Orfordness transmitting station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Orfordness transmitting station is a medium-wave broadcasting facility owned by VT Communications at Orford Ness, UK (grid reference TM450511). Its facilities are leased to international broadcasters, especially the BBC World Service.
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[edit] History
The site was originally built for an experimental over-the-horizon radar station known as Cobra Mist.
The radar never worked satisfactorily and the project was scrapped. The site and buildings were then taken over by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Diplomatic Wireless Service, who installed a medium-wave broadcast transmitter there. This was leased to the BBC. Later, the BBC itself owned the site. Later still, after the BBC's transmission facilities were privatised, the site belonged to Merlin Communications. In 2001 this company was taken over by VT Group plc (known as Vosper Thorneycroft until 2002) and renamed VT Merlin Communications, then just VT Communications.
[edit] Aerial systems
The station has two directional aerial systems: one for 648 kHz and one for 1296 kHz.
The directional aerial for 648 kHz consists of a row of five freestanding steel lattice towers of triangular cross section, insulated at their base. All five towers are driven.
The directional aerial for 1296 kHz consists of six freestanding steel lattice towers. Unlike the directional aerial for 648 kHz, they are arranged in two parallel rows with three towers in each. Only the middle tower of each three is driven: the other towers act as passive reflector and director elements.
[edit] See also
- Radio masts and towers
- List of towers
- List of masts
- List of radio stations
- List of radio stations in the United Kingdom
