Hillsborough
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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.
The transmitter is 314m high (a.g.l) to the top of the glass fibre transmitter cover (see How High is High ? ) 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.
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 on radiation patterns can be most useful, and I cannot for the life of me understand why it is not more widely publicised.
For details of the transmitting arrays see Taylors Of Oldham`s catalogue.
Picture showing the feeder cables which carry the Digital signals up to the transmitters.
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 biggest transmitters (in terms of approximate population coverage * over 1 million) :
Crystal Palace (London) 11 million
Winter Hill (NW of Manchester) 7 million
Sutton Coldfield (N of Birmingham) 5 million
Emley Moor (NW of Sheffield) 4 million
Black Hill (E of Glasgow) 2.5 million
Pontop Pike (SW of Newcastle) 2 million
Sandy (E of Bedford) 2 million
Rowridge (Isle of Wight) 1.75 million
Belmont (ENE of Lincoln) 1.5 million
Mendip (S of Bristol) 1.5 million
Sudbury (WSW of Ipswich) 1.5 million
Waltham (SE of Nottingham) 1.5 million
Bilsdale (S of Middlesborough) 1.0 million
Craigkelly (N of Edinburgh) 1.0 million
* Based on the BBC estimates from 1977, but I can`t imagine they`re that far out. The last time I looked all the major towns and cities were in the same place as they were in 1977...
For Waltham 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.
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 (although this is less likely to apply for some cheap crappy Contract aerials though), the other five will be within band, including the three PSBs.
There are two interleaved spectrum channels allocated to Waltham, CH 55 and CH 59,
which are both within the previously announced post DSO group.
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.
External Links
Also check Waltham`s sixteen smaller repeaters.
The frequencies given are for the analogue channels, for (most) digital MUXES add 3Mhz.
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`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 C/D group of the transmitter. For Waltham`s frequencies see its Channel Allocation Guides below, for before and after the DSO.
Also see other relevant Wideband curves.
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,