Electrical Interference. Interference to MW or LW reception in a car can sometimes happen when the engine is running. This can be due to various things including poor earth connectors, faulty or corroded HT leads and uncompressed spark plugs.
This can cause whining on the radio, which rises and falls with engine speed. It has also been known for the engine management system EMS to cause problems. The simplest test is to turn off your engine and see whether it goes away. The buzzing and clicking lasts from a few seconds to a minute at a time. Switch off heating systems and see whether the problem goes away.
If the problem persists when you turn the heating system back on, the problem could be with the thermostat, which may need to be repaired or replaced. To find out if a particular switch is causing the problem, try turning the lights off one at a time. Many people are now using low power LED lights instead of the more traditional varieties. However, if the original light used a transformer rather than directly running off the mains, it is possible the transformer is causing the interference.
This is because the transformer would have been designed to operate at the higher power and not the lower power the LED lights use. This has the potential to cause electrical interference. Street lamps. Street lamps can sometimes cause buzzing and crackling sounds on your FM radio. Keeping a note of when each lamp comes on and goes off will help to identify whether this is the cause of your interference. If it is, contact your local council. Passing traffic. A faulty or uncompressed engine can cause a distinct buzzing 'whine' which varies with engine speed - motorcycles tend to be the worst.
Try to move your radio away from the street or use an external aerial. Electric motor. An electric motor is used in many appliances such as electric lawnmowers, washing machines, drills and hairdryers etc. A faulty motor can cause electrical interference. Check any appliance with an electric motor by moving your radio away from it to see whether the sound improves. If you have several appliances with electric motors you may need to turn them all off and try the above one at a time.
With all of these potential causes, it is worth keeping a log for at least two weeks to determine whether there are any patterns or trends to the interference. This can be due to:. Reduced transmitter power. Use our transmitter tool to see whether your local transmitter is currently affected by maintenance work. Stereo Signal. Try moving the radio to another position, such as near a window, higher up, or another room. If you get hiss when listening to a stereo signal try switching to mono.
Stereo reception needs a stronger signal than mono. If you have a portable radio you will be able to pick up more of the receivable signal if your telescopic aerial is fully extended. If you have an external or loft aerial check they are functioning correctly. Tuning to the wrong transmitter. Use our transmitter tool to check you are tuned to the best frequency for your area, as you can often pick up more than one signal.
Very occasionally, the weather, usually high pressure, can result in a weakened signal. There is nothing anyone can do about this and the only answer is to wait for the weather to change. For more information see our guide on how weather can affect radio reception.
Help receiving TV and radio. Reception and interference main navigation Menu. Latest updates to television and radio services in North Yorkshire and Teesside Keep updated with the latest coverage to North Yorkshire and Teesside following the fire at the Bilsdale transmitter with our Works and Warnings page. My DAB reception has started to drop out, is this due to poor reception?
How can weather affect DAB reception? Tuning Most DAB radios can be tuned easily at the touch of a button. Telescopic aerials Telescopic aerials on portable radios should be fully extended to receive a good signal.
Outdoor aerials An externally mounted aerial can be attached to many types of DAB portable radio and hi-fi systems. Cables and Connectors If you have an external aerial, a radio signal will always lose some of its strength as it passes along the cable and through the connectors.
Works and Warnings Check whether there are any known works or warnings that might be causing the problem. Tuning DAB uses multiplexes to group services together. External aerials It is important to check the cables and the aerial for damage and that they are operating correctly. Damaged Cables Water can get into external cables and can cause reception problems. Car Radios Radio reception can drop out when on the move due to changes in topography.
Weather Radio signals can be affected by fine weather including high pressure. Lost reception of one or more station within a multiplex If all other stations are working ok and you have just lost one station.
If your car radio is showing no signal or no service for a station you usually receive, this could be down to one of the following things: DAB Transmitter Fault If you know your location, you can use our transmitter checker to see whether there is a problem. Interference Poor DAB reception can also be caused by equipment used in the vehicle.
