Drop-in help sessions for Argyll on digital tv switchover

From 13th October 2010, areas in Argyll will progressively lose their familiar (analogue) television signal and will have to be ready to receive the new digital transmission service by the relevant dates.

Each area will have a Stage One switchover which all households and businesses will have to be equipped to meet – in terms of readiness to receive the digital signal.

There will then be a two week period to allow people to make sure that their equipment and that the system is working.

After that period, the area will go to Stage Two – switchoff of the analogue signal with transmission by digital signal only.

Different parts of Argyll and Bute will be served by one of three transmitters and repeaters, each with its own dates for Stage One and Stage Two.

• The area served by the transmitter at Torosay on Mull, which covers what is vaguely described as the ‘south west highlands’, is scheduled for Stage One on 13th October, with the final action at Stage Two on 27th October.
• Rosneath alone is served by a transmitter at Rosneath but whether this exclusivity is because of the topography (unlikely) or because of the proximity of a welter of Ministry of Defence establishments in the the areas of the Gareloch, Loch Long and Loch Goil, we cannot say. The Rosneath area goes to Stage One on 11th May 2011 and Stage Two on 25th May 2011.
• Then there’s ‘Argyll and Bute’ – which presumably means what’s left after you subtract the Argyll and Bute areas served from Torosay and Rosneath – will be served served, along with parts of Central Scotland, from the Darvel transmitter in East Ayrshire. This goes to Stage One switchover on 11th May 2011, with Stage Two on 25th May 2011.

There is a Digital UK service at this link which, if you enter your Postcode, will tell you the dates that will affect you.

Digital UK, the company managing the television switchover, is running a series of drop-in help sessions where people will have access to specially trained advisors there to answer questions on the digital options avaialble, offer advice on equipment to use and on actions to be taken and provide information on the Switchover Help Scheme.

The company has already run some of these sessions – at the Loch Lomond Highland games on 17th July; the Rosneath Highland Games on 18th July; the Inveraray Highland games on 20th July, the Mull Highland Games on 22nd July 2010.

Sessions to come are at locations including

• Lochgilphead Community Centre on 10th August from 10.00am-1.00pm.
• Tayvallich Village Hall on Tuesday 12th August from 10.00am-1.00pm.
• Cowal Highland gathering in Dunoon from 26th-28th August 2010, from 9.00am-7.00pm each day.
• Mossfield Park, Oban on 26th August 2010 from 10.00am-4.30pm.
• George Street, Oban from 13th-14th October 2010, from 9.00am-5.00pm.
• George Street, Oban on 27th October 2010 from 9.00am-5.00pm.

Please note: the drop-in sessions schedule on the Digital UK website has not, at the date of publication of this article (6th August 2010) been updated since 11th July 2010. It does not include the first two dates on this list which we have obtained from other sources. There may well be others not yet advertised.

We are enquiring for the full list of Argyll dates and venues from now on and will publish the information when we get it.

Here is Digital UK’s downloadable Your guide to switchover which should answer most of your questions in the meantime.