RTÉ DTT Tests: Mullaghanish

More Music

I can confirm work has commenced at Mullaghanish. On air tests are bit away yet but I will provide updates.

Apogee

Has the work on extending the mast been completed yet?

TheDriver

Cheers More Music, we will be awaiting your reports with baited breath!! Can you give indication from your observations are we talking weeks or months??

More Music

Mast work is not complete, only some groundworks. That new mast will not be finished until Autumn 09 at the earliest. As I posted many months ago the new mast is not necessary for this stage of DTT. The existing panels and feeder on the current tower will work just fine for DTT and analog. They will just combine the DTT and analog signals on the ground and send them out over the same antenna.

Work has begun with the combiners and DTT feeders on the ground. This work won't be wasted when the new mast goes up. They will just rejoin it to the feeder on the new mast.

2 months approx. all going well.

TheDriver

Thanks Music, excellent news. Wondering will they still work off the Red UHF channels or require new aerials seeing as most people have a UHF aerial pointing at Mullaghanish for TV3 as it is!

pa990

TheDriver wrote: »

Thanks Music, excellent news. Wondering will they still work off the Red UHF channels or require new aerials seeing as most people have a UHF aerial pointing at Mullaghanish for TV3 as it is!

I believe that they will still be using Group A channels

see here for a full list
http://www.geocities.com/corkradio/uhfdig.txt

this list is not entirely accurate, changes have been made to some of the spur hill channels but they were all kept within Group C/D.

The Cush

Mullaghanish UHF Frequencies

DTT 21 24 25 28
Analogue 27 31

TheDriver

Which Mux will be FTA one? Mux 1?

fat-tony

TheDriver wrote: »

Which Mux will be FTA one? Mux 1?

The domestic channels are transmitted on Mux 1 on Three Rock and Greystones - assume it's the same for other areas.

TheDriver

announcements on Radio 2/2fm this afternoon that from 5pm, we would have to retune if getting from Mullaghanish due to work at the site for digital. Presume this is for the tv or are they also installing radio equipment?

Galway

I wonder when DTT work at Maghera will commence?

barnicles

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss


Finally!!

Is DAB coming too?

The Cush

The Cush wrote: »

Mullaghanish UHF Frequencies

DTT 21 24 25 28
Analogue 27 31

I wonder will the channel 28 carrier interfere with TV3 analogue?

lawhec

Karsini wrote: »

I wonder will the channel 28 carrier interfere with TV3 analogue?

Shouldn't do if it's set up correctly.

TheDriver

What does the work involve? Is it merely compression equipment being installed into the cabin and nothing for the mast?

barnicles

When will DTT transmissions start?

slegs

TheDriver wrote: »

What does the work involve? Is it merely compression equipment being installed into the cabin and nothing for the mast?

Wouldn't say its a simple as you make it sound. I imagine there is new equipment that needs to be installed on probably a new footprint with power and other cabling. The analog equipment also has to remain so this new footprint might need a new cabin. Then there is the antenna work to merge the feeders. Then it all needs to be configured, optimised and tested.

2 or 3 weeks work for a team of guys I'd say once the equipment is in place.

watty

TheDriver wrote: »

What does the work involve? Is it merely compression equipment being installed into the cabin and nothing for the mast?

All encoding/compression and creation of transport streams would be in a central location. The sites connect to Microwave or Fibre backhaul (possibly IP based) and a modulator (or pair for redundancy) is fed with a transport stream for an entire Mux.

This feeds PA (s) and then if several MUX share a feed and aerial array, there is a combiner.

The biggest bit is the Power Amplifiers (actual transmitters). There may be a generator outside.

Rippy

Heard from a very good source that Mulliganish DTT is switched next week, though only for a week initially, probally only blank carriers though.
I should be able to receive at home OK
I will be checking and reporting here.

Pity the setup in my parents' place in Listowel is pointing towards Maghera, probably would have tried it when I go down that way next.

TheDriver

Rippy wrote: »

Heard from a very good source that Mulliganish DTT is switched next week, though only for a week initially, probally only blank carriers though.
I should be able to receive at home OK
I will be checking and reporting here.

Thanks Rippy, will check same and report on my findings. I have a mpeg4 tv and also usb dtt on laptop so will check how both go in Bandon

More Music

The programme feeds for the RTE Mux are coming from the existing microwave distribution network.

The are just combining the DTT transmissions with the existing analog ones. This is done at ground level, with the analog and DTT signals going out over the same antenna.

All of the DTT transmitters are in place and ready to go with 6 channels per mux. They were powered up last week into a test load with programme feed.

The transmit frequency is around 520MHz, which is very low to allow for the mountainous terrain.

The DTT is not yet combined into the antenna system. Test transmissions probably won't be next week, but are very close.

Antenna

Rippy wrote: »

Heard from a very good source that Mulliganish DTT is switched next week, though only for a week initially, probally only blank carriers though.

Mullaghanish DTT UHF channels
Ch centre frequency
21 (474MHz)
24 (498MHz)
25 (506MHz)
28 (530MHz)

I presume 21 is RTE FTA MUX and 24,25,28 will be Boxer's

South Coast TV's deflector for the Fermoy area (from Ballyhooley) uses Ch 21 I think, they will have to move the current Ch21 - up a channel?

TheDriver

Still nothing happening here, anyone have any updates?

Rippy

Antenna wrote: »

Mullaghanish DTT UHF channels
Ch centre frequency
21 (474MHz)
24 (498MHz)
25 (506MHz)
28 (530MHz)

I presume 21 is RTE FTA MUX and 24,25,28 will be Boxer's

South Coast TV's deflector for the Fermoy area (from Ballyhooley) uses Ch 21 I think, they will have to move the current Ch21 - up a channel?

Correct.
South Coast will also be moving frequencies form Hilltown( Carrigaline) and Camden (Crosshaven). Mostly up 1.

More Music

TheDriver wrote: »

Still nothing happening here, anyone have any updates?

Unexpected delays and the weather situation hasn't helped. Going to be another 3 weeks approx.

Confirmed line up:

RTE 1
RTE 2
TV3
TG4

barnicles

Any more updates?

pa990

Does anyone have a map that shows the coverage of Mulliganish.

I am living between it and Spur hill (closer to spur hill)
But Mullaghanish has a higher output, and i am in a bot of a fringe reception area.

Myxomatosis

pa990 wrote: »

Does anyone have a map that shows the coverage of Mulliganish.

I am living between it and Spur hill (closer to spur hill)
But Mullaghanish has a higher output, and i am in a bot of a fringe reception area.

http://www.irish-tv.com/mullag.asp

pa990

I'm presuming that the map is accounting for VHF.

I was looking for a UHF only map. I'm due to have a sat dish and UHF antenna installed soon, and i don't know if i should go for a C/D for Spur Hill or A for Mulla.

i'm about 15miles from Spur Hill. (but terrible reception even with outdoor antenna and booster)

I'm about 25/30 miles from Mulla.

Rippy

pa990 wrote: »

I'm presuming that the map is accounting for VHF.

I was looking for a UHF only map. I'm due to have a sat dish and UHF antenna installed soon, and i don't know if i should go for a C/D for Spur Hill or A for Mulla.

i'm about 15miles from Spur Hill. (but terrible reception even with outdoor antenna and booster)

I'm about 25/30 miles from Mulla.

What's your exact location?