Storeton transmitting station

Storeton transmitting station[1] (also commonly known as the Storeton transmitter[2]) is a television transmitter being a member of both the Winter Hill group of transmitters and of the Moel-y-Parc group of transmitter (public service multiplexes only), and an FM radio transmitter, with transmitting antennas affixed to a mast located on Storeton Ridge, Higher Bebington, Wirral, UK (national grid reference: SJ314841).[3] The site is owned and operated by Arqiva. It was originally solely an analogue TV relay of the Winter Hill transmitter. The 45 metre-high (150 ft-high) mast is situated at an elevation of 65.5 metres (215 ft). Thus, the top of the mast has an overall height of 110.5 metres (363 ft) above sea level. Construction of the mast was completed in 1980.[4] As of 2009, the TV transmitter serves approximately 45,000 homes.[5]

Storeton
Storeton transmitting tower, May 2009
Storeton transmitting station is located in Merseyside
Storeton transmitting station
Storeton transmitting station (Merseyside)
Tower height45 metres (148 ft)
Coordinates53.3499°N 3.03117°W / 53.3499; -3.03117
Grid referenceSJ314841
Built1980
Relay ofWinter Hill (1980-present)
Moel-y-Parc (2009-present)
BBC regionBBC North West (1980-present)
BBC Wales (2009-present)
ITV regionITV Granada (1980-present)
ITV Cymru Wales (2009-present)

History

The Storeton site was not an original VHF 405-line transmitter location.[6] For 625-line analogue services on UHF, the relay covered Winter Hill blind spots in low lying areas across the Mersey in south Liverpool and some densely populated areas of Wirral. Prior to digital switchover, all five analogue channels and all six digital multiplexes are broadcast from the site.[3] As a member of the Winter Hill transmitter group, the transmitter is in the BBC North West region and the ITV Granada Channel 3 service licence region, and as a member of the Moel-y-Part transmitter group, the transmitter is in the BBC Wales region and the ITV Cymru Wales Channel 3 service licence region. The commercial local TV station Liverpool TV with studios in Toxteth, Liverpool, and the commercial dual-regional radio station Capital North West and Wales with studios in Gwersyllt, Wrecsam, are also broadcast from the site.

Although located in England, the site is within eight miles of the North Wales coast. In coordination with digital TV switchover in North Wales during November 2009, the site commenced service as part of the Moel-y-Parc transmitter group, transmitting the Wales region version of the public service multiplexes[7] to nearby parts of North East Wales, across the River Dee. In official OFCOM documentation[7] the transmitter is listed as Storeton Wales for this purpose. Parts of those areas were previously poorly served with Welsh television services from Moel-y-Parc due to local geography, as natural landforms such as hills can block radio waves from being received, resulting in poor quality radio and television reception or even none at all, depending on the frequencies being used.[8]

The final switchover date for Storeton as part of the Winter Hill transmitter group was 2 December 2009. The official date for Storeton joining the Moel-y-Parc transmitter group with the addition of the three Wales public service multiplexes was 25 November 2009, although there were subsequent changes for those multiplex transmissions on 2 December 2009 with limited publicity.[9]

Since the transition from analogue TV to digital TV broadcasts, the Storeton site is not a relay of either Winter Hill or Moel-y-Parc because it does not receive its signals over the air from the main transmitter sites but is "line-fed" the ten multiplexes by fibre optic cable.[10]

Services available
The tower as seen from a distance, December 2001

Analogue radio
Frequency Polarization ERP / kW Service
97.1 MHz Mixed 1.0 Capital North West and Wales

The radio transmission licence for the Capital North West and Wales service from both the Storeton transmitter on 97.1 MHz and the Wrecsam-Rhos transmitter on 103.4 MHz, filed under "Capital Wrexham and Chester", was awarded to Marcher Radio Group Limited (a subsidiary of Global Radio Limited and is valid until 4 September 2027[11]

The coverage area of the transmission can be seen on the Ofcom "Wrexham and Deeside FM Measured Coverage Area" document (page 5).[12]

Digital television
Frequency UHF Polarization ERP / kW Operator BBC region ITV region System
482.000 MHz 22 V 0.56 BBC B BBC North West ITV Granada DVB-T2 (QAM/256)
490.000 MHz 23 V 0.56 SDN — — DVB-T (QAM/64)
506.000 MHz 25 V 0.56 Digital 3&4 — ITV Granada DVB-T (QAM/64)
514.000 MHz 26 V 0.56 Arqiva A — — DVB-T (QAM/64)
530.000 MHz 28 V 0.56 BBC A BBC North West — DVB-T (QAM/64)
546.000 MHz 30 V 0.56 Arqiva B — — DVB-T (QAM/64)
618.166 MHz 39+ H 3.0 Digital 3&4 — ITV Cymru Wales DVB-T (QAM/64)
642.000 MHz 42 H 3.0 BBC B BBC Wales ITV Cymru Wales DVB-T2 (QAM/256)
650.000 MHz 43 V 0.06 LL (Liverpool TV) — — DVB-T (QPSK)
666.000 MHz 45 H 3.0 BBC A BBC Wales — DVB-T (QAM/64)

