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thebigtower |
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the wrekin |
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THE WREKIN TRANSMITTER is the UHF main station that serves the county of Shropshire and the West Midlands border with North Wales. The station was opened by the BBC in 1975 as the last of five main UHF transmitter sites constructed across the Midlands. The four other main transmitters serving the region are sited at Oxford, Ridge Hill (Hereford), Sutton Coldfield and Waltham. STATION HISTORY |
| The Wrekin is a prominent hill of historical significance sited amongst the Shropshire plains near Telford and as such is a major attraction to both local ramblers and tourists. Consequently, the BBC had to address amenity and aesthetic issues similar to those with the Crystal Palace transmitter in London in order to obtain planning permission for the station. The solution was to build what was to a large extent a scaled-down version of the London station, combining semi-underground transmitter buildings with a roof-mounted self-supporting lattice tower. The development of The Wrekin transmitter is explained further in a four-page BBC brochure, produced to coincide with the opening of the station. A coverage area map is also included. Click here to view the document |
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DIGITAL SWITCHOVER |
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The two respective stages of the Digital Switchover process are currently scheduled to take place at The Wrekin on 6 April 2011 and 20 April 2011. In respect of UHF aerial replacement for the switchover, convention has been to install the reserve UHF aerial first. This is then brought into service to sustain both analogue and existing digital transmissions whilst the main UHF aerial at the top of the structure is replaced. In the case of The Wrekin however, a reserve aerial could not be accommodated on the already over-crowded tower, nor was there space on site to at least accommodate a temporary mast to provide a transition service. Whilst temporary UHF panels installed on the tower would maintain an analogue service to the main population centres of Telford and Shrewsbury, the decision was taken to shutdown all analogue services to the rest of the service area (affecting an estimated 13,000 homes) for a 24-hour period whilst the main UHF antenna was replaced. This operation was planned for 3 September 2009 and with the pressure of the service shutdown took place on the scheduled date despite less than favourable weather conditions. As with some other sites, a helicopter was employed to lift off the old aerial and haul the replacement into position. Services to all viewers were restored by around 6.00am the following morning. As of May 2010, transmitter replacement and other associated ground works at the site were still ongoing. (See Aerials for images of the old and new UHF aerial). |
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STATION INFORMATION |
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Location: |
The Wrekin, Telford, Shropshire, TF6 5AL |
Grid Reference: |
SJ628082 |
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Landlord: |
Arqiva (Legacy: BBC/Crown Castle/NGW) |
Ground Height: |
387m |
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BBC Region: |
West Midlands |
Tower Height ("): |
52m |
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ITV Region: |
West Midlands |
Aerial Height (*): |
448m |
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UHF Tx Number: |
12100 |
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(") Height excluding UHF antenna - approximately 64m inclusive |
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(*) Average UHF aerial height above sea level (a.o.d) |
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Analogue Television (Until April 2011) |
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Analogue Radio (FM) |
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Service |
: Ch/Polarisation/e.r.p |
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Service: |
(MHz) |
(e.r.p) |
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BBC1 |
: 26 / H / 100kW |
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BBC Radio Shropshire: |
96.0 |
4.8kW |
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BBC2 |
: 33 / H / 100kW |
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Beacon FM: |
103.1 |
2.7kW |
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ITV1 |
: 23 / H / 100kW |
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Ch4 |
: 29 / H / 100kW |
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Five |
: 35 / H / 100kW |
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Digital Television (Until April 2011) |
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Digital Radio |
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Service |
: Ch/Polarisation/e.r.p |
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BBC National (Block 12B) |
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Mux1 |
: 21 / H / 1kW |
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Digital One (Block 11D) |
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Mux1 |
: 39 / H / 1kW (+) |
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MXR West Midlands (Block 12A) |
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Mux2 |
: 31 / H / 1kW |
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NOW Wolverhampton (Block 11B) |
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Mux2 |
: 49 / H / 1kW (+) |
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MuxA |
: 24 / H / 1kW |
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MuxA |
: 42 / H / 1kW (+) |
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MuxB |
: 27 / H / 1kW |
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MuxB |
: 45 / H / 1kW (+) |
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MuxC |
: 53 / H / 1kW |
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MuxD |
: 57 / H / 1kW |
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(+) = Wrekin 'B' - otherwise Wrekin 'A' |
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