View source for Arfon transmitting station

{{short description|Transmitter site in northwest Wales}}
{{update|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox UK Transmitter
|name = Arfon
|image = [[File:The Nebo Relay Mast - geograph.org.uk - 259341.jpg|250px]]
|map = {{Location map+
| Wales Gwynedd
| width          = 250
| float          = center
| caption        = 
| places         = {{Location map~ | Wales Gwynedd
| label      = Arfon
| mark       = 
| position   =
| coordinates = {{coord|53.019722|-4.273333|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
}}{{Location map~ | Wales Gwynedd
| label      = Llanddona
| mark       = Green pog.svg
| position   = bottom
| coordinates = {{coord|53.306944|-4.128333|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline}}
}}
}}
|height = {{convert|317.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|gridref = SH476493
|built = 1962
|demolished =
|collapsed =
|relay = [[Llanddona transmitting station|Llanddona]]
|BBC = [[BBC Wales]]
|ITV = [[ITV Cymru Wales]]
}}
The '''Arfon transmitting station''' is a facility for [[Frequency modulation|FM]], [[DAB digital radio]] and [[television]] transmission near the villages of [[Nebo, Gwynedd|Nebo]] and [[Nasareth]] in [[Gwynedd]], northwestern [[Wales]] ({{gbmapping|SH476493}}). It includes a {{convert|308.5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} [[guyed mast]] with [[Antenna (radio)|antennas]] attached at various heights. The mast is surmounted by a television transmitting antenna, which brings the total height of the structure to {{convert|317.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, making it the tallest structure in Wales.<ref name="height">[http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=C07A/0712/22/HT Gwynedd Council : Track & Trace Planning Applications : Application Details<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It is owned and operated by [[Arqiva]].

==History==
The station was built by the [[Independent Television Authority|ITA]] in the early 1960s to provide a [[405-line]] [[ITV Network|ITV]] [[Band III]] ([[VHF]]) TV service for north west Wales. Unlike the [[BBC]], which served the area from [[Llanddona transmitting station|Llanddona]] (on the island of [[Anglesey]]), Arfon gave better [[coverage map|coverage]] to some areas. The tower was completed in 1962 and began broadcasting on 9 November of that year.

In October 1975 the site became a medium power [[UHF]] [[625-line|analogue]] [[PAL|colour television]] relay of Llanddona, at the time carrying [[BBC One]], [[BBC Two]] and [[ITV Network|ITV]]. [[S4C]] was added in 1982.

405-line TV was finally discontinued in the UK in 1985, but it appears that Arfon's VHF transmitters were decommissioned a year early in 1984 and {{citation needed span|date=March 2021|text=the transmitters themselves were reused for clinical radiotherapy.|reason=this sounds bizarre but also strangely credible}}

More recently, Police and Ambulance communications have been added, in addition to mobile (cellular) telephone antennas. In 1993, [[Classic FM (UK)|Classic FM]] began using the site for FM coverage of north west Wales in preference to Llanddona (the BBC's regional FM site), partly due to a dispute over BBC charges for sharing fees of its transmitter masts and antennas, but more because Arfon, in conjunction with Great Orme's Head (near [[Llandudno]]) gave Classic FM better coverage than the BBC sites.

On 16 November 1998, local commercial radio station [[Champion 103]] launched from studios in [[Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor]] with its transmitter at Arfon.

The mast had its [[aircraft warning lights]] replaced in Summer 2006 to red lamps employing arrays of ultrabright [[light-emitting diode|LEDs]].

On 18 July 2006, national digital radio network [[Digital One]] began broadcasting from the station.

==Coverage area==
The primary television service area includes most of Anglesey and central parts of the [[Llŷn Peninsula]], however many viewers in south [[Dublin]] and north [[County Wicklow]] can also receive Arfon's broadcasts. The radio service area is slightly larger, reaching further down [[Cardigan Bay]] towards [[Tonfanau]] near [[Tywyn]].[http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/mcamaps/al222.pdf]

==Channels listed by frequency==

===Analogue television===

====9 November 1962 – October 1975====
Initially, Arfon was a relay of [[Preseli transmitting station|Preseli]], receiving its 405-line VHF transmission off-air on channel 8 and rebroadcasting it on channel 10.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!{{no2}}Frequency
!{{no2}}VHF
!{{no2}}kW
!{{no2}}Service
|-
|{{UK System A|ch=10}}
|10
|10
|[[ITV Wales & West|HTV Wales]] <small>([[Teledu Cymru]] until 1968)</small>
|}

====October 1975 – 1 November 1982====
With the coming of colour TV on 625 lines, Arfon acted as a relay of Llanddona, whilst continuing to relay Preseli's VHF transmission.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!{{no2}}Frequency
!{{no2}}VHF
!{{no2}}UHF
!{{no2}}kW
!{{no2}}Service
|-
|{{UK System A|ch=10}}
|10
|—
|10
|[[ITV Wales & West|HTV Wales]]
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=41}}
|—
|41
|3.6
|HTV Wales
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=44}}
|—
|44
|3.6
|[[BBC Two Wales|BBC2 Wales]]
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=51}}
|—
|51
|3.6
|[[BBC One Wales|BBC1 Wales]]
|}

