Belmont transmitting station








































Belmont

Belmont - geograph.org.uk - 619487.jpg
Then the tallest structure in the UK, seen in November 2007



Belmont transmitting station is located in Lincolnshire
Belmont transmitting station


Belmont transmitting station (Lincolnshire)

Mast height 1,154 feet (351.7 m)
Coordinates
53°20′09″N 0°10′19″W / 53.335861°N 0.172°W / 53.335861; -0.172Coordinates: 53°20′09″N 0°10′19″W / 53.335861°N 0.172°W / 53.335861; -0.172
Grid reference TF217837
Built 1965 (height increased in 1967)
BBC region
BBC Yorkshire (1965–2004)
BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (2004–present)
ITV region
ITV Anglia (1965–74)
ITV Yorkshire (1974–present)
Local TV service
Estuary TV
That's Lincolnshire

The Belmont transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility next to the B1225, one mile west of the village of Donington on Bain in the civil parish of South Willingham, near Market Rasen and Louth in Lincolnshire, England (grid reference TF217837). It is owned and operated by Arqiva.


It has a guyed tubular steel mast, with a lattice upper section. The mast was shortened in April 2010 and is now 1,154 feet (351.7 m) in height.[1][2] Before this it was 1,272 feet (387.7 m) high and was considered to be the tallest structure of its kind in the world (taller masts, such as the KVLY-TV mast in the United States, use steel lattice construction), the tallest structure of any type in the United Kingdom and also the tallest structure within the European Union. After the top section was removed, the mast's reduced height relegated it to 14th-highest structure in the EU and second-highest in the UK after Skelton. The current world's tallest guyed tubular steel mast is TV Tower Vinnytsia in Ukraine.


Despite the mast being shortened it can be seen in daylight on clear days from most areas close to and within the Lincolnshire Wolds. On clear nights its bright red aircraft warning lights can be very widely seen across much of Lincolnshire from as far north as the River Humber and Barton-Upon-Humber; from the west of the county it can be seen from Lincoln, Gainsborough and Grantham; from the south of the county it can be seen from Spalding and Bourne; and from the east it can be seen from Skegness, Mablethorpe and most areas along the Lincolnshire coast. The lights can also be seen from many parts of Nottinghamshire, coastal areas of North West Norfolk and even a few parts of Derbyshire on very clear nights.




Contents






  • 1 Construction


  • 2 Coverage


  • 3 Transmitter power


  • 4 Services listed by frequency


    • 4.1 Analogue television


      • 4.1.1 20 December 1965 – 19 November 1966


      • 4.1.2 19 November 1966 – 24 May 1971


      • 4.1.3 24 May 1971 – 30 July 1974


      • 4.1.4 30 July 1974 – 2 November 1982


      • 4.1.5 2 November 1982 – 30 November 1997


      • 4.1.6 30 November 1997 – 15 November 1998




    • 4.2 Analogue and digital television


      • 4.2.1 15 November 1998 – 3 August 2011


      • 4.2.2 3 August 2011 – 17 August 2011




    • 4.3 Digital television


      • 4.3.1 17 August 2011 – 26 November 2013


      • 4.3.2 26 November 2013 – present




    • 4.4 Analogue radio (FM VHF)


      • 4.4.1 19 November 1966 – 11 November 1980


      • 4.4.2 11 November 1980 – February 1992


      • 4.4.3 February 1992 – present day




    • 4.5 Digital radio (DAB)




  • 5 Relays


    • 5.1 Digital television




  • 6 See also


  • 7 References


  • 8 External links


    • 8.1 Relay stations







Construction




View from the air in July 1990


The mast was constructed in 1965 and it came into service on 20 December of that year. As built it was a tubular pipe 900 feet (274.3 m) long by 9 feet (2.7 m) in diameter, surmounted by a 365 feet (111.3 m) lattice upper section. (An identical mast was constructed in 1964 at Emley Moor near Huddersfield in Yorkshire, but that mast collapsed due to guy failure caused by icing and high winds on 19 March 1969.)