The frequency assignments for the Storeton multiplexes (most recent changes were on 12 August 2020) are taken from the UK Digital "700 MHZ Clearance Events - Granada region" document (page 5, "The Storeton Transmitter").[13]

The frequency assignments for the Storeton Wales multiplexes (most recent changes were on 27 February 2019) are taken from the UK Digital "700 MHZ Clearance Events - Wales region" document (page 34, "Storeton Wales", relay of the Moel-y-Parc transmitter).[14]

With the changes on 27 February 2009 for the Storeton Wales multiplexes, when the corresponding frequency of each multiplex became the same as that transmitted from Moel-y-Parc, also accompanied by an increase in effective radiated power from 2.0 kW to 3.0 kw, the Storeton Wales transmissions each became a constituent part of a single-frequency network (SFN), resulting in a significant improvement in reception quality at locations where signals were being received from both sites but where neither was consistently adequate.

Former services

Analogue television transmissions until switchover
Frequency UHF Polarization ERP / kW Service
479.25 MHz 22 V 2.8 BBC1 North West
503.25 MHz 25 V 2.8 Granada
527.25 MHz 28 V 2.8 BBC2 North West
559.25 MHz 32 V 2.8 Channel 4
615.25 MHz 39 V 2.8 Channel 5

Transmission of BBC1 North West, BBC2 North West, and Granada commenced in September 1979. Transmission of Channel 4 began in July 1983. Transmission of Channel 5 began from the launch of the Channel 5 service its-self on 30 March 1997.[15]

Digital television transmissions until switchover
Frequency UHF Polarization ERP / kW Operator Region
490.166 MHz 23+ V 0.056 SDN (Mux A) —
514.166 MHz 26+ V 0.056 BBC (Mux B) North West
538.166 MHz 29+ V 0.056 Arqiva (Mux C) —
546.166 MHz 30+ V 0.056 BBC (Mux 1) North West
570.166 MHz 33+ V 0.056 Arqiva (Mux D) —
578.166 MHz 34+ V 0.056 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) Granada

Digital television transmissions following switchover
Frequency UHF Polarization ERP / kW Operator Region
482.0 MHz 22 V 0.56 BBC B North West
490.0 MHz 23 V 0.56 SDN
506.0 MHz 25 V 0.56 Digital 3&4 Granada
514.0 MHz 26 V 0.56 Arqiva A —
530.0 MHz 28 V 0.56 BBC A North West
538.0 MHz 29 V 0.56 Arqiva B —
730.0 MHz 53 H 0.50 Digital 3&4 Wales
762.0 MHz 57 H 0.50 BBC A Wales
786.0 MHz 60 H 0.50 BBC B Wales

See also

References
  1. "Planning Committee 14 February 2008" (PDF). Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  2. "The Broadcasting Committee, minutes of Monday, 9 June 2008". National Assembly for Wales. 9 June 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  3. "Digital Switchover Transmitter Details: Granada Region" (PDF). Office of Communications (OFCOM). 24 October 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  4. "Transmitter Sites On Merseyside: Storeton Hill (Wirral UK)". Jim Lowe, Concept Radio News UK. 1998. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  5. "Full Freeview on the Storeton (Wirral England) transmitter". Brian Butterworth, UKFree.TV. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  6. "Freeview on the Storeton transmitter". Brian Butterworth, UKFree.TV. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  7. "Digital Switchover Transmitter Details: Wales" (PDF). OFCOM. 5 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  8. "Line of Sight: More than Meets the Eye". Travis McKissack, Campbell Scientific. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  9. "Digital UK help on Moel-y-Parc retune on 2 December 2009". 12 January 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  10. "The Transmission Gallery - Storeton". Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  11. "Ofcom Analogue Radio Stations - Capital Wrexham & Chester". Ofcom. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  12. "Ofcom Measured Coverage Area - Wrexham and Deeside FM" (PDF). Ofcom. 29 December 2003. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  13. "Digital UK - 700 MHz Clearance Events - Granada region" (PDF). Digital UK. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  14. "Digital UK - 700 MHz Clearance Events - Wales Region" (PDF). Digital UK. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  15. "The Transmission Gallery - Storeton". 6 April 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
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