Swingate transmitting station

Swingate

The three Swingate towers
Location	Swingate, Kent
Tower height	111 metres (364 ft)
Coordinates	51°08′16″N 1°20′09″E
Grid reference	TR334429
Demolished	2010 (South tower)

The Swingate towers were originally equipped with platforms like this one at Great Baddow in Essex, the only Chain Home radar tower to retain the original platforms.

The Swingate transmitting station is a facility for FM-transmission in the village of Swingate, near Dover, Kent (grid reference TR334429). For many years there were three lattice towers with a height of 111 metres (364 ft). This station was one of the first 5 Chain Home Radar stations completed in 1936 and was originally designated AMES (Air Ministry Experimental Station) 04 Dover. The FM transmitting antennas are attached to what was the middle tower; microwave link dishes and mobile telephone antennas were spread across all three towers. The south tower was dismantled in March 2010.

The Swingate towers no longer have the three cantilever platforms that were fitted originally.

History

Originally there were four towers with wires stretched between them to transmit radio waves that were detected by a group of four smaller towers to the east of the surviving ones. The receiver towers were demolished after the war, along with one of the transmitter towers. Subsequently the north mast was demolished and replaced with a similar tower with a different bracing design. During the Cold War the towers sprouted four transmitters at their base which were popularly assumed to be part of the US ACE High communication system but were more likely an RAF link to Germany. The south tower was dismantled in March 2010.

Channels available from this site

Analogue radio

The transmitter is the main transmission station for the BBC which serves the bulk of Kent.

Frequency	kW	Service
90.0 MHz	11	BBC Radio 2
92.2 MHz	11	BBC Radio 3
94.4 MHz	11	BBC Radio 4
99.5 MHz	11	BBC Radio 1
104.2 MHz	10	BBC Kent

Digital radio

There are currently no DAB signals from this site at present due to its proximity to mainland Europe. The county of Kent is therefore covered with smaller, low-powered relay stations instead to avoid interference.

See also

• Dover transmitting station - broadcasts TV, DAB and commercial FM radio from a site west of the town

External links

• Swingate transmitting station at mb21
• National Geographic photo showing the original configuration of four transmitters and four receiver towers]