In September 1967 meteorological equipment was added to the 1,265 feet (385.6 m) mast extending its height to 1,272 feet (387.7 m). The imperial measurement was the accepted value quoted by a number of publications, including the 1993 edition of the Guinness Book of Records.[3] The metric measurement quoted by the current owners is 0.2 m (8 in) shorter.


Between October 2009 and April 2010 the mast was shortened as part of the Digital Switchover works, most of the top section above the fifth stay level was removed (along with the sixth stay level) and the mast now stands 1,154 feet (351.7 m) high.



Coverage


From its location, high in the Lincolnshire Wolds, it broadcasts digital television and both analogue and digital radio to Lincolnshire, eastern Yorkshire, northern parts of Norfolk and some parts of Nottinghamshire. When it was first operated it transmitted (amongst others) ITV station Anglia Television. Following a re-organisation of ITV coverage in 1972, from 1974 it started transmitting neighbouring station Yorkshire Television instead, which it continues to do to this day. Due to most of the region being flat, Belmont has few relay stations although there is a main relay station at Oliver's Mount covering the Scarborough area.



Transmitter power


At 500 kW E.R.P. for the four main analogue channels, Belmont was one of the most powerful transmitters in the UK, though there are four UK transmitters which were more powerful; Sutton Coldfield, Crystal Palace and Sandy Heath were all at 1000 kW and Emley Moor was 870 kW. Channel 5 was only broadcast at 50 kW from Belmont and digital at 20 kW (Mux 2), 10 kW (Mux 1, A, B) and 4 kW (Mux C, D) although this level of digital power is theoretically equal to 500 kW on analogue in terms of the received carrier to noise ratio required to give a "perfect" picture. After digital switchover Belmont's digital transmitting power rose to 50 kW for SDN (previously Mux A), 100 kW for Arqiva A & B (Mux C, D) and 150 kW for BBC A, D3&4 and BBC B (Mux 1, 2, B).



Services listed by frequency



Analogue television



20 December 1965 – 19 November 1966


First transmissions from the site: ITV's 405-line television service, an off-air rebroadcast from Mendlesham.















Frequency
VHF
kW
Service
184.75 MHz
7V
20

Anglia Television


19 November 1966 – 24 May 1971


The BBC's services came online on both VHF and UHF. BBC 1 was initially fed by means of an off-air rebroadcast of Holme Moss but this was plagued by co-channel interference from the continent. BBC2 was an off-air rebroadcast from Emley Moor.[4] On 19 March 1969, the Emley Moor mast collapsed, taking Belmont's BBC2 transmissions off-air for several days.[5]


Despite the programme sources on VHF and UHF being (for many years) off-air rebroadcasts of other transmitters in the vicinity, Belmont was always regarded by the BBC as being a "main station" both on VHF and UHF. The IBA initially regarded it as a relay of Mendlesham (and numbered it 14.2 in their numbering of VHF stations) but from 1974 it became a "main station" for Yorkshire Television (renumbered as 20.0 in the IBA's numbering of VHF stations[6]).


It was always number 120.0 in the BBC/IBA numbering scheme for UHF stations[7]).































Frequency
VHF
UHF
kW
Service
184.75 MHz
7V

20
Anglia Television
214.75 MHz
13V

20

BBC1
527.25 MHz

28
500

BBC2


24 May 1971 – 30 July 1974


ITV's UHF service began.[8]













































Frequency
VHF
UHF
kW
Service
184.75 MHz
7V

20
Anglia Television
214.75 MHz
13V

20
BBC1
479.25 MHz

22
500
BBC1
503.25 MHz

25
500
Anglia Television
527.25 MHz

28
500
BBC2


30 July 1974 – 2 November 1982


After changes to the regional structure of ITV in 1972, Belmont stopped being a relay of Mendlesham and became a main station for Yorkshire TV.[5]













































Frequency
VHF
UHF
kW
Service
184.75 MHz
7V

20

Yorkshire TV
214.75 MHz
13V

20
BBC1
479.25 MHz

22
500
BBC1
503.25 MHz

25
500
Yorkshire TV
527.25 MHz

28
500
BBC2


2 November 1982 – 30 November 1997


Both the BBC and ITV 405-line VHF TV services from Belmont were was discontinued early[9] in mid-1982, and Channel 4 started up on UHF from the site in November that same year:

































