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Note how most of Sutton Coldfield`s “pre DSO” output clashes with Emley Moor`s.
Also check Sutton Coldfield`s forty one smaller repeaters.
The frequencies given are for the analogue channels, for (most) digital MUXES add 3MHz.
On the “Post DSO” version (below), notice the gaps for “other uses” on channels
31 to 35, 37, 39 to 40 and 63 to 68. It is also worth noting the fact that Oxford,
Malvern and Brierley Hill all transmit on the same frequencies.......
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.
Sutton Coldfield TV transmitter was one of the first in this country when it began broadcasting the BBC on the old 405 line VHF system in 1949, UHF colour transmissions started in 1965. The original mast was demolished in 1985 and the replacement is a 225m high (see How High is High ? ) mast which was built in 1983. Apparently the older structure was insufficiently strong to take the weight of the increasing number of transmitting antennas required. To make things even more complicated a 225m temporary mast was erected in the spring of 2009 so that work could proceed in raising the height of the original mast by 31m, to a total height of 271m.
The site is not quite in Sutton Coldfield but being just North of it`s namesake it is visible
from most areas North of Birmingham. The railway line to Lichfield runs near to the site,
this particular section being opened by the London & North Western Railway in 1884.
Sutton Coldfield has the third highest population coverage (approx 5 million) of any transmitter in the UK and broadcasts to many major towns/cities including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Leicester, Derby and Stoke. Sutton is one of the most powerful transmitters in the country at 1000 kW on analogue plus 8kW for all the Digital.
The transmitter has forty one smaller repeaters to help improve its coverage.
Sutton Coldfield was a B group and since the channel planners have fitted all the Digital / Freeview MUXES within the channels 41 to 55 it still is, more or less ! Technically speaking channel 55 (MUX6) isn`t within the B band but it`s pretty near to it. Our own tests prove that a B group will work on this frequency as well as a wideband or E group, it certainly does with our 18B. However Contract aerials can be rather inconsistent in their gain curves.
But remember Sutton Coldfield is returning to a B group (in 2011) anyway !
Overall view of Sutton Coldfield television transmitter. Picture Justin Smith (ATV)
Sutton Coldfield transmitter looking majestic against the spring sunshine.
Picture Justin Smith (ATV)
View of Lichfield transmitter from one of Sutton Coldfield`s outer most stay anchor points.
Note the tensioning mechanisms for the stay ropes. Picture Justin Smith (ATV)
Sutton Coldfield`s channels in relation to the UHF TV band and the gain curves of the
aerials we recommend for it. DM Log Log40 Yagi18B XB10B XB16B
Note that MUX6 is receivable on the B groups we sell just as well as on a wideband.
This does not mean you`ll definitely get it if you`re in a poor spot, but it does mean a wideband (of the same size) wouldn`t receive it any better !
Also see other relevant B group curves, and inconsistent gain curves of some Contract aerials.
For Sutton Coldfield`s frequencies see its Channel Allocation Guides for before and
after the DSO. These tables also include the same information for some of the other
transmitters receivable in the area, Waltham, Sandy, Oxford, Lark Stoke, Ridge Hill,
Bromsgrove, Malvern, Brierley Hill, The Wrekin, Winter Hill, Emley Moor and Belmont.
Note how they “dovetail” together in an attempt to minimise co-
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 from co-
Ofcom report that Sutton Coldfield is nominally omnidirectional for most of its digital
output though MUX 6 has a slight restriction between NNW and NNE. In addition it
is also transmitted from 15m lower down the mast and it has co-
See this customer aerial report for MUX6 off an E group aerial.
Lichfield (effectively co-
a pre switchover low power HDTV MUX (on CH34 at 4kW) from Mar 2010.
Due to co-
DSO is due to occur on the 7 September and 21 Sept 2011 and unsurprisingly it
has been confirmed by Ofcom that Sutton Coldfield will be returning to an indisputable B group.
At switchover Sutton Coldfield`s digital power output will increase from the
pre DSO 8kW output up to the post DSO level of 200kW.
There are two interleaved spectrum channels allocated to Sutton Coldfield, CH29 and CH51 which are both (more or less) within the previously announced post DSO group.
Any decent B group aerial would still be outperforming the equivalent wideband at CH29,
although this may not apply to some cheap crappy Contract aerials though......
For Sutton Coldfield we recommend the DM log for strong signal areas, the Log 40 for
medium signal areas, the Yagi18B for outdoor installs in poor signal areas,
the XB10B for loft installations in poor signal areas, and the XB16B for those with the
most marginal signals. Unless you have a massive loft we`d normally recommend an XB10B for loft installs over an XB16 due to smaller size of the former aerial.
The dimensions and test performance of the aerials can be
found on the relevant tables.
The two masts at Sutton Coldfield (the original mast is on the left).
As part of the work required for DSO a 225m temporary mast was erected in the spring of 2009
so that work could proceed in raising the height of the original mast by 31m. Thus the mast will
eventually be a total height of 271m. Ofcom report that the main mast is due back in use in the
summer of 2010.
Interestingly Sutton Coldfield does not transmit Channel Five it actually comes from Lichfield located 4 miles to the North East. Originally opened in 1956 to broadcast ITV on UHF it ceased those transmissions in 1985. Lichfield then began broadcasting C5 in 1997 and it does this at 1000 kW on channel 37, which is also within the B group.
To most locations the two sites are so close to each other that an antenna pointing at Sutton Coldfield would pick up Lichfield without any problem and this is of course no coincidence. When Lichfield transmitter was built the IBA obviously wanted as many homes as possible to pickup the new service on their existing aerials. In fact a line drawn on a map from the centre of the main Birmingham/Wolverhampton conurbation goes more or less straight through Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield ! For those wanting to pick up both transmitters the worst case scenario is NW or SE of them and if one is in a poor signal area and lives in these directions, within say 15 miles, one may find C5 is received at lower power. The latter is particularly likely if one has a “high gain” aerial with its correspondingly low beam width. Try adjusting the direction of your antenna so that the acceptance angle overlaps both transmitters or just pick up C5 on Freeview. There is a theoretical possibility that someone living directly in line with both masts will have their signal from one shielded by the other. It would be interesting to know if this has ever occurred !
Duplicated BBC / IBA (ITV) transmitters were also used at Crystal Palace / Croydon,
Holme Moss / Emley Moor and Pontop Pike / Burnhope in the NE of England.
In addition to it`s TV output Sutton Coldfield transmits (amongst other things) BBC national FM radio at 250 kW and that is BIG power......
External Links
Sutton Coldfield transmitter Page at MB21
Sutton Coldfield transmitter Page at The Big Tower
Sutton Coldfield transmitter Page on Wikipedia
Those living in the North
Notts area should take
particular note of the fact that
most of Sutton Coldfield`s
channels are on the same
frequencies as Emley Moor !
The best approach is to use
a B group “high gain aerial”
(with as narrow a beam width as possible) e.g. our Yagi18B or XB16B. If necessary try to mount the aerial so as to shield it from the unwanted transmitter, e.g. down the side of your house. Emley is NNW and Sutton Coldfield is SSW. Note that for this problem use of an amplifier will make no difference at all and may well things worse, in fact an attenuator
(in combination with a high gain aerial) would probably be of more use.
Spectrum = Interleaved Spectrum Channels
Some post switchover MUX allocations will be changed due to the 800MHz clearance.
If you`ve found this site informative and, hopefully, interesting as well,