TV reception dodgy

[mycats]

My tv has been going all crackly with lines across the screen. It's been doing this every few minutes for the last couple of weeks.
I have asked other people in the village and it is happening to everyone (not Sky, just normal tv)
Where/who can we get in touch with to tell them that there is a problem? (I'm assuming it's something to do with the mast) Thanks

[alvin100]

It sounds like interference from another transmitter, Its sometimes caused by a nearby CB radio signal or Radio Ham, though if its happening constantly every few minutes that is unlikely, The SKY signal is on a much higher frequency than terrestrial TV so will not be affected in the same way.
You need to contact OFCOM and they can send out an engineer with a RF spectrum analyser to search for the cause of the interference.

look here http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

[mycats]

Yeah I though it might be a CB too, thanks for that alvin100, it seems to have stopped now lol typical.

[crete]

happening in the village eh? sounds spooky to me

[mycats]

******, it hasnt stopped :-( just started again. Seems to much worse at night, so could be some idiot with a CB.
Anyone know how wide an area a CB would affect tv reception over?

[B00]

10 4 rubber duck, over and out ;-)

[alvin100]

Normally, UK legal CB radios are limited to just 4watts transmitted power, however it is very common to add linear ampilfiers which might increase the output to 100watts or even more, this is when you start to get problems with TVi
If its CB or radio related you will only get interference when the CB is transmitting, ie when the user is actually pressing the mic switch and talking. this obviously means you should see short irregular bursts of interference. If its much more regular say a pattern of five or ten seconds every few minutes, then its more likely to be caused by a paging transmitter or PMR system (private mobile radio,Taxis etc) As these radios, often transmit short regular bursts of data.

You can often cure TV interference by using a 4" Ferrite rod or a ferrite ring, simply wrap your tv aerial coax cable around it about ten times and tape it in place, about a metre from your tv. Of course if its affecting lots of people you need to get OFCOM to come and sort it out.

[Mortartube]

It could be something as simple as a fridge. Problems with the motor circuitry can cause interference and if there is an industrial sized one nearby (factory or large shop), that could be it. And of course the motor goes on and off intermittently on a fridge/freezer.

A friend of mine who is a radio ham, kept getting interference a few years ago. The cause was eventually tracked down to a faulty component in a BT telephone in a factory almost a mile away (embarrasingly, the place my dad worked)..

[mycats]

Thanks folks, It isnt really in regular bursts, so thats why I thought it could be a CB, but as I said, it's affecting everyone grrrr

[Ralph]

It could possibly be due to your local weather. Have a look HERE for an idea about high pressure can mess up reception in the area around a transmitter.

When I say the area around a transmitter, I mean in it's target area, where you are!

[Whickerman]

That exact problem started in my mum's street. Everybody started getting intermittent interference. Then the reason became apparent - one night it was so bad they could hear voices... A taxi firm had set up offices a street away and it was their radio that was causing the interference.