Hillsborough
Sheffield
S6 2LL
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you may experience reception problems, e.g. with certain MUXES disappearing.
First try rescanning your set top box and if this fails to work check on Transmitter work
or phone reception advice on 08700 100 123 (BBC) or 0844 881 4150 (ITV).
Waltham television transmitter is a "guyed mast" and was erected in 1968, or to be more accurate the present structure was put up then. The original fell down in 1967 just before entering service !
The transmitter is 314m high (a.g.l to the top of the glass fibre transmitter cover) and is situated 18 miles SE of Nottingham. Being a main transmitter it is Horizontally polarised
and it put`s out a big signal at 250kW (analogue), plus Digital at between 4 to 5kW. Note there isn`t really that much difference in coverage between 4 and 5 kW.
Waltham has sixteen smaller repeaters to improve its coverage in poor signal areas.
Originally it was a C/D group but with the addition of C5 and Digital television
it is now (unfortunately) a wideband. That said, C/Ds often pick up signal quite well
below their designed for band, so reception may still be possible in decent signal areas.
See Waltham`s graph.
Also check Waltham`s sixteen smaller repeaters.
Waltham`s Post DSO Channel Allocations (below), apart from its other uses this guide shows clearly that Waltham will remain wideband after DSO, but only if MUX4 is required !
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”....
Waltham TV transmitter (Picture Justin Smith ATV)
Waltham`s transmitting array. (Picture Justin Smith ATV)
Note how the MUX 5/6 antennas are almost hidden on the NW face of the mast so as not
to broadcast in the direction of Sandy (which is SSE) and cause co channel interference.
A similar situation exists with MUX1 and Emley Moor (to the NNW) and Oxford to the SW, also see Walthams channels. Thus if you live in (say) Corby you may have difficulty receiving MUXES 5 & 6 off Waltham so it may be advisable to try a different transmitter.
This information can be most useful and I cannot for the life of me understand why it is not more widely publicised.
Picture showing the feeder cables which carry the Digital signals up to the transmitters. (Picture Justin Smith ATV)
Note. All the main constituent parts of any main transmitter are duplicated at (great cost
one might add) so there is always a back up ready to use. Don`t forget these things
provide TV pictures for huge numbers of people, around 1.5 million depend on Waltham.
The “Big Five” transmitters (in terms of approximate population coverage) are :
Crystal Palace (London) 11 million
Winter Hill (NW of Manchester) 7 million
Sutton Coldfield (North of Birmingham) 5 million
Emley Moor (NW of Sheffield) 4 million
Black Hill (E of Glasgow) 2.5 million
Waltham`s channels in relation to the UHF TV band and the gain curves of the aerials
we recommend for it. DM Log Log40 XB10WB XB16WB
Note the channels out of the original C/D group of the transmitter. For Waltham`s frequencies see its Channel Allocation Guides below, for before and after the DSO
We recommend the DM log aerial for strong signal areas, the Log 40 for medium signal areas, the XB10WB for poor signal areas and the XB16WB for those with the most
marginal signals. The dimensions and test performance of the antennas can be found on
the relevant tables. The prices of the aerials are on the Sales page.
Waltham broadcasts ITV Central and the relevant BBC Regional TV programmes from the Midlands. It`s population coverage is around 1.5 million people and many in Nottingham, Leicester, Peterborough, Lincoln, Derby and Mansfield are aligned onto it. DSO is due to occur in May 2011. Rather surprisingly it has been confirmed by Ofcom that Waltham will (technically) stay a wideband at DSO. However only MUX 4 will be
out of the C/D group and even that may well be receivable in reasonable signal areas, the other five will be within band, including the three PSBs.
For Waltham`s frequencies see its Channel Allocations Guides for before and after DSO.
These also include the same data for some of the other major transmitters also receivable
within Waltham`s coverage area, namely Sutton Coldfield, Oxford, Sandy, Tacolneston,
Belmont, Emley, Chesterfield, Nottingham and Fenton. 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 a TV setup/distribution
system without suffering from co-
the North (so as not to clash with Emley`s MUX6) and also to the SW due to Oxfords C5.