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UK Broadcast Transmission |
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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY
| Photos by David Foord and Peter Bigwood | Page last updated: 2021-12-09 |
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| Westerglen is located in Stirlingshire, a few miles south-west of Falkirk. It is one of three stations to transmit BBC Radio 4 on 198kHz Long wave and also transmits BBC Radio Scotland, Absolute Radio and TalkSPORT on Medium Wave. It is one of the UK's earliest broadcast sites, entering public service way back on 12-Jun-1932. |
| There are four structures at the Westerglen site. These are the two 152m (500 ft) stayed lattice masts. The mast on the left (east), transmits the long wave service. The other mast transmits all of the medium wave programmes. |
| The MF mast. |
| The LF mast. |
| The third lattice mast is 64m high and can be used as a reserve aerial for the MF services. |
| The fourth structure at Westerglen is this tower. It is not used for transmitting any of the broadcast services. |
| This last photo, below, taken by Peter Bigwood, shows the top of the Long Wave mast at Westerglen. Its a Marconi umbrella, where the topmost guys are connected electrically to the top of the mast, and form a downward sloping 'top hat'. This effectively increases the electrical length and so raising the radiation resistance, which draws more RF current into the radiator so it radiates more efficiently. Station History and key dates: Westerglen was the third instalment of the BBC regional scheme. It replaced the original BBC stations at Glasgow (5SC), Edinburgh (2EH) and Dundee (2DE). Two 152m (500 ft) stayed, lattice masts were erected to support a T-aerial for the regional transmitter between them; an 'umbrella' aerial for the national transmitter was erected around one of the masts. 12-Jun-1932 Scottish Regional 797 kHz. 25-Sep-1932 National programme 1040 kHz. 15-Jan-1934 Frequencies changed to Scottish, 804 kHz; National, 1050 kHz. 17-Feb-1935 Scottish Regional frequency changed to 767 kHz. 4-Jul-1937 National Programme frequency changed to 1149 kHz. 1-Sep-1939 National Programme, 1149 kHz closed. Scottish Regional, 767 kHz replaced by the Home Service (northern group). 15-Sep-1940. "The Forces" programme in service on 804 kHz. 29-Jul-1945 the BBC resumed peacetime operation with the new Light programme on 1149 kHz and the Scottish Home Service on 767 kHz 15-Mar-1950 Copenhagen 48 frequency changes implemented. Scottish Home Service, 809 kHz; Light Programme 1214 kHz. 30-Sep-1967, 1214 kHz re-assigned to Radio 1. 23-Nov-1978 GE75 frequency changes implemented. Radio Scotland 810 kHz; Radio 3, 1215 kHz. New transmitters brought into service for Radio 1 (1089 kHz), Radio 2 (909 kHz) and Radio 4 (200 kHz). 1980 New 64m mast constructed to provide a reserve aerial for the MF services. This was to permit the most easterly of the 152m masts to be used exclusively for the LF service. A T-aerial was initially used to transmit long wave. The new LF aerial arrangement was an umbrella configuration using nine wires each 180m long with an insulator half way down. The lower section was made up with parafil rope. 1-Feb-1988 Radio 4 frequency changed to 198 kHz. 28-Aug-1990, 909 kHz re-assigned to Radio 5 28-Feb-1992, Radio 3 on 1215 kHz closed 30-Apr-1993 INR 2 (Virgin Radio) launches on 1215 kHz. 30-Jun-1994 Radio 1, 1089 kHz closed. 14-Feb-1995 INR 3 (Talk Radio) launches on 1089 kHz. 20-Jan-2023 INR 2 (Absolute Radio) 1215 kHz closed. |
| Site layout |
| Cutting from NewsLink Feb/March 1988. (MCSL journal). |
Feature: Radio Teleswitching (LF Radio Data)
Feature: Inside Westerglen
BBC RD: Field Strength Measurements of the Scottish Regional & National Transmitters (1935)
BBC RD: Signal Strength Maps (1937)
BBC RD: Synchronization of the Radio 4 Transmitter Chain on 200 kHz (1979)
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