Please Help! Experienced any interference from Windfarms?

lkjhg

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Hi,

Please forgive the slightly OT nature of this post...

I'm interested to know if anyone has experienced any kind of reception interference to *digital* TV signals due to a neighbouring windfarm?

DAB radio interference stories also gratefully received.

Many thanks :)

S
 
Eh...

As you can see from my post count, I'm new around here but I do use many other forums...

Is it usual around these parts to post *in another person's thread* to the effect that the OP doesn't need any further replies?

I'm curious.

S

The point is that posting the same issue in more than one thread is against forum rules.

It is a common enough mistake from newcomers, so a little latitude is allowed up until it has been pointed out.

To answer another of your points in the other thread - You have to post a minimum number of posts before Private Messaging becomes enabled.
 
Hi,

Please forgive the slightly OT nature of this post...

I'm interested to know if anyone has experienced any kind of reception interference to *digital* TV signals due to a neighbouring windfarm?

DAB radio interference stories also gratefully received.

Many thanks :)

S

To address your question - Interference is notoriously difficult to track down... but if it counts for anything, in my years manning these boards I have never heard of a single case of wind farms being responsible for interference.
 
The point is that posting the same issue in more than one thread is against forum rules.

It is a common enough mistake from newcomers, so a little latitude is allowed up until it has been pointed out.

To answer another of your points in the other thread - You have to post a minimum number of posts before Private Messaging becomes enabled.

Gavtech,

Thanks for the clarification. I have deleted the other post as I'm keen to get up-to-date info.

S
 
Although it's line of sight to the Dover transmitter, my roof aerial "looks" directly over the top of the Romney Marsh windfarm which has 26 turbines.

At no time have I seen any signal disturbance, digital or analogue, which could be associated with the windfarm.

Hope this helps. :)
 
Although it's line of sight to the Dover transmitter, my roof aerial "looks" directly over the top of the Romney Marsh windfarm which has 26 turbines.

At no time have I seen any signal disturbance, digital or analogue, which could be associated with the windfarm.

Hope this helps. :)

Hi,

Really appreciate the reply. Sorry to resurrect such an old topic...

Have you heard of *anyone* in your area ever experiencing reception problems due to the windfarm?

S
 
Interference is extremely difficult to track down. When it does become a problem it's normally wiring within the house and using electrical goods that dont have any EMI suppression (spelling?). Never done a job near a windfarm, but ive never heard of any issues with windfarms either. Im sure that if windfarms were a problem we would hear lots more about it.

If you can recieve a good solid signal straight from the aerial then interference is much more unlikely to be a problem. Are you sure that your interference is not just infact a marginal signal level from the aerial causing breakup?

In order to achive perfect reception you need to have a good enough signal straight from the aerial, and atleast only use fully screened parts (pre amp) so that your boosting a good quality signal.

You can boost a good quality signal down poorly screened coax, but you cannot boost a signal that already has too much noise and interference pre amp.
 
It is unlikely that wind turbines would cause any interference with TV signals.

In the larger wind farms the blades are made of plastic, fibreglass or some form of composite. They need to be as light as possible. They would not block rf signal. The towers and generators at the top are metal and could block rf signals, but would have to be exactly in the path between the transmitter and receiver aerial. Fairly unlikely in practice.
 
Never done a job near a windfarm, but ive never heard of any issues with windfarms either. Im sure that if windfarms were a problem we would hear lots more about it.

If you can recieve a good solid signal straight from the aerial then interference is much more unlikely to be a problem. Are you sure that your interference is not just infact a marginal signal level from the aerial causing breakup?

Aerial Man,

Thanks for your reply.

I'm not experiencing any interference *yet* but we are under threat from a windfarm and I'm trying to do some research on the subject.

S
 
It is unlikely that wind turbines would cause any interference with TV signals.

In the larger wind farms the blades are made of plastic, fibreglass or some form of composite. They need to be as light as possible. They would not block rf signal. The towers and generators at the top are metal and could block rf signals, but would have to be exactly in the path between the transmitter and receiver aerial. Fairly unlikely in practice.

Grumpsimus,

*Someone* has to be in the exact path between the transmitter and receiver aerial don't they?

In a densely populated area *loads* of people could be. No?

There seems to be quite a lot of stories about windfarms interfering with analogue signals but not so many regarding digital signals...

S
 
Have you heard of *anyone* in your area ever experiencing reception problems due to the windfarm?

No, but that doesn't really mean much as, in common with most members of the public, my neighbours wouldn't have a clue about that sort of thing.

Reading between the lines of your post, I gather you're looking for reasons to object to a proposed windfarm near you.

I wish you luck, as I think they are terrible eyesores on the landscape, but I doubt possible rf interference will cut much ice with the planners.
 
No, but that doesn't really mean much as, in common with most members of the public, my neighbours wouldn't have a clue about that sort of thing.

Fair enough :)

Reading between the lines of your post, I gather you're looking for reasons to object to a proposed windfarm near you.

I wish you luck, as I think they are terrible eyesores on the landscape, but I doubt possible rf interference will cut much ice with the planners.
You're correct in your assumption :)

I'm not sure how much weight it will carry with the planners but I'd be very surprised if they would dismiss interference with a basic amenity such as TV...?

