Want to know which transmitters will carry extra Freeview HD?
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV I am working on integrating this information into UK Free TV. Note there are a number of sites with restricted radiation patterns. This information may take a couple of days to generate coverage maps for.
I have used the "Nominal ERPs" (the power levels most likely to be employed in practice by the licensee).
Taken from Ofcom - Award of the 600 MHz spectrum band - it's bad news for The Wrekin and Sudbury, but good news for:
Angus com7: C31 4500W at 230m
Angus com8: C37 4500W at 230m
Beacon Hill com7: C33 4300W at 100m
Beacon Hill com8: C34 1000W at 100m
Belmont com7: C33 15400W at 342m
Belmont com8: C35 15400W at 342m
Bilsdale com7: C31 5000W at 296m
Bilsdale com8: C37 5000W at 296m
Black Hill com7: C32 9400W at 264m
Black Hill com8: C35 12500W at 264m
Bluebell Hill com7: C32 1400W at 49m
Bluebell Hill com8: C34 1400W at 49m
Caldbeck com7: C32 5400W at 331m
Caldbeck com8: C35 3600W at 331m
Caradon Hill com7: C31 10500W at 234m
Caradon Hill com8: C37 2500W at 234m
Craigkelly com7: C33 2300W at 131m
Craigkelly com8: C34 3000W at 131m
Crystal Palace com7: C33 15600W at 212m
Crystal Palace com8: C35 13500W at 204m
Darvel com7: C31 2600W at 110m
Darvel com8: C37 2600W at 110m
Divis com7: C33 4400W at 148m
Divis com8: C34 3400W at 148m
Durris com7: C32 12500W at 315m
Durris com8: C35 12500W at 315m
Emley Moor com7: C32 16700W at 279m
Emley Moor com8: C34 16700W at 279m
Fenham com7: C31 80W at 51m
Fenham com8: C37 80W at 51m
Fenton com7: C32 140W at 50m
Fenton com8: C34 140W at 50m
Hannington com7: C32 10000W at 142m
Hannington com8: C34 5500W at 142m
Mendip com7: C33 17500W at 192m
Mendip com8: C35 17500W at 192m
Moel-y-Parc com7: C32 7300W at 236m
Moel-y-Parc com8: C34 5000W at 236m
Oxford com7: C31 5800W at 161m
Oxford com8: C37 5800W at 161m
Pontop Pike com7: C33 9500W at 145m
Pontop Pike com8: C34 9500W at 145m
Ridge Hill com7: C32 4200W at 162m
Ridge Hill com8: C34 4200W at 162m
Rowridge com7: C31 25000W at 156m
Rowridge com7: C31 25000W at 156m
Rowridge com8: C37 25000W at 156m
Rowridge com8: C37 25000W at 156m
Sandy Heath com7: C32 8400W at 220m
Sandy Heath com8: C34 8400W at 220m
Sheffield com7: C31 200W at 48m
Sheffield com8: C37 200W at 48m
Sutton Coldfield com7: C33 6400W at 264m
Sutton Coldfield com8: C35 8300W at 264m
Tacolneston com7: C31 10000W at 200m
Tacolneston com8: C37 10000W at 200m
Waltham com7: C31 1400W at 260m
Waltham com8: C37 1400W at 260m
Wenvoe com7: C31 4200W at 258m
Wenvoe com8: C37 12200W at 258m
Winter Hill com7: C31 14000W at 237m
Winter Hill com8: C37 14000W at 237m
| Whenever i watch moving sport especially football I experience much poorer pictu | 1 |
10:23 PM
Aerialman:
Not arrogance, merely trying to be as helpful as possible to someone asking a sensible question.
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2:01 AM
It's odd to see a transmitter (like Heathfield, The Wrekin, Llandonna) deemed to have a 'too small' household served area (e.g 50,000-150,000) to receive the extended HD Com7 and 8 ...I look at my local transmitter, which has been a full Freeview transmitter since DTT started in 1998 ... it serves just over 10,000 homes.I think the Saddleworth/Tameside area were quite lucky to be deemed big enough for DTT in 1998.
