Rosemarkie transmitting station

Rosemarkie
Location Rosemarkie, Highland
Mast height 110 metres (361 ft)
Coordinates 57°38′02″N 4°04′26″W / 57.634°N 4.074°W / 57.634; -4.074Coordinates: 57°38′02″N 4°04′26″W / 57.634°N 4.074°W / 57.634; -4.074
Grid reference NH762623
Built 1957
BBC region BBC Scotland
ITV region STV North

The Rosemarkie transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated close to the town of Rosemarkie, Scotland, in Highland (grid reference NH762623). It consists of a 110 metres (361 ft) high guyed steel lattice mast erected on land that is itself about 210 m above sea level only a few hundred metres from the coast of the Moray Firth. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Coverage

Coverage includes the areas around the Moray Firth, in the Highland region of Scotland, including up to Helmsdale in the north, Elgin to the east, Dingwall to the west and the northern shores of Loch Ness to the south. This also includes the city of Inverness.

History

The station was built in 1957 by the BBC to bring BBC Television to North East Scotland for the first time. The 405-line monochrome transmissions were on channel 2, Band I VHF.

When colour UHF television began in 1970, the site was chosen over the nearby IBA owned station at Mounteagle to carry these broadcasts. Both the UHF and VHF services continued in tandem until 1985, when VHF television was discontinued in the UK.

Channels listed by frequency

Digital television

20 October 2010 - present

Digital switchover was completed at Rosemarkie. All analogue television was switched off and the new post-DSO multiplexes took over the analogue frequencies plus a few new ones.

Frequency UHF kW[1] Operator
642.000 MHz 42 20 BBC B
650.000 MHz 43 10 SDN
666.000 MHz 45 20 BBC A
674.000 MHz 46 10 Arqiva A
698.000 MHz 49 20 Digital 3&4
706.000 MHz 50 10 Arqiva B

Analogue radio (FM)

Frequency kW Service
89.6 MHz 10 BBC Radio 2
91.8 MHz 10 BBC Radio 3
94.0 MHz 10 BBC Radio Scotland
99.2 MHz 10 BBC Radio 1
103.6 MHz 10 BBC Radio 4
104.9 MHz 10 BBC Radio nan Gaidheal

Former Services

Analogue television

16 August 1957 - 11 July 1970

405-line BBC television arrived in the northeast of Scotland.

Frequency VHF kW Service
51.75 MHz 2H 20 BBC Television

11 July 1970 - October 1973

BBC Two UHF colour television commenced.

Frequency VHF UHF kW Service
51.75 MHz 2H — 20 BBC Scotland
663.25 MHz — 45 100 BBC Two

October 1973 - 1 November 1982

BBC One and ITV UHF colour television commenced.

Frequency VHF UHF kW Service
51.75 MHz 2H — 20 BBC Scotland
615.25 MHz — 39 100 BBC One Scotland
663.25 MHz — 45 100 BBC Two
695.25 MHz — 49 100 ITV1

2 November 1982 - 3 January 1985

The UK's fourth UHF television channel started up.

Frequency VHF UHF kW Service
51.75 MHz 2H — 20 BBC Scotland
615.25 MHz — 39 100 BBC One Scotland
639.25 MHz — 42 100 Channel 4
663.25 MHz — 45 100 BBC Two
695.25 MHz — 49 100 ITV1

3 January 1985 - 15 November 1998

The VHF 405-line system was discontinued across the UK, and from that point for the next 23 years, television from Rosemarkie was the originally-intended four channels on UHF only.

Frequency UHF kW Service
615.25 MHz 39 100 BBC One Scotland
639.25 MHz 42 100 Channel 4
663.25 MHz 45 100 BBC Two
695.25 MHz 49 100 ITV1

Analogue and Digital television

15 November 1998 - 6 October 2010

The initial roll-out of digital television involved running the digital services interleaved (and at low ERP) with the existing analogue services.

Frequency UHF kW Service System
615.25 MHz 39 100 BBC One Scotland PAL
633.833 MHz 41- 10 SDN (Mux A) DVB-T
639.25 MHz 42 100 Channel 4 PAL
657.833 MHz 44- 10 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
663.25 MHz 45 100 BBC Two PAL
674.166 MHz 46+ 8 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
682.166 MHz 47+ 10 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T
695.25 MHz 49 100 ITV1 PAL
706.166 MHz 50+ 8 Arqiva (Mux D) DVB-T
714.166 MHz 51+ 10 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) DVB-T

6 October 2010 - 20 October 2010

Digital Switchover commenced at Rosemarkie, with analogue BBC Two being switched off on channel 45 and BBC Mux 1 being switched off on channel 47+. Channel 45 was reused by the new BBC A multiplex at full post-DSO power (20 kW) and using 64-QAM with 8k carriers.

Frequency UHF kW Service System
615.25 MHz 39 100 BBC One Scotland PAL
633.833 MHz 41- 10 SDN (Mux A) DVB-T
639.25 MHz 42 100 Channel 4 PAL
657.833 MHz 44- 10 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
666.000 MHz 45 20 BBC A DVB-T
674.166 MHz 46+ 8 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
695.25 MHz 49 100 ITV1 PAL
706.166 MHz 50+ 8 Arqiva (Mux D) DVB-T
714.166 MHz 51+ 10 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) DVB-T

See also

References

  1. ↑ Television Viewers Guide 2009
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