Blaenplwyf transmitting station

Blaenplwyf

Height of mast	152 metres (499 ft)
BBC region	BBC Wales
ITV region	ITV Wales

The Blaenplwyf transmitting station (sometimes written "Blaen Plwyf" or "Blaen-Plwyf") is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located near the village of Blaenplwyf about 10 kilometres (6 mi) to the south west of the town of Aberystwyth, in Ceredigion, Wales (grid reference SN569756). It was originally built by the BBC, entering service in October 1956 acting as a main transmitter for BBC Band II VHF FM radio.

It had been planned that the BBC's 405-line VHF television service would commence on the same date, but delays at Rowridge^[1] caused the official switch-on to happen six months later on 29 April 1957.^[2][3] Blaenplwyf was considered a main transmitter for VHF television (despite radiating only 3 kW ERP) as it was fed from a microwave link from Mynydd Pencarreg just south of Lampeter.

The facility is now owned and operated by Arqiva.

The site has a 152 metres (499 ft) guyed steel lattice mast standing on land that is itself 175 metres (574 ft) above sea level. The television and radio broadcasts were originally designed to cover the majority of the Cardigan Bay coastline, the antennas being designed for maximum ERP to the north and to the south-west.

Blaenplwyf became a main transmitter for UHF analogue colour television from 1970 onwards, and was transmitting all three original UHF channels in colour from mid 1973.^[4]

It currently carries all six UK digital television multiplexes.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue television

29 April 1957 - Summer 1970

Newspaper articles^[5][6] claimed that at launch, the television service would be 1 kW. The technical report from the BBC^[7] disagrees, pointing out that the mean ERP was 0.8 kW at launch, and was uprated to twice that value on 8 August 1958.

This report also points out that the signal had its maximum ERP lobe to the north, and that this had been 1.6 kW at launch and 3.2 kW after the power increase. Also, that the coastal towns to the south-west had been treated to the weakest ERP (0.5 kW at launch, 1.0 kW later). Amongst the effects of this were to leave the town of Cardigan with no signal.

Frequency	VHF	kW	Service
56.75 MHz	3	1.6 (3.2 from August 1958)	BBC TV

Summer 1970 - 7 May 1973

BBC2 625-line UHF colour television services came to Blaenplwyf in 1970 (early for Wales). VHF television continued as before. The service area for UHF however was designed to cover more of inland mid Wales than the VHF service had been.

Frequency	VHF	UHF	kW	Service
56.75 MHz	3	—	3	BBC1 Wales
519.25 MHz	—	27	100	BBC2 Wales

7 May 1973 - 1 November 1982

A full (3-channel) 625-line UHF colour television service was in operation from Blaenplwyf as of 1973 with the introduction of the HTV Wales service.

Frequency	VHF	UHF	kW	Service
56.75 MHz	3	—	3	BBC1 Wales
495.25 MHz	—	24	100	HTV Wales
519.25 MHz	—	27	100	BBC2 Wales
551.25 MHz	—	31	100	BBC1 Wales

1 November 1982 - January 1985

The launch of Channel 4 (S4C in Wales) took the UHF capabilities of the site to its design maximum. Being in Wales, this transmitter radiated the S4C variant.

Frequency	VHF	UHF	kW	Service
56.75 MHz	3	—	3	BBC1 Wales
471.25 MHz	—	21	100	S4C
495.25 MHz	—	24	100	HTV Wales
519.25 MHz	—	27	100	BBC2 Wales
551.25 MHz	—	31	100	BBC1 Wales

January 1985 - 30 March 1997

28 years of VHF television from this site came to an end in 1985 as the entire 405-line VHF TV system was switched off across the UK. Blaenplwyf continued with its four UHF channels.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
471.25 MHz	21	100	S4C
495.25 MHz	24	100	HTV Wales
519.25 MHz	27	100	BBC2 Wales
551.25 MHz	31	100	BBC1 Wales

30 March 1997 - 15 November 1998

Despite the fact that the UK's UHF TV system had only been engineered for four TV channels, a fifth was added in 1997. In common with the situation across much of the UK, Blaenplwyf was forced to transmit this extra service well out-of-group and at low power compared with the main four.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
471.25 MHz	21	100	S4C
495.25 MHz	24	100	HTV Wales
519.25 MHz	27	100	BBC Two Wales
551.25 MHz	31	100	BBC One Wales
751.25 MHz	56	4	Channel 5

