Strabane transmitting station

The Strabane transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Legfordrum and situated very close to the town of Strabane, in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland (Grid Reference: H393947, GNR: IH393947). It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Strabane
Strabane transmitting station is located in Northern Ireland
Strabane
Strabane
Limavady
Limavady
Mast height305.5 metres (1,002 ft)
Coordinates54°47′58″N 7°23′19″W
Grid referenceH393947
Built1963
Relay ofLimavady
BBC regionBBC Northern Ireland
ITV regionUTV

It includes a 305.5 metres (1,002 ft) high guyed steel lattice mast, which is the tallest structure in Ireland. The transmission antennas surmounting the structure are contained within a fibreglass cylinder. Constructed in 1963, it came into service on 18 February of that year.

History

It was originally commissioned by the Independent Television Authority to bring ITV signals (provided by Ulster Television) to the west of Northern Ireland, including the districts of Derry and Enniskillen on 405-line VHF, using Channel 8 (Band III). The transmitter commenced full service on Monday 18 February 1963.[1] 405 line television was discontinued in the UK in 1985.

When UHF television came to Northern Ireland, main transmitters were commissioned at Limavady and Brougher Mountain, near Omagh. However this left a gap in the Strabane and Newtownstewart areas, so in July 1977 UHF television was added to the Strabane site. Due to the elevation of the antennas (584 m above sea level), a 2kW effective radiated power was sufficient to cover a very wide area, with coverage available well into County Donegal.

In 2001, the site was installed with a transmitter for Score Northern Ireland, a regional digital radio multiplex.

Digital switchover took place in Northern Ireland in October 2012, when analogue TV transmissions from this station were replaced by digital transmissions. The coverage area is approximately the same as the analogue services, and there are three digital multiplexes transmitted.

Services listed by frequency

Digital radio (DAB)
Frequency Block kW Operator
229.072 MHz 12D 5 Bauer Northern Ireland[2]

Digital television Until 04/09/2019
Frequency UHF kW Operator System
618.166 MHz 39+ 0.4 BBC B DVB-T2
642.000 MHz 42 0.4 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
666.000 MHz 45 0.4 BBC A DVB-T

Digital television After 04/09/2019
Frequency UHF kW Operator System
562.000 MHz 32 0.4 BBC A DVB-T
578.000 MHz 34 0.4 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
586.166 MHz 35+ 0.4 BBC B DVB-T2
626.000 MHz 40 0.4 NIMM DVB-T2

Analogue television
Frequency UHF kW Service
615.25 MHz 39 2 BBC One Northern Ireland
639.25 MHz 42 2 Channel 4
663.25 MHz 45 2 BBC Two Northern Ireland
695.25 MHz 49 2 UTV

See also

References
  1. "TheBigTower Strabane Transmitter". Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  2. Radio Listeners Guide 2010 Edition
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