TELEVISION reception is set to improve in and around Stroud, with transmission tests starting from Peppers Hill from 24-28 April.

In an effort to upgrade digital television transmission coverage in the Stroud area, Regional Broadcasters (RBAH) will commence the tests, intended to provide viewers with another option for receiving their television signal.

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All five broadcasters (Nine, Seven, WIN, ABC and SBS) will be broadcast from the new site, and specific information regarding whether viewers can receive the broadcast will need to be sought from an antenna installer.

RBAH has told News Of The Area that since the beginning of digital TV broadcasting, the Hunter region has been affected by a situation called ‘co-channel interference’, often affecting viewers receiving their signal from the Mt Sugarloaf site.

“Co-channel interference is caused by ‘tropospheric ducting’, which has to do with the troposphere, the lowest atmospheric layer, shrinking and expanding with summer heat in the air,” Stephen Brown, Broadcast Engineering Manager at Nine/NBN Newcastle told NOTA.

“Signals from the relatively strong transmitter down near Wollongong actually bounce off the troposphere, and find their way into the Hunter region, and this causes the interference.

“Stroud seems to suffer from tropospheric ducting quite a bit, however, the Peppers Mountain site is not susceptible to the interference,” Mr Brown said.

RBAH has said that after the work is completed, viewers will have to repoint their antennas to the new site that serves them, and manually re-tune their digital receivers.

The Peppers Mountain upgrade has been delayed by COVID-19, and is the latest in a series of similar upgrades at the Gan Gan and Bulahdelah TV transmission sites, funded by the Federal Government and the free-to-air broadcasters under the RBAH.

“If successful, the transmissions will most likely continue running from Peppers Mountain,” Mr Brown added.

After 28 April information on the new sites will be available from www.ninenbn.com.au or myswitch.digitalready.gov.au or your local antenna installer.

By Thomas O’KEEFE