Television Reception Guide - Multi Carrier Mauritius Ltd

Customer Advice
Television Reception Guide (download in pdf format)
The following is intended to be an informative guide to terrestrial television reception.
It is highly recommended that you contact an antenna professional for the proper
installation of a terrestrial TV antenna system.
General guidelines for better television reception:
Locating the relay stations
Frequency Bands for Terrestrial Television Broadcasting
Choice of TV Antenna
Antenna placement and positioning
Cabling and distribution
Notes on Digital Terrestrial Television Reception
Maintenance of antenna system installation
Analogue Television Transmission in Mauritius – SECAM B/G in the VHF/UHF bands
1. Locating the relay stations
The first step in planning a television antenna installation is to find out the location of
the transmitting station intended for your area. MCML has a national network of
stations that covers all the populated regions of the island. Television signals, especially
UHF signals travel in straight lines and are obstructed by major obstacles in the
landscape such as mountains and tall buildings. Table A below is a guide for locating the
appropriate relay station covering your region.
Table A : Locating the relay station covering your area
Station
Centre
Malherbes
Corps de
Garde
North
Butte aux
Papayes
Intended coverage areas
Curepipe, Castel, Phoenix, Quatre-Bornes, Belle
Rose, Rose-Hill, Beau-Bassin, Reduit, Moka, StPierre, Q-Militaire, Vacoas, Floreal, Henrietta, La
Marie, Forest-Side, Nouvelle France, Rose-Belle,
Plaine-Magnien, Mahebourg and their nearby
regions.
Corps de Garde, Ave Berthaud, Palma, Sodnac and
their surroundings.
Grand Baie, The Vale, Goodlands, Pereybere, Riv du
Rempart, Petit Raffray, Grand Gaube, Trou aux
Biches, Fond du Sac and nearby regions.
Port
Louis
Montagne
Signaux
Citadelle
Coromandel
Terre Rouge
South
Jurançon
Baie du Cap
Chamarel
Port Louis, Cassis, Caudan, Marie Reine de la Paix,
Belle Village, Coromandel, Pamplemousses, RocheBois, Ste Croix, Cite la Cure
Citadelle, Valle Pitot, Plaine Verte
Pailles, Les Guibies
Terre Rouge, Vallee des Pretres, Arsenal, Carreaux
Lalo
Surinam, Chemin Grenier, St Felix, Riv Des Anguilles,
Riambel, Bel Ombre, Souillac and nearby regions.
Baie du Cap, Choisy, Maconde
Chamarel Village
West
Le Morne
Le Morne, La Gaulette, Case Noyale, La Preneuse, la
Mivoie, Wolmar and nearby regions.
East
Motte à
Thérèse
Lallmatie, St Julien Village, Constance, Centre de
Flacq, Brisee Verdiere, Mare la Chaux, Camp Ithier,
l'Aventure, and nearby regions
Quatre Soeurs, Deux freres, Bambous Virieux
Pointe du
Diable
Pointe Jérome Pte Jerome, Pte d'Esny, Bois des Amourettes, Quatre
Soeurs, Deux Freres
Riche en Eau Riche en Eau, St Hurbert, St Hilaire
Bel Air
Bel Air
Rivière Séche
GRSE
GRSE, Beau Champ
2. Frequency Bands for Terrestrial Television Broadcasting
The next step is to determine the radio frequency band that is used by your relay station
for broadcasting. The band of frequencies used by your station will be an important
factor to choose the right type of antenna.
Table B shows the range of frequencies used for television broadcasting in Mauritius
and Rodrigues.
