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.
This transmitter has no current reported problems
The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) 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 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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Thursday, 4 March 2021
C
Chris.SE8:43 PM
David Williams:
As I can't see another post from you here, I'm not certain what your comment refers to, but the context suggests that it's in reference to my reply to Hywel on 30 December 2019!
If so, I'm sorry that you don't appreciate a moderately lengthy technical explanation from this independent (free) helpsite about radio wave propagation and Tropospheric Ducting and how reception can be affected by weather conditions.
You can always talk to some radio amateurs or use your search engine to find similar explanations around the www.
It seems you don't realise that transmitters (of virtually all types) have to share frequencies, not only in the UK, but across Europe and around the world, and this is all subject to international agreements. The transmitter powers have to be such that they don't cause interference to others elsewhere. You can't simply just turn up the power, otherwise you'd have to turn it up somewhere else to make sure their signals weren't wiped out by the other, you'd simply end up in a vicious circle and just wasting electricity to produce the higher powers.
There's also a big difference in making sure that reception of the Public Service Broadcasters is as reliable as possible for I hope obvious reasons, especially if weather conditions could lead to potential interference. Frequency sharing is generally less on the channels the PSB's use. Some of the commercial multiplexes can't have the same "luxury"!
COM7 is a temporary HD multiplex which in any event will be closed by June 2022, and transmits on UHF C55 as a single frequency network shared by the 25 main transmitters that transmit it. Local multiplexes are only intended to cover specific local areas. Both of these multiplexes will be lower power than the main ones.
Briefly, back to Tropospheric Ducting. There just happens to have been some around recently. No doubt climate change has a bearing on it seeming to occur more frequently. Sometimes there is information posted by Freeview and the BBC (poorly explained as it's not just "high pressure" but can often come with it).
There is information at present, but how long before it's removed is unknown, you may find it in the following locations -
Weather affecting reception in Eastern & South Eastern England and the East coast of Scotland | Freeview
https://www.bbc.co.uk/rec…e-uk
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Thursday, 18 March 2021
What will be best aerial to receive from wenvoe
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richard's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
S
StevensOnln110:36 AM
richard k greenfield: A wideband aerial (such as a log periodic type) is generally recommended, unless you are somewhere with a weak signal, where a grouped aerial may perform better. If you provide a full postcode we can check, or any reputable aerial installer should know what reception conditions are like in the local area.
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Friday, 18 June 2021
L
Lewis10:43 PM
Hi
Can I use an indoor aerial in Nelson to pick up transmission from Wenvoe for my YouView box
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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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Friday, 2 July 2021
Transmitter engineering
11:46 AM
11:46 AM
Wenvoe transmitter - Wenvoe transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 28/06/2021 Screen may go black on some or all channels [DUK]
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