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Midhurst transmitting station

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Coordinates: 51°01′02″N 0°42′04″W / 51.017222°N 0.701111°W / 51.017222; -0.701111
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Midhurst
Midhurst is located in West Sussex
Midhurst
Midhurst
Location in West Sussex
Mast height117.7 metres (386 ft)
Coordinates51°01′02″N 0°42′04″W / 51.017222°N 0.701111°W / 51.017222; -0.701111
Grid referenceSU912250
Built1972
BBC regionBBC South
ITV regionITV Meridian (South)

The Midhurst transmitting station is a facility for both analogue and digital VHF/FM radio and UHF television transmission, 3.1 miles (5.0 km) northeast of Midhurst, West Sussex, England. The station broadcasts to much of the northern half of West Sussex, and to small parts of Surrey and Hampshire. This includes towns such as Horsham, Midhurst, Haslemere, Godalming, Petersfield, Steyning, and Bordon.

It includes a guyed steel lattice mast, and on top of this is the UHF television transmitting antenna, which brings the overall height of the structure to 117.7 metres (386 ft).

The transmission site is located at 51° 01' 2.0″ North, 0° 42' 4.0" West[1] (National Grid Reference: SU912250[2]).

The current mast has an average height of 307 metres above sea level. It is now owned and operated by Arqiva, but was owned by the BBC before they privatised their transmission department prior to 1997.

Services listed by frequency

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Analogue radio (FM VHF)

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Frequency kW Service
106.6 MHz 0.4 Greatest Hits Radio West Sussex

Digital radio (DAB)

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Frequency Block kW Operator
222.064 MHz 11D 1.0 Digital One
225.648 MHz 12B 6.3 BBC National DAB

Television

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Analogue

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1972 – 1983
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Frequency UHF kW Service
743.25 MHz 55 100 BBC2 South
767.25 MHz 58 100 Southern (TVS from Jan 1982)
791.25 MHz 61 100 BBC1 South
1983 – 31 December 1992
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Frequency UHF kW Service
743.25 MHz 55 100 BBC2 South
767.25 MHz 58 100 TVS
791.25 MHz 61 100 BBC1 South
847.25 MHz 68 100 Channel 4
1 January 1993 – 14 November 1998
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Frequency UHF kW Service
743.25 MHz 55 100 BBC2 South
767.25 MHz 58 100 Meridian
791.25 MHz 61 100 BBC1 South
847.25 MHz 68 100 Channel 4

Analogue and digital

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15 November 1998 – 28 February 2012
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Digital terrestrial television was first transmitted from the Midhurst mast from 15 November 1998 using the frequency gaps between the analogue TV broadcasts. To limit interference to the analogue transmissions, power output on the digital multiplexes was low.

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
743.25 MHz 55 100 BBC2 South PAL System I
754.166 MHz 56+ 2 BBC (Mux 1) DVB-T
767.25 MHz 58 100 Meridian PAL System I
778.166 MHz 59+ 2 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
786.000 MHz 60 1 Arqiva (Mux D) DVB-T
791.25 MHz 61 100 BBC1 South PAL System I
802.166 MHz 62+ 2 SDN (Mux A) DVB-T
817.833 MHz 64- 1 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
826.166 MHz 65+ 2 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) DVB-T
847.25 MHz 68 100 Channel 4 PAL System I
29 February 2012 to 13 March 2012
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On 29 February 2012, Midhurst started DSO with analogue BBC2 ceasing transmission on UHF 55 and Mux 1 closed on UHF 56.[3] The new BBC A multiplex started on UHF 55 from the start.

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
746.000 MHz 55 20 BBC A DVB-T
767.25 MHz 58 100 Meridian PAL System I
778.166 MHz 59+ 2 BBC (Mux B) DVB-T
786.000 MHz 60 1 Arqiva (Mux D) DVB-T
791.25 MHz 61 100 BBC1 South PAL System I
802.166 MHz 62+ 2 SDN (Mux A) DVB-T
817.833 MHz 64- 1 Arqiva (Mux C) DVB-T
826.166 MHz 65+ 2 Digital 3&4 (Mux 2) DVB-T
847.25 MHz 68 100 Channel 4 PAL System I

Digital

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14 March 2012 to 2 October 2012
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Following the completion of analogue TV shutdown on 14 March 2012,[4] Midhurst frequency allocation was.

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
706.000 MHz 50 10 (1 kW untul 25 April 2012) Arqiva B DVB-T
746.000 MHz 55 20 BBC A DVB-T
770.000 MHz 58 20 BBC B DVB-T2
778.000 MHz 59 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
794.000 MHz 61 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
802.000 MHz 62 10 SDN DVB-T
3 October 2012 to 20 March 2018
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Due to the clearance of the 800 MHz band, Digital 3&4 was moved from UHF 61 to UHF 56 and SDN from UHF 62 to UHF 54.[5]

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
706.000 MHz 50 10 Arqiva B DVB-T
738.000 MHz 54 10 SDN DVB-T
746.000 MHz 55 20 BBC A DVB-T
754.000 MHz 56 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
770.000 MHz 58 20 BBC B DVB-T2
778.000 MHz 59 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
21 March 2018 to 15 October 2019
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Due to the clearance of the 700 MHz band,[6] SDN was moved from UHF 54 to UHF 29, this allowed Digital 3&4 to move from UHF 56 to UHF 54 (this was a "Transitional" frequency for 700MHZ clearance purposes), BBC A from UHF 55 to UHF 48 and Arqiva B from UHF 50 to UHF 33.

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
538.000 MHz 29 10 SDN DVB-T
570.000 MHz 33 10 Arqiva B DVB-T
690.000 MHz 48 20 BBC A DVB-T
738.000 MHz 54 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
770.000 MHz 58 20 BBC B DVB-T2
778.000 MHz 59 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
16 October 2019 to present
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Midhurst completed 700 MHz clearance on 16 October 2019 when the following frequencies came into use.[7]

Frequency UHF kW Operator System
538.000 MHz 29 10 SDN DVB-T
570.000 MHz 33 10 Arqiva B DVB-T
578.000 MHz 34 10 Arqiva A DVB-T
586.000 MHz 35 20 Digital 3&4 DVB-T
594.000 MHz 36 20 BBC B DVB-T2
690.000 MHz 48 20 BBC A DVB-T

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Flash Earth". Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. ^ "BBC - TV Transmitters". Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Digital UK - Midhurst". Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  4. ^ "West Sussex's Midhurst transmitter gets ready for final stage of the Digital Switchover". a516digital. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  5. ^ "West Sussex: Countdown to the first 4G clearance retune". a516digital. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Freeview changes - Southern England - 21st March 2018". a516digital. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  7. ^ "Freeview signal changes reach SE England". rxtvlog. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
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