Topography When travelling in the car, your signal can be affected by natural features of the land, for example, hills, valleys, rivers, etc.
How to find these services It is best to re-tune your radio when they are broadcasting, so it will store the station in its memory. Checking for problems Check cables and leads within your property to ensure the problem is not a simple installation fault.
Electrical interference There are differences between a reception problem and one caused by electrical interference. Why is this?
My Television reception is usually good in the day, so why does my television reception sometimes deteriorate in the evenings? Why are subtitles sometimes delayed or out of sync? Why am I receiving a voice commentary over my picture. What is this, and how can I turn this off? Freeview Help Guides What is a good Freeview installation? Aerials There are all kinds of aerials available on the market and some which are specific to certain frequencies. Height Your aerial should be as high as possible pointing towards the transmitter with the best signal.
Loft and indoor aerials If you live close to a transmitter or can get a strong TV signal, then it could be possible to use an aerial in your loft or an indoor portable aerial. Cable and connectors A television signal will always lose some of its strength as it passes along the cable and through the connectors.
Amplifier These are not recommended unless absolutely required as they can introduce unexpected reception problems.
Polarisation Depending on the transmitter you are using, your aerial elements will need to be mounted flat horizontal or on its side vertical. Qualified Installer We cannot recommend individual installers.
Troubleshooting your Freeview Television reception Basic Installation It is important to check that your installation is intact. Works and Warnings Check our Works and Warnings section to see whether there are any known problems. Transmitter faults Using our Transmitter Checker , check your transmitter is not undergoing any work. Weather Television signals can be affected by fine weather including high pressure atmospherics and the only solution is to wait for the weather to change, you should not retune during this time.
Trees During wet weather, when covered in moisture, all trees can have an appreciable effect on signals. Manual Retune A manual retune is more effective than an auto-retune as it only tunes your television to the transmitter your aerial is pointing towards.
Interference If you are still having problems, it is possible an unwanted signal is the cause. Qualified Installer We cannot recommend individual Installers.
How to check your cables for water damage If possible, check the external cable for any signs of damage, such as cracking and tears. Damaged cables can cause reception problems and can allow water into your installation. Find the cable that goes from your aerial or satellite dish into your television, radio or set top box and unplug it.
This may be from a socket on the wall or a direct cable through the wall. If you are using a satellite dish to receive your television, you will also need to check the LNB and cap for any signs of water damage. You may need to instruct a qualified installer to assist you with this.
If it is a direct cable, check for any obvious signs of water or a green build-up on the connector. If it is from a wall socket check both the connector on the cable and on the wall socket for any signs of water or green build-up. A green build-up is a sign that water has at some point got into your installation.
If you find water damage then it is likely that the cable will need replacing by a qualified aerial installer. How to better my signal using an amplifier or attenuator When to use an amplifier A signal amplifier should only be used as a last resort when the television signal is weak.
Problems using amplifiers Amplifiers themselves are a common source of reception problems. Masthead These fit directly under an outside aerial and usually the best type of amplifier to fix weak signals.
Set-back These fit between the aerial socket in the wall and your television. Distribution These split the TV signal from a single aerial and allow the signal to be sent to several different televisions in the building. Combined amplifiers Some amplifiers are a mix of the above. Attenuators When to use an Attenuator If you are experiencing pixellation or picture break up, it may be that your signal is too strong as this often presents itself similarly to a weak signal.
Problems with television and radio services in North Yorkshire and Teesside What's happened at Bilsdale transmitter? What if channels do not come back following the retune? Essential engineering work affecting listeners in the north of England FM radio at Holme Moss has been undergoing antenna re-engineering works since the 29th June. Engineering works. Image credit: mb Latest Radio works and warnings Problems with television and radio services in North Yorkshire and Teesside What's happened at Bilsdale transmitter?
