This tall mast is an impressive sight from the M4 with it's weird zig-zaggy things at the top. It is next to a large hotel, on the edge of a golf course. We should have MW, VHF and DAB on here. The DAB aerials are fairly obvious, pointing towards the centre of Newport. I assume the aerials below them are band II, and the zig-zaggy things mobile phones. However, up close, things are not a simple as you might expect. The equipment cabinet next to the base of the mast seems a bit small, and I wonder if all it contains is the MF Tx and ATU.
[Ed] The zig-zaggy things are also band II transmit aerials. 2 tiers of Alan Dick & Co Twin Z wideband, omni directional, circularly polarised aerials. Designed for topmast mounting on a cantilever pole. These transmit both Radio Wales and the 97.4 MHz ILR service. These twin Z band II aerials are also used at Blunsdon, Stoke Holy Cross and Zouches Farm.
Christchurch was built by the IBA for the Newport ILR service, which launched on 13th June 1983 as Gwent Broadcasting on 104.0 MHz and 1305 kHz. Gwent Broadcasting ceased trading in April 1985. From October 1985 the ILR transmitters at Christchurch relayed the Cardiff ILR service which was renamed Red Dragon Radio. A combined Cardiff and Newport ILR service has operated ever since.
BBC Radio Gwent, an opt-out service of Radio Wales, launched on 3rd January 1984 on 103.0 MHz. The BBC Radio Gwent opt-outs ceased in March 1991.
In June 1986 both FM frequencies were changed to their current frequencies of 97.4 and 95.9 MHz.
Real Radio (Wales) launched on 3rd October 2000 on 105.9 MHz.
DAB service dates: South East Wales, 31st October 2000; Severn Estuary, 20th June 2001, closed 29th July 2013; Digital One, 22nd November 2006; BBC, 25th January 2007. |