Trouble in t'Republic? (Bilsdale transmitter fire)

[scopus]

Trouble is there aren't enough installers, then when people read there's a temporary mast going up they don't think it's worth waiting months for a dish to be installed... I can imagine there's going to be a lot of folks without telly this Christmas.

With the amount of dross on, it might not be a bad thing

 

[ozumo]

Temporary transmitter at Sutton Bank is now active, covering "Harrogate, Knaresborough, Pickering, Ripon, Masham, Leyburn and northern parts of York"

The Chief Exec was just on the radio, the legal issues are all sorted, weather permitting it will take 3 weeks to construct 80m mast at Bilsdale. They will use helicopters to bring in concrete blocks and the mast components.

He reckons 90% of households now have coverage... unlikely IMO. Also mentioned optimisation of all the temporary transmitters to work together. Don't know if that just means no interference or as an SFN.

Arqiva will work with Age UK and housing associations to identify those without reception of any kind, and install Freesat systems free-of-charge, though only after the temporary mast at Bilsdale is complete.

Original mast will be replaced in the middle of next year, to provide services equal to the original mast.

Also quite a big update to the Arqiva information page:

Latest update on incident at Bilsdale mast

An update on our efforts to restore services following the incident at the Bilsdale mast

www.arqiva.com

 

[Lazarus]

Yep. Booming in here with my lashed up antenna pointing somewhere different entirely.

 

[ozumo]

Sutton Bank appears to be using the same UHF channels as Bilsdale, possibly pointing to SFN in the future.

With the fire being on 10th August, the Sutton Bank transmitter appeared just in time to scupper licence fee refund claims which required there to be a whole month of no reception.

 

[ozumo]

Photos of Sutton Bank now on mb21

mb21 - The Transmission Gallery

tx.mb21.co.uk

 

[Lazarus]

Might wander up and have a nosey in the next few days.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Looks like a reasonable lashup.

 

[ozumo]

Just been on the local news that Eston Nab transmitter will be switched off for a minute up to twenty times this afternoon to investigate interference.

Bilsdale transmitter: Fire-damaged mast replacement begins

Once operational, the transmitter will provide Freeview TV to 90% of people served by Bilsdale.

www.bbc.co.uk

Have also seen someone say they were due to be on-site at Bilsdale to begin work on the temporary mast installation yesterday.

 

[ozumo]

 

[Lazarus]

I've got a box full of various sizes of mast clamps if they run short.

 

[ozumo]

There may be issues at Arncliffe Wood as I'm currently only receiving BBC A. Not even a tickle of signal from any of the commercial multiplexes.

 

[ozumo]

Commercial multiplexes have returned, Arqiva A is noticeably stronger than before.

 

[Lazarus]

"I'm still standing ......"

(Taken from Swainby Shooting House during us walk around Whorlton Moor today)

 

[scopus]

"I'm still standing ......"

(Taken from Swainby Shooting House during us walk around Whorlton Moor today)

View attachment 138562

"I'm still standing ......"

(Taken from Swainby Shooting House during us walk around Whorlton Moor today)

View attachment 138562

Not like Elton John then....

 

[Channel Hopper]

Not like Elton John then....

Has Reginald shrugged off his mortal coil ?

 

[scopus]

Has Reginald shrugged off his mortal coil ?

Apparently fell awkwardly in the summer, now in pain with his hip. This years tour is off now until 2023..

 

[ozumo]

'Insider' claims recent staff cuts to blame for delays to Bilsdale response:

Bilsdale transmitter: Claims Arqiva axing "experienced” staff has led to mast delays

THE operator behind the troubled Bilsdale transmitter made hundreds of “experienced” staff redundant last year which has contributed to delays…

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

Shame the 'insider' didn't mention anything about the cause of the fire, or if "inexperienced staff" were working on the mast at the time of the incident.

 

[ozumo]

Screen grabs from ITV1 Tyne Tees +1, which fittingly I can only receive because of the D3&4 multiplex transponder which appeared on 28.2°E after the fire (Tyne Tees +1 was recently removed from satellite). It also explains the poor quality.

Helicopter began lifting in the concrete blocks today. Looks safe





Arson, criminal activity and weather have all been ruled out as the cause of the fire, they believe it started here:



Also looks like the exclusion zone rules have been somewhat relaxed:



October 5th is the current target for broadcasts to begin.

 

[ozumo]

It would be nice to see these maps...

"Those attending were shown detailed maps of the region setting out the likely impact of the temporary mast’s switch-on, and the areas which contain so called ‘not-spots’ of coverage which will need further intensive support"

Help planned for TV viewers unable to get signal after Bilsdale transmitter replaced - Richmondshire Today

Engineers are to be sent out to help TV viewers still unable to get a signal when a replacement transmitter is erected at Bilsdale next week. The chief executive of Arqiva, the company which operates [...]

www.richmondshiretoday.co.uk

 

[ozumo]

Useful tool for working out if you have line of sight to a transmitter:

https://www.scadacore.com/tools/rf-path/rf-line-of-sight/

It draws a relief map between two locations, aerial height can also be added for each location

Bilsdale 80m to Pontop Pike 148m:

Transmitter	Latitude	Longitude	Mast height
Bilsdale Quarry	54.3558	-1.1556	80m
Pontop Pike	54.86798096	-1.770925879	148m
Emley Moor	53.6120	-1.6644	319m
Arncliffe Wood	54.3889	-1.2946	15m
Eston Nab	54.55586624	-1.121703148	15m
Sutton Bank (not active)	54.2523	-1.2057	15m?