Unusual (and defunct) TV aerials

Antenna

See attached picture which I took some days ago of an unusual (for this country) TV aerial on a chimney somewhere in this country (aerial disused for a long time). Anyone tell us where this would be before I reveal the answer?

(BTW the two wires sloping down across the picture are two telephone cables coming down from a pole)

lawhec

Off the top of my head, Co. Cork, near Glanmire?

Antenna

Correct Lawhec, Riverstown just north of Glanmire (on a business premises that was obviously once residential)

Before moving to UHF the Glanmire relay had,
RTE1 was on Ch C in Band 1, horizontal
RTE2 was on Ch E in Band 3, also horizontal

So (apart from the very limited use in the past in this country of TV Band 1 ) a combined Band1 and Band 3 aerial with all horizontal elements would have been unique to there, if you have an old RTE transmitter list this arrangement was never the case for any other transmitter/relay in the country. The only other use ever of a mixture of Band 1 and 3 in this country was at the Maghera main transmitter, with RTE1 on Band 1 being horizontal, RTE2 on Band 3 being vertical (nowadays both on Band 3 from Maghera).

RTE1,2 became available on UHF from the Glanmire relay along with TnaG(now TG4), when TnaG opened in 1996, with the VHFs being switched off maybe a year or two later

Its actually difficult to see any of these old aerials in good condition in that area now as many have disintegrated with elements missing. Much of the area was cabled in the 1980s. Some reminants of 'Band 1 only' aerials to be seen there obviously dating from before RTE2 was introduced

lawhec

In theory, such a "combo" aerial could have also been used for UK services either along the border for Belfast (Divis & Black Mountain) or for SW Wales (Haverfordwest & Preseli) where both the BBC and ITV stations were transmitted with horizontal polarity.

The frequency arrangement for Glanmire was a bit strange, was there any particular reason Channel A could not have been used for RTÉ2 instead of Channel E? More than one transmission from Bands I and/or II from the same transmitter site wasn't common in Europe to the best of my knowledge but it did/does happen in other parts of the world.

watty

O'connell ave in Limerick coming up to the Mount has a number of combo bandI / BandIII aerials, but the Band I is hor and BandIII vert.

The "newer" aerials are Band III log periodics either pointed south or north (Maghera and Mullganish are equally bad in some parts of limerick city, so neighbours can have aerials pointing oposite) There are a few yagi BandIII only aerials too.

Newest aerials are UHF for Woodcock (late 80s early 90s?). variously quad bow tie and Yagi

Foggy43

I can remember the Band 1 aerials horizontally polarized and beamed to Maghera. Before RTE 2 was even considered. I must admit aerial installers in South East Limerick would try and get you Mullaghanish or Mount Leinster first. Maghera a last resort. Remember RTV Rentals? Tipperary town?

Do any of you remember the poll that decided the people would prefer a second RTE channel rather that BBC1 as a second channel. I was a young lad then and blamed RTE for holding this poll in Dublin as they had BBC1 already. Being so young never heard of the Dept. of Communications. I was more than lightly completely wrong. Late 1970's :eek:

I was 14 when RTE2 opened.

Sponge Bob

I was abroad for most of the time it was NOT called RTE2 so I never called it anything else

I was thinking , silly me, that the aerial was on the fringes of Maghera, I defer to my betters .

Mike 1972

Antenna wrote: »

Its actually difficult to see any of these old aerials in good condition in that area now as many have disintegrated with elements missing. Much of the area was cabled in the 1980s. Some reminants of 'Band 1 only' aerials to be seen there obviously dating from before RTE2 was introduced

In Castlerea to this day there are a couple of buildings with (miraculously intact) 4 element Band 1 aerials pointing northwards. (Probably towards Brougher) One building even has a business name sign (business still trading) with a three digit telephone number.

Its that kinda place

Do any of you remember the poll that decided the people would prefer a second RTE channel rather that BBC1 as a second channel.

I read somewhere about the poll ( I think I was about six when RTE2 opened) but I was given to understand it was held in single channel areas. Mind you hard to make a decision either way on something one would likely have had no experience of. Personally though I reckon they should have voted for BBC 2

I can remember the Band 1 aerials horizontally polarized and beamed to Maghera. Before RTE 2 was even considered. I must admit aerial installers in South East Limerick would try and get you Mullaghanish or Mount Leinster first. Maghera a last resort.

Apart from the physical size of the aerials they were probably thinking about SpE interference from Spain etc

I was in Connemara a couple of times in the late seventies. IIRC they had poor RTE1 and no RTE2 (Band 1 signals not as affected by terrain) eventually they got a relay transposer (and telephone service after 11pm)