A.T.V (Aerials and Television) est. 1994
419 Langsett Rd
Hillsborough
Sheffield
S6 2LL
© 2008 Justin Smith A.T.V
All Rights reserved

Oughtibridge / Wharncliffe Transmitter OS Grid Ref SK 307 952
Oughtibridge television transmitter broadcasts into the Upper Don valley and is necessary due to Emley, Belmont and Crosspool TX`s being hidden by the hills. It is a relay of Emley Moor and is a Vertically polarised C/D group of 39W. Only the basic four television channels are transmitted, i.e. no C5 or Digital TV, though this is due to change in September 2011 when the DSO occurs. Note that only the three basic PSB MUXES will be transmitted from Oughtibridge, not all six of them.
In this area we would put customers on Emley where ever possible (for C5 and Digital) but as one drops down into the valley this becomes more problematic. However, if one
examines the topography map some people have a view NNW up the Don valley and so can still get onto Emley even if they live on the valley floor. The mast is quite well hidden behind Wharncliffe Woods but if one looks closely one can just see the transmitting array
of log periodics above the tree line. The Channel Allocation Guide reveals that all 4 programme channels are transmitted on the same frequencies as both Wincobank and Dronfield repeaters, though one would not normally get any co-channel interference due to their low powers and the distance/topography between them.
A single track stub of the ex Great Central Railway (which originally linked Sheffield to Manchester via the Woodhead tunnel) runs in the valley below. These days it only sees
one train a day running from the steel works at Aldwarke to the plant at Stocksbridge.
How the mighty have fallen, back in the 1840s this railway was one of the first main lines built in this country and it was electrified at great expense (and six mens lives....) in 1954.
Con trails over Oughtibridge / Wharncliffe repeater transmitter. Picture Justin
Smith (ATV)
Oughtibridge TV transmitter against the setting sun. Picture Justin
Smith (ATV)


Close up of the Oughtibridge repeaters log periodic aerial array.
A repeater (or relay) is a transmitter which receives a signal from a main transmitter, remodulates it onto a different set of frequencies and then rebroadcasts it again. They are usually (but not always) Vertically polarised and are
used to transmit into areas which are unable to receive good signals from the main transmitter.
In this case the repeater retransmits into the
low lying areas of the Don valley around Wharncliffe and Oughtibridge, hence the name.
The signal is received from Emley Moor
(situated to the NW) using the log periodic
at the bottom of the picture and then
rebroadcast via the array at the top of the
mast into the valley to the South and West.
Note the broadcast authorities use of Log Periodic aerials. They use them wherever possible, we use them wherever possible,
and so should everyone else !
At DSO (Digital Switchover) the plan is that these small repeaters will only broadcast the three PSB MUXES, not all six of them.
That will still give all the five channels which
are presently transmitted on analogue plus
a load of others as well but you won`t get all of the available transmissions. I wouldn`t worry about it though, most of the extra channels
are rubbish (or repeats) anyway.....