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8:30 AM
Norwich
Harry: Hi, Harry. Coincidentally, I was discussing something similar with an associate yesterday! In the second World War there was a group of low power local radio transmitters around the country to provide War news to local populations. The criterion for a town to have one was that it had to have a population of 50,000.A town with population 50,000 in the early 1940s was a relatively large town back then! Tameside is a significant area within Greater Manchester isn't it? Richard, East Anglian yokel, Norwich.
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Richard's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
11:05 PM
Oldham
Richard Cooper: I wouldn't say it's a 'significant area' but it is quite big lying to the East of the city .. Tameside is a sort of medium sized area in Greater Manchester consisting of the relatively small towns of Mossley, Stalybridge, Hyde, Droylsden, Openshaw (some of which used to lie in Cheshire).Saddleworth transmitter serves around 60-70% of the Saddleworth area (Saddleworth consists of several small Pennine villages, all of which actually used to lie in Yorkshire), as well as upper areas of Tameside like Mossley and some of Stalybridge, hence 10,000-15,000 or so homes. In all I think we were very lucky to be deemed big enough for DTT in 1998.That's another strange anecdote of the TX ... back when it came in service (1969) virtually its whole target area was in either Yorkshire or Cheshire ... nowadays that's history and Greater Manchester has invaded the whole area now.
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Harry's: mapH's Freeview map terrainH's terrain plot wavesH's frequency data H's Freeview Detailed Coverage
7:54 PM
Telford
Hi MikeP,
My post code is TF2 6RE, I've got pretty much a clear view of the Wrekin from my roof, that probably excludes the Sutton Coldfield transmitter ?
Many thanks,
Alan
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Alan's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
9:31 AM
Norwich
Alan M. Smith: Hi Alan. This is Richard instead of Mike. Hope you don't mind! Digital UK suggests that your best transmitter is indeed 'The Wrekin' and Sutton Coldfield is not listed as one of the alternatives. The alternatives listed are:- Winter Hill near Bolton in the North West and Moel -Y-Parc between Wrexham & Rhyl in North Wales if you are after THE COM7 and COM8 multiplexes. The prognosis given suggests that you'd get good reception of 107 channels & 15 HD channels from Winter Hill and 106 channels & 15 HD from Moel Y Parc. Moel -Y- Parc doesn't transmit the True Entertainment channel in Wales. Remember that The Wrekin is West/SouthWest of you, Moel - Y - Parc is roughly North West and Winter Hill is roughly North, so if you wish to use one of the alternatives to The Wrekin, the least you'd need to do would be to re-orientate the direction to which your aerial points. Hope this is roughly what Mike P would have said! Richard, Norwich.
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Richard's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
1:34 PM
Alan & Richard:
Pretty much what I would have suggested. In time, most transmitters serving significant local populations will carry HD services as the method of encoding the digital data onto the carrier signal allows for a greater number of services to be offered - but it all takes time and money. Remember that such decisions have a commercial aspect so that can influence when and even if some transmitters become HD equipped.
Alan: Also remember that you may well need a different aerial if you want to try the other possible transmitters, their signals are often in a different aerial grouping. Plus remember that they are further away so could be weaker and more influenced by terrain and interference.
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5:07 PM
Norwich
MikeP: Hi Mike. Thank you ror your comments. I hope you didn't mind my replying to Alan when he'd addressed his post to you, Mike! I didn't mention aerial groups in my initial reply, because I didn't want to overload Alan with too much information in one go - I was going to come to that later, but you beat me to it! Richard, Norwich.
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Richard's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
8:11 PM
Any idea when the Hemel Hempstead transmitter is likely to transmit BBC4 and BBC News in HD?
Thanks...
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11:03 PM
Matt: There are no plans to expand coverage of the COM7 multiplex which carries BBC Four HD and BBC News HD. COM7 & COM8 are temporary services which are available from 30 main transmitter sites, covering around 70% of households and are due to close in 2020. At some point in the next few years (no date has yet been announced) it is expected that all BBC channels will switch to HD only output which will free up capacity from the SD versions closing and enable all BBC HD channels to have full national coverage.
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