Haverfordwest transmitting station

Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest VHF-Transmitter - geograph.org.uk - 310155
Height of mast	155 metres (509 ft)
BBC region	BBC Wales
ITV region	ITV Wales

The Haverfordwest transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Woodstock about 13 km (8 mi) to the north east of the town of Haverfordwest, in Pembrokeshire, Wales (grid reference SN028261). It was originally built by the BBC, entering service in early 1964 acting as a main transmitter for the 405-line VHF television system, and as a repeater for Band 2 VHF FM radio received off-air from Blaenplwyf transmitting station. It is now owned and operated by National Grid Wireless.

The site has a 155 m (509 ft) guyed steel lattice mast erected on land that is itself about 187 m (614 ft) above sea level. The radio broadcasts cover the majority of Pembrokeshire, except the north eastern part of the county.

It currently carries seven analogue FM radio stations, including Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Pembrokeshire.

When UHF analogue television arrived, those services were provided only at very low power and only designed to cover the villages of Puncheston, Castlebythe, Little Newcastle and Rosebush, which are all located within about 7 km (4 mi) of the mast.

It currently carries three digital television multiplexes at twice the ERP of the analogue services that they replaced, thus providing digital TV to a much bigger area than had been served before.

The mast had its aircraft warning lights upgraded in October 2006, from white xenon discharge flashers to red lamps employing arrays of ultrabright LEDs.

Services listed by frequency

Analogue television

17 February 1964 - Summer 1974

Frequency	VHF	kW	Service
61.75 MHz	4	10	BBC1 Wales

Summer 1974 - 1 November 1982

Colour TV eventually came to West Wales and Haverfordwest transmitter became a UHF relay of Preseli whilst continuing to transmit VHF television as before.

Frequency	VHF	UHF	kW	Service
61.75 MHz	4	—	10	BBC1 Wales
719.25 MHz	—	52	50 W	BBC One Wales
751.25 MHz	—	56	50 W	HTV Wales
831.25 MHz	—	66	50 W	BBC Two

1 November 1982 - January 1985

The launch of Channel 4 (S4C in Wales) took the UHF capabilities of the site to its design maximum. Being in Wales, this transmitter radiated the S4C variant.

Frequency	VHF	UHF	kW	Service
61.75 MHz	4	—	10	BBC1 Wales
719.25 MHz	—	52	50 W	BBC One Wales
751.25 MHz	—	56	50 W	HTV Wales
831.25 MHz	—	66	50 W	BBC Two
847.25 MHz	—	68	50 W	S4C

January 1985 - August 2009

The 405-line VHF television system closed down permanently across the UK, and from then until the Digital Switchover of 2009, the site delivered television on UHF only.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
719.25 MHz	52	50 W	BBC One Wales
751.25 MHz	56	50 W	HTV Wales
831.25 MHz	66	50 W	BBC Two
847.25 MHz	68	50 W	S4C

Analogue and Digital television

19 August 2009 - 16 September 2009

Digital Switchover started at Haverfordwest, mirroring the changes at its parent transmitter at Preseli. BBC Two closed on channel 66 and HTV Wales switched to that channel for its final three weeks of service. The BBC multiplex A started up on channel 56 vacated by ITV.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service	System
719.25 MHz	52	50 W	BBC One Wales	PAL System I
754 MHz	56	0.1	BBC A	DVB-T
831.25 MHz	66	50 W	HTV Wales	PAL System I
847.25 MHz	68	50 W	S4C	PAL System I

Digital television

16 September 2009 - Present Day

All the remaining analogue TV services closed and were replaced with the standard three multiplexes of Freeview Lite. Notice that unusually, the digital TV services are broadcast at twice the ERP that had been provided in the analogue TV days. At most sites, the digital services are broadcast at a fifth the ERP of the old analogue channels.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Operator
690 MHz	48	0.1	BBC B
722 MHz	52	0.1	Digital 3&4
754 MHz	56	0.1	BBC A

Analogue radio (FM VHF)

Frequency	kW	Service
89.3 MHz	20	BBC Radio 2
91.5 MHz	20	BBC Radio 3
93.7 MHz	20	BBC Radio Cymru
95.9 MHz	20	BBC Radio Wales
98.9 MHz	20	BBC Radio 1
102.5 MHz	20	Radio Pembrokeshire
104.9 MHz	20	BBC Radio 4

See also

• List of masts
• List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
• List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain

External links

• MB21's page on BBC 405 TV to Wales and the West
• 405 Alive's list of transmitters"
• More details on 405-line BBC transmitters
• The Transmission Gallery: Photographs and Information
• The Transmission Gallery: FM Coverage Map