Full Freeview on the Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.460,-3.282 or 51°27'35"N 3°16'57"W |  | CF5 6SA |
The symbol shows the location of the Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) transmitter which serves 360,000 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.
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) mast?
Wenvoe transmitter - Wenvoe transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 22/04/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels 
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Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Wenvoe 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.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Wenvoe transmitter?
BBC Wales Today 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 2YQ, 6km northeast (42°)
to BBC Wales region - 206 masts.
ITV Cymru Wales 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 6XJ, 1km east-northeast (74°)
to ITV Wales region - 206 masts.
Are there any self-help relays?
| Abergwesyn | Active deflector | 7 km N Llanwrtyd Wells | 20 homes |
| Barry | Transposer | 10 km SW city centre | 300 homes |
| Celtic Manor | Transposer | 5 km E Newport | 80 homes |
| Pentrebach | Transposer | 3 km S Merthyr Tydfil | 100 homes |
| Ystradfellte | Active deflector | 30 km NE Port Talbot | 20 homes |
How will the Wenvoe (Cardiff, Wales) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1950s-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2010 | 2010-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 15 May 2019 | ||
| VHF | B E T | B E T | B E T | B E T | B E K T | W T | W T | ||
| C5 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C30 | LOCAL2 | ||||||||
| C31 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
| C37 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
| C39 | +ArqB | +ArqB | ArqB | ||||||
| C41 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | +BBCA | +BBCA | +BBCA | BBCA | ||
| C42 | +SDN | +SDN | +SDN | SDN | |||||
| C44 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||
| C45 | +ArqA | +ArqA | +ArqA | ArqA | |||||
| C47 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | ||
| C49tv_off | +ArqB | ||||||||
| C51tv_off | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | LCF | LCF | ||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off |
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 | 500kW | |
| BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
| com8 | (-9.7dB) 53.2kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB | (-10dB) 50kW | |
| com7 | (-10.3dB) 47kW | |
| Mux 1*, LCF | (-17dB) 10kW | |
| Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-20dB) 5kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Wenvoe transmitter area
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Sunday, 20 January 2013
G
Gareth Jones8:56 PM
Cardiff
Hi all,
My postcode is CF10 5FS. I live in a second floor flat and the aerial is on the roof. I bought a new LG 32LS570T Smart TV and, separately, a new RF cable two weeks ago. The TV is plugged into a four-plug surge protection adaptor and I only switch my DVD player on at the mains when I'm using it.
Initially I found that I couldn't receive any channels at all. A neighbour who works for PC World/Currys came in to help me the following evening. He took exactly the same steps that I did and, miraculously, the TV started to find channels.
Everything appeared to be fine, until I tried watching the HD channels and found that it was very difficult to watch them due to interference and the picture freezing. Looking here (http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/main/trade/CF10+5FS/41/0/NA), I should be getting a 100% signal on all digital frequencies from the Wenvoe transmitter. I ran a signal strength test on my TV this morning and got the following results:
BBC A: 62% signal strength; 100% signal quality. No picture problems at all.
COM4: 26% signal strength; 49-55% signal quality. Not the best picture on some channels, but fine (plus I'm not that fussed about these channels).
D3+4: 10% signal strength; 38-40% signal quality. Worked fine this morning, but very difficult to watch during the course of last week.
BBC B: 30% signal strength; 83-91% signal quality. Such was the signal quality this morning, but earlier in the week it was between 0 and 10%, making it unwatchable. I'd like the picture to be more reliable, since there's not much point in having bought a HD TV otherwise!
COM5: 8% signal strength; 0% signal quality. Unwatchable.
COM6: I don't receive this multiplex at all.
I mentioned this problem to my landlady and she said that she had been able to receive Film4 (one of the COM6 channels) when she lived in the flat. At her suggestion, I tried hooking the TV up to the aerial point in my bedroom. This has a female rather than a male connection, so I put my adaptor on the RF cable. I used autotune on the set five or six times, but no channels were found. I set the TV up in the living room again, removing the adaptor from the RF cable, and now I'm back to where I was on Day 1, i.e. I have no channels at all.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what might be happening before I give up and get an engineer in to look at it? It's beginning to drive me mad!
