Investigating the cause of sudden interference causing heavy pixellation and loss of sound for several days to certain ITV Channels
We received a request for help from someone in the Gateshead area who had trouble with certain ITV channels and when trying to re-tune their TV they lost all of the digital channels
The weather conditions recently have been really poor with extended periods of rain although that wouldn’t normally cause continuous interference, pixellation and loss of sound or digital signal
They received their terrestrial TV via Pontop Pike transmitter but no one else had reported a problem nor was there any word to say that essential maintenance work was undertaken on the transmitter mast
It seems the aerial cable was over 10 years old and rainwater had found its way into a hollow cavity and tracked from the rooftop aerial down to the TV aerial socket
The aerial socket was wet but luckily the TV wasn’t affected and while the exposed cable top could have been trimmed and adjusted to prevent future rainwater penetration it was thought better to replace the cable due to the evidence of corrosion and rubbing wear on parts of the cable sheath
