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Pontop Pike Transmitter                       OS Grid Ref NZ 148 526  

   (& Burnhope)                                                       (OS Grid Ref NZ 184 474)

Note, as work takes place on various digital transmitters (to prepare for the DSO) you may

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.

Pontop Pike was opened in 1953 (though the date on the buildings at its base is 1955 ! )

to transmit BBC television on the "old" VHF 405 line system. Transmission of this signal

finally ceased in 1985, though since 1966 Pontop had been broadcasting (in colour) on the UHF 625 line system. It is situated 10 miles SW of Newcastle and its population coverage

is approaching two million. The transmissions are received in most areas of the North East including Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, Hartlepool, Darlington, Stockton and Middlesborough. Bilsdale would probably be the main choice for the last three, but in the end transmitter choice is all down to "line of sight"......

The mast is a cable stayed spaceframe with height (to the base of the transmitting array`s shroud) of 134m, so the tip of the mast is probably another 20 or so metres above that,

also see How High is High ?

The transmitter broadcasts the four main analogue channels at 500kW (and that is a lot

of power) though it doesn`t transmit C5 - on analogue - that come`s from Burnhope which

is four miles to the SE.

Digital / Freeview power is 10kW apart from MUX6 which is 8kW. Being a main transmitter Pontop is Horizontally polarised and it is C/D group. It has twenty six smaller repeaters to improve its coverage in poor signal areas. The channel planners managed to fit in all the Digital MUXES within this band so, with luck, an aerial change should not be required to pick up Freeview, see Pontop Pike graph.  

According to Ofcom Pontop Pike is nominally omni directional for all the Digital MUXES.

DSO is due to occur in October 2012 and it has been confirmed by Ofcom that Pontop will remain a C/D group.

Pontop Pike is planned to transmit a pre switchover low power HDTV MUX (on CH63 at

10kW) from Feb 2010. Due to co-channel interference issues (which are admittedly less

severe at Pontop than the other transmitters) its radiation pattern may be restricted so just

because you can get all six standard digital MUXES, this does not mean you`ll necessarily

get the temporary low power pre switchover HD MUX.

You will need a Freeview HD set top box though, due on the market from 2010.

There are two interleaved spectrum channels allocated to Pontop Pike, CH 51 and 56,

which are both within the previously announced post DSO group.

For Pontop`s frequencies see its Channel Allocation Guides for before & after the DSO. The guides also include the same information for some of the other transmitters in Pontop`s coverage area, namely Bilsdale, Emley Moor, Chatton, Fenham, Newton, Haltwhistle, Alston, Shoteyfield and Weardale. This data can be very useful in the diagnosis of

co-channel interference problems. The Channel Allocation Guides 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 co-channel.

For Pontop Pike/Burnhope we recommend the DM log for strong signal areas areas,

the Log 40 for medium signal areas, the Yagi18CD or the DY14WB for poor signal areas,

and the XB16E 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 XB16 because of the former aerial`s smaller size.

Burnhope transmitter was opened in 1959 to broadcast the "new" ITV channel on the

VHF system which it continued to do until 1985. The fact that Burnhope is only 4m SE of Pontop is no accident because it was intended to be effectively "co-sited" and therefore it would be picked up by those with their antennas trained on the BBC transmitter. This trick was used again when C5 came out in 1997 and Burnhope transmits (only) Channel Five

- on analogue - at 50kW. Those living NW or SW of the two transmitters will obviously have greater problems in picking up both, particularly from locations less than 10 miles from them. The latter figure will obviously vary according to the acceptance angle of your aerial, "high gain" types having a smaller acceptance angle. Incidentally this same double transmitter scenario was originally also used at Crystal Palace / Croydon,

Sutton Coldfield / Lichfield and Holme Moss / Emley Moor. The first two pairs also use the former ITV transmitters to broadcast C5. Burnhope is located about 6m WNW of Durham

(at NZ 184 474) and just like Pontop Pike it is a cable stayed spaceframe with five stay levels, though the mast height is 229m, which is somewhat taller than the BBC structure. One assumes that Burnhope will cease TV transmission when the analogue signal is

turned off in 2012.

At one time there were numerous railway lines around Pontop Pike but now if you want to visit this area it`s a car or a bus.The ex Stanhope & Tyne Railway used to run about half a mile away and this was one of the first built in this country in 1834. It was the last to

survive in the area but when the steel works at Consett shut in 1980 the line soon followed, closing in 1985.

Beamish the extensive heritage site/museum is only about four miles away, it opened in 1971 and has been expanding ever since. It`s well worth a visit but there`s so much to see that I`d plan to stay all day if I were you.

It`s actually good value if one considers that everything is "free" once you get in,

the opposite of, say, "Center Parcs" (SPX....) for instance.

External links

Pontop Pike Transmitter page at The Big Tower

Pontop Pike Transmitter page on Wikipedia

Base buildings at Pontop Pike. The date on the crest is 1955 though the mast began TV transmissions in 1953. Maybe it was something

to do with the start of VHF/FM radio

broadcasting which did begin in 1955.

Note the style of the structure, only marred by the security shutters and so forth needed to combat the moronic members of our society......

The whole thing, including the impressive crest,

has gravitas. Nowadays you`d just get a plastic

sign which would probably be in grammatically

inaccurate lower case *. Oh to be trendy......

On the subject of gravitas, when Pontop was

built TV news readers had some. You`d get a gentleman (or lady) behind a desk, not a pair of them poncing about like a pair of love struck teenagers.

Quite apart from anything else who is paying for

this under employment ? I say get rid of one of

them and cut the cost of the TV licence.......

Pontop Pike TV Transmitter, from the SW.                        (all pictures Justin Smith ATV)

Pontop Pike viewed from Burnhope TV transmitter

Burnhope transmitter

Pontop Pike television transmitter from an outer stay anchor.

See Pontop Pike`s  height in relation to other transmitters.

Pontop Pike`s TV frequencies/channels for before DSO (above) and after DSO (below).  

Also check Pontop`s twenty six smaller repeaters

The frequencies given are for the analogue channels, for (most) digital MUXES add 3Mhz.

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”....

If you`ve found this site informative and, hopefully, interesting as well,

please help us increase the number of people reading it.

Pontop Pike`s channels in relation to the UHF TV band and the gain curves of the aerials

we recommend for it.   DM Log    Log40     Yagi18C/D     DY14WB     XB16E

Also see other relevant C/D group curves.

*  I know what you`re thinking, he`s a fine one to talk about “grammatically incorrect lower case” with his aerialsandtv.com, .......but that`s a URL !