Full Freeview on the Carmel (Carmarthenshire, Wales) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.818,-4.067 or 51°49'5"N 4°4'3"W |  | SA14 7NA |
The symbol shows the location of the Carmel (Carmarthenshire, Wales) transmitter which serves 72,000 homes. The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Carmel (Carmarthenshire, Wales) mast?
Carmel transmitter - Carmel transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 11/11/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels 
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Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
The Carmel (Carmarthenshire, Wales) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: .
If you want to watch these channels, your aerial must point to one of the 80 Full service Freeview transmitters. For more information see the will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? page.
Which Freeview channels does the Carmel transmitter broadcast?
If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
The Carmel (Carmarthenshire, Wales) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: .
If you want to watch these channels, your aerial must point to one of the 80 Full service Freeview transmitters. For more information see the will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? page.
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Carmel transmitter?
BBC Wales Today 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 2YQ, 68km east-southeast (122°)
to BBC Wales region - 206 masts.
ITV Cymru Wales 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 6XJ, 68km southeast (127°)
to ITV Wales region - 206 masts.
Are there any self-help relays?
| Abergorlech | Active deflector | Dyfed | 5 homes |
| Cwmere | Active deflector | 11 km NE Aberystwyth | 10 homes |
How will the Carmel (Carmarthenshire, Wales) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2009 | 2009-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 17 Jul 2019 | |||
| C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E T | C/D E T | W T | |||
| C23 | BBCA | ||||||||
| C26 | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C29 | BBCB | ||||||||
| C33 | SDN | ||||||||
| C36 | ArqA | ||||||||
| C48 | ArqB | ||||||||
| C49tv_off | ArqB | ArqB | |||||||
| C53tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | |||
| C54tv_off | SDN | SDN | SDN | ||||||
| C55tv_off | _local | _local | _local | _local | |||||
| C57tv_off | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | |||
| C58tv_off | ArqA | ArqA | ArqA | ||||||
| C60tv_off | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | -BBCA | -BBCA | ||||
| C61 | ArqB | ||||||||
| C63 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves |
tv_off Being removed from Freeview (for 5G use) after November 2020 / June 2022 - more
Table shows multiplexes names see this article;
green background for transmission frequencies
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W T
waves denotes analogue; digital switchover was 26 Aug 09 and 23 Sep 09.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 100kW | |
| BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 20kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB | (-10dB) 10kW | |
| Mux A* | (-13dB) 5kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux B* | (-16dB) 2.5kW | |
| Mux C*, Mux D* | (-20dB) 1000W |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Carmel transmitter area
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Is the transmitter output the same in all directions?
Radiation patterns withheldSunday, 21 July 2019
M
Michael11:33 AM
Postcript: to receive the new wider range of frequencies from Carmel on channels 23-48 (490-690 MHz) a wide-band aerial (eg a "log-periodic) will be necessary unless a strong signal is received.
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C
Chris.SE12:31 PM
Carmarthen
Michael:
Thanks for the update, yes I'm looking forward to reception updates from SouthWales.
Whilst you correctly point out that a Wideband, group T (or group K) aerial is now required, the first issue was with C48 which should be no real problem for a C/D (even ancient un-enhanced) group aerial. Pete's issue with C36 would be similar, but neither have complained about the other lower UHF channels.
IF the radiation pattern has been modified (quite possible as you suggest) the predicted reception for SA31 3NL (and direction) doesn't fit with that, and SA18 is pretty close & to the SE and I'd be extremely surprised if it'd been reduced in that direction. But then nothing would surprise me, I've come across some strange cock-ups with predicted reception over the years.
This current situation has been very strange.
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Chris.SE's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE12:40 PM
Pete:
Just had a thought, you haven't got any other "boxes/recorders etc" that have an RF output that might be set to a channel at or close to 36? If so, reset them to a channel above 48 or even above 56.
Derek Brabrook:
I expect you might have thought of that one, but I don't know if your system scans would show a non-digi RF signal. Might be worth checking if your neighbour isn't in that boat!
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ohhhhhh touchy touchy Mellie....
Actually most of the entire estate use Carmel ..... it is by a long shot the strongest signal and the most popular, preseli drops out in bad weather and when the trees start sprouting leaves
also half of the estate is behind a very large hill which is directly in front of the preseli transmitter which rules out using it if you're behind it, but you can't have missed it if you allegedly drove past ? did you manage to pick up channel 48 btw with your whizz bang kit, you didn't mention that?