Frequency
UHF
kW
Service
479.25 MHz
22
500
BBC1
503.25 MHz
25
500
Yorkshire TV
527.25 MHz
28
500
BBC2
559.25 MHz
32
500

Channel 4


30 November 1997 – 15 November 1998


Belmont started transmitting the UK's final terrestrial analogue UHF TV service: Channel 5. This was done well out-of-band and at reduced power compared with the main group.







































Frequency
UHF
kW
Service
479.25 MHz
22
500
BBC1
503.25 MHz
25
500
Yorkshire Television
527.25 MHz
28
500
BBC Two
559.25 MHz
32
500
Channel 4
751.25 MHz
56
50

Channel 5


Analogue and digital television



15 November 1998 – 3 August 2011


Belmont began transmitting digital TV, with the new digital multiplexes spaced far from the existing analogue channels. In July 2007 it was confirmed by Ofcom that Belmont would be remaining a wideband transmitter after digital switchover, though the first four of the six multiplexes would still be available within the original A group, as this graph makes clear.























































































Frequency
UHF
kW
Service/Operator
System
479.25 MHz
22
500
BBC1

PAL System I
503.25 MHz
25
500
Yorkshire Television
PAL System I
527.25 MHz
28
500
BBC Two
PAL System I
546.000 MHz
30
10

BBC (Mux 1)

DVB-T
559.25 MHz
32
500
Channel 4
PAL System I
690.000 MHz
48
20

Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)
DVB-T
751.25 MHz
56
50
Channel 5
PAL System I
762.166 MHz
57+
4

Arqiva (Mux D)
DVB-T
786.000 MHz
60
4
Arqiva (Mux C)
DVB-T
834.000 MHz
66
10
BBC (Mux B)
DVB-T
850.000 MHz
68
10

SDN (Mux A)
DVB-T


3 August 2011 – 17 August 2011


BBC Two closed on UHF 28. BBC One was moved on to that channel for its final three weeks of service. Pre-DSO Multiplex 1 (BBC) on UHF 30 was closed and was replaced by BBC A on UHF 22.
















































































Frequency
UHF
kW
Service/Operator
System
482.000 MHz
22
150

BBC A
DVB-T
503.25 MHz
25
500
Yorkshire Television
PAL System I
527.25 MHz
28
500
BBC1
PAL System I
559.25 MHz
32
500
Channel 4
PAL System I
690.000 MHz
48
20

Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)
DVB-T
751.25 MHz
56
50
Channel 5
PAL System I
762.166 MHz
57+
4

Arqiva (Mux D)
DVB-T
786.000 MHz
60
4
Arqiva (Mux C)
DVB-T
834.000 MHz
66
10
BBC (Mux B)
DVB-T
850.000 MHz
68
10
SDN (Mux A)
DVB-T


Digital television



17 August 2011 – 26 November 2013


All the remaining analogue and existing digital signals were turned off and replaced with higher-power digital signals.




















































Frequency
UHF
kW
Operator
System
482.000 MHz
22
150

BBC A

DVB-T
506.000 MHz
25
150

Digital 3&4
DVB-T
530.000 MHz
28
150
BBC B

DVB-T2
545.833 MHz
30-
50

SDN
DVB-T
730.000 MHz
53
100

Arqiva A
DVB-T
786.000 MHz
60
100
Arqiva B
DVB-T

  • Arqiva A and Arqiva B were limited to 4 kW until 23 November 2011, when they were increased to 100 kW.


