Full Freeview on the Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.460,-3.282 or 51°27'35"N 3°16'57"W |  | CF5 6SA |
The symbol shows the location of the Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) transmitter which serves 360,000 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 Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) mast?
Wenvoe transmitter - Wenvoe transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 14/10/2024 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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Wenvoe 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 Wenvoe transmitter?
BBC Wales Today 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 2YQ, 6km northeast (42°)
to BBC Wales region - 206 masts.
ITV Cymru Wales 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 6XJ, 1km east-northeast (74°)
to ITV Wales region - 206 masts.
Are there any self-help relays?
| Abergwesyn | Active deflector | 7 km N Llanwrtyd Wells | 20 homes |
| Barry | Transposer | 10 km SW city centre | 300 homes |
| Celtic Manor | Transposer | 5 km E Newport | 80 homes |
| Pentrebach | Transposer | 3 km S Merthyr Tydfil | 100 homes |
| Ystradfellte | Active deflector | 30 km NE Port Talbot | 20 homes |
How will the Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1950s-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2010 | 2010-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 15 May 2019 | ||
| VHF | B E T | B E T | B E T | B E T | B E K T | W T | W T | ||
| C5 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C30 | LOCAL2 | ||||||||
| C31 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
| C37 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
| C39 | +ArqB | +ArqB | ArqB | ||||||
| C41 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | +BBCA | +BBCA | +BBCA | BBCA | ||
| C42 | +SDN | +SDN | +SDN | SDN | |||||
| C44 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||
| C45 | +ArqA | +ArqA | +ArqA | ArqA | |||||
| C47 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | ||
| C49tv_off | +ArqB | ||||||||
| C51tv_off | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | LCF | LCF | ||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | 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 3 Mar 10 and 31 Mar 10.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 500kW | |
| BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
| com8 | (-9.7dB) 53.2kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB | (-10dB) 50kW | |
| com7 | (-10.3dB) 47kW | |
| Mux 1*, LCF | (-17dB) 10kW | |
| Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-20dB) 5kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Wenvoe transmitter area
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Saturday, 19 June 2021
C
Chris.SE12:06 AM
Lewis:
I very much doubt it, but without a full postcode we can't confirm what the Freeview predictor might give.
Using the Old Police Station as a guide, although reception of the PSBs are good, the commercial multiplexes from Wenvoe are variable to good but that would be with an external aerial. Wenvoe is due S, so if you have a S facing window you can put the aerial in, you could always give it a try. Which way do your neighbours' aerials point?
The UHF channels for Wenvoe are C41, C44, C47, C42, C45, C39, C55, C37 that's in the multiplex order BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3, SDN/COM4, ArqA/COM5, ArqB/COM6, COM7, Local.
(C means UHF channel). See Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which programme channels are carried on which multiplex.
You are much more likely to get good reception from the Treharris Relay Transmitter, but it's only the PSBs, it's roughly bearing 308 degrees (WNW) about 1km away, but it's very low power so you'd probably need line-of-sight, walls etc will impede the signal, UHF channels are C40, C43, and C46.
There's another (Light) Relay transmitter PSBs only at Mynydd Bach about 6km away roughly bearing 119 degrees (ESE), UHF channels are C32, C34, & C35. Again walls will impede the signal.
IIRC you can't manual tune a Youview box, so it will be down to luck, and you may have to reset the box when trying another transmitter to clear the previous tuning.
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Wednesday, 23 June 2021
L
Lewis4:45 PM
Treharris
Chris.SE: Thanks for the reply
Post Code CF46 6HJ
Treharris has only a limited number of channels compared with Wenvoe that's why I was thinking of trying it out if it's possible.
Will a rooftop aerial work ?
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Lewis's: mapL's Freeview map terrainL's terrain plot wavesL's frequency data L's Freeview Detailed Coverage
L
Lewis4:46 PM
Chris.SE:
Sorry second question does it require a Wideband or Group B Rooftop aerial?
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S
StevensOnln16:12 PM
Lewis: According to the Freeview Detailed Coverage Checker you should get decent reception of the PSB multiplexes and reasonable reception of the COM muxes from Wenvoe. A wideband type antenna would be better than a Group B if you want to get the COM7 channels as well as the main PSB1-3 and COM4-6 multiplexes as COM7 is on UHF channel 55 which is above the frequency range of Group B.
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Thursday, 24 June 2021
C
Chris.SE8:14 AM
Lewis:
I'm assuming that the terrain in your postcode isn't totally flat from the predicted reception figures I can see. As StevensOnln1 says UHF C55 is technically just above the range of a Group B antenna but SOME group B will still have sufficient gain and possibly better gain than a Group T/Wideband for C55 cf eg. C39, for example see ATV aerial gain tests : all the gain curves - A.T.V. Poles, Brackets, Clamps & Aerials and look at the curve for that Yagi 18B (this isn't especially any recommendation) it shows how variable different aerials can be.
I would avoid aerials such as these "tri-booms", the windage is high and many (or their chimney mountings) do not survive some of the storm winds we've had in recent years. Also avoid "bacofoil" aerials sold by many DIY outlets (easily damaged by pigeons!), go to a more specialist TV aerial shop or seller where you could be sure of getting a Group B (if that's what you decide) rather than a Wideband which many other outlets may only sell (and be careful looking at a certain very large online seller that has been in the news in the last day or two!).
I would check out the different brands of aerial being sold and it's gain curve if available (most respectable ones are). Avoid "5G" filtered if you want COM7 for the duration as they are specified only up to C48 and filtering isn't necessarily essential unless you have a mast close by.
All this is not helped by the fact that Wenvoe's tranmission power for the COMs is lower than that for the PSBs not that that always makes much difference. Also remember that COM7 is a temporary mux and will be closed in a years time according to the current licence.
This could very well be a case of experimentation if it's a job you are doing yourself. What sort of aerial have the neighbours got and which way do they point? Have you got an unobstructed view due S - no trees close by on the line of sight for example. Do remember to use decent quality double screened coax.
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Saturday, 9 October 2021
C
Chris Pearce1:03 PM
Cowbridge
I have no signal on FM radio at CF71 7DE in Cowbridge yesterday and today from the Wenvoe transmitter
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Chris's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris Pearce1:03 PM
I have no signal on FM radio at CF717DE in Cowbridge yesterday and today from the Wenvoe transmitter
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C
Chris Pearce1:07 PM
I have no signal on FM radio at CF717DE in Cowbridge yesterday and today from the Wenvoe transmitter.
Aerial is in loft.
FM worked fine until 4th October
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C
Chris.SE3:41 PM
Chris Pearce:
Hmm, rather odd, have your signals returned? I assume you mean BBC stations on FM, if not which stations?
Whilst Wenvoe has been listed for Planned Engineering, the BBC are normally quite good at listing faults or outages but the only one currently listed is -
From 1:56am to 3:33am on 8th Oct 2021 BBC Radio 1 Slightly reduced power due to a fault.
The list may yet to be updated of course, these things don't always happen immediately.
You should be receiving Wenvoe with no issues at present as I'm getting my usual FM stations from Wenvoe.
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Wednesday, 29 December 2021
No TV signal all day in Tongwynlais from the Wenvoe
transmitter
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