Cwmgors transmitting station

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Cwmgors
Neath Port Talbot UK location map.svg
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Cwmgors transmitting station (Neath Port Talbot)
Mast height25 metres (82 ft)
Coordinates 51°47′41″N3°52′43″W / 51.794775°N 3.878492°W / 51.794775; -3.878492
Grid reference SN705123
Built1983
Relay of Carmel
BBC region BBC Wales
ITV region ITV Cymru Wales

The Cwmgors television relay station is sited on high ground at Gwaun Cae Gurwen to the north of the village of Cwmgors in south Wales. It was originally built in 1983 as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television covering the communities of Cwmgors, Gwaun Cae Gurwen and Tairgwaith. It consists of a 25 m self-supporting lattice steel mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 180 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed broadly south to cover its targets. The Cwmgors transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Contents

Cwmgors transmitter re-radiates the signal received off-air from Carmel about 25 km to the west. When it came, the digital switchover process for Cwmgors 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 5.2 W each. [1]

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue television

Winter 1983 - 26 August 2009

Cwmgors entered service in winter 1983, [2] and (being in Wales) transmitted the S4C variant of Channel 4.

FrequencyUHFkWService
471.25  MHz 210.026 BBC One Wales
495.25  MHz 240.026 ITV1 Wales (HTV Wales until 2002)
519.25  MHz 270.026 BBC Two Wales
551.25  MHz 310.026 S4C

Analogue and digital television

26 August 2009 - 23 September 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced at Carmel (and therefore at Cwmgors 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. 5.2 W).

FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem
471.25  MHz 210.026 BBC One Wales PAL System I
498.000  MHz 240.0052 BBC A DVB-T
519.25  MHz 270.026 ITV1 Wales (HTV Wales until 2002) PAL System I
551.25  MHz 310.026 S4C PAL 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.

FrequencyUHFkWOperator
474.166  MHz 21+0.0052BBC B
498.000  MHz 240.0052BBC A
522.000  MHz 270.0052 Digital 3&4

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Cilfrew television relay station is sited on a hill south of the village of Tonna, at least 2 km across the valley from Cilfrew in the Neath Valley. It was originally built in 1981 as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television serving the villages of Cilfrew itself, Aberdulais and Tonna. It consists of a 30 m self-supporting lattice mast standing on land which is itself about 80 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed to the north. The Cilfrew transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Efail Fach television relay station is sited on a hill west of the villages of Efail Fach, Cwm Pelenna and Tonmawr. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television serving all of those settlements. It consists of a 15 m self-supporting lattice mast standing on a hill which is itself about 160 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed to the east towards the Pelenna valley. The Efail Fach transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Neath Abbey television relay station is sited on a hill north of the town of Neath. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television serving the parts of the town of Neath to its east with its vertically polarised signal, and the parts of the town to its northwest with its horizontally polarised signal. This is an unusual layout, chosen to avoid signal degradation from reflections off the cliffs to the north. The site consists of a 12 m self-supporting lattice mast standing on land which is itself about 80 m above sea level. The Neath Abbey transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Abercraf television relay station is sited on high ground to the east of the village of Abercraf in the upper Swansea Valley, though it is actually closer to Coelbren than to Abercraf itself. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television covering the communities of Abercraf, Coelbren, Penycae and Ynyswen. It consists of a 45-metre self-supporting lattice mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 270 metres above sea level. The transmissions are beamed southwest and northwest. The Abercraf transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Builth Wells television relay station is sited on high ground to the north of the town of Builth Wells in Powys, South Wales. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television. It consists of a 25 m self-supporting lattice mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 230 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed southwards. The Builth Wells transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Llansawel television relay station is sited on high ground to the north of the village of Llansawel in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. It was originally built in 1986 as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television. It consists of a 17 m wooden telegraph pole standing on a hillside which is itself about 160 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed southwards. The Llansawel transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Talley television relay station is sited on high ground to the north of the village of Talley in Carmarthenshire. It was originally built in 1986 as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television covering the community of Talley. It consists of a 17 m wooden telegraph pole standing on a hillside which is itself about 220 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed southwest and northwest to cover all the small settlements of the area and to provide a signal for the Llansawel repeater about 5 km to the northwest. The Talley transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Penderyn television relay station is sited on high ground to the east of the village of Penderyn in the Brecon Beacons. It was originally built in 1984 as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television covering the communities of Penderyn and Hirwaun. It consists of a 12-metre (39 ft) self-supporting lattice steel mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 310 metres (1,020 ft) above sea level. The transmissions are beamed west and south to cover all these targets. The Penderyn transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Tenby television relay station is sited to the southwest of the town of Tenby and north of Penally on the south coast of Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It was built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television covering the southwest of Tenby town, plus Penally and the low-lying land between them that is shielded from Carmel by the headland. It consists of a 17 m wooden pole standing on a hillside which is itself about 80 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed northeast and west to cover the targets. The Tenby station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Brechfa television relay station is sited on high ground to the east of the village of Brechfa to the northeast of Carmarthen. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television covering the communities of Brechfa, Horeb and Aber Goleu. It consists of a 12 m self-supporting lattice steel mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 290 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed northeast to cover all these targets. The Brechfa transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Bronwydd Arms television relay station is sited on high ground to the west of the village of Bronwydd to the north of Carmarthen. It was originally built in mid 1989 as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television covering the village of Bronwydd Arms and the surrounding community. It consists of a 14 m wooden telegraph pole standing on a hillside which is itself about 85 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed east to cover the target. The Bronwydd Arms transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Cilycwm television relay station is sited on high ground to the east of the village of Cilycwm to the north of Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. It was originally built in 1987 as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television covering the communities of Cilycwm and Rhandirmwyn. It consists of a 17 m self-standing lattice steel mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 190 m above sea level. The transmissions are broadly beamed west and east to cover the targets. The Cilycwm transmission station is owned and operated by NTL.

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.

The Erwood television relay station is sited on high ground to the west of the village of Erwood in Powys, south Wales. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television covering the communities of Erwood, Llandeilo Graban and Llansteffan. It consists of a 20 m self-supporting lattice steel mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 215 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed northeast and southeast to cover its targets. The Erwood transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Rhayader television relay station is sited on high ground to the northeast of the town of Rhayader, south Wales. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television covering the communities of Rhayader and St. Harmon. It consists of a 45 m self-supporting lattice steel mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 345 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed southwest and northwest to cover its targets. The Rhayader transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Cynwyl Elfed television relay station is sited on high ground to the east of the village of Cynwyl Elfed to the north of Carmarthen. It was originally built in mid 1989 as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television covering the village of Cynwyl Elfed and the surrounding community. It consists of a 14 m self-supporting lattice steel mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 115 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed west to cover the target. The Cynwyl Elfed transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

References

  1. "Freeview on Cwmgors TV transmitter". ukfree.tv. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  2. "Archived copy" (PDF). www.bbceng.info. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)