Problem
The hilly countryside in the Greater Newcastle area means that a large number of TV tower sites are needed to provide adequate television coverage. Your TV may have problems picking up the best signal, or your antenna may not be right for the transmission site it picks up.
Seasonal ducting
Even if you have your antenna set-up correctly, it may not be picking up the best site. A phenomenon known as atmospheric or seasonal ducting means that distant TV signals from Illawarra can travel much further than they normally would, which causes interference to the reception in the Greater Newcastle region.
What you can do
Use the right equipment
The wide availability of signals means you need the right antenna, pointed the right way and tuned to the right channel for the best possible reception.
Get the right antenna:
- use a single antenna only, multiple receive antennas pointed to the different transmission sites may cause reception difficulties
- install it correctly, antennas should be installed clear of all obstacles and in cases where the signals are variable, up to 10 metres high
Ask an expert
Have your antenna installation inspected by an experienced antenna installer. They can check and optimise your antenna system, tune the TV sets and determine if reliable reception from one of the TV broadcasting site is possible.
Manually tune
In areas with multiple broadcasting sites, it’s important that you perform a manual tune on your TV to select the services that provide the best coverage.
Doing an ‘auto-scan’ does not guarantee that your TV will tune into the best channels. If you live in an area that receives TV signals from the Newcastle (Mt Sugarloaf) transmission site, you shouldn’t point your antenna to the south. Tune to the secondary transmission site servicing your area.
Table 1 Best transmission sites and guide to antenna types by location.
| Caves Beach | Belmont | Eleebana | Charlestown | Mount Hutton | Belmont North | Dudley | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmitter main | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Newcastle | Belmont North | Belmont North |
| Strength | Good strong | Good strong | Good strong | Good strong | Good strong | Good strong | Good |
| Channels | 35-39 | 35-39 | 35-39 | 35-39 | 35-39 | 28-33 | 28-33 |
| Polarization | Horizontal | Horizontal | Horizontal | Horizontal | Horizontal | Vertical | Vertical |
| Direction distance | NW 26km | NW 20km | NW 14km | W 16km | NW 16km | NE 1km | NE 4.7km |
| Antenna | A | A | A | A | A | C | C |
| Antenna height | Roof height | Roof height | Roof height | Roof height | Up to 10m above ground | Roof height | Up to 10m above ground |
| Caves Beach | Belmont | Eleebana | Charlestown | Mount Hutton | Belmont North | Dudley | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmitter 2 | Belmont North | Belmont North | Belmont North | Warners Bay | Kotara | Newcastle | Newcastle |
| Strength | Variable moderate | Very good | Variable moderate | Very good | Variable moderate | Good | Variable moderate |
| Channels | 28-33 | 28-33 | 28-33 | 28-33 | 35-39 | 35-39 | 35-39 |
| Polarization | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical | Horizontal | Horizontal |
| Direction distance | N 11km | NE 3.4km | SE 4km | W4.2km | NE 4km | NW 18km | W20km |
| Antenna | D | C | D | C | D | A | B |
| Antenna height | Up to 10m above ground | Roof height | Up to 10m above ground | Up to 10m above ground | Up to 10m above ground | Up to 10m above ground | Up to 10m above ground |
| Caves Beach | Belmont | Eleebana | Charlestown | Mount Hutton | Belmont North | Dudley | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmitter 3 | Kotara N/A | Warners Bay N/A | Kotara | Belmont North N/A | Port Stephens | ||
| Strength | Variable poor | Variable poor | Good | Variable poor | Variable moderate | ||
| Channels | 35-39 | 28-33 | 35-39 | 28-33 | 28-33 | ||
| Polarization | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical | Vertical | ||
| Direction distance | N 17km | N 4.6km | NE 2.1km | S 3km | NE 48km | ||
| Antenna | D | D | C | D | D | ||
| Antenna height | Up to 10m above ground | Up to 10m above ground | Up to 10m above ground | Up to 10m above ground | Up to 10m above ground |
Examples of suggested antennas
A: High gain - Horizontal - Wideband UHF antenna
B: High gain - Horizontal - Wideband UHF antenna
C: Low gain - Vertical - Wideband UHF antenna
D: High gain - Vertical - Wideband UHF antenna
Use the mySwitch website to work out the best direction for your antenna, which transmission site to use and which channels to tune your TV for the best reception.
Find out more about TV reception.
Apply for VAST if you continue to have problems.
Download the Greater Newcastle fact sheet