This wee 32W FM relay in east Perthshire serves the low lying Strathmore towns of Blairgowrie, Rattray and Rosemount (collectively referred to as "Blair") and Couper Angus where reception from Forfar is difficult. The signal also serves Alyth, Meigle and Newtyle with the RDS holding on to it as far away as Auchterhouse.
This relay entered service on 25-Mar-1993 - I'm assuming that there were complaints about reception of Radio 2 and Radio 1 in the area after they became FM only. Switching the RDS off on the car radio certainly confirms that the signal from Forfar struggles in this area. It carries the four national networks plus Radio Scotland but at the time of writing (Jan 2008) has not had BBC nan Gaidheal added.
The relay is situated on private land at the back of a farmyard, so the first point of call was the estate office. After explaining my mission, the very pleasant farm manager engaged me in a lengthy conversation about the safety or otherwise of mobile phone masts/DECT phones/everything else that puts out any form of electromagnetic radiation. I think I left him reassured, and he was quite happy to let me wander round and take photos.
RBL is two 4 element yagis mounted half way up the mast pointing in the direction of Forfar which is over the horizon. The TX is an end fed dipole. |