Many thanks
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Gareth's: mapG's Freeview map terrainG's terrain plot wavesG's frequency data G's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Monday, 21 January 2013
J
jb3812:10 AM
Gareth Jones: As you are indicated as being located at only five miles away from the Wenvoe 100Kw transmitter your problem might actually be caused by receiving a grossly excessive level of signal which is causing instability in your TV's tuner, and if this happens the receiving device usually always gives false signal strength readings due to the measuring circuitry being corrupted.
Although the proper way of testing for this is by using a variable attenuator in line with the aerial input, you can get a rough idea of the signal strength you are receiving if you try using a standard set top aerial, or alternatively if one is not available just use a short length of wire (about 4 feet or so) connected into the aerial socket on the TV, because if the signal is strong a picture of sorts will be received.
Further advice dependant on results.
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J
jb387:44 AM
Gareth Jones: Just to add a little point that I had meant to include, when you carried out an auto-tune on your TV using the bedroom socket and nothing was received then nothing will be received when its moved back into the living room again unless you carry out another auto-scan, as the one carried out in the bedroom will have blanked out the TV memory store.
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G
Gareth Jones9:35 PM
Cardiff
JB38: Thanks very much for your reply.
I forgot to say that I did carry out a further retune (several times) on the TV after I moved it back to the living room.
I will try what you say and see what happens.
Thanks again.
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Gareth's: mapG's Freeview map terrainG's terrain plot wavesG's frequency data G's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
G
Gareth Jones2:27 PM
JB38: I don't have a set-top aerial and I'm not quite sure what you mean by "a short length of wire" in this context. I've looked at attenuators and they appear to be relatively cheap, but I've no idea which type to get! Do you have any recommendations re decibel rating etc, please?
Thanks
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J
jb385:24 PM
Gareth Jones: All I mean by a short length of wire is to use "any" type of wire (a piece of lighting flex or even bell wire) carefully pushed into the "middle" of the TV's coax socket, and with my only reason for requesting this test being because of you having mentioned the problem with HD reception and a slightly "over the top" signal level will always affect HD reception first, LG tuners being quite prone to adverse performance when used in this type of situation and likewise the possibility of this applying has to be eliminated first, because if nothing is received on an auto tune with the wire aerial being used then the excessive signal issue does not apply.
However, should it subsequently be dismissed as a possible reason then the problem is likely to be caused by the total reverse of the situation, whereby there is a break in the continuity of the cable between the aerial and the TV socket, and caused by such things as a booster or distribution amplifier in the loft that's been left unpowered, and so this aspect should be checked out.
Just out of curiosity though, is the aerial that you referred to as being on the roof exclusively for your use or is it communal? and what's been said is on the assumption that your aerial is connected straight into your TV and NOT going through anything else that is not powered up?
Under is a link to a suitable attenuator, although I would refrain from purchasing the device unless the short wire test resulted in a picture of sorts being received.
0 - 20db attenuator - E-bay store (£3.15 free delivery:
TV Aerial Attenuator Variable 0-20Db Freeview Digital | eBay
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Wednesday, 23 January 2013
G
Gerald C. May6:00 PM
Briantist: All went OK after Frequency change-over. Manually re-tuned Panasonic 26 inch & Humax HD box in the early hours, main TV, 40 inch Toshiba had updated itself by the time I got up this morning! Finding 39 more stable than 49 at the Mo, Quality figure now 85 instead of 60. It could all change when the snow goes away!!
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G
Gareth Jones9:31 PM
Cardiff
JB38: Thanks again for your advice. Unfortunately, not being the most practical person by any stretch of the imagination, I don't have any spare wire like that. Richer Sounds, where I bought the TV, have said that I can bring it back to them to investigate further. The store is 1.5 miles away from my flat as the crow flies, so the signal level should be very similar, I would have thought.
The aerial on the roof is communal and my RF cable goes straight from the TV to the point on the wall. My neighbours aren't having any problems with their signal.
I hoped that the general retune event might make a difference today, but sadly not...
| link to this comment |
Gareth's: mapG's Freeview map terrainG's terrain plot wavesG's frequency data G's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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