Caerhendy transmitting station

Last updated
Caerhendy
Neath Port Talbot UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Caerhendy transmitting station (Neath Port Talbot)
Mast height10 metres (33 ft)
Coordinates 51°36′23″N3°46′23″W / 51.606292°N 3.773067°W / 51.606292; -3.773067
Grid reference SS772912
Built1980s
Demolished2010
Relay of Wenvoe
BBC region BBC Wales
ITV region ITV Cymru Wales

The Caerhendy television relay station was sited at Caerhendy in the Afan Valley, a few kilometres north of Junction 40 on the M4 motorway at Port Talbot. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television. It was sited at the clubhouse of the soccer ground at Ynys Park and consisted of a mere 3 m aluminium mast carrying a vertically stacked yagi array. The transmitter served about 50 houses in Caerhendy, about 500 m across the valley to the east, which for reasons of geography couldn't get a signal from Mynydd Emroch transmitter just to the south.

Contents

Alltwen transmitter re-radiated a signal received off-air from Cwmafan about 2 km farther to the northeast, itself a relay of Wenvoe. It was possibly the lowest ERP officially provided TV relay in the UK, radiating just 0.5 W on each of its four UHF channels.

When it came, the digital switchover process rendered Caerhendy redundant. It is no longer in service.

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue television

1980s - March 2010

FrequencyUHFkWService
471.25  MHz 210.0005 BBC One Wales
495.25  MHz 240.0005 ITV1 Wales
519.25  MHz 270.0005 BBC Two Wales
551.25  MHz 310.0005 S4C

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