Why can I hear a foreign radio station? Why is medium wave reception worse at night? Radio Help Guides Troubleshooting FM radio B asic Installation It is important to check your installation is working properly and that your radio is in the best possible position. Works and warnings Check whether there are any known works or warnings that may be causing the problem.
Transmitter faults and frequencies Use our Transmitter Checker to check the transmitter is not undergoing any work and to see which FM radio services you can receive from your location. Hi-Fi radios If you are using a Hi-Fi tuner and stereo reception is hissy, but mono is fine, your aerial may not be powerful enough. Weather FM radio signals can be affected by fine weather including high pressure and the only solution is to wait for the weather to change, you should not re-tune during this time.
Your feedback. Related content What is a transmitter? What channels should I get? How to improve my aerial set-up How do I retune my TV? The Crystal Palace transmitter I have used as far away as Tenterden in Kent when the transmitter is actually in London.
It is not always possible to receive TV signals from a main transmitter. This is because being land based the travelling signals can be blocked by landmasses, trees and buildings. In which case relay transmitters have been strategically positioned to be able to receive a signal from another transmitter and relay it on a different frequency to nearby aerials. Some relay transmitters receive their signals from another relay transmitter before ultimately being fed by a main transmitter.
I know there are similar situations elsewhere like in The Valleys in Wales. A lot of the Relay transmitters are also Freeview Lite transmitters. This has got smaller over the years with bandwidth being sold off for 4G and soon the Mhz band too. This is Freeview Lite. Perhaps the easiest way to find TV transmitters in your area is with the postcode checkers. You simply enter your postcode and house number into the TV transmitter it checker and it will come back with the most likely transmitter in your location along with the services you can receive.
For instance, you may have a large block of flats between you and the TV transmitter that is being suggested which means that a good TV reception can not be obtained and you have to use a different transmitter. Or you may only be able to get a reduced amount of services from the transmitter suggested, for example Freeview Lite so you may want to align the aerial a different direction for more TV services.
It was common in my area of Sussex to point aerials to the Hastings transmitter prior to the digital switch over in to be able to get Freeview in areas that should be aligned to the Heathfield transmitter.
The big downside of the postcode checker is that it just gives you information on the most likely TV transmitter in your area, if you wanted information on all of the transmitters then you would need to try alternate methods. Below are some links to the most common TV postcode checkers:. Perhaps the quickest way to identify which transmitter that you may want to use is to look at your neighbours aerials. Obviously you would need to have an idea already of what transmitters are in your area but this would help you determine which ones are being mostly used.
There is a difference. Instead of looking at your postcode, focus on the miles instead. It will give me more things to try, and from there I can compare the different signals. It can be an excellent benchmark. You may opt to get a TV signals booster. However, signal boosters have a history of mixed results since they can sometimes get the wrong signals. Read more about signal boosters here. There are several ways you can look for your nearest TV transmitter.
You can get the names of the transmitters and towers and look it up in Google maps. You can also check the UK Free TV website for news on transmitter repair work and Freeview transmitters across the country. Take note of the direction it is in and adjust your aerial accordingly.
So how do you know if the TV transmitter you found is the right one? There are two ways you can do it. The first is to compare your aerial with your neighbour and the second is to look up your postcode. People who value their privacy might feel uncomfortable at the idea of posting small details of themselves online. When you enter information online, the cookies may remember them. You can always opt to clear your cookies history to remove personal information online.
If you do not want to check your postcode, you can do the age-old method of following the crowd. All aerials try to look towards the TV transmitter. You can try to check 5 different homes to see if there are other key directions. Pay close attention to the houses who had theirs professionally done. They have the ideal direction and position. You could also ask around if you are close to your neighbours. Now, this method will not help in areas with relay transmitters.
Large outdoor aerials may face the main transmitter while the smaller indoor aerials go towards the relay transmitters. In this situation, trial and error is the best way to figure out which one is best. All transmitter maps require your postcode. To get precise information, you may have to give that along with your house number if your neighbourhood is big.
Remember to clear your cookies history if you include your house number as a precaution.
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