Caradon Hill transmitting station
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| Caradon Hill | |
 Caradon Hill mast and towers |
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| Height | 237.7 metres (780 ft) |
|---|---|
| Built | 1961 |
| BBC Region | BBC South West |
| ITV Region | ITV Westcountry |
The Caradon Hill transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility on Bodmin Moor in the civil parish of Linkinhorne, located in Caradon, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is 6 km north of Liskeard, and 1.25 km south-east of Minions, the highest village in Cornwall (grid reference SX273707). Built in 1961, the station includes a 237.7 metres (780 ft) guyed steel lattice mast[1]. The mean height for the television antennas is 603 metres (1,980 ft) above sea level[2]. The site has two smaller towers used for telecommunications and a wireless internet signal. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.
The South Caradon Copper Mine, 1 km to the SW of the transmitter, was the largest copper mine in the UK in its heyday, 150 years ago. Many other copper, tin and granite mines are scattered around the base of the hill.
Contents |
[edit] History
The station was built in 1961 by the Independent Television Authority to bring ITV to South West England for the first time. Inaugural broadcasts were from the ITV franchise holder for the area, Westward Television. 405-line monochrome transmissions were on channel 12, Band III VHF. The station was also the first in the area to broadcast television using Band III.
In 1969 it was chosen to become a main station in the new colour UHF television network, broadcasting BBC One, BBC Two and Westward Television. Both the UHF and VHF services continued in tandem until 1985, when VHF television was discontinued in the UK.
In 1992 Caradon Hill (along with Redruth) was chosen as the site of the first commercial radio broadcasts in Cornwall, with Pirate FM taking to the air on 11 March of that year.
[edit] Coverage
Caradon Hill covers east and central Cornwall, from Truro and Falmouth in the west to Plymouth and Bude in the east. It also reaches into west Devon, as far as Barnstaple, Okehampton and Salcombe.
[edit] Channels listed by frequency
- Analogue Radio (FM VHF)
- 95.2 MHz - BBC Radio Cornwall
- 102.2 MHz - Pirate FM
- 105.1 MHz - Atlantic FM
- Digital Radio multiplexes (DAB)
- 218.64 MHz (Block 11B) - NOW Cornwall Multiplex
- 222.06 MHz (Block 11D) - Digital One
- 225.65 MHz (Block 12B) - BBC
- Digital Television
- UHF 21 - Multiplex B BBC ERP 4 kW
- UHF 24 - Multiplex C National Grid Wireless ERP 4 kW
- UHF 27 - Multiplex D National Grid Wireless ERP 4 kW
- UHF 31 - Multiplex 2 ITV and CH4 transmitted by Digital 3 and 4 ERP 4 kW
- UHF 34 - Multiplex 1 BBC ERP 5 kW
- UHF 48 - Multiplex A SDN ERP 4 kW
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Transmission Gallery: photographs and information
- Television coverage map
- Coastal Landmarks information
