The Ogmore Vale relay serves the local areas of Ogmore Vale, Wyndham, and most of Nant-y-Moel. It is accessed by a track that runs from the back of Lewistown, and runs right up to the relay site which is situated on a plateau - Craig Llyscwmllorwg. The views up and down the valley are outstanding.
Reception is via a trough antenna for TV, and a Band-II log periodic for FM. Both on Wenvoe. FM radio is transmitted from a single vertical band II dipole. UHF TV is broadcast by a stack of four vertical log periodics, pointing straight up the valley. There is also a fifth log, just below the top platform of the tower. This log points slighly to the east of the others, and also has a downward beam tilt - presumably to serve those households at the foot of the mountain. This was the first UHF relay station to use log-periodic transmit aerials. There is a link to a BBC RD report at the foot of this page. Clearly the experiment was a success, judging by the number in use today.
Ogmore Vale was originally a BBC landlord site, which entered service on 2nd August 1974, with S4C available from the launch on 1st November 1982. DSO was on the 3rd and 31st March 2010. BBC FM radio services were added in April 1996. |
