Hillsborough
Sheffield
S6 2LL
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experience problems, e.g. with certain MUXES disappearing. First try rescanning your
TV / set top box (do it manually if possible), but if this fails to work check on Transmitter work
or call the reception advice phone numbers. Also see basic digital fault finding.
Belmont television transmitter is situated 18 miles ENE of Lincoln and is a "guyed mast". Built in 1959, it was the tallest structure in the UK at 385m (1270ft). Think about it, that`s nearly a quarter of a mile in height ! As a comparison, the tallest building in Britain is
Canary Wharf and that is only 244m high, see How High is High ?. Unfortunately, as part of the digital switchover, the mast was shortened (between June 09 and April 10) by Arqiva (spelt wrong, I don`t like them anyway) to reduce the height of Belmont by 36m.
These people have no soul.....
The shortened structure is not even be the tallest in the UK, that honour would falls to the Skelton mast in Cumbria. The latter is used to broadcast at VLF (that`s Very Low Frequency) to Royal Navy submarines. Maybe that`s why I can`t find any pictures of it !
I have resolved to take one myself, but only when I can be sure the sun will be shining
when I get there. That might not be any time soon, so don`t hold your breath.
At 500kW (analogue) Belmont is very powerful, though C5 is only broadcast at one tenth
of this power and Digital at between 4 to 10kW. MUX 2 is now transmitted at 20kW, some sources still quote 10kW but our tests indicate that it is higher power than the others !
MUXES 1, 3 & 4 are 10kW and MUXES 5 & 6 are 4kW.
Belmont`s coverage area is huge because the topography around Lincolnshire is so flat and this explains why it only has five smaller relays (or repeaters) to improve coverage in poor reception areas within its coverage area. Even in Sheffield (55miles away) many of those with clear views East (see Topography map) can use Belmont if Crosspool and Emley are problematic. In terms of population it serves around 1.5 million including the towns/cities
of Hull, Lincoln, Nottingham, Peterborough, Grimsby and Mansfield.
The transmitter is Horizontally polarised and was originally an A group.
Unfortunately it has gone wideband to accommodate C5 and Digital/Freeview although
MUX1 (the main BBC channels) is on channel 30 and so those with an A group aerial
should receive that particular MUX OK. Those requiring all the digital channels will almost certainly need their antenna changing, see Belmont graph.
Belmont (as originally built), all 385m of it, from one of the outer anchor points. There were three sets of the of anchors and each one has two stays thus giving the six stay levels of the mast. Belmont was the only transmitter with this number, unsurprisingly as it was the tallest. When it was shortened (between Jun 09 and April 10) the top section was removed (c/w its stays) so it now only has 5 sets of stays.
Belmont television transmitter from the South (as originally built)
See Belmont`s height in relation to other transmitters and Emley v Belmont v Taipei 101.
Close up of the base of Belmont TV transmitter.
Belmont actually has an internal lift but there is a rumour that an accident (serious but not fatal) has caused it`s use to be reassessed...... During a recent conversation with one of
the team of painters who maintain the structure he revealed that a hoist is used the ascend the first 500 ft but from then on it`s a ladder. He said it takes him an hour and a half to
reach the top (remember he`s got to carry all his paint and safety gear) but only 20 minutes to get back down again ! Picture Justin Smith ATV
Some of the satellite dishes which Belmont uses to receive the signals which it then retransmits. Note the ducting protecting the huge cables carrying the amplified
transmission signals up the mast. Picture Justin Smith ATV.
Also see an additional picture of Belmont on the ATV`s choice of Aerials page.
Belmont`s channels in relation to the UHF TV band and the gain curves of the aerials
we recommend for it. DM Log Log40 DY14WB XB22WB
Note the channels out of the original A group of the transmitter including analogue C5, so if you get the latter then you already have a wideband aerial ! Also note that Digital MUX 1 is
Within the original A group so would be receivable without an wideband.
For Belmont`s frequencies see its Channel Allocation Guides below, for before
and for after the DSO.
Note that the “original A group curve” is that for post 1995 aerials, when the A group was extended up to CH37 from CH34. Thus the response curve for aerials fitted prior to this
date would be about 3 channels down.
Also see other relevant Wideband curves.
For Belmont`s frequencies see its Channel Allocation Guides for before and after the DSO. The guides also include the same information for some of the other transmitters in Belmont`s coverage area, namely Tacolneston, Sudbury, Sandy, Waltham,
Sutton Coldfield, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Emley Moor, Bilsdale and Olivers
Mount. This data can be very useful in the diagnosis of co-
and can also be invaluable if you are trying to find a spare channel for a modulated
output (e.g. for a Sky box or CCTV system) to be added to your TV setup/distribution
system without suffering from co-
Ofcom reports that CH30, CH57 & CH60 are essentially omnidirectional, CH48 has a slight notch at 100 degrees, and CH66 & CH68 slight attenuation to the East.
DSO is due to occur for Belmont in July 2011. Rather surprisingly it has been
confirmed that Belmont will stay a wideband at DSO. However the main PSB MUXES (plus MUX 4) will be receivable on an A group.
There are two interleaved spectrum channels allocated to Belmont, CH21 and CH23,
which are both within the previously announced post DSO group.
For Belmont we recommend the DM log for strong signal areas, the Log 40 for medium
signal areas, the DY14WB for poor signal areas, and the XB22WB for those with the
most marginal signals. The dimensions and test performance of the aerials can be
found on the relevant tables. If requiring a “high gain aerial” in the loft we recommend the DY14WB over the XB22 because of the former aerial`s smaller size.
Belmont`s Pre DSO Channel Allocations (above)
Also check Belmont`s five smaller relays
The frequencies given are for the analogue channels, for (most) digital MUXES add 3MHz.
Belmont`s Post DSO Channel Allocations (below), apart from its other uses this guide shows clearly that Belmont will remain a wideband (for two of the six MUXES) after DSO.
Note the gaps in the table below for channels 31 to 35, 37, 39 to 40 and 63 to 68, they`re reserved for “other uses”....
Those situated to the West of
Belmont (including the
Sheffield area) may find that
during certain weather
condition they can suffer from
their aerials are pointing
towards the continent.
Spectrum = Interleaved Spectrum Channels
If you`ve found this site informative and, hopefully, interesting as well,