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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY

BLAENPLWYF

Photos by Neil White Page last updated: 2014-06-15

Blaenplwyf entered service with 3 BBC FM radio channels in a temporary condition on the 14th October 1956. Full service was from 29th April 1957. 405-line BBC TV on VHF channel 3, also went into service on 29th April 1957, with a maximum ERP of 1.6 kW. On the 8th August 1958, this was doubled to 3.2 kW. The 405-line service closed in January 1985.

UHF TV commenced with BBC 2 on 11th December 1970, followed by BBC 1 on 19th February 1972, then ITV on 7th May 1973. S4C was available from the launch on 1st November 1982. In June 1983 the BBC FM radio services were converted to stereo.

The original 152.7m, square cross section mast was replaced in 1987 with the current triangular 150.5m mast for the re-engineering of the BBC FM radio services to mixed polarisation. Radios 1 and 4 were added on 19th December 1989. Radio Ceredigion launched on 14th December 1992. Classic FM was added on 25th November 1996. Radio Wales during 2001. BBC and Digital One DAB entered service in January 2006. Real Radio added on 30th November 2010.

DSO was on the 10th February and 10th March 2010.






UHF main array, pre DSO aerial panels, and BBC National Radio mixed polarised directional FM aerials, with interleaved DAB.

It's not clear what reserve DTT arrangements are available at Blaenplwyf.


In the middle of the photo above we can see the four tiers (each of two panels) comprising the FM aerial for BBC Radio Wales - this array carries just this programme on 95.3 MHz. AGL at 106.3 m.


The four tier Sira aerials (80 m agl) transmit Classic FM, Real Radio and Radio Ceredigion. Between the top and second top Siras one can make out the commercial DAB aerials (two tiers of single dipoles) at 83 m agl.








On the opposite side of the mast to the Siras we can see two pairs of UHF panels. These are at 84 m agl and carried the analogue ch 5 service.





Blaenplwyf index

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