Analogue and digital television

15 November 1998 - 10 February 2010

The UK's initial experimental digital television service was rolled out, using low power for the transmissions and interleaved with the analogue transmissions in an attempt to make the whole set receivable with the original aerial group.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service	System
471.25 MHz	21	100	S4C	PAL System I
482.166 MHz	22+	2	Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)	DVB-T
495.25 MHz	24	100	ITV1 Wales (HTV Wales until 2002)	PAL System I
506.166 MHz	25+	2	SDN (Mux A)	DVB-T
519.25 MHz	27	100	BBC Two Wales	PAL System I
530.166 MHz	28+	2	BBC (Mux 1)	DVB-T
538.166 MHz	29+	1	Arqiva (Mux C)	DVB-T
551.25 MHz	31	100	BBC One Wales	PAL System I
562.166 MHz	32+	2	BBC (Mux B)	DVB-T
570.166 MHz	33+	1	Arqiva (Mux D)	DVB-T
751.25 MHz	56	4	Channel 5	PAL System I

10 February 2010 - 10 March 2010

Digital Switchover started at Blaenplwyf. The BBC Two analogue service on channel 27 was closed down after 40 years of service. Multiplex 1 from channel 28+ was also closed and the new BBC multiplex A commenced on channel 27 at its intended full power and using 64-QAM mode and 8k carriers from the start.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service	System
471.25 MHz	21	100	S4C	PAL System I
482.166 MHz	22+	2	Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)	DVB-T
495.25 MHz	24	100	ITV1 Wales	PAL System I
506.166 MHz	25+	2	SDN (Mux A)	DVB-T
522.000 MHz	27	40	BBC A	DVB-T
538.166 MHz	29+	1	Arqiva (Mux C)	DVB-T
551.25 MHz	31	100	BBC One Wales	PAL System I
562.166 MHz	32+	2	BBC (Mux B)	DVB-T
570.166 MHz	33+	1	Arqiva (Mux D)	DVB-T
751.25 MHz	56	4	Channel 5	PAL System I

Digital television

10 March 2010 - present

Digital switchover was completed, seeing the shutdown of all the remaining analogue TV services from this site. The new digital multiplexes took over the frequencies of the analogue services plus a few new ones.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Operator
474.166 MHz	21+	40	BBC B
482.166 MHz	22+	10	Arqiva A
498.000 MHz	24	40	Digital 3&4
506.000 MHz	25	10	SDN
522.000 MHz	27	40	BBC A
530.000 MHz	28	10	Arqiva B

Analogue radio (FM VHF)

14 October 1956 - August 1968

Blaenplwyf started transmitting VHF FM radio only a year and a half after the then-novel service was initiated in the UK.^[8] At launch, the service was from temporary transmitters using a temporary mast, but from 29 April 1957 the main transmitters came into service with antennas on the main mast. These transmitters were 60 kW each.^[9]

In 1960 the BBC published a technical report^[10] showing the measured service area of the FM radio services (plus those of Moel y Parc and Llanddona).

Frequency	kW	Service
88.7 MHz	60	BBC Light Programme
90.9 MHz	60	Third Programme
93.1 MHz	60	Welsh Home Service

August 1968 - May 1978

The names of the radio services changed in the late 1960s, but the number of services available remained the same, as did the ERPs.^[11]

Frequency	kW	Service
88.7 MHz	60	BBC Radio 2
90.9 MHz	60	BBC Radio 3
93.1 MHz	60	BBC Radio 4 Wales

May 1978 - Late 1980s

Radio 1 started to share the Radio 2 VHF allocations during the late 1970s. Radio Cymru had taken over the 93.1 MHz slot. The ERPs of all three services were still unchanged.^[12]

Frequency	kW	Service
88.7 MHz	60	BBC Radio 1/BBC Radio 2
90.9 MHz	60	BBC Radio 3
93.1 MHz	60	Radio Cymru

Late 1980s

The ERP had been uprated in the years since 1978. More services had been added.^[13]

Frequency	kW	Service
88.7 MHz	250	BBC Radio 2
90.9 MHz	250	BBC Radio 3
93.1 MHz	250	BBC Radio Cymru
98.3 MHz	250	BBC Radio 1
104.0 MHz	250	BBC Radio 4

January 2012

More services have been added since the late 1980s.^[14][15][16] The latter of these references notes that the Classic FM and Radio Ceredigion services are radiated from a point only 80 m (262 ft) up the mast, and together with the low ERPs of those two services, the coverage should be expected to be limited.

