Llanwrtyd Wells transmitting station

Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells transmitting station is located in Powys
Llanwrtyd Wells transmitting station
Llanwrtyd Wells transmitting station (Powys)
Mast height25 metres (82 ft)
Coordinates52°05′47″N 3°36′29″W / 52.096411°N 3.607918°W / 52.096411; -3.607918
Grid referenceSN899454
Built1980s
Relay ofCarmel
BBC regionBBC Wales
ITV regionITV Cymru Wales

The Llanwrtyd Wells television relay station is sited on high ground by the hamlet of Cefn Gorwydd to the east of the village of Llanwrtyd Wells in Powys, mid Wales. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television covering the communities of Llanwrtyd Wells, Cefn Gorwydd and the surrounding area. It consists of a 25 m (82 ft) self-supporting lattice steel mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 240 m (790 ft) above sea level. The transmissions are beamed broadly northwest and northeast to cover its targets. The Llanwrtyd Wells transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Llanwrtyd Wells transmitter re-radiates the signal received off-air from Llandrindod Wells which is itself an off-air relay of Carmel about 45 kilometres (28 mi) to the southwest. When it came, the digital switchover process for Llanwrtyd Wells duplicated the timing at Carmel with the first stage taking place on 26 August 2009 and with the second stage being completed on 23 September 2009. After the switchover process, analogue channels had ceased broadcasting permanently and the Freeview digital TV services were radiated at an ERP of 2 W each.[1]

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue television

1980's - 26 August 2009

Being in Wales, Llanwrtyd Wells transmitted Channel 4

Frequency UHF kW Service
519.25 MHz 27 0.010 BBC One Wales
495.25 MHz 24 0.010 ITV1 Wales (HTV Wales until 2002)
567.25 MHz 33 0.010 BBC Two Wales
471.25 MHz 21 7.1 Channel 4 Wales

Analogue and digital television

26 August 2009 - 23 September 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced at Carmel (and therefore at Llanwrtyd Wells and all its other relays) on 26 August 2009. Analogue BBC Two Wales on channel 27 was first to close, and ITV Wales was moved from channel 24 to channel 27 for its last month of service. Channel 24 was replaced by the new digital BBC A mux which started up in 64-QAM and at full power (i.e. 2 W).

Frequency UHF kW Service System
567.25 MHz 33 0.01 BBC One Wales NTSC System I
498.000 MHz 24 0.002 BBC A DVB-T
519.25 MHz 27 0.01 ITV1 Wales (HTV Wales until 2002) PAL System I
471.25 MHz 21 0.0 Channel 4 Wales NTSC System I

Digital television

23 September 2009 - present

The remaining analogue TV services were closed down and the digital multiplexes took over on the original analogue channels' frequencies.

Frequency UHF kW Operator
474.166 MHz 21+ 0.002 Digital 3&4
498.000 MHz 24 0.002 BBC A
522.000 MHz 27 0.002 BBC B

References

  1. ^ "Freeview on Llanwrtyd Wells TV transmitter". ukfree.tv. Retrieved 2012-04-20.