S
 
I'm not sure how much weight it will carry with the planners but I'd be very surprised if they would dismiss interference with a basic amenity such as TV...?

True, except that you'll have to present firm evidence of tv interference, and that doesn't seem to be available, in fact quite the opposite.

How many other wind farm schemes have been cancelled due to this factor?

In fact, how many schemes have been stopped, period?

I frankly think you're on a loser, but still good luck! :thumbsup:
 
I'm not sure how much weight it will carry with the planners but I'd be very surprised if they would dismiss interference with a basic amenity such as TV...?

I would not place too much confidence in the planners. They and the Councillors who decide planning applications are unlikely to have much knowledge of the issues involved in TV reception.

In another case regarding a very large building, the issue of radio/tv reception arose. The developers produced a report from a so called 'expert' that was full to technical details and said very little. The planners appeared to accept this as dealing with issue.

Legally you have no right to receive a TV/radio signal see

Hunter v Canary Wharf Ltd - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So best of luck, but I think that this application is likely to be decided on grounds other than possible interference to TV reception.
 
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Tight & Grumpysimus,

All points well taken.

Our hope is that all these minor issues become cumulative and help us with our case.

We *definitely* don't believe it's a given that a windfarm gets planning permission.

The tide is turning against these useless installations, thanks largely to the new government it must be said.

We are certainly hopeful :)

S
 
The tide is turning against these useless installations,

I'm not sure that is entirely reasonable.

It could be said that unless provision is made to provide future power generation, there will come a point where you will not be able to power the TV to receive those transmissions you are afraid will be interfered with.

Power generation has to be done somewhere, somehow, and the strategy to do so has to take into account a whole range of considerations of green-ness , security of supply, and diversity. etc.

To describe them as 'useless' is bizarre.
 
I'm not sure that is entirely reasonable.

Gavtech,

I specifically didn't want to get in to this discussion as it's rather contentious and people take things to heart and I'm here for help, not to rub people up the wrong way...

However, just this *one* post... ;-)

It could be said that unless provision is made to provide future power generation, there will come a point where you will not be able to power the TV to receive those transmissions you are afraid will be interfered with.
That's a given.

I should perhaps qualify my previous remark and say that windfarms are *next* to useless and on-shore windfarms are even more useless than that.

Power generation has to be done somewhere, somehow, and the strategy to do so has to take into account a whole range of considerations of green-ness , security of supply, and diversity. etc.

To describe them as 'useless' is bizarre.
Not in the slightest.

The poster-child for windpower is Denmark. They have spent *colossal* amounts on it. Look at a suitable map of Denmark and you'll see that the place is *peppered* with turbines. They are net *exporters* of power.

Have they closed a *single* conventional powerstation? Apparently not.

Because the wind is so unreliable they have to keep their powerstations running to pick up the slack.

Has Denmark's co2 output reduced? Yes and no. It's up and down like a yo-yo. The Uk's co2 output has steadily reduced over time.

What has Denmark had in return for their massive investment in WP? The highest energy costs in Europe and a ruined landscape. A *total* waste.

The only reason WP works even as well as it does in Denmark is that they are hooked up to a "Super Grid" with Scandinavia and Northern Germany. Scandinavia has a great deal of Hydro power which *can* be switched on at a moment's notice. Without this Super Grid, things would be even worse.

The Uk has very little Hydro which makes wind even less suitable for us.

If people want to waste money on WP then please be my guest but as a *minimum* place the installations *well* away from where people live, preferably out to sea.

And that's me off my soapbox. :)

S
 
Gavtech,

I specifically didn't want to get in to this discussion as it's rather contentious and people take things to heart and I'm here for help, not to rub people up the wrong way...

You are quite right in implying that this is not the place for this ...and I should get a smack for taking it off-topic.

I was moved because the word I picked on jarred with me... because these issues are not easy - they are complex and difficult, and the answers involve inevitable compromise. so i don't think it does anyone involved, least of all you in your struggle against this development to be so dismissive and absolutist.

Thank you for your more reasoned exposition however, even though I do not agree with all of it ...and good luck in your pursuit.
 
On topic? Maybe maybe not but I would be thrilled to have a windfarm near me.
I think they are so sculptural and graceful and are a beautiful modern continuation of harvesting the wind with sails.
:)
 
On topic? Maybe maybe not but I would be thrilled to have a windfarm near me.
I think they are so sculptural and graceful and are a beautiful modern continuation of harvesting the wind with sails.
:)

Quite agree. There seems to be a 'set piece' that anti-windfarm lobbyists use. Noise, bird (and bat) strikes, interfering with radar and tv signals etc. In the short term they may not give a return on their investment,but in the future they probably will with the increasing prices of fossil fuels.

Even though East Anglia was once covered in windmills the development of new windfarms, usually only 1 -5 machines, is greeted with protests. If King Herod wanted to slaughter the first-born there would be less of an uproar than the building of a windfarm, or, perish the thought, building a new branch of Tesco. :smashin:
 
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