Trouble in t'Republic? (Bilsdale transmitter fire)

[ozumo]

The 'interim' tower is due to start service on Wednesday 23rd of February.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Some scummy individuals are capitalising on the works.

Police warning over gang of cold-calling scammers claiming to be TV engineers

POLICE have issued a warning after reports of bogus 'TV engineers' trying to capitalise on the reception problems caused by the Bilsdale mast fire.

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

Keep them peeled !

 

[ozumo]

For reference before the new temporary transmitter goes live, from Bilsdale Quarry:

D3&4 ch24 100%
BBC A ch27 100%
ARQ B ch40 100%
SDN ch43 22%
ARQ A ch46 100%

Current figures before interim tower is switched on tomorrow

D3&4 ch24 Q 100%, SS 84%
BBC A ch27 Q 100%, SS 90%
ARQ B ch40 Q 100%, SS 94%
SDN ch43 Q 36%, SS 39%
ARQ A ch46 Q 69 to 93% variable, SS 48%

 

[ozumo]

Has anyone seen any official confirmation the interim tower has been switched on? DVB-T signals here are nigh on identical to before, if anything they are a smidge lower.

The Bilsdale national BBC radio FM frequencies are still off.

 

[Lazarus]

Was up on t'moor yesterday afternoon. The Bilsdale skyline looks weird now, with new and somewhat less prominent structures in place.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Slightly related. The Kyiv main transmitter mast and station has been wrecked.

Five killed as Russian missile strikes TV tower in Kyiv

Comms knocked out in fatal Russian attack

www.independent.co.uk

 

[ozumo]

A relay to serve the Northallerton area has been switched on

New Northallerton TV “relay” site switched on as latest step in Bilsdale Mast: Project Restore | Bilsdale Mast: Project Restore

www.bilsdalemast.co.uk

 

[Lazarus]

A relay to serve the Northallerton area has been switched on

New Northallerton TV “relay” site switched on as latest step in Bilsdale Mast: Project Restore | Bilsdale Mast: Project Restore

www.bilsdalemast.co.uk

Hmm.

 

[ozumo]

Photos of the new 'interim' Bilsdale tower on mb21

mb21 - The Transmission Gallery

Can also confirm the Bilsdale BBC national radio FM frequencies are active again

 

[dxhound2003]

The company building the new 300 metre mast has been chosen.

New TV and radio mast to be built on North York Moors to replace Bilsdale mast | ITV News

The firm set to build it was announced at the site, in Bilsdale, this morning. The original transmitter had to be demolished and replaced with a temporary one. | ITV News Tyne Tees

www.itv.com

 

[Spiff]

The company building the new 300 metre mast has been chosen.

New TV and radio mast to be built on North York Moors to replace Bilsdale mast | ITV News

The firm set to build it was announced at the site, in Bilsdale, this morning. The original transmitter had to be demolished and replaced with a temporary one. | ITV News Tyne Tees

www.itv.com

I thought they would have replaced it by now, good job we do not have the Russians blowing out TV masts up.

 

[ozumo]

Ah yes things happen at a much gentler pace up here ;)

The new mast will be ready by the end of the year, costing 'tens of millions of pounds'

Bilsdale transmitter: New mast erected by end of year - operator

A new Bilsdale transmitter will fully restore all TV and radio services, operator Arqiva say.

www.bbc.co.uk

Pretty sure they could have installed a Freesat system for everyone currently without reception for much less than that.

 

[Fisty McB]

Ah yes things happen at a much gentler pace up here ;)

The new mast will be ready by the end of the year, costing 'tens of millions of pounds'

Bilsdale transmitter: New mast erected by end of year - operator

A new Bilsdale transmitter will fully restore all TV and radio services, operator Arqiva say.

www.bbc.co.uk

Pretty sure they could have installed a Freesat system for everyone currently without reception for much less than that.

It's not just DTT though - FM radio, DAB, several mobile networks had BTS's on the mast and I presume that there was also a multitude of private radio links/networks on what would be one of Arqiva's major sites.

 

[Spiff]

It's not just DTT though - FM radio, DAB, several mobile networks had BTS's on the mast and I presume that there was also a multitude of private radio links/networks on what would be one of Arqiva's major sites.

Lets hope they were insured : )

 

[ozumo]

It's not just DTT though - FM radio, DAB, several mobile networks had BTS's on the mast and I presume that there was also a multitude of private radio links/networks on what would be one of Arqiva's major sites.

Looking at mb21 the top part of the mast was all TV & radio. Radio wasn't severely affected due to existing coverage from various other transmitters and a large majority of homes could've used DTT from Pontop Pike or Emley Moor with a repointed or new aerial. All the other services looked to have been much lower on the Bilsdale mast.

If the mentioned cost is accurate, I imagine if the insurers weren't paying out, a new replacement mast to provide like-for-like services wouldn't be built

edit: I may be wrong, this planning document mentions H3G (Three) and EE have a dish at 250m on the new mast, also mentions University of Bristol air sampling equipment.

http://planning.northyorkmoors.org.uk/northgate/documentexplorer/application/stream.aspx?target=http%3A%2F%2Flocalhost%2FNorthgate%2FDocumentExplorer%2FDocumentStream%2FDocumentStream.aspx%3Fname%3D2021-12-16%2BPublic%2B-%2BPlans.pdf%26unique%3D817376%26type%3DNLPL_DC_PLANAPP

 

[ozumo]

Photos of the Northallerton relay now on mb21:

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallerypage.php?txid=2583

Interesting that it is fed by Pontop Pike and not satellite.

 

[PaulR]

Less delay? Also no solar outage twice a year.

 

[ozumo]

It will also provide standard definition BBC One NE&C rather than London from 27.5°W.

 

[Adam792]

It will also provide standard definition BBC One NE&C rather than London from 27.5°W.

Unless it’s changed back now I think the version of BBC One England SD on Intelsat 905 was changed to NE&C when Bilsdale first went out of service. I suppose some of the small relays that were initially satellite-fed may have switched back to taking the temporary Bilsdale as their feed though now?

A terrestrial rather than satellite feed does however mean that the BBC local radio stations are available, which isn’t the case via satellite even with the satellite version carrying the correct version of BBC One.

 

[ozumo]

Unless it’s changed back now I think the version of BBC One England SD on Intelsat 905 was changed to NE&C when Bilsdale first went out of service. I suppose some of the small relays that were initially satellite-fed may have switched back to taking the temporary Bilsdale as their feed though now?

Ah thanks, I didn't realise the Satback region had ever changed, it makes sense that it would have.

I know Arncliffe Wood has a log antenna pointed at Pontop Pike, but also in January had larger dishes installed

I'll fire up the DVD recorder and see what's coming from Arncliffe.

Edit: correct region and local radios are transmitted from Arncliffe so must be using a terrestrial feed.

Looking at mb21, recent relays at Masham, Leyburn, Ripon, Kirkbymoorside, and Helmsley, all are fed by satellite only.