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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY

SKRIAIG

Photos by James Hamilton Page last updated: 2021-01-03

Addition of BBC DAB

Over the Christmas 2020 break, I took the opportunity to compare the list of sites I had visited as part of my involvement with the roll-out of BBC DAB Phase 4 with the photos on mb21. Unsurprisingly, most of those sites have been updated with one exception (presumably due to its relatively remote location), and that is Skriaig.

I visited this site not strictly as part of the roll-out itself, but instead to help with a trial that the site was briefly being used for ahead of being pressed into operational service.

At the time, there was quite some data available about the performance of DAB and DAB+ at varying protection levels, but much of this was based on lab-based work rather than real world measurements. Skriaig presented a good opportunity to obtain more real world measurements in an area we knew would be free of co-channel interference. Block 10D was utilised as this has international clearance for use at the site, and so for a week or so in August 2014 the new transmission system was tuned to this channel to output a DAB multiplex configuration with a number of DAB and DAB+ channels in various modes under a test and development licence.

Following completion of the trial, the system was retuned to Block 12B and transmission of BBC National DAB commenced on 5th September 2014.


4 x dipoles and 2 x log periodics on opposing faces of the structure, squeezed between the UHF antenna above and national FM array below. The dipoles face towards Portree and the log periodics serve rural areas to the south of the island.


Familiar addition of GPS antennas and an antenna for telemetry on the building.


The adjacent tower carrying what appears to be the antennas for the ILR now known as Radio Skye.


The scenery around the whole island is superb, even if the weather is somewhat changeable.

Skriaig index

This site is now included in the Update List for the following reason:
Replacement 8 lambda UHF aerial on main tower.

Please let us know if you think there is another reason photos should be updated.
To do so, click here.

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