Carmel transmitting station

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Carmel
Carmel transmitter masts - geograph.org.uk - 276847.jpg
Carmarthenshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Carmel transmitting station (Carmarthenshire)
Mast height151.9 metres (498 ft)
Coordinates 51°49′21″N4°03′24″W / 51.8225°N 4.0567°W / 51.8225; -4.0567
Built1973
BBC region BBC Wales
ITV region ITV Cymru Wales

The Carmel transmitting station, located half a mile (0.8km) SSW of the village of Carmel in Carmarthenshire, has been broadcasting terrestrial TV and radio services since the mid-1970s. The TV coverage area for the Carmel transmission station includes most of Carmarthenshire, the southern and eastern parts of Pembrokeshire; the southern fringes of Powys and Ceredigion; the northern part of Swansea. The Carmel signal is also receivable in parts of Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taff. Places as far away as Merthyr Tydfil and the north Devon coast are also able to receive signals from Carmel.

Contents

Carmel started to switch over to digital terrestrial TV broadcast services on 26 August 2009. [1]

Services available

Analogue television

21 May 1973 - 1 November 1982

Carmel never did broadcast VHF television, and went live with the UK's three national UHF television services.

FrequencyUHFkWService
759.25  MHz 57100 BBC1 Wales
783.25  MHz 60100 HTV Wales
807.25  MHz 63100 BBC2 Wales

1 November 1982 - 15 November 1998

The UK's fourth national television service joined the set transmitted from the site. Being in Wales, the S4C variant was broadcast.

FrequencyUHFkWService
727.25  MHz 53100 S4C
759.25  MHz 57100 BBC1 Wales
783.25  MHz 60100 HTV Wales
807.25  MHz 63100 BBC2 Wales

Analogue and digital television

15 November 1998 - 26 August 2009

The initial rollout of digital television in the UK involved radiating the signals at low power in between the existing analogue channels.

FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem
727.25  MHz 53100 S4C PAL System I
746.000  MHz 552.5 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T
759.25  MHz 57100 BBC1 Wales PAL System I
777.833  MHz 59-5 SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
783.25  MHz 60100 HTV Wales PAL System I
801.833  MHz 62-2.5BBC (Mux B)DVB-T
807.25  MHz 63100 BBC2 Wales PAL System I
825.833  MHz 65-2.5 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
834.000  MHz 661 Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T
842.000  MHz 671Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T

26 August 2009 - 23 September 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced at this site. Analogue BBC2 Wales closed on channel 63 and HTV took over on that frequency for what would be its final 3 weeks of service, vacating channel 60 as it did so. The new BBC A multiplex started up at full power in 64-QAM mode on channel 60, and Mux 1 on channel 55 closed.

FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem
727.25  MHz 53100 S4C PAL System I
759.25  MHz 57100 BBC1 Wales PAL System I
777.833  MHz 59-5 SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
786.000  MHz 6020 BBC ADVB-T
801.833  MHz 62-2.5BBC (Mux B)DVB-T
807.25  MHz 63100 HTV Wales PAL System I
825.833  MHz 65-2.5 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
834.000  MHz 661 Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T
842.000  MHz 671Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T

Digital television

23 September 2009 - present

All the analogue television services closed and the new digital multiplexes took over their frequencies (and two new ones) with name-changes, power increases and a shift to 64-QAM.

FrequencyUHFkWOperator
730.000  MHz 5320 Digital 3&4
738.000  MHz 5410 SDN
762.000  MHz 5720 BBC B
770.000  MHz 5810 Arqiva A
786.000  MHz 6020BBC A
794.000  MHz 6110Arqiva B

May 2013

As a side-effect of frequency-changes elsewhere in the region to do with clearance of the 800 MHz band for 4G mobile phone use, [2] Carmel's "Arqiva B" multiplex will have to be moved from channel 61 to channel 49 and the "BBC A" multiplex will get a negative offset. [3]

FrequencyUHFkWOperator
698.000  MHz 4910Arqiva B
730.000  MHz 5320Digital 3&4
738.000  MHz 5410SDN
762.000  MHz 5720BBC B
770.000  MHz 5810Arqiva A
785.833  MHz 60-20BBC A

Analogue radio (VHF FM)

FrequencykWService
88.4 MHz3 BBC Radio 2
90.6 MHz3 BBC Radio 3
92.8 MHz3 BBC Radio 4
95.1 MHz3 BBC Radio Wales
97.1 MHz1.4 Radio Carmarthenshire
98.0 MHz3 BBC Radio 1
104.6 MHz3 BBC Radio Cymru
105.2 MHz3 Heart South Wales

Digital radio (DAB)

FrequencyBlockkW [4] Operator
222.064 MHz11D1 Digital One
223.936 MHz12A1 Swansea SW Wales
225.648 MHz12B5 BBC National DAB

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References

  1. UK Free TV - Freeview on the Carmel transmitter
  2. Summers, Nick (2012-02-15). "EU States Must Allow 4G on Analogue TV Spectrum". Thenextweb.com. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  3. "4G clearance retunes". a516digital. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  4. Radio Listeners Guide 2010