Caradon Hill transmitting station

Caradon Hill
Caradon Hill mast and towers

Mast height	237.7 metres (780 ft)
Coordinates	50°30′41″N 4°26′12″W / 50.5114°N 4.4367°W / 50.5114; -4.4367Coordinates: 50°30′41″N 4°26′12″W / 50.5114°N 4.4367°W / 50.5114; -4.4367
Grid reference	SX273707
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 on Caradon Hill, 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 (1,978 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.

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.

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.

Digital switchover

Digital switchover began at Caradon Hill in the early hours of 12 August 2009. At approximately 1.15am the analogue BBC Two signal was switched off. The other analogue signals (BBC One, ITV and Channel 4) along with digital Multiplex 1 were then temporarily switched off in sequence. Between one to two hours later the analogue BBC One, ITV and Channel 4 signals were restored in sequence along with Multiplex 1 which was moved from UHF 34 to UHF 28 – analogue BBC Two's frequency.

The rest of the analogue signals were switched off permanently just after midnight on 9 September 2009. Once the digital signals were reshuffled to take advantage of the space left by the switched off analogue signals, they were then brought up to full power (digital signals were broadcast at a much lower power pre-switchover). This completes Caradon Hill's switchover to digital. This also completes the West Country region's digital switchover.

Freeview HD

Freeview HD became available on UHF 22 on 11 June 2010. All four main HD channels – BBC HD, BBC One HD, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD – are available.

Channels listed by frequency

Main mast and building

Analogue radio (FM VHF)

Frequency	kW^[3]	Service
95.2 MHz	4.3	BBC Radio Cornwall
102.2 MHz	2.5	Pirate FM
105.1 MHz	2.5	Heart South West

Digital radio (DAB)

Frequency	Block	kW	Operator
218.640 MHz	11B	1.58	NOW Cornwall
222.064 MHz	11D	2	Digital One
225.648 MHz	12B	2.5	BBC National DAB

Digital television

Frequency	UHF	kW^[4]	Operator	System
474.166 MHz	21+	50	SDN	DVB-T
482.166 MHz	22+	100	BBC B	DVB-T2
497.833 MHz	24-	50	Arqiva A	DVB-T
506.166 MHz	25+	100	Digital 3&4	DVB-T
521.833 MHz	27-	50	Arqiva B	DVB-T
530.166 MHz	28+	100	BBC A	DVB-T

Before switchover

Frequency	UHF	kW	Operator
474.000 MHz	21	4	BBC (Mux B)
497.833 MHz	24-	4	Arqiva (Mux C)
522.000 MHz	27	4	Arqiva (Mux D)
553.833 MHz	31-	4	Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)
578.000 MHz	34	5	BBC (Mux 1)
690.000 MHz	48	4	SDN (Mux A)

Analogue television

Analogue television is no longer transmitted from Caradon Hill. BBC Two was closed on 12 August 2009 and the remaining three services on 9 September.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
479.25 MHz	22	500	BBC One
503.25 MHz	25	500	ITV1
527.25 MHz	28	500	BBC Two
559.25 MHz	32	500	Channel 4

References

↑ "Caradon District Council planning application". 30 April 2007.
↑ "BBC Engineering Information".
↑ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
↑ Television Viewers Guide 2009

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caradon Hill transmitting station.

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

Wales

Northern Ireland

Italics denotes a transmitter no longer used for transmitting television signals.

Caradon Hill VHF 405-line Transmitter Group

Transmitter stations	Caradon Hill

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, August 20, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.