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Clermont Carn

Coordinates: 54°04′48″N 6°19′18″W / 54.080057°N 6.321564°W / 54.080057; -6.321564
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Clermont Carn
Carnán Mhaighréid Nái
Highest point
Elevation510 m (1,670 ft)[1]
Prominence312 m (1,024 ft)[1]
Coordinates54°04′48″N 6°19′18″W / 54.080057°N 6.321564°W / 54.080057; -6.321564
Naming
Language of nameIrish
Geography
Clermont Carn is located in island of Ireland
Clermont Carn
Clermont Carn
Location in Ireland
LocationLouth, Ireland
Parent rangeCooley Mountains
2RN transmission site on Clermont Carn

Clermont Carn, variously spelt as "Clermont Cairn", "Clairmont Carn/Cairn" and Carnán Mhaighréid Náir in Irish is a 510m [1] high peak in the Cooley Mountains in County Louth, Ireland, which is also home to a main 2RN transmission site.[2]

Transmitter

This transmitter site in County Louth, was opened in 1981 to provide UHF television coverage for the North East of the Republic of Ireland, counties Louth, Meath, and North county Dublin. However with the site being less than 1 km from the border it was clear that this transmitter would be used to provide RTÉ services into Northern Ireland. Initially the two channels RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2 were carried on Ch52 and Ch56 with TV3 (Ch66) and TG4 (Ch68) following later. In 1982, a 2M Amateur Radio Repeater was installed.[3] FM radio transmission was also added providing coverage of the five national channels to a wide area.

In 2002 a new cable-stayed mast 120m tall was erected, this greatly improved coverage into Northern Ireland. The existing self-supporting tower was truncated, and is now only used for microwave links and the Amateur Radio Repeater.

DAB, digital radio broadcasting from Clermont Carn began in 2006 and Digital terrestrial television trials started in 2008.

In common with all other transmitters in Ireland, analogue television transmissions from this site ended on 24 October 2012,[4] but uniquely Clermont Carn is the only main television transmitter in Ireland that is vertically polarised. Today the Irish digital television service Saorview is broadcast from here to a sizeable area including a large tract of Northern Ireland, with a good signal being received in Belfast and beyond. This overspill has been welcomed by the UK’s Ofcom who have provided information for viewers in Northern Ireland about receiving TG4 and the RTÉ channels, both from within Northern Ireland on the UK's Freeview service, and via the Saorview overspill.[5]

Current transmissions

Digital Television

Frequency UHF kW Multiplex
722 MHz 52 160 Saorview (Mux 1)
754 MHz 56 160 Saorview (Mux 2)

Digital Radio

Frequency Block kW Multiplex
227.36 MHz 12C 5 DAB Ireland Mux 1

Analogue FM radio

Frequency kW Service
87.8 MHz 40 RTÉ Radio 1
95.2 MHz 40 RTÉ lyric fm
97.0 MHz 40 RTÉ 2fm
102.7 MHz 40 RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
105.5 MHz 40 Today FM

Amateur Radio

Frequency W Service
145.675 MHz (Output) 145.075 MHz (Input) 15 EI2CCR 2M Repeater

References

  1. ^ a b c "Cooley Area - Clermont Carn". MountainViews.ie. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  2. ^ "RTÉ, Ireland's National Radio Broadcaster". Archived from the original on 26 May 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Dundalk Amateur Radio Society. "EI2CCR Repeater". www.ei7dar.com. Retrieved 07/03/2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "Analogue consigned to broadcasting history". The Irish Times. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  5. ^ Ofcom. "Digital Terrestrial TV Coverage Map of TG4 and RTÉ in Northern Ireland" (PDF). Ofcom. Retrieved 6 November 2012.