Full Freeview on the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) transmitter
Google Streetview | Google map | Bing map | Google Earth | 55.861,-3.874 or 55°51'40"N 3°52'27"W | ML7 4NZ |
The symbol shows the location of the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) transmitter which serves 940,000 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.
This transmitter has no current reported problems
The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) transmitter._______
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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Black Hill 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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Black Hill transmitter?

BBC Reporting Scotland 2.4m homes 9.2%
from Glasgow G51 1DA, 26km west (271°)
to BBC Scotland region - 230 masts.

STV News 1.3m homes 4.8%
from Glasgow G51 1PQ, 26km west (271°)
to STV Central (Glasgow) region - 94 masts.
Are there any self-help relays?
Ardtornish A | Transposer | 22 km NW Oban | 15 homes |
Balquhidder | Transposer | 12 km NW Callander | 42 homes |
Benmore B | Active deflector | 50 m WNW Glasgow | 7 homes |
Blair Drummond | Transposer | 5 homes caravan park | |
Blyth Bridge | Active deflector | 30 km SW Edinburgh | 50 homes |
Glendaruel | Active deflector | 40 hotel | 40 homes hotel |
Glendaruel B | Active deflector | 12 homes (second level) |
How will the Black Hill (North Lanarkshire, Scotland) transmission frequencies change over time?
1957-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 3 Oct 2018 | ||||
VHF | B E T | B E T | B E T | E T | W T | ||||
C10 | ITVwaves | ||||||||
C30 | _local | ||||||||
C32 | com7 | ||||||||
C35 | com8 | ||||||||
C37 | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
C40 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | BBCB | ||||
C41 | +SDN | SDN | |||||||
C43 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||||
C44 | ArqA | ArqA | |||||||
C46 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | BBCA | ||||
C47 | ArqB | ArqB | |||||||
C50tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | ||||||
C51tv_off | LG | ||||||||
C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
C56tv_off | _local | COM8tv_off |
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 8 Jun 11 and 22 Jun 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
Analogue 1-5 | 500kW | |
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
com7 | (-10.7dB) 42.9kW | |
com8 | (-11.1dB) 39.2kW | |
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-14dB) 20kW | |
LG | (-20dB) 5kW |
Local transmitter maps
Black Hill Freeview Black Hill DAB Black Hill TV region BBC Scotland STV Central (Glasgow micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Black Hill transmitter area
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Thursday, 27 October 2011
M
Mike Dimmick6:08 PM
Tim: That booster? You probably don't need it.
Check that the box has actually tuned to Black Hill transmissions and not something else. The Kilmacolm relay transmitter is very close to you and uses lower frequencies, so could well be picked up when tuning, as older boxes often just store the first signal found when scanning. See Digital Region Overlap for thoughts on how to deal with reception from more than one transmitter.
Otherwise I'd be inclined to assume it's impulse interference caused by the thermostat or other central heating device (pump motor). Does it happen shortly after the central heating comes on?
If none of that sorts it, you can report the problem to the BBC at BBC - Reception problems . Select 'No' for 'Does this answer your problem?' and continue through.
Digital UK, and that BBC page, suggest that you can get a signal from the Strathyre Link transmitter, but I think that's very unlikely. It's probably what you'd expect to get from Black Hill if your aerial was pointing at Strathyre Link. My guess it's treated as a Single Frequency Network in the DUK predictor, but the sole purpose of Strathyre Link is to get the signal down the valley to the Strathyre transmitter itself, and hence is very, very low power (130 milliwatts).
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Mike Dimmick: looking at the "Blue Book 7", it rather implies the change is just to increase the capacity of the multiplex from 24.13 Mbit/s to 27.14 Mbit/s
DVB-T
Option 1 - 2k (1705) 64QAM 2/3 1/32 24.1283422 Mbit/s
Option 2 - 2k (1705) 16QAM 3/4 1/32 18.0962567 Mbit/s
Option 3 - 8k (6817) 64QAM 2/3 1/32 24.1283422 Mbit/s
Option 7 - 8k (6817) QSPK 1/2 1/32 6.0320856 Mbit/s
Option 8 - 8k (6817) 64QAM 3/4 1/32 27.1443850 Mbit/s
"For the Option 8 mode, transmission trials have started. It is too early to say whether the above modes under consideration will be specified for future use. It is felt prudent that performance parameters for Option 8 should be specified in this version of the D-Book. However at his time, receivers need only be tested ... with a small sub-set of the Option 8 performance parameters. "
For reference
DVB-T2
Option 4 - 8ke (6913) 64QAM 4/5 1/32 PP7 242 34.6880914 Mbit/s
Option 5 - 32ke (27841) 256QAM 3/5 1/128 PP7 59 36.1407594 Mbit/s
Option 6 - 32ke (27841) 256QAM 2/3 1/128 PP7 59 40.2146452 Mbit/s
Option 11 - TBC
Option 9 - 32kn (27265) 256QAM 3/5 1/128 PP7 59 35.2461861 Mbit/s
Option 10 -32kn (27265) 256QAM 2/3 1/128 PP7 59 39.2192332 Mbit/s
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Friday, 28 October 2011
Strathearn
10:33 AM
10:33 AM
Tim: I'm [still] suffering from the same experience on Mux2 Channels only. See my posting on the 2nd Oct. Although, in my case, the channels in question are JUST watchable. I have a Humax PVR and the signal detection shows the strength at around 60% and quality is constantly jumping between 40% and 80%. I know these readings through the PVR are only approximate, but the other Mux's show a higher strength signal and the quality reading is pretty well constant at around 80/90%.
