Builth Wells transmitting station

Builth Wells

Builth Wells Carmel
Mast height	25 metres (82 ft)
Coordinates	52°09′56″N 3°24′36″W
Grid reference	SO036528
Built	1980s
Relay of	Carmel
BBC region	BBC Wales
ITV region	ITV Cymru Wales

The Builth Wells television relay station is sited on high ground to the north of the town of Builth Wells in Powys, South Wales. It was originally built in the 1980s as a fill-in relay for UHF analogue colour television. It consists of a 25 m self-supporting lattice mast standing on a hillside which is itself about 230 m above sea level. The transmissions are beamed southwards. The Builth Wells transmission station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Builth Wells transmitter is classed as an indirect off-air relay of Carmel. It re-radiates a signal received off-air from Llandrindod Wells about 12 km to the north, which itself is a direct off-air relay of Carmel. When it came, the digital switchover process for Builth Wells duplicated the timing at Carmel with the first stage taking place on 26 August 2009 and with the second stage being completed on 23 September 2009. After the switchover process, analogue channels had ceased broadcasting permanently and the Freeview digital TV services were radiated at an ERP of 5 W each.

Channels listed by frequency

Analogue television

1980s - 26 August 2009

Builth Wells (being in Wales) transmitted the S4C variant of Channel 4.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service
479.25 MHz	22	0.026	BBC One Wales
503.25 MHz	25	0.026	ITV1 Wales (HTV Wales until 2002)
527.25 MHz	28	0.026	BBC Two Wales
559.25 MHz	32	0.026	S4C

Analogue and digital television

26 August 2009 - 23 September 2009

The UK's digital switchover commenced at Carmel (and therefore at Builth Wells and all its other relays) on 26 August 2009. Analogue BBC Two Wales on channel 28 was first to close, and ITV Wales was moved from channel 25 to channel 28 for its last month of service. Channel 25 was replaced by the new digital BBC A mux which started up in 64-QAM and at full power (i.e. 5 W).

Frequency	UHF	kW	Service	System
479.25 MHz	22	0.026	BBC One Wales	PAL System I
506.000 MHz	25	0.005	BBC A	DVB-T
527.25 MHz	28	0.026	ITV1 Wales	PAL System I
559.25 MHz	32	0.026	S4C	PAL System I

Digital television

23 September 2009 - present

The remaining analogue TV services were closed down and the digital multiplexes took over on the original analogue channels' frequencies.

Frequency	UHF	kW	Operator
482.000 MHz	22	0.005	Digital 3&4
506.000 MHz	25	0.005	BBC A
530.000 MHz	28	0.005	BBC B

See also: List of digital terrestrial television channels (UK)

External links

• The Transmission Gallery: Builth Wells