Rowridge transmitting station

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Rowridge
Rowridge from entrance gate 200704270010.jpg
The Rowridge transmitting station
Isle of Wight UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Rowridge transmitting station (Isle of Wight)
Mast height149.6 metres (491 ft)
Coordinates 50°40′35″N1°22′07″W / 50.676389°N 1.368611°W / 50.676389; -1.368611
Grid reference SZ447865
BBC region BBC South
ITV region Southern (1969–1981)
TVS (1982–1992)
ITV Meridian (1993–present)
Local TV service That's Solent

The Rowridge transmitting station is a facility for FM radio and television transmission at Rowridge on the Isle of Wight in southern England.

Contents

It currently has a 172-metre (564 ft) tall guyed mast, owned and operated by Arqiva (previously National Grid Wireless). There is a smaller tower on the site belonging to British Telecom. Prior to Digital Switchover (DSO) the station broadcast with a power of 250 kW (ERP) for FM radio, 500 kW for analogue television, and 20 kW for digital television. In July 2007, Ofcom confirmed that Rowridge would remain an A Group transmitter at Digital switchover; the digital television transmission signal was then boosted to 200 kW. From March 2018 MUXES 7 & 8 moved out of the A group to channels 55 & 56 (see graph), though these are due to be turned off between 2020 and 2022.

Rowridge is one of only two main transmitters (the other is the rather smaller transmitter of Rosneath in Scotland) to broadcast its output on both horizontal and vertical polarities. Only the main 6 MUXES are transmitted in vertical polarity. The reason for this dual polarity transmission is to give a second option to those experiencing co-channel interference from transmitters on the continent.

Analogue Channel 5 was not transmitted from Rowridge but was broadcast (at 10 kW) from Fawley Power Station, with the antenna located on the main chimney. Transmissions all fitted within the A group and were horizontally polarised. On 25 March 2009, Channel 5's analogue signal was turned off from Fawley Power Station, due to the digital switchover in the neighbouring Westcountry region.

Population coverage for the main four analogue channels was about 1.75 million.

History

Rowridge mast, IW, UK.jpg

The station was first built to provide BBC 405-line television coverage for an area including Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Dorchester, Chichester, Brighton, Winchester and Salisbury. Sites on the mainland and the Isle of Wight were considered, and three were tested by BBC Research Department. A temporary 200 ft lattice mast was built with a main antenna at 175 ft and a reserve antenna lower down. These aerials were directional to enhance the signal northwards and reduce unwanted coverage to the south. [1]

It was built by BICC, alongside Pontop Pike (also 500ft) and North Hessary Tor in Devon (a taller mast).

The service opened on 12 November 1954, bringing television to the area for the first time.

A programme feed was obtained via a Post Office radio link, using refurbished equipment that provided the original picture feed for the Wenvoe Transmitter on the British Telecom Microwave Network. A site for this near Alton, Hampshire was acquired and named after a nearby pub: Golden Pot. Here the TV signal from Alexandra Palace was picked up and relayed via a one-hop 4 GHz microwave link to Rowridge. This was brought into service on 18 October 1954. Later, the microwave link ran from the Museum telephone exchange in London to Rowridge, using Golden Pot as an intermediate site. [2]

In 1965 the UHF antenna was added making the total height of the structure 149.6 metres (491 ft). This addition allowed Rowridge to radiate the PAL 625-line transmission that allowed broadcasts in colour and eventually stereo sound, using NICAM.

On 25 March 2009, Channel 5's analogue signal was turned off from Fawley Power Station. Later on in the day, "existing digital terrestrial TV services moved to new frequencies", due to the digital switchover happening in the region in 2012. [3]

Arqiva applied for planning permission to replace the existing 150m (492') mast with one 187m (614') high on 22 May 2009. [4]

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue radio

FrequencykW [5] Service
88.5 MHz 250 BBC Radio 2
90.7 MHz250 BBC Radio 3
92.9 MHz250 BBC Radio 4
96.1 MHz10 BBC Radio Solent
98.2 MHz250 BBC Radio 1
100.3 MHz125 Classic FM

Digital radio

FrequencyBlockkWOperator
225.648 MHz12B5 BBC National DAB

Analogue television

12 November 1954 – 15 January 1966

FrequencyVHFkWService
56.75  MHz 3100 BBC Television

15 January 1966 – 13 December 1969

FrequencyVHFUHFkWService
56.75  MHz 3—100 BBC1 South
495.25  MHz —24500 BBC2 South

13 December 1969 – 27 December 1969

FrequencyVHFUHFkWService
56.75  MHz 3—100 BBC1 South
495.25  MHz —24500 BBC2 South
519.25  MHz —27500 Southern

27 December 1969 – 4 December 1982

FrequencyVHFUHFkWService
56.75  MHz 3100 BBC1 South
495.25  MHz —24500 BBC2 South
519.25  MHz —27500 TVS (Southern until 1982)
551.25  MHz —31500BBC1

