Pontop Pike transmitting station
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Mast height | 149 metres (489 ft) |
---|---|
Coordinates | 54°52′08″N 1°46′16″W / 54.868889°N 1.771111°W |
Grid reference | NZ148526 |
Built | 1953 |
BBC region | BBC North East and Cumbria |
ITV region | ITV Tyne Tees |
Local TV service | Made in Tyne and Wear |
The Pontop Pike transmitting station is a facility for telecommunications and broadcasting situated on a 312-metre (1,024-ft) high hill of the same name between Stanley and Consett, County Durham, near the village of Dipton, England. The mast is 149 metres (489 ft) high, giving an average antenna height of 461 metres (1,512 ft) above sea level. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.
History
The mast was built in 1953, by BICC with Rowridge (also 500 feet (150 m)) and North Hessary Tor in Devon (650 feet (200 m)).
Its construction was brought forward by the
Coverage
The Pontop Pike transmitter provides
Digital TV switchover
Analogue TV transmissions from this mast began to close from 12 September 2012 and completely ceased on 26 September that year, making Pontop Pike, alongside Bilsdale and Chatton, the last-but-one transmitter group in the United Kingdom to complete digital switchover (DSO) with Northern Ireland being the last area to switch. In July 2007 it was confirmed by Ofcom that Pontop Pike would remain a C/D group after DSO.
Pontop Pike underwent its 700 MHz clearance between September and November 2019 when its output moved down the band from a C/D group to a K group. Thus people with original C/D group aerials, who live in poor reception areas, may struggle to pick up some channels (see graph).
Services listed by frequency
Analogue radio
Frequency | kW | Service |
---|---|---|
88.5 MHz | 250 | BBC Radio 2 |
90.7 MHz | 250 | BBC Radio 3 |
92.9 MHz | 250 | BBC Radio 4 |
95.4 MHz | 10 | BBC Radio Newcastle |
98.1 MHz | 250 | BBC Radio 1 |
100.3 MHz | 65 | Classic FM |
Digital radio
Frequency | Block | kW[2][full citation needed] | Operator |
---|---|---|---|
222.064 MHz | 11D | 6.3 | Digital One |
225.648 MHz | 12B | 10 | BBC National DAB |
Digital television
Frequency | UHF | kW[3][full citation needed] | Operator | System |
---|---|---|---|---|
562.000 MHz | 32 | 100 | COM4 (SDN) | DVB-T |
570.000 MHz | 33 | 5 | LTVmux | DVB-T |
578.000 MHz | 34 | 100 | COM5 (Arqiva A) | DVB-T |
586.000 MHz | 35 | 100 | COM6 (Arqiva B) | DVB-T |
618.000 MHz | 39 | 100 | PSB1 (BBC A) | DVB-T |
642.000 MHz | 42 | 100 | PSB2 (D3&4) | DVB-T |
666.000 MHz | 45 | 100 | PSB3 (BBC B) | DVB-T2 |
746.000 MHz | 55 | 19.498 | COM7 (Arqiva C) | DVB-T2 |
Before 700 MHz clearance
Frequency | UHF | kW[3][full citation needed] | Operator | System |
---|---|---|---|---|
570.000 MHz | 33 | 33.8 | COM7 (ARQ C) | DVB-T2 |
578.000 MHz | 34 | 9.5 | COM8 (ARQ D) | DVB-T2 |
698.000 MHz | 49 | 100 | PSB3 (BBC B) | DVB-T2 |
706.000 MHz | 50 | 50 | COM4 (SDN) | DVB-T |
738.000 MHz | 54 | 100 | PSB2 (D3&4) | DVB-T |
746.000 MHz | 55 | 50 | COM6 (ARQ B) | DVB-T |
754.000 MHz | 56 | 5 | LTVmux | DVB-T |
770.000 MHz | 58 | 100 | PSB1 (BBC A) | DVB-T |
778.000 MHz | 59 | 50 | COM5 (ARQ A) | DVB-T |
Before switchover
Frequency | UHF | kW[3][full citation needed] | Operator | System |
---|---|---|---|---|
690.000 MHz | 48 | 10 | BBC (Mux 1) | DVB-T |
729.833 MHz | 53- | 10 | Arqiva (Mux D) | DVB-T |
746.166 MHz | 55+ | 10 | Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) | DVB-T |
778.166 MHz | 59+ | 10 | SDN (Mux A) | DVB-T |
802.166 MHz | 62+ | 10 | BBC (Mux B) | DVB-T |
810.000 MHz | 63 | 10 | BBC B (Mux HD) | DVB-T2 |
826.166 MHz | 65+ | 10 | Arqiva (Mux C) | DVB-T |
Analogue television
Analogue television from Pontop Pike has now ceased permanently. BBC2 analogue was switched off on 12 September 2012 and the remaining three on 26 September 2012. Pontop Pike never transmitted analogue Channel 5. Instead it was transmitted from Burnhope on UHF 68.
