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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY
DOUGLAS (CARNANE)
| Photos by Douglas Mann and David Taylor | Page last updated: 2025-02-08 |
| The Douglas mast is at Carnane on a hill less than a mile south of the town. The BBC established a temporary band I TV relay at this site on 20-Dec-1953, transmitting on VHF ch5. It relayed the BBC TV transmissions from Holme Moss on ch2. There is a link to a BBC RD report about the service area of this temporary transmitter at the foot of this page. The permanent 78m mast we see today took over the BBC TV service on 12-Dec-1957. For the permanent service, the BBC TV programme feed was obtained via an intermediate receive site at Snaefell, the highest point on the Isle of Man. At Snaefell there were band I receivers for both Holme Moss and Sandale. The permanent BBC TV transmitter at Sandale had entered service three days earlier on 9-Dec-1957 and provided a more reliable signal due to the shorter reception path, higher VHF channel (4) and horizontally polarised, was less prone to fading and interference. A UHF link was used to on-pass the signal from Snaefell to Douglas. Four band I dipoles located between the top two stay levels at a mean height of 56m, comprised the transmit aerial. BBC FM radio started with the Home Service on 92.8 MHz from 9-Mar-1958. This relayed the transmissions from Holme Moss on 93.7 MHz which were also received at Snaefell, with a line feed onwards to Douglas. The Light (88.4 MHz), and Third (90.6 MHz), programmes were added on 15-Jun-1959 and relayed the transmissions from Sandale, which were received directly at Douglas. The original horizontally polarised transmit aerials were at the top of the mast, as are the circularly polarised panels used today. For the launch of the separate Manchester edition of the BBC regional news programme "Look North" on 25-Mar-1968, Douglas was equipped to receive the BBC 1, ch12 transmissions from Winter Hill during these opt-out programmes. The Snaefell link remained the main TV programme feed at all other times. The ch12 Winter Hill receive aerial comprised of an array of four, 6-element Yagis. UHF TV transmissions entered service on 1-Oct-1976 and relayed the transmissions from Caldbeck. Channel 4 was added in January 1984. As had been the case with VHF TV, the UHF BBC 1 transmitter could be switched to relay BBC 1 from Winter Hill during opt-out programmes. |
| The analogue TV signals were fed from Caldbeck, 115 km away, making this the second longest UHF TV RBL path, after the link from Stockland Hill to Alderney (135 km). BBC 1 & 2 could also be switched to RBL Winter Hill so Douglas could transmit North-West regional programmes. Winter Hill being 142 km away, it is understandable that this was not used for the normal RBL. |
| BBC Radio and Classic FM are both fed from Sandale. |
| The Siras at the top of the mast transmit Classic FM at 500w while the main array below handles BBC Network Radio and Manx Radio at 10.8kW. Energy FM is also radiated from this site at 2kW ERP. |
| Above: the northerly mast stays with the Manx Radio studios visible in the background. Below: the westerly mast stays and compound fence, with Douglas Bay and Onchan to the North. |
| In 2007 the BBC's network FM aerials were replaced. The old CSA mixed polarisation panels were replaced with Alan Dick & Co mixed pol panels, presumably to allow for the subsequent interleaving of DAB dipoles. (Classic FM continues to be broadcast from the two Sira aerials at the top of the tower). |
| Above and below - new ADC panels. |
| The old CSA dipoles after removal from the mast. Service dates: 20-Dec-1953 BBC TV, VHF ch5 temporary. 12-Dec-1957 BBC TV, VHF ch5 permanent. Closed 4-Jul-1983. 9-Mar-1958 North Home Service 92.8 MHz. 15-Jun-1959 Light and Third programmes 88.4 and 90.6 MHz 1-Oct-1976 UHF TV ch's 1 - 3. Jan-1984 Channel 4 Jul-1984 BBC FM radio re-engineered to transmit circular polarisation and in stereo Mar 1988 Manx Radio 97.2 MHz (Transferred from Richmond Hill) 19-Mar-1992 Radio 1 98.0 MHz 13-Aug-1996 Classic FM 100.2 MHz 27-Jul-2001 Energy FM 98.6 MHz Oct-2004 3FM 105.0 MHz 13-Dec-2007 BBC National DAB 18-Jun-2009 DSO stage 1 16-Jul-2009 DSO stage 2 19-Aug-2020 B700 clearance channel changes. |
Caldbeck | Holme Moss | Richmond Hill, Isle of Man | Sandale | Snaefell | Winter Hill
BBC RD Service Area of the Temporary Television Transmitter at Douglas (1954)
BBC RD Television Service - Isle of Man (1957)
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