Scottish/NW English/IOM DTT transmitters in Belfast/East Antrim

Mike 1972 · 05-02-2011 02:02AM #1

Anyone know which (if any) transmitters (or even relays) from the UK mainland are recievable in the Belfast/Southeast Antrim area ?

watty · 05-02-2011 11:31AM

It depends how high you are and if clear LOS to Scotland or IOM.

My sister can get Scotland in analogue era before local relay started. My mum's house was blocked by hill that now has local repeater (no DTT or C5 on it).
My Mother in law's house on North Down coast, not far south from Donaghadee certainly can get Manx Radio and the IOM Amateur repeater on a small whip stuck on downstairs radiator, so DTT from IOM might be possible there. I think Belfast to Carrickfergus to Larne via Whitehead and Islandmagee you can't get IOM TV unless you very high up. Some places there did use Scottish TV before Carnmoney, Whitehead and Larne repeaters added for Analogue.

Big pole + mast head amp, Pair of Blake SR18 or big Kathrien/Hirchmann/Triax/Unix and try?

For IOM in County Antrim, you are mostly blocked by Co.Down. Scotland is more likely in most locations.

Mr. Rabbit · 05-02-2011 04:03PM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Anyone know which (if any) transmitters (or even relays) from the UK mainland are recievable in the Belfast/Southeast Antrim area ?

Cambret Hill in Southwest Scotland is the one to go for Mike.

On the UK TV site it's listed as an alternative to Divis, along with Stranraer at my location.

Cambret Hill is receivable around here (Newtownabbey). I'm not sure about stranraer. There is talk that the com operators may be interested in Cambrett Hill.

The Best bet for the Isle of Man is Beary Park near Peel. However, it shares it's frequencies/channels with Carnmoney Hill, if I remember correctly.

Mike 1972 · 05-02-2011 04:09PM

Im high enough to have a view of most Belfast Lough and the Co Down coast and looking further North on a clear night I can see some kind of lighthouse out there (may not be in Scotland -perhaps on some rock/island -my maritime geography isint brilliant)
A few years back there was a fuzzy signal from (I think) Cambert hill on an amplified indoor aerial upstairs on Ch 39. Think this TX has gone DTT now but not sure of channel numbers. I can also get Manx radio on FM on a portable radio (in the sea facing rooms of the house)

One or two nearby houses also have aerials pointing out to sea.
Nearest main transmitter I can see on a map is Darvel with Caldbeck and Black Hill also (remote) possibilities however even Darvel looks a bit far off (probably would have more luck up around Larne) and IIRC its a group A TX which probably means all sorts of co channel issues with Divis

Mr. Rabbit · 05-02-2011 04:25PM

The closest would be cambrett Hill in Scotland then Mike.

If you can't get that one then you're unlikely to receive either Darvel or Black Hill.

The only other possibility is Caldbeck, but that only comes in here under lift conditions.

Mike 1972 · 05-02-2011 04:58PM

Thanks. Anyone know if these channel numbers are correct and up to date (lot of pre and post ASO lists floating around on the web at the moment)

Cambret Hill 44 /41 /47 (Horizontal)
Darvel 22/25/28/23/26/29 (latter three cochannel with Divis)
Black Hill 46/ 43/40/41/44/47 (all but latter two cochannel with Carnmoney)
Caldbeck 25/28/30/23/26/29 (again several multiplexes clash with Divis)

watty · 05-02-2011 05:31PM

Probably Cambret Hill.

The lighthouse is maybe Mew Island, one of three "Copeland Islands" off Donaghdee co. Down Coast. Or the Maidens off the Co. Antrim coast (less likely as they are visible from Browns Bay in Islandmagee).

Edit looking here it has to be Mew Is. AKA Copelands.
http://www.commissionersofirishlights.com/cil/aids-to-navigation.aspx

Digifriendly · 05-02-2011 08:24PM

There are a few aerials towards Scotland in and around Carrickfergus but few if any in and around Larne. I always assumed it was Darvel these aerials were aimed at but maybe I'm wrong. Cambret Hill is receivable in Bangor and can even be picked up here in Moira when conditions are favourable. Think I'm right in saying that Caldbeck which is now on full power after DSO is received in areas of North Belfast.

Sam the Aerialman · 05-02-2011 10:15PM

Digifriendly wrote: »

I always assumed it was Darvel these aerials were aimed at but maybe I'm wrong.

