Kilvey Hill transmitting station

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Kilvey Hill
Kilvey Hill Transmitters - geograph.org.uk - 19836.jpg
Swansea UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kilvey Hill transmitting station (Swansea)
Tower height45 metres (148 ft)
Coordinates 51°37′45″N3°55′13″W / 51.629167°N 3.920278°W / 51.629167; -3.920278
Grid reference SS672940
Built1967
BBC region BBC Wales
ITV region ITV Cymru Wales

The Kilvey Hill transmitting station was originally built at the summit of Kilvey Hill in Swansea, Wales, by the BBC [1] in 1967 as a relay for VHF and UHF television. VHF television came on air a few months before the UHF services. As built, the station did not radiate VHF FM radio, this was added later. Currently, the hill's transmitters cater for viewers and listeners in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Llanelli. The station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Contents

Freeview digital terrestrial TV was already available at low power from this transmitter before the digital switchover process began, with the first stage taking place on Wednesday 12 August 2009. The second stage was completed on Wednesday 9 September 2009, with the transmitter becoming the first in Wales to complete digital switchover. After the switchover process, analogue channels ceased broadcasting permanently and the Freeview power increased from 383 W ERP to 2 kW ERP, a 7 dB power increase. [2]

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue television

December 1967 - 17 February 1968

Kilvey Hill provided BBC 405-line VHF television to the Neath and Port Talbot area which is strongly shielded by local hills [3] from the Wenvoe transmitter just to the west of Cardiff. Kilvey Hill was a relay of the Wenvoe transmitter. Despite being sited at Swansea, no effort was made to provide the VHF TV signal to Swansea itself - the town was already deemed to be well served by Wenvoe.

FrequencyVHFkWService
51.75  MHz 20.5 BBC1 Wales

17 February 1968 - 28 January 1972

A BBC R&D report [4] details the coming of 625-line UHF television to the Kilvey Hill site. This again was with the station acting as an off-air relay of Wenvoe, which was (at that point) only transmitting BBC 2 (in colour) on 625-lines. This time, the northern parts of Swansea were intended to be covered by the signal as local hills (including Kilvey Hill itself) shielded those parts of the town from the UHF signal from Wenvoe.

FrequencyVHFUHFkWService
51.75  MHz 20.5 BBC1 Wales
511.25  MHz 2610 BBC2 Wales

28 January 1972 - 1 November 1982

BBC1 and HTV Wales came on air from Wenvoe in April 1970, but it was nearly two years later [5] before Kilvey Hill started to relay those channels.

FrequencyVHFUHFkWService
51.75  MHz 20.5 BBC1 Wales
487.25  MHz 2310 HTV Wales
511.25  MHz 2610 BBC2 Wales
567.25  MHz 3310BBC1 Wales

1 November 1982 - Second Quarter 1983

Channel 4 launched across the UK in 1982. Kilvey Hill (being in Wales) transmitted the S4C variant.

FrequencyVHFUHFkWService
51.75  MHz 20.5 BBC1 Wales
487.25  MHz 2310 HTV Wales
511.25  MHz 2610 BBC2 Wales
535.25  MHz 2910 S4C
567.25  MHz 3310BBC1 Wales

Second Quarter 1983 - 15 July 1997

405 line television was discontinued early, [6] and from then onwards TV transmissions were on UHF only.

FrequencyUHFkWService
487.25  MHz 2310 HTV Wales
511.25  MHz 2610 BBC2 Wales
535.25  MHz 2910 S4C
567.25  MHz 3310 BBC1 Wales

15 July 1997 - 15 November 1998

During 1997, Channel 5 gained an analogue channel from some transmitters and Kilvey Hill was one of them. The site radiated all five UK terrestrial analogue television services at 10 kW until digital switchover was completed on 9 September 2009.

