Maghera
2RN site on Maghera
Maghera transmission site is located in island of Ireland
Maghera transmission site
Maghera in Ireland
LocationKillanena, County Clare
Mast height160 metres (525 ft)
Coordinates52°58′07″N 8°43′06″W / 52.968554°N 8.718311°W / 52.968554; -8.718311
Built1962

The Maghera transmission site is situated on a 400m hill (Irish: Cnoc an Ois) located at Killanena in the East of County Clare, Ireland. It is home to one of 2RN's network of radio and television transmitters.

History

The links tower and transmitter mast

The Maghera television transmitter first went on air in February 1963 on low power before becoming fully operational on 10 September 1963. It was one of Telefís Éireann's original five main transmitters, the others being Mullaghanish, Kippure, Truskmore and Mount Leinster. The transmitter originally carried the 625 line television service on VHF Channel B (Band I), changing to Channel E (Band III) in 1999, with UHF channels being added in 1996 (TG4) and 1999 (TV3). When it was operating on Channel B certain atmospheric conditions during the summer months could cause interference from a transmitter on similar frequencies in Spain, this resulted in viewers in the south west of Ireland occasionally seeing bullfights on their television. In 1966 the new RTÉ Radio FM service started broadcasting from the site with more FM radio stations added over the years.

The original 147.5 metre mast that was erected in 1962 was replaced in 2011[1] with a 160 metre tall cable-stayed steel lattice mast that would enhance its service area for the start of digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting.[2] All analogue television transmissions from the site ended on 24 October 2012, and since then the Irish digital television service Saorview, has been broadcast from the site in addition to six national FM radio networks and a number of local radio services. Maghera's service area is the West of Ireland, covering counties Clare and Galway, as well as parts of counties Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Tipperary and Mayo.

Transmissions

Digital television

Frequency UHF ERP Multiplex Pol
690 MHz 48 160 kw Saorview 1 H
674 MHz 46 160 kw Saorview 2 H

FM radio

Frequency ERP Service
88.8 MHz 160 kw RTÉ Radio 1
91.0 MHz 160 kw RTÉ 2fm
98.4 MHz 160 kw RTÉ lyric fm
93.2 MHz 160 kw RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
96.4 MHz 5 kw Clare FM
100.6 MHz 160 kw Today FM
102.7 MHz 20 kw Spin South West
104.6 MHz 50 kw 4fm
107.6 MHz 20 kw Newstalk

Maghera relay transmitters

Relay transmitters at the site include:

DTT Relay County Mux 1 Mux 2 ERP Pol
Achill Mayo 47 44 2 kw V
Ballina Tipperary 23 26 0.1 kw V
Casla Galway 45 41 2.5 kw V
Clifden Galway 26 23 5 kw V
Cnoc an Óir Kerry 47 44 1.5 kw V
Ennistimon Clare 33 36 0.02 kw H
Tonabrocky Galway 26 23 0.25 kw V

References

  1. ↑ "RTÉ Transmitters Go Digital". You Tube. RTÉ NL. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Television transmitter to be replaced". 24 September 2009.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.