From 4 January 2011, Real Radio was added to the set.^[17] Real Radio's OFCOM application claims they intended to radiate 10 kW and 2.5 kW beams.^[18]

Frequency	kW	Service
88.7 MHz	250	BBC Radio 2
90.9 MHz	250	BBC Radio 3
93.1 MHz	250	BBC Radio Cymru
95.3 MHz	120	BBC Radio Wales
98.3 MHz	250	BBC Radio 1
101.1 MHz	10	Classic FM
103.3 MHz	6	Radio Ceredigion
104.0 MHz	250	BBC Radio 4
107.7 MHz	10	Real Radio North Wales

See also

• List of masts
• List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
• List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain

References

External links

• MB21's page on BBC 405 TV to Wales and the West
• 405 Alive's list of transmitters"
• More details on 405-line BBC transmitters
• The Transmission Gallery: Photographs and Information
• The Transmission Gallery: FM Coverage Map

Coordinates: 52°21′36″N 4°6′7″W / 52.36000°N 4.10194°W / 52.36000; -4.10194

Transmitter sites in Wales Transmitter stations Arfon Blaenplwyf Carmel Criggion Ferryside Haverfordwest Kilvey Hill Llanddona Moel-y-Parc Preseli St. Hilary Tenby Wenvoe Wrexham-Rhos

FM radio transmitter sites in Wales Transmitter sites Aberdare Abergavenny Abertillery Arfon Betws y Coed Blaenplwyf Blaenavon Brecon Cardigan Carmarthen Carmel Clyro Conway Croeserw Cwmafan Deiniolen Dolgellau Ebbw Vale Ferndale Ffestiniog Haverfordwest Holywell Kilvey Hill Llanddona Llandecwyn Llandinam Llandrindod Wells Llandyfriog Llanelli Llanfyllin Llangeinor Llangollen Llanidloes Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant Llwyn Onn Llyswen Long Mountain Machynlleth Merthyr Tydfil Moel-y-Parc Mynydd Pencarreg Ogmore Vale Penmaen Rhos Penmon Pennar Pontypool Porth Preseli Rheola Rhymney St. Hilary Ton Pentre Varteg Hill Wenvoe Wrexham Wrexham-Rhos

Television transmitter and major relay sites in the United Kingdom England East Mendlesham Sandy Heath Sudbury Tacolneston East Midlands Belmont Chesterfield Waltham Greater London Alexandra Palace Croydon Crystal Palace North East Berwick-upon-Tweed Burnhope Chatton Pontop Pike North West Caldbeck Sandale Storeton West Kirby Winter Hill South East Bluebell Hill Chillerton Down Dover Frémont Point (Channel Islands) Hannington Heathfield Membury Midhurst Oxford Rowridge Whitehawk Hill South West Beacon Hill Caradon Hill Huntshaw Cross Mendip North Hessary Tor Redruth Stockland Hill Washford West Midlands Lichfield Ridge Hill Sutton Coldfield The Wrekin Yorkshire and the Humber Bilsdale Emley Moor Halifax Holme Moss Oliver's Mount Sheffield Scotland Angus Balgownie Black Hill Bonchester Bridge Bressay Craigkelly Darvel Durris Eitshal Eyemouth Galashiels Hawick Jedburgh Keelylang Hill Kirk o'Shotts Knock More Meldrum Mounteagle Rosemarkie Rumster Forest Selkirk Skriaig Tay Bridge Yetholm Wales Arfon Blaenplwyf Carmel Ferryside Flint Haverfordwest Kilvey Hill Llanddona Moel-y-Parc Preseli St Hilary Storeton Wenvoe Wrexham-Rhos Northern Ireland Black Mountain Brougher Mountain Divis Limavady Strabane Italics denotes a transmitter no longer used for transmitting television signals.

Blaenplwyf VHF FM radio Transmitter Group Transmitter stations Cardigan Dolgellau Ffestiniog Haverfordwest Llandecwyn Llandyfriog Llwyn Onn Machynlleth Mynydd Pencarreg

Blaenplwyf VHF 405-line Transmitter Group Transmitter stations Dolgellau Ffestiniog Machynlleth

Blaenplwyf UHF 625-line Transmitter Group Transmitter stations Aberystwyth Afon Dyfi Beddgelert Bow Street Broneirion Bronnant Carno Castle Caereinion Corris Cwrtnewydd Dolybont Fishguard Kerry Llanbrynmair Llandinam Llanfyllin Llangadfan Llangurig Llangynog Llanidloes Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant Long Mountain Machynlleth Moel-y-Sant Penrhyn-Coch Trefilan Tregynon Ynys-Pennal Ystumtuen

Blaenplwyf UHF DVB Transmitter Group Transmitter stations Aberystwyth Afon Dyfi Beddgelert Beddgelert Link Bow Street Corris Cwrtnewydd Dolybont Machynlleth Penrhyn-Coch Trefilan Ynys-Pennal