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UK Broadcast Transmission |
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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY
WENALLT
| Photos by Simon Price, Mike Smith, Simon Parton and Wayne Brewer | Page last updated: 2019-01-02 |
| The Wenallt site is located about 8 miles north of Cardiff and was originally a BT microwave site linking with Purdown, Swansea and Werfa. It is very likely to have carried BBC and ITV distribution circuits to south and west Wales along with other BT traffic Wenallt still transmits ILR - currently Capital FM (South Wales) - which originally started as Cardiff Broadcasting Company in April 1980. For a time it carried BBC Radio Wales and a local DAB multiplex. The antenna is a two-tier Lindenblad array (8 dipoles) at the very top of the structure History of services: 11/4/1980 ILR Cardiff launched as Cardiff Broadcasting Company (CBC) on 96.0 MHz, 380 W. This was first of the second phase of ILR stations October 1985 name changed to Red Dragon Radio following closure of neighbouring Gwent Broadcasting and takeover of their licence 10/6/1986 Frequency changed to 103.2 MHz 1988 ERP increased to 2 kW 1999 Radio Wales in service. 103.9 MHz, 2 kW, shared ILR array. Closed and transferred to Wenvoe at 40 kW on 7 December 2011 31/10/2000 South East Wales DAB launches. 11C, 500 W. Closed July 2013 when additional sites previously used by the Severn Estuary multiplex were in operation |
| This photo, from Simon Price, shows the site in the landscape |
| Mike Smith provided this view which pre-dates the installation of DAB and shows a full complement of SHF dishes |
| By the time Simon Parton visited DAB antennas had been installed and a couple of the large dishes removed along with a few other antennas. In contrast the site next door was much more densely populated. The third tower seems to have been removed in the meantime |
| Ofcom data from late 2011 shows BBC Radio Wales had been sharing the ILR array (at 56 m) before the move to Wenvoe. DAB transmissions were from the phased dipoles (52 m) with maximum ERP to the west and a deep null to the east |
| Wayne Brewer was nearby in August 2010 and reported: photo of the crane on site to remove the link dishes (sorry about the image, but it was wet, and I only had my phone with me) |
| Wayne provided further images showing what now remains... |
| On 7 December 2011 BBC Radio Wales transferred to Wenvoe - now at 40 kW ERP but still on 103.9 MHz During 2013 the South East Wales DAB service from Wenallt ceased. The multiplex now operates from Wenvoe - also at higher power - and from other sites previously used by the Severn Estuary multiplex |
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