Frequency | UHF | kW | Service |
---|---|---|---|
735.25 MHz | 54 | 500 | Channel 4 |
767.25 MHz | 58 | 500 | BBC1 North East
|
791.25 MHz | 61 | 500 | Tyne Tees |
815.25 MHz | 64 | 500 | BBC2 North East
|
Relay services
Being the main broadcasting transmitter, there are also a number of relays (or repeaters) to cover patches where this transmitter can't properly serve.
Analogue radio
Transmitter | kW | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | CFM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bilsdale | 5 | 98.6 MHz | 89.0 MHz | 91.2 MHz | 93.4 MHz | 101.6 MHz |
Fenham | 0.042 | 99.4 MHz | 89.8 MHz | 92.0 MHz | 94.2 MHz | 101.0 MHz |
Oliver's Mount | 0.25 | 99.5 MHz | 89.9 MHz | 92.1 MHz | 94.3 MHz | — |
Newton | 0.1 | 99.0 MHz | 89.4 MHz | 91.6 MHz | 93.8 MHz | — |
Weardale | 0.18 | 99.3 MHz | 89.7 MHz | 91.9 MHz | 94.1 MHz | — |
Wensleydale | 0.054 | 97.9 MHz | 88.3 MHz | 90.5 MHz | 92.7 MHz | — |
Woolmoor | 5 | 99.6 MHz | 90.2 MHz | 92.2 MHz | 94.4 MHz | — |
Digital television
The following is a list of the television relays served by Pontop Pike:
Transmitter | kW | BBCA | BBCB | D3&4 | SDN | ARQA | ARQB | Pol. | A.G. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allenheads | 0.002 | 27 | 21 | 24 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Alston | 0.08 | 33 | 48 | 36 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Bellingham | 0.02 | 27 | 21 | 24 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Blaydon Burn | 0.002 | 44 | 47 | 41 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Byrness | 0.01 | 27 | 21 | 24 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Catton Beacon | 0.028 | 40 | 46 | 43 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Durham | 0.003 | 41 | 47 | 44 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Esh | 0.0024 | 29 | 37 | 31 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Falstone | 0.004 | 44 | 47 | 41 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Felling | 0.002 | 40 | 43 | 46 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Fenham | 0.4 | 23 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 28 | V | A K |
Haltwhistle | 0.4 | 21 | 37 | 31 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Haydon Bridge | 0.02 | 44 | 41 | 47 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Hedleyhope | 0.004 | 41 | 47 | 44 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Humshaugh | 0.0118 | 29 | 37 | 31 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Ireshopeburn | 0.0022 | 29 | 37 | 31 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Kielder | 0.0054 | 26 | 23 | 29 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Morpeth | 0.0088 | 22 | 28 | 25 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Newton | 0.4 | 21 | 27 | 24 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Seaham | 0.059 | 41 | 47 | 44 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Shotleyfield | 0.04 | 22 | 28 | 25 | — | — | — | V | A K |
Staithes | 0.004 | 33 | 48 | 36 | — | — | — | V | K |
Sunderland | 0.006 | 41 | 47 | 44 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Wall | 0.0042 | 40 | 46 | 43 | — | — | — | H | B K |
Weardale | 0.2 | 44 | 41 | 47 | — | — | — | V | B K |
Whitaside | 0.0025 | 44 | 41 | 47 | — | — | — | V | B K |
See also
- List of masts
- List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
References
- ^ "North East England enjoyed colour TV for the first time on this day in 1970". ChronicleLive. 20 June 2015. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
- ^ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
- ^ a b c Television Viewers Guide 2009