Craigkelly transmitting station

Craigkelly

Craigkelly transmitting station (Fife)
Tower height	125 metres (410 ft)
Coordinates	56.071944°N 3.233194°W / 56.071944; -3.233194
Grid reference	NT233872
Built	1968
BBC region	BBC Scotland
ITV region	STV Central
Local TV service	STV Edinburgh

The Craigkelly transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Craigkelly (grid reference NT233872) north of the Firth of Forth above the town of Burntisland in Fife, Scotland. It has a 125-metre tall free-standing lattice tower.

The station came into service in 1968 to improve coverage of BBC 2 to the Edinburgh area, which has a number of hills blocking good reception from Black Hill. In September 1971 it also started broadcasting BBC1 and Scottish Television on 625 lines in colour and though considered a 'main' station, it actually rebroadcast the signal from the Black Hill transmitting station, like a relay. Its tower now also carries antennas for many broadcasting and private radio organisations. This structure was previously used at Emley Moor.

The transmitter was originally an A group but has become a K group (or wideband) with the advent of Channel 5 and Digital. Craigkelly is one of the few main transmitters which did not return to its original group at DSO. However, when Craigkelly went through its 700MHz clearance in October 2018 all of the main 6 MUXES returned to the A group, the only two out side are MUXES 7 and 8 (See Craigkelly's graph) which are due to be switched off between 2020 and 2022 anyway.

The tower can be clearly seen from many parts of Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth on its prominent position atop the hill known as The Binn.

Transmitted services

Analogue radio

Frequency	kW	Service
97.3 MHz	9.8	Forth 1
101.1 MHz	10	Heart Scotland
104.1 MHz	5	BBC Radio nan Gaidheal
105.7 MHz	10	Capital Scotland

Digital radio

Frequency	Block	kW	Operator
227.060 MHz	12C	0.78	Switch Scotland
223.936 MHz	12A	6.8	Digital One
225.648 MHz	12B	5	BBC National DAB
229.072 MHz	12D	1	Bauer Edinburgh

Digital television

Frequency	UHF	kW	Operator	System
498.000 MHz	24	20	PSB2 (D3&4)	DVB-T
522.000 MHz	27	20	PSB1 (BBC A)	DVB-T
474.166 MHz	21+	20	PSB3 (BBC B)	DVB-T2
562.000 MHz	32	5	LTVmux	DVB-T
538.000 MHz	29	10	COM4 (SDN)	DVB-T
554.000 MHz	31	10	COM5 (ARQ A)	DVB-T
602.000 MHz	37	10	COM6 (ARQ B)	DVB-T
746.000 MHz	55	15.849	COM7 (ARQ C)	DVB-T2
754.000 MHz	56	15.849	COM8 (ARQ D)	DVB-T2

Before switchover

Frequency	UHF	kW	Operator
489.833 MHz	23-	4	SDN (Mux A)
513.833 MHz	26-	4	BBC (Mux B)
538.000 MHz	29	4	Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)
570.000 MHz	33	4	BBC (Mux 1)
618.000 MHz	39	2	Arqiva (Mux D)
642.000 MHz	42	2	Arqiva (Mux C)

Analogue television

Analogue television transmissions ceased from Craigkelly on 15 June 2011.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
471.25 MHz	21	100	Channel 4
495.25 MHz	24	100	STV
519.25 MHz	27	100	BBC Two Scotland
551.25 MHz	31	100	BBC One Scotland
687.25 MHz	48	4	Channel 5

See also

• List of towers

External links

• Craigkelly's entry at mb21
• Info & pictures of Craigkelly including co-receivable transmitters
• Multimap link
• Craigkelly Transmitter at thebigtower.com
• http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?buildingID=109492