4 December 1982 – 3 January 1985

FrequencyVHFUHFkWService
56.75  MHz 3—100 BBC1 South
471.25  MHz —21500 Channel 4
495.25  MHz —24500 BBC2 South
519.25  MHz —27500 TVS
551.25  MHz —31500BBC1

3 January 1985 – 15 November 1998

FrequencyUHFkWService
471.25  MHz 21500 Channel 4
495.25  MHz 24500 BBC2 South
519.25  MHz 27500 Meridian (TVS until 1993)
551.25  MHz 31500 BBC1 South

Analogue and digital television

15 November 1998 – 31 October 2002

FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem
471.25  MHz 21500 Channel 4 PAL System I
489.833  MHz 23-20 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T
495.25  MHz 24500 BBC2 South PAL System I
513.833  MHz 26-20 Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T
519.25  MHz 27500 Meridian PAL System I
530.000  MHz 2820 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
546.000  MHz 3020 SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
551.25  MHz 31500 BBC1 South PAL System I
562.166  MHz 32+20BBC (Mux B)DVB-T
570.166  MHz 33+20Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T

31 October 2002 – 24 May 2007

FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem
471.25  MHz 21500 Channel 4 PAL System I
489.833  MHz 23-20 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T
495.25  MHz 24500 BBC2 South PAL System I
513.833  MHz 26-20 Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T
519.25  MHz 27500 Meridian PAL System I
530.000  MHz 2820 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
546.000  MHz 3020 SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
551.25  MHz 31500 BBC1 South PAL System I
562.166  MHz 32+20BBC (Mux B)DVB-T
570.166  MHz 33+20Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T
735.25  MHz 542 Solent TV PAL System I

24 May 2007 – 25 March 2009

FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem
471.25  MHz 21500 Channel 4 PAL System I
489.833  MHz 23-20 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T
495.25  MHz 24500 BBC2 South PAL System I
513.833  MHz 26-20 Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T
519.25  MHz 27500 Meridian PAL System I
530.000  MHz 2820 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
546.000  MHz 3020 SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
551.25  MHz 31500 BBC1 South PAL System I
562.166  MHz 32+20BBC (Mux B)DVB-T
570.166  MHz 33+20 Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T

25 March 2009 – 7 March 2012

FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem
471.25  MHz 21500 Channel 4 PAL System I
495.25  MHz 24500 BBC2 South PAL System I
519.25  MHz 27500 Meridian PAL System I
530.166  MHz 28+20 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
545.833  MHz 30-20 SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
551.25  MHz 31500 BBC1 South PAL System I
562.166  MHz 32+20 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
570.166  MHz 33+20 Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T
578.000  MHz 3420BBC (Mux 1)DVB-T
602.166  MHz 37+20Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T

7 March 2012 – 21 March 2012

FrequencyUHFkWServiceSystem
HV
471.25  MHz 21500— Channel 4 PAL System I
498.000  MHz 24200200 BBC A DVB-T
519.25  MHz 27500— Meridian PAL System I
530.166  MHz 28+20— BBC (Mux B)DVB-T
545.833  MHz 30-20— SDN (Mux A)DVB-T
551.25  MHz 31500— BBC1 South PAL System I
562.166  MHz 32+20— Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)DVB-T
570.166  MHz 33+20— Arqiva (Mux D)DVB-T
602.166  MHz 37+20—Arqiva (Mux C)DVB-T

Digital television

21 March 2012 – 18 April 2012

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem
HV
474.166  MHz 21+200200 BBC B DVB-T2
498.000  MHz 24200200BBC A DVB-T
522.000  MHz 27200200 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
545.833  MHz 30-50— SDN DVB-T
570.166  MHz 33+50— Arqiva BDVB-T
602.166  MHz 37+50—Arqiva ADVB-T

18 April 2012 – present

The commercial multiplexes were situated on their pre-DSO frequencies until 18 April 2012, when they started transmitting at vertical polarisation. [6]

FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem
HV
474.166  MHz 21+200200 BBC B DVB-T2
482.166  MHz 22+50200 Arqiva A DVB-T
498.000  MHz 24200200BBC ADVB-T
506.000  MHz 2550200 SDN DVB-T
522.000  MHz 27200200 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
530.000  MHz 2850200 Arqiva BDVB-T
602.000 MHz 3710-Local MultiplexDVB-T

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Pawley, Edward. 1972. BBC Engineering 1922 – 1972, p. 377. BBC, London. ISBN   0-563-12127-0.
  2. ↑ Kilvington, T. The London—Isle-of-Wight Television Link, Stage One. POEEJ 48 (1):36–38
  3. ↑ "Isle of Wight County Press - "Stand by for the digital switch"". www.iwcp.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Isle of Wight Planning Application – TCP/23520/R, P/00748/09
  5. ↑ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
  6. ↑ "Digital Switchover Transmitter Details – Meridian Region" (PDF). 5 January 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
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