26 November 2013 – present


Local TV, carrying Estuary TV, and Arqiva C, carrying additional HD services, launched on 26 November 2013.









































































Frequency
UHF
kW
Operator
System
482.000 MHz
22
150

BBC A

DVB-T
506.000 MHz
25
150

Digital 3&4
DVB-T
522.000 MHz
27
5
Local TV
DVB-T
530.000 MHz
28
150
BBC B

DVB-T2
545.833 MHz
30-
50

SDN
DVB-T
570.000 MHz
33
37.1
Arqiva C
DVB-T2
586.000 MHz
35
40.9
Arqiva D
DVB-T2
730.000 MHz
53
100

Arqiva A
DVB-T
786.000 MHz
60
100
Arqiva B
DVB-T


Analogue radio (FM VHF)



19 November 1966 – 11 November 1980























Frequency
kW
Service
88.8 MHz
8
BBC Light Programme (later BBC Radio 2)
90.9 MHz
8
BBC Third Programme (later BBC Radio 3)
93.1 MHz
8
BBC Home Service (later BBC Radio 4)


11 November 1980 – February 1992


BBC Radio Lincolnshire started broadcasting.




























Frequency
kW[10]
Service
88.8 MHz
8
BBC Radio 2
90.9 MHz
8
BBC Radio 3
93.1 MHz
8
BBC Radio 4
94.9 MHz
3

BBC Radio Lincolnshire


February 1992 – present day


Lincs FM and Classic FM join the set of FM broadcasts.











































Frequency
kW[10]
Service
88.8 MHz
8
BBC Radio 2
90.9 MHz
8
BBC Radio 3
93.1 MHz
8
BBC Radio 4
94.9 MHz
3
BBC Radio Lincolnshire
98.3 MHz
8

BBC Radio 1
100.5 MHz
3.1

Classic FM
102.2 MHz
3.2

Lincs FM


Digital radio (DAB)

































Frequency
Block
kW[10]
Service
215.072 MHz
10A


MuxCo Lincolnshire
216.928 MHz
11A


Sound Digital
222.064 MHz
11D
5

Digital One
225.648 MHz
12B
5

BBC National DAB


Relays


Below is a list of transmitters that relay Belmont.



Digital television





































































transmitter
kW
BBC-A
BBC-B
D3&4
SDN
ARQ-A
ARQ-B

Pol.
Grimsby
0.002
45
49
42
N/A
N/A
N/A
BV
Hunmanby
0.025
48
42
39
N/A
N/A
N/A
BV
Lincoln Central
0.02
44
47
41
N/A
N/A
N/A
BV

Oliver's Mount
2
57
53
60
54
58
49
CDV
Weaverthorpe
0.009
55
52
59
N/A
N/A
N/A
CDV


See also



  • List of tallest buildings and structures in the world

  • List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain

  • List of masts

  • List of radio stations in the United Kingdom



References





  1. ^ "Arqiva planning application". East Lindsey District Council. 29 August 2008. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  2. ^ "Belmont Transmitter". A.T.V. Poles, Brackets & Aerials. Retrieved 4 May 2016.


  3. ^ Guinness Book of Records 39th Edition (1993), page 93 –
    ISBN 0-85112-978-1



  4. ^ http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1967-06.pdf


  5. ^ ab "TheBigTower Belmont Dates". thebigtower.com.


  6. ^ "Former U.K. Television Stations". wolfbane.com.


  7. ^ "Former U.K. Television Stations (UHF Analogue System)". wolfbane.com.


  8. ^ "ITV75p146w". mb21.co.uk.


  9. ^ http://www.bbceng.info/Eng_Inf/EngInf_4.pdf


  10. ^ abc Radio Listeners Guide 2010




External links




  • Media related to Belmont transmitting station at Wikimedia Commons


  • The Transmission Gallery: Belmont index.


  • TV coverage.


  • Info and pictures of Belmont, including co-receivable channels.


  • Freeview.


  • Skyscraperpage plan of Belmont.


  • Belmont TV Mast at Structurae


  • Pictures.


  • Article about Belmont's lights being turned out.


  • Article about Belmont's possible cut in size.

  • Belmont Transmitter at thebigtower.com



Relay stations



  • Grimsby

  • Hunmanby

  • Lincoln Central

  • Oliver's Mount

  • Weaverthorpe









Records
Preceded by
Gerbrandy Tower
1,255 ft (382.5 m)


Tallest structure in EU
1,272 ft (387.7 m)

1973–2010
Succeeded by
Torreta de Guardamar
1,210 ft (368.8 m)












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