The Conwy transmitter is located on a hillside above Gyffin, just south of Conway in North Wales. Whilst most of costal North Wales is easily served by Moel-Y-Parc or Llandonna, the hills surrounding Llandudno and Colwyn Bay mean there is a large concentration of relays including Penmaen Rhos on the hillside above Colwyn Bay; Llanddulas, a small log periodic fill-in visible alongside the A55; and the 2 watt Mochdre transmitter in between.
The North-South hills that make up the Vale of Conway block Llandonna to the West and Moel-y-Parc to the East, which is where the Conway transmitter comes into play.
Receiving 2 of its 4 signals from two troughs pointed at Llandonna on Anglesey, it also provides a hop to Betws-y-Coed, nested due south and sheltered from other transmitters. This can be seen as 4 log periodics facing down the valley. Conway is also an O2 base station.
On my visit in October 2004, work appeared to be ongoing to upgrade the transmitter. There were scaffold poles scattered around and a large pile of equipment, much of it owned by Racal, by the main hut door. |
