Sandy Heath transmitting station is a television broadcast station located between Sandy, Bedfordshire and Potton near the B1042. It is owned by Arqiva, formerly NTL Broadcast. It was built in 1965, originally broadcasting Anglia Television on VHF 405-lines, UHF with 625-line services of BBC2, BBC1, and Anglia Television being added by January 1971. It carried Channel 4 and Channel 5 from their launch days, Channel 5 at lower power than the other four services. Today it broadcasts digital television on the DTT platform as Digital Switchover took place on 13 April 2011. On 17 June 2018, as part of the 700MHz clearance, Com5 (ARQ A) moved from Ch52 to Ch36, Com7 (Arq C) moved from Ch32 to Ch55 and Com8 (Arq D) moved from Ch34 to Ch56
It is a K group or wideband TV transmitter (horizontal polarization), though an original A group aerial will still receive four of the main six Muxes, in fact from Feb 2020 only MUX 4 (SDN) will be out of the A group. During DSO, the digital transmission power for the PSB and Commercial muxes increased from 20 kW to 180 kW and 170 kW respectively.
Sandy Heath is the main local TV transmitter for Bedfordshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and north Hertfordshire as well as North West Essex, bringing the nearby area Look East and Anglia Tonight (except on HD freeview-103 where it sends Meridian). Coverage extends to parts of Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, Leicestershire, Peterborough, and South Lincolnshire.
It also broadcasts the BBC local radio station BBC Three Counties Radio and the independent radio station Heart East formerly Chiltern Radio.
It was opened on 5 July 1965 by Charles Hill, Baron Hill of Luton for the ITA (Anglia TV). By the end of 1965, it was hoped that nine ITA transmitters would be open.
From its start until late 1966, the transmitter could not broadcast schools programmes in the morning because the frequency (waveband) clashed with the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in nearby Cambridgeshire. Anglia TV broadcast on channel 6 from noon to midnight, and the astronomy observatory broadcast on it during the morning.
Info and pictures of Sandy transmitter including historical power/frequency changes and present co-receivable transmitters
MB21 Transmission Gallery – Sandy Heath
Sandy Heath Transmitter at thebigtower.com
January 20, 2023
sandy, heath, transmitting, station, television, broadcast, station, located, between, sandy, bedfordshire, potton, near, b1042, owned, arqiva, formerly, broadcast, built, 1965, originally, broadcasting, anglia, television, lines, with, line, services, bbc2, b. Sandy Heath transmitting station is a television broadcast station located between Sandy Bedfordshire and Potton near the B1042 It is owned by Arqiva formerly NTL Broadcast It was built in 1965 originally broadcasting Anglia Television on VHF 405 lines UHF with 625 line services of BBC2 BBC1 and Anglia Television being added by January 1971 It carried Channel 4 and Channel 5 from their launch days Channel 5 at lower power than the other four services Today it broadcasts digital television on the DTT platform as Digital Switchover took place on 13 April 2011 On 17 June 2018 as part of the 700MHz clearance Com5 ARQ A moved from Ch52 to Ch36 Com7 Arq C moved from Ch32 to Ch55 and Com8 Arq D moved from Ch34 to Ch56Sandy HeathSandy Heath transmitting station Bedfordshire Mast height244 metres 801 ft Coordinates52 07 49 N 0 14 29 W 52 130139 N 0 241389 W 52 130139 0 241389 Coordinates 52 07 49 N 0 14 29 W 52 130139 N 0 241389 W 52 130139 0 241389Grid referenceTL2036249485Built1965BBC regionBBC EastITV regionITV AngliaIt is a K group or wideband TV transmitter horizontal polarization though an original A group aerial will still receive four of the main six Muxes in fact from Feb 2020 only MUX 4 SDN will be out of the A group During DSO the digital transmission power for the PSB and Commercial muxes increased from 20 kW to 180 kW and 170 kW respectively Sandy Heath is the main local TV transmitter for Bedfordshire Suffolk Cambridgeshire Northamptonshire and north Hertfordshire as well as North West Essex bringing the nearby area Look East and Anglia Tonight except on HD freeview 103 where it sends Meridian Coverage extends to parts of Buckinghamshire Norfolk Leicestershire Peterborough and South Lincolnshire It also broadcasts the BBC local radio station BBC Three Counties Radio and the independent radio station Heart East formerly Chiltern Radio Contents 1 Construction 2 Services listed by frequency 2 1 Analogue radio 2 2 Digital radio 2 3 Digital television 2 3 1 Before switchover 2 4 Analogue television 3 References 4 External linksConstruction EditIt was opened on 5 July 1965 by Charles Hill Baron Hill of Luton for the ITA Anglia TV By the end of 1965 it was hoped that nine ITA transmitters would be open From its start until late 1966 the transmitter could not broadcast schools programmes in the morning because the frequency waveband clashed with the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in nearby Cambridgeshire Anglia TV broadcast on channel 6 from noon to midnight and the astronomy observatory broadcast on it during the morning Services listed by frequency EditAnalogue radio Edit Frequency kW Service95 5 MHz 1 BBC Three Counties Radio96 9 MHz 0 84 Heart EastDigital radio Edit Frequency Block kW Operator222 064 MHz 11D 4 7 Digital One225 648 MHz 12B 5 BBC National DABDigital television Edit Frequency UHF kW Operator System474 166 MHz 21 180 BBC B DVB T2498 000 MHz 24 180 Digital 3 amp 4 DVB T522 000 MHz 27 180 BBC A DVB T570 000 MHz 33 170 SDN DVB T594 000 MHz 36 170 Arqiva A DVB T690 000 MHz 48 170 Arqiva B DVB T Before switchover Edit Frequency UHF kW Operator626 166 MHz 40 20 Arqiva Mux C 641 833 MHz 42 20 BBC Mux 1 650 166 MHz 43 20 SDN Mux A 665 833 MHz 45 20 Digital 3 amp 4 Mux 2 674 166 MHz 46 20 Arqiva Mux D 842 000 MHz 67 20 BBC Mux B Analogue television Edit Analogue television services are no longer available BBC Two was closed on 30 March 2011 and the remaining services on 13 April 2011 Frequency UHF kW Service471 25 MHz 21 1000 Channel 4495 25 MHz 24 1000 ITV Anglia 519 25 MHz 27 1000 BBC Two551 25 MHz 31 1000 BBC One615 25 MHz 39 10 Channel 5References EditExternal links EditInfo and pictures of Sandy transmitter including historical power frequency changes and present co receivable transmitters MB21 Transmission Gallery Sandy Heath Sandy Heath Transmitter at thebigtower com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sandy Heath transmitting station amp oldid 1119031668, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