Table B:: Frequency Bands for Mauritius and Rodrigues
Band
Name
Channels
I
III
IV
V
VHF-LOW
VHF-HIGH
UHF
UHF
2-4
2
5--12
21
21-37
38
38-69
Channel
width
7 MHz
7 MHz
8 MHz
8 MHz
Frequency Range
47 - 68 MHz
174 - 230 MHz
470 - 582 MHz
582 - 862 MHz
TV TRANSMISSION - SECAM B/G (ANALOGUE) - DVB-T (DIGITAL)
Nº
STATIONS
MBC 1
MBC 2
MBC 3
CH F (MHz)
CH F (MHz)
CH F (MHz)
DTV MUX 1
CH F (MHz)
DTV MUX 2
CH F (MHz)
DTV MUX 3
CH F (MHz)
1
Baie du Cap
48
687.25
45
663.25
57
759.25
53
730
50
706
51
714
2
Bel Air
61
791.25
64
815.25
58
767.25
57
762
60
786
48
690
3
Butte aux Papayes
12
224.25
40
623.25
49
695.25
48
690
43
650
46
674
4
Chamarel
41
631.25
51
711.25
54
735.25
55
746
40
626
57
762
5
Citadelle
48
687.25
09
203.25
51
711.25
54
738
55
746
52
722
6
Coromandel
58
767.25
61
791.25
57
762
60
786
55
746
7
Corps de Garde
34
575.25
52
719.25
53
730
49
698
36
594
8
G.R.S.E.
58
767.25
61
791.25
57
762
55
746
48
690
9
Jurançon
09
203.25
32
559.25
29
535.25
30
546
34
578
35
586
10 Le Morne
08
196.25
40V
623.25
49V
695.25
50
706
43
650
46
674
58
770
55
746
53
730
28
530
22
482
21
474
48
690
45
666
31
551.25
11 Les Mariannes
12 Malherbes
04
62.25
24
495.25
27
519.25
13 Mont Simonet
14 Motte Thérèse
09
203.25
33
567.25
36
591.25
15 Plaine Paul
16 Pointe du Diable
37
602
31
554
39
618
48
690
45
666
55
746
31
551.25
34
575.25
37
599.25
38
610
30
546
36
594
12V
224.25
41V
631.25
50V
703.25
51
714
42
642
44
658
18 Riche en Eau
45
663.25
48
687.25
51
711.25
52
722
44
658
41
634
19 Signal Mountain
07
189.25
32
559.25
29
535.25
30
546
34
578
35
586
20 Terre Rouge
59
775.25
62
799.25
56
751.25
57
762
60
786
58
770
17 Pointe Jerome
RODRIGUES
Nº
Digital TV
Stations
CH
F (MHz)
1
Citronelle
2
Malartic
8
198.50
3
Mont Venus
6
184.5
4
Mont Cheri
6
184.50
5
Papayes
10
212.50
6
Sygangue
10
212.50
7
Trèfles
10
212.50
*
* Analogue Transmission at these stations have been switched OFF on 15 December 2008
3. Choice of Antenna
Selecting the right type of antenna is an important factor to ensure good quality of
television reception. The following factors can influence the choice for an appropriate
antenna.
•
•
•
Channel frequencies broadcasted by the relay station
Signal strength in your area
Presence of major obstacles in the path between your antenna and the relay
station
4. Antenna placement and positioning
Once the antenna has been chosen, it should be placed in a location where maximum
signal strength is obtained.
•
•
•
•
The antenna must be pointed towards the relay station
The antenna should be mounted horizontally for all relay stations except for Le
Morne & Pte Jerome where the antenna should be mounted vertically.
The antenna should be installed clear of obstacles for example buildings, walls,
trees, etc. for good reception.
Multiple antennas should not be stacked on a single stand-off pole close to each
other. Maintain a distance of at least 50 cm between them.
5. Cabling and distribution
A low loss coaxial cable (impedance of 75 ohms) is recommended for distributing the
signal to the receiver. For distributing the signal to more than one television set, a
splitter may be used, however a distribution amplifier may be required if the received
signal is low.
6. Note on Digital Terrestrial Television Reception
Digital terrestrial television eliminates most of the reception problems of analogue
broadcast television such as snowy pictures and ghosting. However like all digital
systems, if the signal received is near the minimum threshold, you may get frequent
interruptions or no reception at all. To ensure a stable reception, make sure that your
antenna system receives a good quality signal comfortably above the minimum level as
indicated by the set top box.
7. Maintenance of installation
The antenna installation must be inspected from time to time to detect signs of
corrosion or damage. Bad weather conditions, like rain and strong winds can decrease
the lifetime of the antenna and cabling.