FrequencyUHFkWService
487.25  MHz 2310 HTV Wales
511.25  MHz 2610 BBC2 Wales
535.25  MHz 2910 S4C
567.25  MHz 3310 BBC1 Wales
583.25  MHz 3510 Channel 5

Analogue and digital television

15 November 1998 - 12 August 2009

The initial rollout of digital television in the UK involved radiating the signals at low power in between the existing analogue channels. The apparent use of channels "21" and "22-" for muxes "C" and "2" respectively might look like a mistake, but is confirmed by OFCOM's site. [7]

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem
474.000  MHz 210.1 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
481.833  MHz 22-0.6 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
487.25  MHz 2310 HTV Wales PAL System I
505.833  MHz 25-0.6 BBC (Mux 1)DVB-T
511.25  MHz 2610 BBC2 Wales PAL System I
529.833  MHz 28-0.3 SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
535.25  MHz 2910 S4C PAL System I
553.833  MHz 31-0.1Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T
561.833  MHz 32-0.6BBC (Mux B)DVB-T
567.25  MHz 3310 BBC1 Wales PAL System I
583.25  MHz 3510 Channel 5 PAL System I

12 August 2009 - 9 September 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced with Kilvey Hill on 12 August 2009. Analogue BBC2 Wales on channel 26 was first to close, and HTV Wales was moved from channel 23 to channel 26 for its last month of service. With it went Mux 1 from channel 25- to be replaced by the new BBC A mux which started up in 64-QAM and at full power (i.e. 2 kW) on channel 23 which had just been vacated in the shuffle.

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem
474.000  MHz 210.1 Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T
481.833  MHz 22-0.6 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
490.000  MHz 232 BBC ADVB-T
511.25  MHz 2610 HTV Wales PAL System I
529.833  MHz 28-0.3 SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
535.25  MHz 2910 S4C PAL System I
553.833  MHz 31-0.1Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T
561.833  MHz 32-0.6BBC (Mux B)DVB-T
567.25  MHz 3310 BBC1 Wales PAL System I
583.25  MHz 3510 Channel 5 PAL System I

Digital television

9 September 2009 - 17 Jul 2019

The remaining analogue TV services were closed down, the digital multiplexes took over their original frequencies (and a few new ones) with a power increase and a move to 64-QAM encoding. The service covers Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and parts of South Wales including Cowbridge and the Vale of Glamorgan where the Wenvoe Transmitters’ signals are shielded by hills.

FrequencyUHFkWOperator
482.000  MHz 222 Arqiva A
490.000  MHz 232 BBC A
506.000  MHz 252 SDN
514.000  MHz 262 Digital 3&4
530.000  MHz 282Arqiva B
538.000  MHz 292BBC B

17 Jul 2019 - present

Services have moved to different frequencies.

FrequencyUHFkWOperator
474.000  MHz 212 BBC A
482.000  MHz 222 Arqiva A
498.000  MHz 242 Digital 3&4
506.000  MHz 252 SDN
522.000  MHz 272 BBC B
530.000  MHz 282 Arqiva B
578.000  MHz 342_local

Analogue radio (VHF FM)

30 September 1974 - Early 1980s

The first FM radio from the site was Wales' first independent radio station, Swansea Sound. [8]

FrequencykWServiceDescription
95.1 MHz1.0 Swansea Sound Contemporary and chart music and information station for under 44s

Early 1980s - 1989

Swansea Sound changed frequency to 96.4 MHz as required by a new bandplan for Band II broadcasting which placed BBC stations below 96 MHz and Independent Local Radio stations above that. The band limit was 98 MHz at that point. BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio Cymru commenced from the site sometime before 1988 as the BBC's Service Area map of 1988 shows. [9]

FrequencykWServiceDescription
89.5 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 2 Adult contemporary music-led service
91.7 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 3 Classical, jazz, world music and the arts
93.9 MHz0.925 BBC Radio Cymru Welsh language service
96.4 MHz1.5 Swansea Sound Contemporary and chart music and information station for under 44s

1989 - 30 September 1995

The 1988 bandplan for Band II raised the upper limit for broadcasting to 100 MHz and Radio 1 gained its own frequency.

FrequencykWServiceDescription
89.5 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 2 Adult contemporary music-led service
91.7 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 3 Classical, jazz, world music and the arts
93.9 MHz0.925 BBC Radio Cymru Welsh language service
96.4 MHz1.5 Swansea Sound Contemporary and chart music and information station for under 44s
99.1 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 1 New and popular music, news, entertainment and talk

30 September 1995 - 1997

Swansea Sound changed its name first to "96.4 Sound Wave" then (quickly) to 96.4 The Wave.

FrequencykWServiceDescription
89.5 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 2 Adult contemporary music-led service
91.7 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 3 Classical, jazz, world music and the arts
93.9 MHz0.925 BBC Radio Cymru Welsh language service
96.4 MHz1.5 The Wave Contemporary and chart music and information station for under 44s
99.1 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 1 New and popular music, news, entertainment and talk

1997 - present

Classic FM came on air in 1997, the other new services have joined at various times since then. Radio Cymru has moved to 104.2 MHz with BBC Radio Wales taking over the vacated 93.9 MHz slot.