====1 November 1982 – January 1984====
1982 saw the rollout of the UK's 4th planned UHF television channel. As with all Welsh transmitters, Arfon was required to carry [[S4C]] instead of [[Channel 4]] which is broadcast to the rest of the United Kingdom.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!{{no2}}Frequency
!{{no2}}VHF
!{{no2}}UHF
!{{no2}}kW
!{{no2}}Service
|-
|{{UK System A|ch=10}}
|10
|—
|10
|[[ITV Wales & West|HTV Wales]]
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=41}}
|—
|41
|3.6
|HTV Wales
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=44}}
|—
|44
|3.6
|[[BBC Two Wales|BBC2 Wales]]
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=47}}
|—
|47
|3.6
|[[S4C]]
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=51}}
|—
|51
|3.6
|[[BBC One Wales|BBC1 Wales]]
|}

====January 1984 – 21 October 2009====
After 22 years of VHF television from this site, the service was discontinued in January 1984. On UHF, Arfon was destined only ever to transmit the originally-planned four of the eventual five analogue [[terrestrial television]] channels.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!{{no2}}Frequency
!{{no2}}UHF
!{{no2}}kW
!{{no2}}Service
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=41}}
|41
|3.6
|[[ITV Wales & West|ITV1 Wales]] <small>(HTV Wales until 2002)</small>
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=44}}
|44
|3.6
|[[BBC Two Wales]]
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=47}}
|47
|3.6
|[[S4C]]
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=51}}
|51
|3.6
|[[BBC One Wales]]
|}

===Analogue and digital television===

====21 October 2009 – 18 November 2009====
There never was a pre-[[Digital switchover|DSO]] digital TV service from Arfon.

DSO for the repeaters of [[Llanddona transmitting station|Llanddona]] occurred between 21 October & 18 November 2009. In preparation for this, the transmitting antenna at the top of the Arfon mast was replaced in March 2008. This new antenna is slightly taller than the previous one, resulting in the mast's total height increasing to {{convert|317.4|m|ft|0}} from its previous height of {{convert|313.9|m|ft|0}}.<ref name="height"/>

On 21 October, BBC2 Analogue was switched off, and ITV1 Wales took over its frequency for its final three weeks of service. BBC Mux A took over channel 41 that had just been vacated by ITV.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!{{no2}}Frequency
!{{no2}}UHF
!{{no2}}kW
!{{no2}}Service
!{{no2}}System
|-
|{{UK DVB-T|ch=41|off=pos}}
|41+
|2
|[[BBC]] A
|[[DVB-T]]
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=44}}
|44
|3.6
|[[ITV Wales & West|ITV1 Wales]]
|[[PAL]] System I
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=47}}
|47
|3.6
|[[S4C]]
|PAL System I
|-
|{{UK System I|ch=51}}
|51
|3.6
|[[BBC One Wales]]
|PAL System I
|}

===Digital television===

====18 November 2009 – present====
The analogue television transmissions from Arfon ceased and were replaced by digital transmissions. Unusually for the UK, the digital transmissions from this site are considerably more powerful than is usual practice considering the ERP of the analogue services that they replace.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Frequency
!UHF
!kW
!Operator
|-
|{{UK DVB-T|ch=41|off=pos}}
|41+
|2
|[[BBC]] A
|-
|{{UK DVB-T|ch=44}}
|44
|2
|[[Digital 3&4]]
|-
|{{UK DVB-T|ch=47}}
|47
|2
|BBC B
|}

===Analogue radio (FM VHF)===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Frequency
!kW<ref name="Radio Listeners Guide 2010">Radio Listeners Guide 2010</ref>
!Service
|-
|100.7 [[MHz]]
|3.75 (H)<br>15 (V)
|[[Classic FM (UK)|Classic FM]]
|-
|103.0&nbsp;MHz
|2.5
|[[Capital Cymru]]
|-
|107.2&nbsp;MHz
|2.5
|[[Heart North and Mid Wales]]
|}

===Digital radio (DAB)===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Frequency
!Block
!kW<ref name="Radio Listeners Guide 2010"/>
!Operator
|-
|215.072&nbsp;MHz
|10D
|—
|[[MuxCo North Wales|MuxCo North West Wales]]†
|-
|222.064&nbsp;MHz
|11D
|1.9
|[[Digital One]]
|-
|225.648&nbsp;MHz
|12B
|4
|[[BBC National DAB]]
|}

† MuxCo North west Wales is on this transmitter carrying both the Welsh language Capital Cymru and the English Capital North West & Wales.
Also carries Smooth Radio, Nation Radio Wales and Dragon Radio.

==See also==
*[[:Category:Transmitter sites in the United Kingdom]]
*[[List of masts]]
*[[List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain]]
*[[List of radio stations in the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/info/405/itv/wales_west.shtml MB21's page on 405 TV to Wales and the West]
* [http://www.bvws.org.uk/405alive/info/tx_list.html 405 Alive's list of transmitters]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120414222659/http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/405-Lines/tx-list.html#ITA More details on 405-line ITV transmitters]
* [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/arfon/index.php The Transmission Gallery: Photographs and Information]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080917174129/http://tx.mb21.co.uk/mapsys/anatv/arfon.php The Transmission Gallery: Coverage Map]
* http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b54126
* [http://www.thebigtower.com/live/Arfon/index.htm  Arfon Transmitter at thebigtower.com]

{{Supertall}}
{{Transmitter sites in Wales}}
{{FM radio transmitter sites in Wales}}
{{Television transmitters in the UK}}
{{Preseli VHF 405-line Transmitter Group}}
{{Llanddona UHF 625-line Transmitter Group}}
{{Llanddona UHF DVB Transmitter Group}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Gwynedd]]
[[Category:Transmitter sites in Wales]]