Builth Wells transmitting station

The Builth Wells television relay station is sited on high ground to the north of the town of Builth Wells in Powys, South Wales. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television. It consists of a 25 m self-supporting lattice mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 230 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed southwards. The Builth Wells transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Builth Wells
Builth Wells
Carmel
Mast height25 metres (82 ft)
Coordinates52°09′56″N 3°24′36″W
Grid referenceSO036528
Built1980s
Relay ofCarmel
BBC regionBBC Wales
ITV regionITV Wales

Builth Wells transmitter is classed as an indirect off-air relay of Carmel. It re-radiates a signal received off-air from Llandrindod Wells about 12 km to the north, which itself is a direct off-air relay of Carmel. When it came, the digital switchover process for Builth Wells duplicated the timing at Carmel with the first stage taking place on 26 August 2009 and with the second stage being completed on 23 September 2009. After the switchover process, analogue channels had ceased broadcasting permanently and the Freeview digital TV services were radiated at an ERP of 5 W each.[1]

Channels listed by frequency

1980s - 26 August 2009

Builth Wells (being in Wales) transmitted the S4C variant of Channel 4.

Frequency UHF kW Service
479.25 MHz 22 0.026 BBC One Wales
503.25 MHz 25 0.026 ITV1 Wales (HTV Wales until 2002)
527.25 MHz 28 0.026 BBC Two Wales
559.25 MHz 32 0.026 S4C

26 August 2009 - 23 September 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced at Carmel (and therefore at Builth Wells and all its other relays) on 26 August 2009. Analogue BBC Two Wales on channel 28 was first to close, and ITV Wales was moved from channel 25 to channel 28 for its last month of service. Channel 25 was replaced by the new digital BBC A mux which started up in 64-QAM and at full power (i.e. 5 W).

Frequency UHF kW Service System
479.25 MHz 22 0.026 BBC One Wales PAL System I
506.000 MHz 25 0.005 BBC A DVB-T
527.25 MHz 28 0.026 ITV1 Wales PAL System I
559.25 MHz 32 0.026 S4C PAL System I

23 September 2009 - present

The remaining analogue TV services were closed down and the digital multiplexes took over on the original analogue channels' frequencies.

Frequency UHF kW Operator
482.000 MHz 22 0.005 Digital 3&4
506.000 MHz 25 0.005 BBC A
530.000 MHz 28 0.005 BBC B
See also: List of digital terrestrial television channels (UK)

References
  1. "Freeview on Builth Wells TV transmitter". ukfree.tv. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
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