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:Llanelli transmitting station

{{Infobox UK transmitter

|name = Llanelli

|image =

|map_name = Wales Carmarthenshire

|coordinates = {{coord|51.700072|-4.156764|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|height = {{convert|30|m|ft|0}}

|gridref= SN510023

|built = 1970

|demolished =

|collapsed =

|relay = Carmel

|BBC = BBC Wales

|ITV = ITV Cymru Wales

}}

The Llanelli transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located on high ground north of the town of Llanelli, South Wales. It was originally built by the BBC, entering service in mid 1970{{cite web |url=http://www.tinsleyviaduct.com/broadcasting/june.html |title=On This Day in Broadcasting - June |accessdate=2012-03-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20010715175801/http://www.tinsleyviaduct.com/broadcasting/june.html |archivedate=2001-07-15 }} transmitting the now-defunct 405-line VHF television system. As such, it was one of the last 405 transmitters ever built.

UHF colour television was added to the mast in early 1975.

Currently, the transmitter provides DVB-T digital television to the area, along with Scarlet FM radio and a single multiplex of DAB digital radio.

Specifications and history

The site has a 30 m self-standing lattice mast erected on land that is itself about 100 m above sea level.

UHF television was added to the site in early 1975,{{cite web| url = http://txlib.mb21.co.uk/main.php?g2_itemId=2209&g2_imageViewsIndex=3| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140531170842/http://txlib.mb21.co.uk/main.php?g2_itemId=2209&g2_imageViewsIndex=3| archive-date = 2014-05-31| title = ITV75p146w}} launching with just the three programme services that were active at the time. S4C was added in 1982 when it launched.

The 405-line VHF television service closed across the UK in 1985, but according to the BBC's transmitter list{{cite web|url=http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/405-Lines/Transmitters.gif |title=BBC-1 405-line Monochrome Television VHF Transmitters |access-date=2013-11-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813054041/http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/405-Lines/Transmitters.gif |archive-date=2012-08-13 }} and the BBC's internal "Eng. Inf." magazine,{{Cite magazine |date=Spring 1981 |url=http://www.bbceng.info/Eng_Inf/EngInf_4.pdf |title=405 LINE Transmitters to close |magazine=Eng Inf - internal BBC magazine |number=4 |page=8 |access-date=2012-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721190155/http://www.bbceng.info/Eng_Inf/EngInf_4.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-21 |url-status=dead }} Llanelli was due to close early – in the third quarter of 1982.

DAB radio was added in 2010.

Services listed by frequency

=Analogue television=

==8 June 1970 – Early 1975==

BBC 405-line television started up with the site acting as an off-air relay transmitter of Wenvoe about 60 km to the east, near Cardiff..

class="wikitable sortable"

!{{no2}}Frequency

!{{no2}}VHF

!{{no2}}kW

!{{no2}}Service

{{UK System A|ch=3}}

|3V

|0.015

|BBC1 Wales

==Early 1975 – Third Quarter 1982==

When 625-line colour television was added, the site became a relay of Carmel about 15 km to the north.

class="wikitable sortable"

!{{no2}}Frequency

!{{no2}}VHF

!{{no2}}UHF

!{{no2}}kW

!{{no2}}Service

{{UK System A|ch=3}}

|3V

|—

|0.015

|BBC1 Wales

{{UK System I|ch=39}}

|—

|39

|0.1

|BBC1 Wales

{{UK System I|ch=45}}

|—

|45

|0.1

|BBC2 Wales

{{UK System I|ch=49}}

|—

|49

|0.1

|HTV Wales

==Third Quarter 1982 – 26 August 2009==

405-line television was shut down early compared with the UK as a whole, and Llanelli's Band I transmitter ended its service after a mere 12 years. From then until the start of the digital switchover 27 years later, only UHF television would be available from the site.

Channel 4 was added to the set radiated from the site when it launched on 1 November 1982. Being in Wales, Llanelli transmitted the S4C variant. The channel number chosen for S4C was inconveniently well outside aerial group B which would have been ideal for the other three channels.

class="wikitable sortable"

!{{no2}}Frequency

!{{no2}}UHF

!{{no2}}kW

!{{no2}}Service

{{UK System I|ch=39}}

|39

|0.1

|BBC One Wales

{{UK System I|ch=45}}

|45

|0.1

|BBC Two Wales

{{UK System I|ch=49}}

|49

|0.1

|ITV1 Wales (HTV Wales until 2002)

{{UK System I|ch=67}}

|67

|0.1

|S4C

=Analogue and digital television=

==26 August 2009 – 23 September 2009==

The UK's digital switchover commenced, mirroring the changes taking place at the parent transmitter at Carmel. Analogue BBC Two Wales closed on channel 45 and ITV1 Wales took over on that frequency for what would be its final 3 weeks of service, vacating channel 49 as it did so. The new digital BBC A multiplex started up at full power in 64-QAM mode on channel 49.

class="wikitable sortable"

!{{no2}}Frequency

!{{no2}}UHF

!{{no2}}kW

!{{no2}}Service

!{{no2}}System

{{UK System I|ch=39}}

|39

|0.1

|BBC One Wales

|PAL System I

{{UK System I|ch=45}}

|45

|0.1

|ITV1 Wales

|PAL System I

{{UK DVB-T|ch=49}}

|49

|0.02

|BBC A

|DVB-T

{{UK System I|ch=67}}

|67

|0.1

|S4C

|PAL System I

=Digital television=

==23 September 2009 – present==

All the analogue television services closed and the new digital multiplexes took over on channels 45 and 49. Channel 67 was discontinued, and the BBC B multiplex started on previously unused channel 42. This meant that for the first time since 1982, all the transmissions from the Llanelli transmitter were in aerial group B.

class="wikitable sortable"

!Frequency

!UHF

!kW

!Operator

{{UK DVB-T|ch=42}}

|42

|0.02

|BBC B

{{UK DVB-T|ch=45}}

|45

|0.02

|Digital 3&4

{{UK DVB-T|ch=49}}

|49

|0.02

|BBC A

=Analogue radio (FM VHF)=

==Present==

class="wikitable sortable"

!Frequency

!kW

!Service

97.5 MHz

|0.2

|Radio Carmarthenshire

=Digital radio (DAB)=

==Present==

class="wikitable sortable"

!Frequency

!Block

!kW

!Operator

0.0 MHz

|0A

|0.0

|BBC National DAB

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/info/405/bbc/#bbc_wales MB21's page on BBC 405 TV to Wales and the West]
  • [http://www.bvws.org.uk/405alive/info/tx_list.html 405 Alive's list of transmitters"]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20120414222659/http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/405-Lines/tx-list.html#BBC#BBC More details on 405-line BBC transmitters]
  • [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/llanelli.php The Transmission Gallery: Photographs and Information]
  • [http://www.ukfree.tv/shutdowndetail.php?tx=SN510023 The 'ukfree' listing for Llanelli]

{{Transmitter sites in Wales}}

{{FM radio transmitter sites in Wales}}

{{Wenvoe VHF 405-line Transmitter Group}}

{{Carmel UHF 625-line Transmitter Group}}

{{Carmel UHF DVB Transmitter Group}}

{{Television transmitters in the UK}}

Category:Transmitter sites in Wales

Category:Wenvoe VHF 405-line Transmitter Group