Brougher Mountain Enniskillen signals NE Galway

Galway

Does any1 no where in NE Galway the above can be picked up 'off air' direct from the 100KW TX @ Enniskillen.

I have seen large aerials from Menlough up to Castleblakeney, Killahawn area but their direction would seem to suggest they are receiving from the Balla Deflector system?

Any one have any info on this?

Ulsterman 1690

While these things can never be ruled out the signal off Brougher (its actually in Co Tyrone a good bit away from Enniskillen) is hopeless so dont be at all suprised if you have more luck getting Divis even though its a good bit further away

Where do the deflectors in Loughrea and Tuam get their feed from ?

Galway

There is no deflector in Tuam area -it was closed down in late 1990 when MMDS started up. The tuam area - myself included get UK signals from Balla deflector (Kiltimagh Mountain) which is an off air feed from Brougher Mountain.

When cable came to Galway city in mid 1980s the signal was brought in from Kilconnel towards Ballinasloe (direct pick up from Br Mt) two sets of 4 stacked XG 21s then (now triax unix 100s) now a back up for NTL galway.

Loughrea as far as I know is also fed from Bt Mt.

Ulsterman 1690

it was closed down in late 1990 when MMDS started up

How come the others managed to stay on air ?

I remember seeing an article about cable coming to Galway in the early days the cable between the headend and the city was literally run along the ground through fields there were frequent breakdowns due to the cable being (accidently and otherwise) damaged

Galway

Political pressure.They were given licences by CoM reg but have to pay royalties. The signal quality can vary a good bit they are subject to weather fadin at their pickup sites and in high pressure heavy interference from Divis and BlackHill in Scotland affects the Irish terestrials from Cairn Hillin Longford. In those conditions CH 5 comes in (poorly and fading) fromn Black Mountain on ch37.So is BR MT a ropey enuff signal even in the north?

Galway

Galway wrote:

BlackHill in Scotland affects the Irish terestrials from Cairn Hillin Longford. In those conditions CH 5 comes in (poorly and fading) fromn Black Mountain on ch37.So is BR MT a ropey enuff signal even in the north?

I'd say its presely in Wales thats affecting your Cairn hill during high pressure conditions, it has a useable signal in Carlow and parts of Laois in ordinary circumstances with the right equipment, so it wouldnt take much tropospherics to have it interfering with cairn hill reception in Galway.
I'd also guess that it is presely's ch 5 on 37 that you are see-ing in those conditions as it is very powerfull and receivable in parts of laois with useable quality in normal weather with the right equipment.

lawhec

Earthman wrote:

I'd say its presely in Wales thats affecting your Cairn hill during high pressure conditions, it has a useable signal in Carlow and parts of Laois in ordinary circumstances with the right equipment, so it wouldnt take much tropospherics to have it interfering with cairn hill reception in Galway.
I'd also guess that it is presely's ch 5 on 37 that you are see-ing in those conditions as it is very powerfull and receivable in parts of laois with useable quality in normal weather with the right equipment.

I might well be Black Hill as in the right weather conditions I've successfully picked it up, obliterating RTÉ. It also broadcasts Five on Channel 37 too on the same power as the four main stations.

Transmissions from Brougher Mountain isn't particulary lousy, it's that unlike Divis which have omidirectional transmitting aerials, Brougher's are directional with it's highest ERPs directed North-East and restricted towards the west and south-west. I've seen a few aerials in Dungannon for Brougher (outside the coverage area) where Divis can be a bit ropey and I'm also told there are some in Portadown too.

Galway

No it was definitely Black Hill as my triax unix 100 grp B is facing North East (same direction , more or less as Divis & Black Hill. I can get a very faint shadow usually of UTV ch 25 from Brougher be it can be weather dependent. Only once I have ever seen Presely come thro in Co. Galway - at a different location and aerial was facing s east anyway. I think its Winter Hill in Lancs that has come thro at one point in high pressure last year. Caradon hill in Sw england is regularly receivable on seast irish coast.

Northern correspondent-you are in Tyrone a fair treck from Galway.
The ch 5 black mt tx is very very low power is it not? only 500watts-that would need a miracle to get down to Galway.

Black hill on the other hand is in central Scotland-so if Galway is getting interference from there on cairn hill then, it would be Black hills five that he is see-ing or presely if thats what is do-ing it and not the very weak Black mt.

Galway how do you know which tx is causing the interference during a hp? has it been so strong that it obliterates cairn hill, so as you can see black hill instead? That would be extraordinary given that cairn hill is practically local and with an erp of 800kw compared to black hills 500kw
In high pressure conditions it doesnt matter where your aerial is pointed the signals just come from afar if they want to, but not 400 miles from a 500watt station.
If Black Hill in Scotland is making its way down to Galway in HP conditions, the reception of five in the Belfast area would be woefull from black mt due to the co channel from black hill-maybe that is the case Norhtern correspondent?

Caradon here by the way is just about useable during the summer with twin group A's.

lawhec

Northern correspondent-you are in Tyrone a fair treck from Galway.

Aye, but I am still well well outside the service area for Balck Hill by at least 150 miles and reception of TV is only possible in good periods of tropospheirc ducting. It's BBC FM stations though can be received on a car radio in the summer months usually 4 days out of 10.

The ch 5 black mt tx is very very low power is it not? only 500watts-that would need a miracle to get down to Galway.

It's 50kW radiated very directionly.

Galway how do you know which tx is causing the interference during a hp? has it been so strong that it obliterates cairn hill, so as you can see black hill instead? That would be extraordinary given that cairn hill is practically local and with an erp of 800kw compared to black hills 500kw

It's only a 2db difference in real terms. During times when ducting from Black Hill is possible it was possible to null out the very weak signal from Carin Hill to that of Black Hill without too much difficulty so I'd assume an outdoor aerial with much more directivity, gain and a freedom of obstacles would be no problem. I'd assume TX id would be via ITV & BBC Region, and if the signal was strong enough, a teletext ID could bring it up too.

If Black Hill in Scotland is making its way down to Galway in HP conditions, the reception of five in the Belfast area would be woefull from black mt due to the co channel from black hill-maybe that is the case Norhtern correspondent?

During these ducts Channel 5 from Black Mountain does indeed get obliterated from Black Hill with horrendus co-channel interference on an indoor aerial on an already weak Black Mountain signal. In Belfast itself however Channel 5 is more likely to suffer in high pressure days from the Cambret Hill relay in Dumfries which also has Channel 5 on Ch 37. I believe this already makes Channel 5 unwatchable for many on the North Down coast even under normal conditions.

Coincidently during these ducts the Darvel transmitter in Ayr (100kW) had the strongest signals enough to give error free teletext on an indoor aerial pointing out of a window! :eek: However since Brougher started DTT, only Channel 5 (Ch 35) is receivable during these ducts.

Galway

ya i suspect it was more likely ch 5 on 37 from Black hill.Iam outside cairn hills service area so am using triax 100 and 35 db amp to get on 16 ft pole, cairn hill wasnt blacked out but was impaired enuff. i think winter hill has adjacent channels and that was comin thro last year. i was also gettin limavady in gr cd and ch 5 comin in also on ch 35 dunno from where.I am 16 miles neast of galway city on highish ground