Sandy Heath transmitting station

Sandy Heath
Sandy Heath transmitting station (Bedfordshire)
Mast height	244 metres (801 ft)
Coordinates	52°07′49″N 0°14′29″W / 52.130139°N 0.241389°W / 52.130139; -0.241389Coordinates: 52°07′49″N 0°14′29″W / 52.130139°N 0.241389°W / 52.130139; -0.241389
Grid reference	TL2036249485
Built	1965
BBC region	BBC East
ITV region	ITV Anglia

Sandy Heath transmitting station is a television broadcast station located between Sandy, Bedfordshire and Potton near the B1042. It is owned by Arqiva, formerly NTL Broadcast. It was built in 1965, originally broadcasting Anglia Television on VHF 405-lines, UHF with 625-line services of BBC2, BBC1 and Anglia Television being added by January 1971. It carried Channel 4 and Channel 5 from their launch days, Channel 5 at lower power than the other four services. Today it broadcasts digital television on the DTT platform as Digital Switchover took place on 13 April 2011.

It is a wideband TV transmitter (horizontal polarization), though an original A group aerial will still receive the three main Public Service Broadcast (PSB) Muxes. During DSO the digital transmission power for the PSB and Commercial muxes increased from 20 kW to 180 kW and 170 kW respectively.

Sandy Heath is the main local TV transmitter for Bedfordshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and north Hertfordshire as well as North West Essex, bringing the nearby area Look East and Anglia Tonight. Coverage extends to parts of Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, Leicestershire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire.

It also broadcasts the BBC local radio station BBC Three Counties Radio and the independent radio station Heart Bedford formerly Chiltern.

Construction

It was opened on 5 July 1965 by Charles Hill, Baron Hill of Luton for the ITA (Anglia TV). By the end of 1965 it was hoped that nine ITA transmitters would be open.

From its start until late 1966, the transmitter could not broadcast schools programmes in the morning because the frequency (waveband) clashed with the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in nearby Cambridgeshire. Anglia TV broadcast on channel 6 from noon to midnight, and the astronomy observatory broadcast on it during the morning.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue radio

Frequency	kW	Service
95.5 MHz	1	BBC Three Counties Radio
96.9 MHz	0.84	Heart Four Counties

Digital radio

Frequency	Block	kW	Operator
222.064 MHz	11D	4.7	Digital One
225.648 MHz	12B	5	BBC National DAB

Digital television

Frequency	UHF	kW^[1]	Operator	System
474.166 MHz	21+	180	BBC B	DVB-T2
498.000 MHz	24	180	Digital 3&4	DVB-T
522.000 MHz	27	180	BBC A	DVB-T
562.000 MHz	32	49.6	Arqiva C	DVB-T2
578.000 MHz	34	49.1	Arqiva D	DVB-T2
690.000 MHz	48	170	Arqiva B	DVB-T
714.000 MHz	51	170	SDN	DVB-T
722.000 MHz	52	170	Arqiva A	DVB-T

Before switchover

Frequency	UHF	kW	Operator
626.166 MHz	40+	20	Arqiva (Mux C)
641.833 MHz	42-	20	BBC (Mux 1)
650.166 MHz	43+	20	SDN (Mux A)
665.833 MHz	45-	20	Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)
674.166 MHz	46+	20	Arqiva (Mux D)
842.000 MHz	67	20	BBC (Mux B)

Analogue television

Analogue television services are no longer available. BBC Two was closed on 30 March 2011 and the remaining services on 13 April 2011.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
471.25 MHz	21	1000	Channel 4
495.25 MHz	24	1000	ITV
519.25 MHz	27	1000	BBC Two
551.25 MHz	31	1000	BBC One
615.25 MHz	39	10	Channel 5

References

↑ www.digitaluk.co.uk

External links

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 Fremont 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

Wales

Northern Ireland

Italics denotes a transmitter no longer used for transmitting television signals

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