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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY

Photos by David Foord, Mike Smith, Steve Webster and Lee Mansfield

Sutton Coldfield West Midlands
NGR: SK113003 Maps: Google | Bing (Ord Surv) Site Height: 167.7m Structure Height: 245.0m
Analogue TV: BBC1: 46  BBC2: 40  ITV1: 43  Ch4: 50   
Digital TV: Mux1: 41  Mux2: 44  MuxA: 47  MuxB: 51  MuxC: 52  MuxD: 55
BBC Radio: R1: 97.9  R2: 88.3  R3: 90.5  R4: 92.7   
  BBC WM: 95.6   
Ind. National Radio: Classic FM: 100.1   
Ind. Local Radio: Heart FM (West Midlands): 100.7  BRMB FM: 96.4  Kerrang!: 105.2
  Smooth Radio (West Midlands): 105.7   
Digital Radio: BBC: 12B  Digital One: 11D  MXR West Midlands: 12A     
Comments:
Sutton Coldfield, the UKs longest serving TV transmission site, is located 1-2 miles north of the town centre in the affluent suburb of Mere Green.

The original mast was the first built outside London, extending BBC TV coverage to a large part of the Midlands from 1949 onwards.

Read Ray Cooper's Tales From a Cold Field


The original mast and Band I aerials

The original mast showing the Band I dipoles above the Band II slot aerials for VHF radio.


Photo by Lee Mansfield

Photos by Mike D Smith and David Foord

Photos by Tony Curley and Will Rittman

Photos by Mark Bridgewater

Photos by Rob Shufflebotham

DSO1
Photos by Bill Wright

September 2008

DSO2
Photos by Rob Shufflebotham

October 2008

DSO3
Photos by Rob Shufflebottom, Bill Wright and Mac

'Tis now February, the second month in the year of 2009 AD, and Rob has been back to see how things are progressing, and temporary UHF main aerial is installed - and possibly in use?

DSO4
Photos by Rob Shufflebotham

June 2009 and UHF (analogue) FM and DAB aerials are now in place on the temporary mast

DSO5
Photos by Rob Shfflebotham

September 2009

DSO6
Photos by Rob Shufflebotham

It's February 2010 and we can see the DSO work is progressing. The old Marconi slot antennas and the GRP shroud have been removed (the shroud you can see stacked up) and left the top of the mast bare ready for the addition of more metal.

DSO7
Photos by Roger Piper

March 2010: Since Rob’s Feb 2010 photos the centre spine which supported the top cylinder has been removed and a mast extension added, secured by temporary stays

DSO8
Photos by Rob Shufflebotham

May 2010: Some nice high res's of the new top section of mast as a Panorama and a couple of full length shots too. The shrouded logs I spotted about 1/3 of the way up the new mast. New stays are also in place, but still on the old stay blocks at the moment.


Coverage area maps

Tales from a Cold Field - Behind the scenes at Sutton Coldfield with former site engineer Ray Cooper

Lichfield | Turners Hill

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