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Freeview Light on the Pontypridd (Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales) transmitter

first published this on - UK Free TV
sa_gmapsGoogle mapsa_bingBing mapsa_gearthGoogle Earthsa_gps51.606,-3.323 or 51°36'21"N 3°19'22"Wsa_postcodeCF37 4DJ

 

The symbol shows the location of the Pontypridd (Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales) transmitter which serves 11,000 homes. The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.

This transmitter has no current reported problems

The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Pontypridd (Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales) transmitter.

Choose from three options: ■ List by multiplex ■ List by channel number ■ List by channel name
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Which Freeview channels does the Pontypridd transmitter broadcast?

If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.

Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.

MuxH/VFrequencyHeightModeWatts
PSB1
BBCA
 V max
C25 (506.0MHz)249mDTG-400W
Channel icons
1 BBC One (SD) Wales, 2 BBC Two Wales, 9 BBC Four, 23 BBC Three, 201 CBBC, 202 CBeebies, 231 BBC News, 232 BBC Parliament, plus 14 others

PSB2
D3+4
 V max
C22 (482.0MHz)249mDTG-400W
Channel icons
5 Channel 5, 6 ITV 2, 10 ITV3, 13 E4, 14 Film4, 15 Channel 4 +1 South ads, 18 More4, 26 ITV4, 28 ITVBe, 30 E4 +1, 35 ITV1 +1 (Wales),

PSB3
BBCB
 V max
C28 (530.0MHz)249mDTG-400W
Channel icons
46 5SELECT, 101 BBC One HD Wales, 102 BBC Two HD Wales, 104 Channel 4 HD South ads, 105 Channel 5 HD, 106 BBC Four HD, 110 Channel 4 HD (Wales), 204 CBBC HD, 205 CBeebies HD, plus 1 others

H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)

Are you trying to watch these 44 Freeview channels?

the effected channels
the effected channels
the effected channels
the effected channels

The Pontypridd (Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: 4seven, 5Action, 5STAR, 5USA, Al Jazeera Eng, Al Jazeera English, Blaze, Blaze +1, Challenge, Channel 5 +1, Dave, Dave ja vu, DMAX, Drama +1, E4 Extra, YAAAS!, Film4 +1, Food Network, GREAT! action, GREAT! movies, GREAT! romance mix, GREAT! romance, HGTV, HobbyMaker, ITV2 +1, ITV3 +1, ITV4 +1, ITVBe +1, Legend, PBS America, Quest +1, Quest Red, Really, Sky Mix, Sky News, Talking Pictures TV, TCC, That's 90s, That's TV 2, Together TV, TRUE CRIME, TRUE CRIME XTRA, W, Yesterday +1.

If you want to watch these channels, your aerial must point to one of the 80 Full service Freeview transmitters. For more information see the will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? page.

Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Pontypridd transmitter?

regional news image
BBC Wales Today 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 2YQ, 14km south-southeast (152°)
to BBC Wales region - 206 masts.
regional news image
ITV Cymru Wales 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 6XJ, 16km south-southeast (168°)
to ITV Wales region - 206 masts.

How will the Pontypridd (Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales) transmission frequencies change over time?

1984-971997-981998-20102010-1330 Jun 2019-
A K TA K TA K TA K TA K T
C22BBC1wavesBBC1wavesBBC1wavesD3+4D3+4
C25ITVwavesITVwavesITVwavesBBCABBCA
C28BBC2wavesBBC2wavesBBC2wavesBBCBBBCB
C32C4wavesC4wavesC4waves

tv_off Being removed from Freeview (for 5G use) after November 2020 / June 2022 - more
Table shows multiplexes names see this article;
green background for transmission frequencies
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W T
waves denotes analogue; digital switchover was 3 Mar 10 and 31 Mar 10.

How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?

Analogue 1-4 500W
BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-1dB) 400W

Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Wenvoe transmitter area

Jan 1958-Jul 1968Television Wales and the West
Jul 1968-Feb 2004Harlech Television
Feb 2004-Dec 2014ITV plc
Feb 1983-Dec 1992TV-am•
Jan 1993-Sep 2010GMTV•
Sep 2010-Dec 2014ITV Daybreak•
• Breakfast ◊ Weekends ♦ Friday night and weekends † Weekdays only. Pontypridd was not an original Channel 3 VHF 405-line mast: the historical information shown is the details of the company responsible for the transmitter when it began transmitting Channel 3.

Comments
Saturday, 5 May 2012
C
Christopher
11:41 AM
Pontypridd

I recently asked if an aerial signal booster would enable adequate reception of the Wenvoe transmitter signal at Merthyr Road, Pontypridd, CF37 4DG (approx ST079906)?

I've since discovered that the Home's aerials are located in the loft and no doubt are directed only at the Pontypridd transmitter (channels 22 & 25 only).

After fitting a £7.49p aerial signal booster channels 41 & 44 now alternate between no signal and poor signal (not usable).

Is there a local resident or informed aerial installer out there who can answer if reception of a usable Wenvoe transmitter signal at this location is possible? (with a correctly located and positioned aerial).

link to this comment
Christopher's 4 posts GB flag
Christopher's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

1:33 PM

Christopher: I strongly suspect that the reason your aerial amplifier has made the situation worse is because you are already located in a high signal strength area, as the local Pontypridd transmitter (400 watts) is not too far away from being a neighbour, and an excessive level of signal detected from that transmitter will cause your tuner to be severely desensitized thereby reducing its ability to pick up a more distant station.