It is Blackhill - (Darvel is 100Kw Blackhill is 500Kw) combined with a huge aerial height.

Digifriendly wrote: »

Think I'm right in saying that Caldbeck which is now on full power after DSO is received in areas of North Belfast.

The PSB muxes are on full power but the COM muxes are still severely restricted and it's a bloody good thing. I have been shocked at the put down levels of Caldbeck in areas across eastern NI. Moira/ Lisburn parts of Templepatrick. During lift conditions Caldbeck's under powered COM muxes were better than Divis's 3 multiplexs 23,26,29. Darvel will be interesting....

Mike 1972 · 06-02-2011 12:26AM

Digifriendly wrote: »

There are a few aerials towards Scotland in and around Carrickfergus but few if any in and around Larne.

What with being in a bit of a dip a lot of Larne cant even get Divis but higher up parts of town shouldnt have much problem getting Scottish TV if theyre so inclined.

For the place I was querying about in Belfast it was to try and get Freeview. Carnmoney Hill is still analouge only and even when it goes digital will only offer three or maybe four multiplexes. A better aerial might bring in Divis but I initially thought a mainland TX might be easier but looking at the number of multiplexes likely to experience cochannel issues it seems to be back to the drawing board. Divis or Freesat seem to be the only real options

Sam the Aerialman · 06-02-2011 02:48AM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

For the place I was querying about in Belfast it was to try and get Freeview. Carnmoney Hill is still analouge only and even when it goes digital will only offer three or maybe four multiplexes. A better aerial might bring in Divis but I initially thought a mainland TX might be easier but looking at the number of multiplexes likely to experience cochannel issues it seems to be back to the drawing board. Divis or Freesat seem to be the only real options

Yes there will be initial problems whilst analogue is being switched off - When it does however we get into the territory of cofdm networks and space diversity were basically as long as the ERP's are maintained at reasonable levels, channels should be able to co-exist. This opens a whole other story on tuning issues however and grouped aerials pointed at the correct Tx. You take Divis and add at least 1 out of group channel and an interleaved mini mux at god knows what channel 48 maybe 56, looking down the throat of 100Kw from Divis there is only going to be 1 option.

watty · 06-02-2011 12:58PM

Yes, there are areas that use Carnmoney that would get Scotland and have no hope of Divis. My Dad's house is high enough for Scotland, but he is almost higher than Carnmoney and you can see whole mast. I'd think 10cm of wire on window sill would get Carnmoney. A neighbour of his had Satellite from Analogue Era and used German TV and Radio. FM not good enough for Stereo R3! The neighbour has passed on, but large band II aerial attempt to get decent R3 still on his chimney. I think a stacked pair pointed at Scotland would have worked better than attempting Divis.

SRB · 06-02-2011 01:47PM

Cambret DTT comes perfectly in on a group K pointed at Divis at my parents house in Carryduff. Drives them mad, as anytime the channels change line up and the TV does a rescan, it dumps BBC1 NI and UTV to the 800's. Their TV in the bedroom will lock on it using a small set top rx.

Mike 1972 · 06-02-2011 02:58PM

Think there is a possibility of Divis here with a better (correctly grouped/polorised/pointed aerial)

Theres an aerial pointed at Claremont carn which brings in (rather fuzzy) analouge RTE/TV3/TG4 and a single NI DTT multiplex on Ch 48 (from Divis I believe).

Sam the Aerialman · 11-02-2011 12:09AM

Darvel is under high power test this evening BBC A and B. Would be interesting to find out if there is any put down on the NI coast?

Mr. Rabbit · 12-02-2011 06:58PM

watty wrote: »

Yes, there are areas that use Carnmoney that would get Scotland and have no hope of Divis. My Dad's house is high enough for Scotland, but he is almost higher than Carnmoney and you can see whole mast. I'd think 10cm of wire on window sill would get Carnmoney. A neighbour of his had Satellite from Analogue Era and used German TV and Radio. FM not good enough for Stereo R3! The neighbour has passed on, but large band II aerial attempt to get decent R3 still on his chimney. I think a stacked pair pointed at Scotland would have worked better than attempting Divis.

I will assume Carnmoney Hill will be Freeview Lite post DSO Watty, unless it's officialy confirmed otherwise.

There's been talk of the COM multiplexes being interested in Cambret Hill for some time now, but it's still Freeview Lite.

Scottish/NW English/IOM DTT transmitters in Belfast/East Antrim

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