Clare and Gilbert Valleys residents have responded to a call out in last week’s Northern Argus regarding the quality of their digital television reception, echoing their disappointment in poor signal quality.

Many readers believe the region has fallen into a gap between transmission areas – it’s at the outer edge of the licensing area for Southern Cross television broadcasting from Port Pirie, and just beyond the licensing area for free-to-air Adelaide channels.

Reports from the Clare township about digital transmission have ranged from “pretty good if the weather is right” to downright dreadful.

In Saddleworth, one reader said they were closer to Adelaide television transmissions, had a set top box, but experienced continuous image freezing and picture break ups.

“Having spoken to many other residents here, this is a widespread problem,” Malcolm Culbertson said.

Residents have changed aerials, purchased new televisions, installed set top boxes and had their cabling renewed, all to no avail.

They have found keeping an eye on the weather helps to work out whether it’s worthwhile turning on the TV.

“We get dreadful reception – most of the summer we can get analogue and as soon as it cools down we get digital,” Simon Drew, who lives near the Camel’s Hump ranges north-east of Clare, said.

He said if the temperatures went above 27-28ºC, digital coverage was lost.

“We have a TV with a built-in digital tuner and need a set-top box on top of that,” Mr Drew said.

Many residents report poor or nonexistent reception from Southern Cross and everyone has a story of how their neighbours and friends have worse, slightly better or the same kinds of reception issues.

Clare Country Club general manager Gavin Bailey said more than $40,000 was spent last year in upgrading electrical equipment in all guest rooms, as well as rooms in Chaff Mill Village, to full digital LCD flat screen units.

“In some cases we have placed two of these units in our guest’s family rooms,” Mr Bailey said.