Mynydd Pencarreg transmitting station

Mynydd Pencarreg
Mast height 99 metres (325 ft)
Coordinates 52°04′03″N 4°04′36″W / 52.0675°N 4.0767°W / 52.0675; -4.0767Coordinates: 52°04′03″N 4°04′36″W / 52.0675°N 4.0767°W / 52.0675; -4.0767
Grid reference SN577430
Built 1956
Relay of Carmel
BBC region BBC Wales
ITV region ITV Wales

The Mynydd Pencarreg transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located on high ground about 10 km south of Lampeter, in Ceredigion, Wales. The site has a guyed 99 m (325 ft) lattice mast erected on land that is itself about 410 m (1,345 ft) above sea level. It was originally built by the GPO as a telecommunications relay, and (amongst other things) was responsible for handling the microwave feed carrying the now-defunct 405-line VHF BBC television service to the television transmitter at Blaenplwyf about 35 km to the northwest near Aberystwyth. Despite this, Mynydd Pencarreg was never a 405-line TV broadcast site.

Broadcast UHF television was added to the site in early 1981,[1] launching with just the three programme services that were active at the time. S4C was added in 1982 when it launched.

Currently, the transmitter provides DVB-T digital television to the Lampeter area, along with FM radio.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue television

Early 1981 - 1 November 1982

When 625-line colour television came to the area, the site became a relay of Preseli about 50 km to the southwest.

Frequency UHF kW Service
767.25 MHz 58 0.12 BBC1 Wales
791.25 MHz 61 0.12 HTV Wales
815.25 MHz 64 0.12 BBC2 Wales

1 November 1982 - 19 August 2009

Channel 4 was added to the set transmitted from the site when it launched in November 1982. Being in Wales, Mynydd Pencarreg radiated the S4C variant.

Frequency UHF kW Service
735.25 MHz 54 0.12 S4C
767.25 MHz 58 0.12 BBC1 Wales
791.25 MHz 61 0.12 HTV Wales
815.25 MHz 64 0.12 BBC2 Wales

Analogue and digital television

19 August 2009 - 16 September 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced, mirroring the changes taking place at the parent transmitter at Preseli. Analogue BBC Two Wales closed on channel 64 and ITV1 Wales took over on that frequency for what would be its final 3 weeks of service, vacating channel 61 as it did so. The new digital BBC A multiplex started up at full power in 64-QAM mode on channel 61.

Frequency UHF kW Service System
735.25 MHz 54 0.12 S4C PAL System I
767.25 MHz 58 0.12 BBC One Wales PAL System I
794.000 MHz 61 0.024 BBC A DVB-T
815.25 MHz 64 0.12 ITV1 Wales PAL System I

Digital television

16 September 2009 - 31 October 2012

All the analogue television services closed and the new digital multiplexes took over their frequencies.

Frequency UHF kW Operator
738.000 MHz 54 0.012 BBC B
770.000 MHz 58 0.012 Digital 3&4
794.000 MHz 61 0.012 BBC A

31 October 2012 - present

OFCOM have announced that channel 61 is also to be cleared so as to make space for future 4G mobile phone services.[2] At Mynydd Pencarreg, BBC A was moved from channel 61 to channel 49.[3]

Frequency UHF kW Operator
698.000 MHz 49 0.012 BBC A
738.000 MHz 54 0.012 BBC B
770.000 MHz 58 0.012 Digital 3&4

Analogue radio (FM VHF)

August 1981 - Late 1980s

FM radio from Mynydd Pencarreg launched in 1981,[4] initially with just the three services that were typical of the time. For radio, the site was an off-air relay of Blaenplwyf.

Frequency kW Service
89.7 MHz 0.2 BBC Radio 2
91.9 MHz 0.2 BBC Radio 3
94.1 MHz 0.2 BBC Radio Cymru

Present

Frequency kW Service
89.7 MHz 0.2 BBC Radio 2
91.9 MHz 0.2 BBC Radio 3
94.1 MHz 0.2 BBC Radio Cymru
96.6 MHz 0.2 Radio Ceredigion
99.3 MHz 0.2 BBC Radio 1
103.7 MHz 0.2 BBC Radio 4

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.bbceng.info/Eng_Inf/EngInf_4.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.ukfree.tv/fullstory.php?storyid=1107051995
  3. ↑ http://www.a516digital.com/p/4g-clearance-retunes.html
  4. ↑ http://www.bbceng.info/Eng_Inf/EngInf_6.pdf
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