Just for a giggle on friday I went onto the schools roof and swung the antenna to point at preseli the media server picked up all the Mux's from Preseli albeit with some drop out (which is why it was originally changed to Carmel)
I swung it back after the test as the signal really isn't good enough....too many drop outs and pixelation
Carmel's signal is strong enough to not even require an outside antenna but from preseli it needs a good antenna and some amplification, so you're wrong on that point for a start.
My antenna is wideband it's also only 18 months old, and no they are not overloading the frontends of my 8 tuners, the profiler equalises the signal coming in, levels it off BEFORE feeding it to the distribution amplifier
The media server is tapped off the profiler (not the distribution amp) on the test connector which gets the automatically balanced signal, it's also attenuated by 30db so it's not coming off the distribution amplifier at all.
Oh and I've also since taken the raw feed bypassed the profiler and put that into a tuner and that is dead on channel 48, I've also taken the raw feed and put it through a domestic 20db amplifier and still no channel 48, so wideband antenna straight through which allows all the other mux's but strangely 48 isn't even detected....weird no ?
it has worked previously and faultlessly for years like that, the signal improved with the new wideband antenna.
but that STILL doesn't answer why my neighbours cannot get channel 48 either.... does it ?
and it still doesn't fly with no problems before the switchover but now I and others have problems
occam's razor again....
Now if you can't be civil don't bother trying to help because all you're doing is trying to wind me up and I'm
immune to that ( I really am) and you're coming across as arrogant.....
So if you've got nothing constructive to say then best keep it to yourself, and if you look back you started being rude
way before me, spouting off about multi million pound transmitters...and how it was my equipment at fault not the transmitter, but as we know it can't be my equipment as my neighbours are not able to get channel 48 either, mass equipment failure on channel 48 in SA31 ????? (shock horror!!!!) calculate that on an MTBF of 30,000 hours times 7 dissimilar TV's and an 8 tuner media server.... I'll wait .....
if anyone has been arrogant it's been you, I was just letting you know you weren't talking to an idiot as you seem to have assumed I was from the get go :)
so yes I've got all the gear and more than an idea <smile>
Anyway channel 48 is still down (here)
and I do know what a NIT is and more importantly what it does, I'm also happy dealing with OFDM and QAM16/64 as it's extensively used in computing/crypotography as well, and I was using OFDM in the early 1980's in BID crypto systems all over west germany and America.
so yeah I think I know enough....
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M
Michael10:36 PM
North Devon coast at 23h34 : YESTERDAY on Channel 48 from Carmel received with some pixellation on an inside short log-periodic aerial. When I find time, I will put up a better and higher outside aerial.
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C
Chris.SE11:14 PM
Derek Brabrook:
Arqiva are telling me "There is no known technical issue following the clearance event on 17 July." They had the cheek to suggest using the Freeview advice line which I've told them is pointless with retune advice, do you have a wideband aerial, checked connection etc. I've got back to them with your postcode (again), I did have the cheek to ask if someone forgot to plug in a panel! I've asked them will they please investigate, so I'll get back to you if I hear more!
This is certainly a very strange situation.
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Monday, 22 July 2019
M
Michael8:47 AM
Chris, you might wish to ask Arqiva whether the radiation pattern OR the position/height of the antenna on the Carmel mast has changed. Respondents can be very canny with generalisations; specific queries just might elicit some useful info! At this moment, 22 July 09:38, channel 48 from Carmel is stable on my mini-log (Antiference Silver Sensor) pointed out a groundfloor window overlooking the Bristol Channel.
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D
Derek Brabrook11:06 AM
Update on channel 48 ....its sprung to life overnight
Did I rescan this morning and all channels on 48 available
(I think somebody flicked a switch ....)
Anyway thanks for all the input and help obviously a transmitter
Issue
But fixed now
and mellie .....take a chill pill (grin)
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C
Chris.SE11:59 AM
Well that's great news Derek. I'm very keen to find out how/why & whether Arqiva actually did something or whether maybe the wind has shaken one of the panels and a connection happened ;) !!!
Michael: How's your received signal strength now compared to previously? Obviously depending on what the original cause was, it may not have changed much as it might have been primarily a westerly direction affected.
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R
Roger Mellie12:38 PM
Derek Brabrook: Well you can certainly smell the cows on here today....
Glad you fixed your fault, even if your not prepared to own up to what you did and insist on blaming others.
Feel free to walt up your past glories and quote more crap about BID250 to help make yourself feel important.
Odd that absolutely no one else reported a problem, eh? other than Michael who isnt in the same area so his problem isnt the same, and chrisse who jumps on everything on here anyway
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