FrequencykWServiceDescription
89.5 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 2 Adult contemporary music-led service
91.7 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 3 Classical, jazz, world music and the arts
93.9 MHz0.925 BBC Radio Wales A music-led service, with talk and entertainment revolving around Wales
94.6 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 4 Speech, news and current affairs
96.4 MHz1.5 Hits Radio South Wales Contemporary and chart music and information station for under 44s
99.1 MHz0.925 BBC Radio 1 New and popular music, news, entertainment and talk
101.3 MHz0.5 Classic FM Classical music
102.1 MHz1.25 Swansea Bay Radio Adult contemporary [10]
104.2 MHz0.925 BBC Radio Cymru Welsh language service
106.0 MHz1 Heart South Wales Adult contemporary, news, entertainment and sports. Formerly Real Radio
107.3 MHz1.25 Nation Radio Wales Rock music

Digital radio (DAB)

FrequencyBlockkWOperator
222.064 MHz11D1 Digital One
223.936 MHz12A2 Swansea SW Wales
225.648 MHz12B4.1 BBC National DAB
229.072 MHz12D1.2 MuxCo Mid & West Wales
216.928 MHz11A5 SDL National

The digital radio signal covers Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, and parts of South Wales including Cowbridge and the Vale of Glamorgan where the Wenvoe Transmitters’ signals are shielded by hills.

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The Craig-Cefn-Parc television relay station is sited on Mynydd Gelliwastad to the west of Clydach in the Swansea Valley. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television. It consists of a 17 m self-supporting lattice mast standing on land which is itself about 160 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed to the northwest to avoid cross-channel interference with the Alltwen transmitter which is about 4 km to the northeast and which uses the same frequencies. The Craig-Cefn-Parc transmitter is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Mynydd Emroch television relay station is sited on the eponymous hill to the east of Port Talbot. It was originally built in the 1970s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue television. It consists of a 25 metres (82 ft) self-supporting lattice tower standing on a hillside which is itself 600 ft above sea level. The transmitters are beamed southwards to cater for those digital terrestrial TV subscribers in Port Talbot and Margam which for reasons of geography can't get a signal from the Kilvey Hill transmitter across the bay at Swansea. The Mynydd Emroch transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

The Briton Ferry television relay station is sited on a hill to the east of Briton Ferry. It was originally built in the 1970s 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 180 m above sea level. The transmitters are beamed towards the southwest and northwest to cater for those digital terrestrial TV subscribers in Briton Ferry and western Neath which for reasons of geography can't get a signal direct from the Kilvey Hill transmitter at Swansea nor from the relay transmitter at Neath Abbey across the valley. The Briton Ferry transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

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 Llandrindod Wells transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located on high ground about midway between Llandrindod Wells and Rhayader, in Powys, Wales. It was originally built by the BBC, entering service in 1961 transmitting the now-defunct 405-line VHF television system and the original three FM radio services.

The Abergavenny transmitting station was originally built by the IBA in 1969 as a relay for BBC and ITV VHF 405-line analogue television. It consists of a 46 m guyed lattice mast carrying the aerials at the top. This structure was built on a 440 m hill known as Gilwern Hill overlooking the towns of Gilwern and Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, South Wales. The band III VHF television feeds were provided off-air from St. Hilary and Wenvoe, both near Cardiff.

References

  1. "KILVEY HILL V.H.F . RELAY STATION: SUMMARY OF INSTALLATION , Technological Report No. RA-19/11" (PDF). BBC.
  2. "Freeview on Kilvey Hill TV transmitter". ukfree.tv. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  3. "Reception, Port Talbot area (Hansard, 2 June 1964)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 1964-06-02. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  4. "KILVEY HILL U.H.F. RELAY STATION: SUMMARY OF INSTALLATION, Technological Report No. RA-15/3" (PDF). BBC.
  5. "Welcome to the Gallery Upgrader". Txlib.mb21.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2012-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "UK Television Reception Advice". Ofcom.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  8. "Welcome to the Gallery Upgrader". Txlib.mb21.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  9. Mike Brown. "mb21 - The Transmission Gallery". Tx.mb21.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  10. "National Grid Wireless wins 102.1 Swansea Bay Radio contract". National Grid Wireless. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-06. Retrieved 2007-07-31.