I'm in Clydebank, not far to the north of you. I use Blackhill because Whitelees Wind Farm [currently the largest land wind farm in Europe] created similar, but worse, problems when the Darvel transmitter was used - although Darvel IS the Clydebank area recommended transmitter. In fact Scottish Power provide a free service for retuning to Blackhill - if required!
I'm wondering whether some minor wind farm, or something similar has gone up between us and Blackhill...?
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Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Re: offensive (and deleted) message posted here.
There is no ITV2 HD on Freeview. There is no Film4 HD on Freeview, there is no "software update" to magically get Film4 HD on Freeview, it is *exclusive* to Virgin Media - About Film4HD - Film4 .
Analogue radio stations from this transmitter, as provided by Ofcom: BBC Radio 2 89.9MHz at 125.0kW, BBC Radio 3 92.1MHz at 125.0kW (as 89.9MHz), BBC Radio Scotland 94.3MHz at 125.0kW (as 89.9MHz), BBC Radio 4 95.8MHz at 100.0kW, Forth FM 97.6MHz at 100W, BBC Radio 1 99.5MHz at 125.0kW (as 89.9MHz), Real Radio 100.3MHz at 10.0kW, Classic FM 101.7MHz at 125.0kW (as 89.9MHz), Clyde 1 102.5MHz at 10.0kW, BBC Radio nan Gaidheal 104.7MHz at 5.0kW, Smooth 105.2MHz at 15.0kW, Capital FM Scotland (Central Sco 106.1MHz at 10.0kW (as 100.3MHz). From http://stakeholders.ofcom....csv .
DAB services from Black Hill, as provided by Ofcom: Glasgow DAB mux: 96.3 Rock Radio BBC Scotland Clyde 1 Clyde 2 heat radio Jazz FM KISS LBC New service 1 Sunrise Radio Edinburgh DAB mux: 96.3 Rock Radio BBC Scotland FORTH 2 Forth One heat radio KISS LBC Sunrise Radio ONLY - http://stakeholders.ofcom....csv . BBC National DAB and D1 National are on other masts, Craigkelly DAB transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice covering the area.
COM6/ArqB: Same services (as confirmed by DMOL) in all parts of the UK, includes 711 The Hits radio, 712 Smash Hits!, 713 Kiss, 714 heat, 715 Magic, 716 Q, 718 Smooth radio, 722 Kerrang!, 725 Premier Radio. DMOL Post-DSO Multiplex Channel Allocations
If you are going to post offensive comments, at least get your facts straight.
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Wednesday, 2 November 2011
BLACK HILL transmitter - Over the next week Black Hill main transmitter: TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) Possible weak signal, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
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BLACK HILL transmitter - Over the next week Black Hill main transmitter: TV (digital) working normally, Radio (analogue) Possible weak signal, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
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Friday, 4 November 2011
R
Raymond Baxter2:20 AM
I have been experiencing break up ITV around 6pm last evening, and a timer set for STV news went to 2 and a half hours!
Currently we have only BBC channels with 100% signal.
The signal on ITV came back briefly, without sound and breaking up! Then the screen displayed the NO VIDEO message!
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Raymond Baxter: There are no reported problems with the transmitter - can you please have a look at Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice ?
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Tuesday, 8 November 2011
T
Tim1:00 PM
Kilmacolm
Post I sent recently seems to have been lost, so here we go again.
Mike - we have a booster in the attic because there are about 5 TV sockets in the house and I thought it made sense to do the splits this way. However, as it turns out, there is usually only 1 TV turned on at any one time.
Mux2 signal strength drops below 30 and teh bit error rate climbs drastically when we lose signal - as you would expect. The other Muxs' are all sitting rock steady at between 70 and 75 signal strength with 0 BER. So there has got to be something either wrong with the transmitter or interfering with the Mux2 signal. If it was interference, I would expect another Mux nearest in frequency to Mux 2 to be affected as well (unless the interfering signal is very narrow band - which I would have expected if it was a washing machine or central heating pump - they would be fairly broadband). Mobile phone, OK, would agree, but are there mobile wavelenths operating around 650 MHz? If so, that would appear to be a "design" fault on someone's part. So, still a mystery. But thanks again for the replies.
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Tim's: mapT's Freeview map terrainT's terrain plot wavesT's frequency data T's Freeview Detailed Coverage
T
Tim1:02 PM
Kilmacolm
Ooops. Should read.... (unless the interfering signal is very narrow band - which I would NOT have expected if it was a washing machine or central heating pump - they would be fairly broadband).
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Tim's: mapT's Freeview map terrainT's terrain plot wavesT's frequency data T's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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