The Wrekin presented something of a dilemma to the DSO planners. The short tower meant there was insufficient aperture at which to install a full-blown reserve antenna from which to broadcast while the main antenna was upgraded. The aesthetic sensitivity and relative inaccessibility of the site also meant it would have been difficult to build a temporary second structure, so a different approach was required here.
In this case small temporary aerial panels were installed to provide limited, low power analogue coverage while the main antenna system was disconnected, lifted off by helicopter and replaced.
A date of 3rd September 2009 was set for this operation, though inevitably this was weather dependent. In the event the forecast suggested that the weather might be just good enough and with little more than 24 hours notice to viewers in the area the work began.
In the early hours of 3rd September 2009 the main analogue services went off air and the main aerial was disconnected from its feeders. Then...
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