Carmel transmitting station

The Carmel transmitting station, located half a mile (0.8km) SSW of the village of Carmel in Carmarthenshire, has been broadcasting terrestrial TV and radio services since the mid-1970s. The TV coverage area for the Carmel transmission station includes most of Carmarthenshire, the southern and eastern parts of Pembrokeshire; the southern fringes of Powys and Ceredigion; the northern part of Swansea. The Carmel signal is also receivable in parts of Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taff. Places as far away as Merthyr Tydfil and the north Devon coast are also able to receive signals from Carmel.

Carmel
Carmel transmitting station is located in Carmarthenshire
Carmel transmitting station
Carmel transmitting station (Carmarthenshire)
Mast height151.9 metres (498 ft)
Coordinates51.8225°N 4.0567°W / 51.8225; -4.0567
Built1973
BBC regionBBC Wales
ITV regionITV Cymru Wales

Carmel started to switch over to digital terrestrial TV broadcast services on 26 August 2009.[1]

Services available

21 May 1973 - 1 November 1982

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

Frequency UHF kW Service
759.25 MHz 57 100 BBC1 Wales
783.25 MHz 60 100 HTV Wales
807.25 MHz 63 100 BBC2 Wales

1 November 1982 - 15 November 1998

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
727.25 MHz 53 100 S4C
759.25 MHz 57 100 BBC1 Wales
783.25 MHz 60 100 HTV Wales
807.25 MHz 63 100 BBC2 Wales

15 November 1998 - 26 August 2009

The initial rollout of digital television in the UK involved radiating the signals at low power in between the existing analogue channels.

Frequency UHF kW Service System
727.25 MHz 53 100 S4C PAL System I
746.000 MHz 55 2.5 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T
759.25 MHz 57 100 BBC1 Wales PAL System I
777.833 MHz 59- 5 SDN (Mux A) DVB-T
783.25 MHz 60 100 HTV Wales PAL System I
801.833 MHz 62- 2.5 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
807.25 MHz 63 100 BBC2 Wales PAL System I
825.833 MHz 65- 2.5 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) DVB-T
834.000 MHz 66 1 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
842.000 MHz 67 1 Arqiva (Mux D) DVB-T

26 August 2009 - 23 September 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced at this site. Analogue BBC2 Wales closed on channel 63 and HTV took over on that frequency for what would be its final 3 weeks of service, vacating channel 60 as it did so. The new BBC A multiplex started up at full power in 64-QAM mode on channel 60, and Mux 1 on channel 55 closed.

Frequency UHF kW Service System
727.25 MHz 53 100 S4C PAL System I
759.25 MHz 57 100 BBC1 Wales PAL System I
777.833 MHz 59- 5 SDN (Mux A) DVB-T
786.000 MHz 60 20 BBC A DVB-T
801.833 MHz 62- 2.5 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
807.25 MHz 63 100 HTV Wales PAL System I
825.833 MHz 65- 2.5 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) DVB-T
834.000 MHz 66 1 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
842.000 MHz 67 1 Arqiva (Mux D) DVB-T

23 September 2009 - present

All the analogue television services closed and the new digital multiplexes took over their frequencies (and two new ones) with name-changes, power increases and a shift to 64-QAM.

Frequency UHF kW Operator
730.000 MHz 53 20 Digital 3&4
738.000 MHz 54 10 SDN
762.000 MHz 57 20 BBC B
770.000 MHz 58 10 Arqiva A
786.000 MHz 60 20 BBC A
794.000 MHz 61 10 Arqiva B

May 2013

As a side-effect of frequency-changes elsewhere in the region to do with clearance of the 800 MHz band for 4G mobile phone use,[2] Carmel's "Arqiva B" multiplex will have to be moved from channel 61 to channel 49 and the "BBC A" multiplex will get a negative offset.[3]

Frequency UHF kW Operator
698.000 MHz 49 10 Arqiva B
730.000 MHz 53 20 Digital 3&4
738.000 MHz 54 10 SDN
762.000 MHz 57 20 BBC B
770.000 MHz 58 10 Arqiva A
785.833 MHz 60- 20 BBC A

Analogue radio (VHF FM)
Frequency kW Service
88.4 MHz 3 BBC Radio 2†
90.6 MHz 3 BBC Radio 3†
92.8 MHz 3 BBC Radio 4†
95.1 MHz 3 BBC Radio Wales†
97.1 MHz 1.4 Radio Carmarthenshire
98.0 MHz 3 BBC Radio 1†
104.6 MHz 3 BBC Radio Cymru†
105.2 MHz 3 Heart South Wales†

† Relays the signal from Kilvey Hill to cover Swansea

Digital radio (DAB)
Frequency Block kW[4] Operator
222.064 MHz 11D 1 Digital One
223.936 MHz 12A 1 Swansea SW Wales
225.648 MHz 12B 5 BBC National DAB

References
  1. UK Free TV - Freeview on the Carmel transmitter
  2. Summers, Nick (2012-02-15). "EU States Must Allow 4G on Analogue TV Spectrum". Thenextweb.com. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  3. "4G clearance retunes". a516digital. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  4. Radio Listeners Guide 2010
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