Angus transmitting station

56°33′18″N 2°59′10″W / 56.555°N 2.986111°W / 56.555; -2.986111Grid referenceNO394407BBC regionBBC ScotlandITV regionSTV North
Base of transmitter and surrounding buildings seen close up. Other transmitters situated on adjacent Craigowl Hill can be seen in the distance.

The Angus transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated approximately five miles due north of Dundee, between the villages of Charleston and Tealing, Scotland (grid reference NO394407).[1] It includes a guyed steel lattice mast which is 229.5 metres (753 ft)[2] in height. Mounted at the top are the UHF television antennas, contained within a GRP shroud. These antennas have an average height above Ordnance Datum of 547 metres (1,795 ft).[3] It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

History

  • It was constructed in 1965 by the ITA, having been chosen as a suitable site for high power colour UHF transmissions. The first broadcasts began on VHF channel 11 in black and white, from 13 October 1965

Coverage area

It covers parts of the Dundee City council area, eastern Perth and Kinross, southern Angus and north and east Fife. Reception is also possible in much of north and east Edinburgh and the coastal areas of East Lothian, as far along as the town of Dunbar.[4]

Relay transmitters

  • Tay Bridge transmitting station (56°26′41″N 2°55′30″W / 56.4447°N 2.925°W / 56.4447; -2.925), which is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue radio (FM VHF)

Frequency kW[5] Service
H V
100.1 MHz 2.125 8.5 Classic FM
102.8 MHz 1 4 Tay FM

† Mixed polarisation.

Digital radio (DAB)

Frequency Block kW Operator
218.640 MHz 11B 3 Score Dundee
222.064 MHz 11D 10 Digital One
225.648 MHz 12B 10 BBC National DAB

Television

Analogue

28 July 1969 – 1972
Frequency UHF kW Service
807.25 MHz 63 100 BBC2 Scotland
1972 – November 1982
Frequency UHF kW Service
759.25 MHz 57 100 BBC1 Scotland
783.25 MHz 60 100 Grampian
807.25 MHz 63 100 BBC2 Scotland
November 1982 – 14 November 1998
Frequency UHF kW Service
727.25 MHz 53 100 Channel 4
759.25 MHz 57 100 BBC1 Scotland
783.25 MHz 60 100 Grampian
807.25 MHz 63 100 BBC2 Scotland

Analogue and digital

15 November 1998 – 3 August 2010

Digital terrestrial television was first transmitted from the Angus mast from 15 November 1998 using the frequency gaps between the analogue TV broadcasts. To limit interference to the analogue transmissions, power output on the digital multiplexes was low.

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
727.25 MHz 53 100 Channel 4 PAL System I
753.833 MHz 56- 2 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
759.25 MHz 57 100 BBC One Scotland PAL System I
777.833 MHz 59- 4 SDN (Mux A) DVB-T
783.25 MHz 60 100 STV (North) (Grampian) PAL System I
801.833 MHz 62- 4 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
807.25 MHz 63 100 BBC Two Scotland PAL System I
825.833 MHz 65- 2 Arqiva (Mux D) DVB-T
834.166 MHz 66+ 4 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) DVB-T
850.000 MHz 68 4 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T
4 August 2010 - 17 August 2010

On 4 August 2010, BBC2 was switched off on UHF 63 and STV was switched from UHF 60 for its final weeks of service. Multiplex 1 on UHF 68 was closed and replaced by BBC A on UHF 60 (which had just been vacated by analogue STV). BBC A was transmitted at full power (20 kW) and in 64QAM, 8k carriers mode from the start.

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
727.25 MHz 53 100 Channel 4 PAL System I
753.833 MHz 56- 2 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
759.25 MHz 57 100 BBC One Scotland PAL System I
777.833 MHz 59- 4 SDN (Mux A) DVB-T
786.000 MHz 60 20 BBC A DVB-T
801.833 MHz 62- 4 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
807.25 MHz 63 100 STV (North) PAL System I
825.833 MHz 65- 2 Arqiva (Mux D) DVB-T
834.166 MHz 66+ 4 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) DVB-T

Digital

18 August 2010 to 16 April 2013

Following the completion of analogue TV shutdown on 18 August 2010, Angus transmitted all of its higher powered multiplexes at 20 kW for PSB 1, 2 and 3, and 10 kW for COM 4, 5 and 6. From this date the frequency allocation was:

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
730.000 MHz 53 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
738.000 MHz 54 10 SDN DVB-T
762.000 MHz 57 20 BBC B DVB-T2
770.000 MHz 58 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
786.000 MHz 60 20 BBC A DVB-T
794.000 MHz 61 10 Arqiva B DVB-T
17 April 2013 to 26 November 2019

Due to the clearance of the 800 MHz band, Arqiva B was moved from UHF 61 to UHF 49 and BBC A gained a negative offset. Also during this time, COM 7 and 8 and the Local TV multiplex launched.

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
690.000 MHz 48 1 Local TV DVB-T
698.000 MHz 49 10 Arqiva B DVB-T
730.000 MHz 53 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
738.000 MHz 54 10 SDN DVB-T
746.000 MHz 55 5 COM 7 DVB-T2
754.000 MHz 56 5 COM 8 DVB-T2
762.000 MHz 57 20 BBC B DVB-T2
770.000 MHz 58 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
785.833 MHz 60- 20 BBC A DVB-T
27 November 2019 to 24 June 2020

Due to the clearance of the 700 MHz band, the following channels come into use:

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
570.000 MHz 33 10 SDN DVB-T
578.000 MHz 34 1 Local TV DVB-T
594.000 MHz 36 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
618.000 MHz 39 20 BBC A DVB-T
642.000 MHz 42 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
666.000 MHz 45 20 BBC B DVB-T2
690.000 MHz 48 10 Arqiva B DVB-T
746.000 MHz 55 5 COM 7 DVB-T2
754.000 MHz 56 5 COM 8 DVB-T2
25 June 2020 to Present

Due to the clearance of UHF 56 (COM8), in the 700 MHz band, the following channels come into use:

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
570.000 MHz 33 10 SDN DVB-T
578.000 MHz 34 1 Local TV DVB-T
594.000 MHz 36 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
618.000 MHz 39 20 BBC A DVB-T
642.000 MHz 42 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
666.000 MHz 45 20 BBC B DVB-T2
690.000 MHz 48 10 Arqiva B DVB-T
746.000 MHz 55 5 COM 7 DVB-T2

See also

References

  1. ^ "BBC - Press Office - Dundee digital radio".
  2. ^ "Mb21 - the Transmission Gallery - Site Data". tx.mb21.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  3. ^ "BBC - Help receiving the BBC - TV transmitters". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 May 2006.
  4. ^ "Mb21 - Transmitter Information - Angus". tx.mb21.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  5. ^ Radio Listeners Guide 2010

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Angus transmitting station.
  • Photographs and information at The Transmission Gallery
  • Angus Transmitter at thebigtower
  • Tay Bridge at The Transmission Gallery at the Wayback Machine (archived 2021-10-23)
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