've seen here seem to be 2 or more stories too, so I can understand not necessarily wanting to hop up there and do too much!

[paulsherwin]

Single storey housing is rare in the UK, even in rural areas. Aerials are almost always fitted to a mast lashed to a chimney stack, and 405 installations often used very substantial steel structures. At least half of the houses in my street still have the thick steel poles in place, with a tiny UHF aerial perched on top.

Aerial rigging isn't really considered a DIY job here. Comedian Rod Hull famously died after falling off the roof while adjusting his aerial.

[SteveCG]

Synchrodyne,

Thank you for showing us the 'photos - it is great to see Band I aerials that are nice and shiny!

My experience with Band I, Channel B1 (41.5 - 45 Mc/s) aerials is that horizontal ones were 'challenged' by the bending torques, especially on the dipole holders. UK aerial makers usually used plain dipoles, so they lack the support that a folded dipole structure usually (but not always) gives. In comparison, vertical B1 aerials seemed to survive longer (I think because no big birds could land on the elements). Most UK Band I aerials used 1/2 inch diameter elements - however some cheaper ones used 3/8 inch diameter elements, and these bent - whether V or H pol. !

[arjoll]

This was my install a couple of years ago - since then I've turned the UHF around about 17 degrees to point at Forest Hill (DVB-T site) instead of Hedgehope (far better site, but MCH didn't want to pay Kordia's fees) and half of the reflector closest to the band I dipole has fallen off!

The VHF aerial was used for channels 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11.

[colly0410]

I thought vertical pol on VHF for TV was a UK only thing, how wrong I was. Thanks for the photos Synchrodyne & Arjoll. Apart from NZ any other Countries use vertical pol on VHF?

[ntscuser]

Originally Posted by colly0410

I thought vertical pol on VHF for TV was a UK only thing, how wrong I was. Thanks for the photos Synchrodyne & Arjoll. Apart from NZ any other Countries use vertical pol on VHF?

I believe Belgium used a mixture of horizontal and vertical polarity* to separate Flemish and Walloon language broadcasts in the same area?

*There were other technical differences too to aid separation.

[arjoll]

Originally Posted by arjoll

as predicted CUE (our local regional station, also on DVB-T locally and DVB-S nationwide) are still on-air, but I suspect they didn't want to pay for a weekend callout!

As of lunchtime today - CUE are still on-air on VHF - so they are almost certainly the only analogue TV transmissions in the South Island now! The license is listed as Cancelled on the RSM register so they're being a little naughty! (you can search the register here, select location Forest Hill, channel TV5).