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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY

LLANHILLETH

Photos by Robert Whittaker Page last updated: 2023-11-13

Photos taken April 2007

Llanhilleth is one of the 10 relays required to cover the very difficult terrain that forms the valley between Abertillery and Risca in south Wales, which is only 5 or 6 miles long. It is located on the west side of the valley near the top of the hillside just down from Pen-twyn. It covers Llanhilleth itself, areas to the east of the site and north up to Aberbeeg, filling the gap between the service areas of Pennar and Abertillery.

Transmission is from two pairs of panel antennas, with vertically polarised transmissions to the north west and north east. The receive aerial is a trough antenna pointing north west towards Ebbw Vale, which is clearly visible from the site.

Llanhilleth was originally a BBC landlord site which entered service on 27-Sep-1974 to serve 3,900 people. S4C was available from the 1-Nov-1982 launch. DSO was on 3 and 31-Mar-2010.




Llanhilleth (centre right), taken from the hillside to the north west of the site, near Glandwr.


The relay as taken from the same spot as above.


Looking north east, Abertillery visible on the hillside opposite.














Llanhilleth is unusual in that the UHF trough receive aerial appears to be horizontally polarised, yet the transmissions from the re-broadcast link source at Ebbw Vale are vertically polarised. This particular trough contains 6 vertically polarised dipoles within. There is a link to a BBC RD report detailing the design of this UHF receiving aerial at the foot of this page. Blaina was the only other site which was ever equipped with this vertical trough aerial. Both sites entered service in 1974.


Close-up of Abertillery as seen from the site


Looking north towards Brynithel and Aberbeeg


Looking north east at Llanhilleth


Looking north west, Ebbw Vale on the hilltop centre frame

Llanhilleth index

Aberbeeg | Abertillery | Blaina | Ebbw Vale

A UHF vertically polarised receiving aerial for re-broadcast links (BBC RD 1974)

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