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blaenplwyf

 

 Above: A distant view of the Blaenplwyf mast towards the south taken from the heights of Aberystwyth.


THE BLAENPLWYF TRANSMITTER is the UHF and BBC FM/DAB main station that serves the Cardigan Bay area on the western coastline of Wales.

Within its service area, the main population base is around the coastal resort town of Aberystwyth which the mast overlooks from its high position about four miles to the south.

It is one of the six established main UHF transmitter sites in Wales (See also: Carmel, Llanddona, Moel-y-Parc, Presely and Wenvoe) and has a history dating back to the first decade of the national BBC 405-line transmitter network.

TRANSMISSION STRUCTURE

Blaenplywf transmits services from a 150.5 metre (494-ft) triangular cross-section lattice stayed mast.  This is supported by nine stay lines which anchor to three single-line inner stay blocks and three dual-line outer stay blocks.

The current mast dates from 1987 when it replaced the original 1957 structure.  The main reason indicated for this was the FM radio upgrade to mixed polarised transmission, although all other such mast replacements took place at earlier BBC sites where the original FM Band II aerial 'cylindrical-slot' section was an integral component of the main structure and impossible to re-engineer.

The fact that the current mast is not the original structure is made apparent by (a) the triangular cross-section design (all BBC masts from the 1950s around the 150 metre height were all square-cross section) and (b) the displaced positioning of the mast away from the main building area. (See Site/Station Building Images

 

PRONUNCIATION

The widely recognised pronunciation for the transmitting station name is 'Bline-Ploo-Wee'.

However, this seemingly derives from the alternative spelling 'Blaenplwy' or 'Blaen-plwy' that was used in early BBC documentation and it was certainly reported in the local press that the BBC had obtained formal permission to use this spellling variant simply for ease of pronunciation.

Based on the correct spelling, the location pronunciation is 'Bline-Ploo-Wyv' (Click this external link for a voice pronunciation)

The alternative spelling is referred to in this BBC Research and Development document from 1955.

However, the written use of this alternate spelling seems to have been abandoned by the time the station was fully operational, as indicated in this BBC Research and Development document from 1958 and in subsequent BBC publications.

Despite the alternative spelling usage being quickly discontinued in print, the pronunciation seemingly based on it has remained.   


 

 

 

400x560    510x710

400x560    510x710

400x560    510x710

400x560    510x710

Aerials

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supersize Mast Images

 

 

 


STATION HISTORY (VHF)

Blaenplwyf was originally constructed by the BBC to provide their 405-line VHF Band I television and VHF Band II FM radio services to the Cardigan Bay area of West Wales.

The opening of the station was tentatively planned for 1955 but, as with many of the stations that preceded it, lack of resources (principally transmission units and steel for the mast - the latter being a national shortage issue) lead to repeated postponements.

The progress of the station was regularly reported in the local press, with several items referring to the possible acquisition of the temporary transmitting station at Truleigh Hill (near Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex) as a means of launching a provisional service. It was hoped these facilities would be available for redeployment in June 1956 once Rowridge became operational at full power, but in the event they had to remain at Truleigh Hill indefinitely in continued support of Rowridge.

Although no other television transmitter units were available at this point, the BBC were by now able to deploy a temporary mast and transmission facilities to provide a much demanded improvement in FM coverage for the Welsh Home Service, albeit at reduced power. Based on this, Blaenplwyf came into provisional operation on 14 October 1956.

Construction of the permanent station and 152 metre (500-ft) mast proceeded during the winter of 1956/1957 with a view to opening in the following Spring.

After two weeks of television test transmission commencing 15 April 1957, the official opening of the permanent station took place on 29 April 1957, formally marking the extension of transmissions to BBC Television (VHF Channel 3) whilst the existing Welsh Home Service was upgraded to full power from the permanent mast and joined by the Light and Third Programmes.

The opening of the permanent station marked the first major expansion of BBC VHF Television and Radio coverage in Wales since the first Welsh transmitter at Wenvoe became operational at full power in December 1952. 

The next significant development for the BBC VHF transmitter network in Wales was the opening of the Llanddona and Llangollen transmitters in December 1958, which combined with Blaenplwyf to provide BBC National FM radio coverage across the north and north-west coast of Wales.


Aerials>  Site Images>  Supersize Mast Images



Aerials>  Site Images>  Supersize Mast Images


STATION INFORMATION


Location:

Blaenplwyf, nr Aberystwyth, Ceredigion

Grid Reference:

SN569756

Landlord:

Arqiva (Legacy: BBC/Crown Castle UK/NGW)

Ground Height:

172.2m

BBC Region:

Wales

Mast Height:

150.5m

ITV1 Region:

Wales

Aerial Height (*):

334m

 

UHF Tx Number:

13500

(*) Average UHF aerial height above sea level (a.o.d)  

 

 


  CURRENT TRANSMISSIONS

Digital Television

 

 

 

Analogue Radio (FM)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mux

: Ch/Polarisation/e.r.p

 

 

 Station:

(MHz)

(e.r.p)

PSB1

: 27 / H / 40kW 

 

 

BBC Radio 1:

98.3

250kW

PSB2

: 24 / H / 40kW 

 

 

BBC Radio 2:

88.7

250kW

PSB3

: 21 / H / 40kW 

 

 

BBC Radio 3:

90.9

250kW

COM4

: 25 / H / 10kW 

 

 

BBC Radio 4:

94.1

250kW

COM5

: 22 / H / 10kW

BBC Radio Cymru:

93.1

250kW

COM6

: 28 / H / 10kW

 

 

BBC Radio Wales:

95.3

120kW

 

 

 

 

 

Classis FM:

101.1

10kW

Digital Radio

 

 

Radio Ceredigion:

103.3

5.8kW

 

 

 

 

 

Heart FM (North Wales):

107.7

12.5kW

BBC National (Block 12B)

 

 

 

Digital One (Block 11D)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRE-DIGITAL SWITCHOVER UHF TRANSMISSIONS

(Shutdown completed 10 March 2010)

Analogue Television 

 

 

 

Digital Television

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service

  Ch/Polar/e.r.p

 

 

 

 

Service

 Ch/Polar/e.r.p

BBC1

: 31 / H / 100kW

 

 

 

 

Mux1

: 28 / H / 2.0kW

BBC2

: 27 / H / 100kW  

 

 

 

 

Mux2

: 22 / H / 2.0kW

ITV1

: 24 / H / 100kW 

 

 

 

 

MuxA

: 25 / H / 2.0kW

S4C

: 21 / H / 100kW

 

 

 

 

MuxB

: 32 / H / 2.0kW

CH5

: 56 / H / 4kW

 

 

 

 

MuxC

: 29 / H / 1.0kW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MuxD

: 33 / H / 1.0kW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Arfon  Carmel  Llanddona  Moel-y-Parc  Presely  St Hilary  Wenvoe

 

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