Long Mountain transmitting station

Long Mountain
Mast height 52 metres (171 ft)
Coordinates 52°38′43″N 3°05′11″W / 52.6452°N 3.0865°W / 52.6452; -3.0865Coordinates: 52°38′43″N 3°05′11″W / 52.6452°N 3.0865°W / 52.6452; -3.0865
Grid reference SJ265058
Built Late 1970s
BBC region BBC Wales
ITV region ITV Wales

The Long Mountain transmitting station is sited on a 400 m ridge about 4 km east of Welshpool in Powys, Mid Wales and has been broadcasting UHF terrestrial TV and VHF FM radio services since the late 1970s. The site has a self-supporting 52 m high lattice steel mast and was fed with an SHF link from Blaenplwyf via Llangurig. Despite not taking its signal off-air, it was originally classed as a 625-line UHF TV relay of Blaenplwyf.

The transmitter originally radiated 1 kW providing TV and radio to an area including Newtown and Oswestry. Being only 400 m from the England/Wales border, coverage extended to several towns in England - Shrewsbury included.[1]

Long Mountain became re-classed as main transmitter in its own right (albeit a very low power one) with the advent of digital terrestrial TV from the site on 4 November 2009. In addition to this, it currently transmits FM radio and a single multiplex of DAB Digital radio.

Services available

Analogue television

Late 1970s - 1 November 1982

Long Mountain never did broadcast VHF television, and went live with the UK's original three national UHF television services.

Frequency UHF kW Service
767.25 MHz 58 1 BBC1 Wales
791.25 MHz 61 1 HTV Wales
815.25 MHz 64 1 BBC2 Wales

1 November 1982 - 4 November 2009

The UK's fourth national television service joined the set transmitted from the site. Being in Wales, the S4C variant was broadcast.

Frequency UHF kW Service
735.25 MHz 54 1 S4C
767.25 MHz 58 1 BBC1 Wales
791.25 MHz 61 1 HTV Wales
815.25 MHz 64 1 BBC2 Wales

Analogue and digital television

4 November 2009 - 3 December 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced at this site.[2] Analogue BBC Two Wales closed on channel 64 and ITV1 Wales took over on that frequency for what would be its final 3 weeks of service, vacating channel 61 as it did so. The new BBC A multiplex started up at full power in 64-QAM mode on channel 60 until 19 October 2011.[3]

Frequency UHF kW Service System
735.25 MHz 54 1 S4C PAL System I
767.25 MHz 58 1 BBC One Wales PAL System I
786.000 MHz 60 0.4 BBC A DVB-T
815.25 MHz 64 1 ITV1 Wales PAL System I

Digital television

3 December 2009 - 19 October 2011

All the analogue television services closed and the new digital multiplexes took over on parking-frequencies (until October 2011) with name-changes, power increases and a shift to 64-QAM.[4] Unusually, for a digital TV site classed as a main transmitter, Long Mountain only radiates the three multiplexes of Freeview Lite.

Frequency UHF kW Operator
722.000 MHz 52 0.4 Digital 3&4
754.000 MHz 56 0.4 BBC B
786.000 MHz 60 0.4 BBC A

19 October 2011 - present

DSO was completed at The Wrekin, and this allowed the Long Mountain multiplexes to take up their final frequencies.[5]

Frequency UHF kW Operator
730.000 MHz 53 0.4 Digital 3&4
762.000 MHz 57 0.4 BBC B
785.833 MHz 60- 0.4 BBC A

Analogue radio (VHF FM)

For its FM radio services, Long Mountain is an off-air relay of Llangollen.

Frequency kW Service
89.6 MHz 0.02 BBC Radio 2
91.8 MHz 0.02 BBC Radio 3
94.0 MHz 0.02 BBC Radio 4
99.2 MHz 0.02 BBC Radio 1
102.8 MHz 0.02 Real Radio N. & M. Wales
103.6 MHz 0.02 BBC Radio Cymru

Digital radio (DAB)

Frequency Block kW[6] Operator
225.648 MHz 12B 1 BBC National DAB

References

  1. ↑ UK Free TV - Freeview on the Long Mountain transmitter
  2. ↑ http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/transmitternetwork/tools__and__resources/almanac/installer_newsletters_transmitter_groups2009_pdfs/Installer_Newsletter_Long_Mountain_1_month_out_Updated_28_Oct_09.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/42532/ss1029_long_mountain_dso1.doc.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/43024/Long_Mountain_dso2__JSm_.doc.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/transmitternetwork/tools__and__resources/almanac/special_editions/Special_edition-installers_LONG_MOUNTAIN_191011retune_event_rev3OctFINAL.pdf
  6. ↑ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
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