What you will have to do is make your reception of the local transmitter as unfavourable as you can manage, and is something which might be difficult! but turn your aerial to its horizontal position and point it towards Wenvoe, this being roughly located at 170 degrees from you and use manual tuning to store each of its muxes, these being 41 - 44 - 47(HD) - 42 - 45 - 49.



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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
C
Christopher
3:55 PM

jb38: FYI the amplifier has not made things worse - What I tried to explain is that you can and always have been able to receive a strong signal for channels 22 & 25 via the Pontypridd relay transmitter.

However since adding an amplifier you can also just about receive a signal for channels 41 & 44 via the Wenvoe transmitter - even with the aerial in a loft and pointing at the Pontypridd relay transmitter not Wenvoe.

The aerial is in the loft of a nursing home (I'm told there are about 20 aerials in the loft) and I don't want to insist on things being changed unless I'm reasonably sure that the changes are going to work. Hence I live in the hope that someone with local knowledge will answer my post.

link to this comment
Christopher's 4 posts GB flag
Sunday, 6 May 2012
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

8:20 AM

Christopher: Yes, sorry about that misinterpretation, but its just that when you had said that channels 41 & 44 "now" vary between no signal and poor it could be interpreted that they were there in the first place, however judging by what you have said I would say that there is a reasonably good chance of obtaining satisfactory reception from Wenvoe if you can presently receive it when your aerial is not only mounted in the wrong polarity, but not pointing at the station either, but though its one of these situations where only an on-site test would prove if you can or not.

By the way, I dont really know if any gain figure is mentioned on the aerial amplifier you purchased, and although I feel that anything under about 8 to 10dB isnt much use, but a factor that you always have to take into consideration is the issue of a TV or boxes tuner being desensitised by a nearby transmitter being sensed when attempting to pick up a signal from a more distant station, as this problem always gets worse the higher the gain in the amplifier being used, because as is rather obvious that both signals are amplified at the same time, and this is why I mentioned about trying to make the situation unfavourable as far as picking up your local transmitter is concerned.






link to this comment
jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
C
Christopher
10:57 AM

jb38: Thanks for your post, your observations and suggestions are most appreciated. If I can persuade the Home to find and reposition my mum's particular aerial I will do so. It's got to be worth a try, surely?

FYI the amplifier has a claimed gain of 21db, but with the aerial pointing away from Wenvoe it's simply boosting the already woefully limited number of channels offered by the Pontypridd relay station.

I live in CF38 and from there I can not only receive the Wenvoe signal but also a Mendip signal. However, it's clear that relay stations offer nothing more that a poor man's Freeview service.

link to this comment
Christopher's 4 posts GB flag
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

5:52 PM

Christopher: Thanks for your latest update, although with what you have stated regarding the 21dB gain figure printed on the booster (albeit claimed) putting a slightly different complexion on the situation now, that is should the gain figure stated be in any way accurate, as this would then mean that achieving satisfactory reception would purely be reliant on the realigning of the aerial as the signal will already have been boosted, so that couldn't be relied upon to compensate for slight deficiencies.

I also decided to make a more detailed study of the signal path between Wenvoe and Merthyr Road and noticed that it passes roughly between Garth Hill and Llantwit Fardre, however also having noticed
that the terrain around that area can only really come into the category of being a bit on the iffy side for reception, as the entire area appears to be situated at a slightly higher ground level and with groups of trees having been noticed in the area, a guaranteed recipe for intermittent reception.

If you personally had intended to experiment with the repositioning of the aerial then I would say that its certainly worth a try, but the repositioning of an aerial for best reception is not a five minute job as frequent checks have to be made on the results of any actions taken, but because you intend to get someone else to do this for you brings the risk of money being wasted into the equation, this making me a bit hesitant about advising you to go ahead with this test under these circumstances, although obviously its your choice.

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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
Sunday, 2 June 2013
D
DavidW
10:10 PM

I live near to the Pontypridd relay transmitter and so have always only been able to pick up the basic number of freeview channels since the switch over (I was a bit fed up about that!). I decided today to buy and fit a high gain digital tv aerial today along with new digital cable and managed to pick up the full range of all freeview channels from the wenvoe transmitter (even though there's a mountain in the way!). I live right in the shadow of the mountain by the centre of Pontypridd and not far from Merthyr Road where another person who was having problems has previously posted questions. I was really cynical before trying, although now I wish I'd upgraded my aerial and cable ages ago. I was completely surprised by the result. Paid about £40 for the aerial from a well known hardware supplier in Pontypridd and really pleased that I did as it was well worth it. I hope this post can help others with standard aerials having problems in the area. Also, an alternative tip, but I found a really useful free Android phone app that uses GPS to say exactly how to point the tv aerial towards different transmitters along with their distances which worked perfectly. I read about the idea on another forum and give it a go, was brilliant.

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DavidW's 1 post GB flag
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
M
Mat
11:57 AM

DavidW: What was the app called for android?

link to this comment
Mat's 1 post GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

12:46 PM

Mat: By the way... If you go to My Freeview | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice on your Android phone, UK Free TV will pick up your GPS position automatically.

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
leslie rainer
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

3:45 PM

Briantist: hi is there any chance u can tell me when we are to get another channel on freesat I have a hd set top box and no channels have been added

link to this comment
leslie rainer's 43 posts GB flag
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Your comment please
Please post a question, answer or commentIf you have Freeview reception problems before posting a question your must first do this Freeview reset procedure then see: Freeview reception has changed, Single frequency interference, and Freeview intermittent interference.

If you have no satellite signal, see Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fault'

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