Freeview: Arfon (Gwynedd, Wales) digital TV transmitter
Site settings
For an enhanced Freeview reception
prediction please enter your
full postcode, a national grid reference or
a UK latitude and longitude pair.
 
Most popular
On other sites

Arfon (Gwynedd, Wales) digital TV transmitter

Google mapBing mapGoogle Earth53.019,-4.273 or 53°1'9"N 4°16'24"WLL54 6DT

Transmitter faults and engineering works



map is loading, please wait...

The symbol shows the location of the Arfon transmitter. The Arfon transmitter covers 17,000 homes.

Other maps:Arfon DABArfon AM/FMLlanddona regionBBC WalesWales

Radiation patterns

Radiation patterns withheld

Map key

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.

Arfon transmitter Freeview broadcasts

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. The rating shown takes in account the output power level and the various Freeview transmission modes and do not indicate an ongoing fault.

MuxEffective power level, aerial positionRatingModeWatts
PSB1
BBCA
 vertical
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2
2,000
Channel icons
1 BBC One Wales, 2 BBC Two Wales, 7 BBC Three, 9 BBC Four, 70 CBBC Channel, 71 CBeebies, 80 BBC News, 81 BBC Parliament, 301 301, plus 14 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C41+ (634.2MHz) from 611m datum.
PSB2
D3+4
 vertical
Maximum64QAM 8K 2/3
24.1Mb/s
DVB-T MPEG2
2,000
Channel icons
3 ITV (Wales), 4 S4C, 5 Channel 5 Part Network ads, 6 ITV 2, 8 Channel 4 South ads, 13 Channel 4+1 South ads, 14 More 4, 33 ITV +1 (Wales),
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C44 (658.0MHz) from 611m datum.
PSB3
BBCB
 vertical
Maximum256QAM 32KE 2/3
40.2Mb/s
DVB-T2 MPEG4
2,000
Channel icons
101 BBC One HD Wales, 102 BBC Two HD (England), 103 ITV HD (ITV Central West), 104 Channel 4 HD South ads, plus 1 others
• as a digital multiplex transmitted on frequency C47 (682.0MHz) from 611m datum.


Looking for these 26 channels?



The Arfon (Gwynedd, Wales) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: 4Music, 4seven, 5*, 5USA, Al Jazeera English, Challenge, Channel 5 +1, CITV, Community Channel, Dave, Dave ja vu, E4+1, Film 4, Food Network, ITV 2 +1, ITV 3, ITV 4, Movie Mix, PICK TV, Quest, Really, RT English , Sky News, The Zone, VIVA, Yesterday.

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.

Regional news from the Arfon transmitter


BBC Wales Today 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 2YQ, 184km south-southeast
to BBC Wales region - 205 masts.

ITV Cymru Wales 1.2m homes 4.7%
from Cardiff CF5 6XJ, 186km south-southeast
to ITV Wales region - 205 masts.

How the transmission frequencies change over time

years1962~851984-971997-981998-20092009-132013-182013-18
aerial groupVHFB EB EB EB E KB E KB E K
C10ITV
C41ITVITVITV+BBCA+BBCA+BBCA
C44BBC2BBC2BBC2D3+4D3+4D3+4
C47C4C4C4BBCBBBCBBBCB
700C51BBC1BBC1BBC1

orange background for multiplexes names moregreen background for transmission frequencieslilac background for power levels in watts800MHz band: 4G mobile to start in 2013700MHz band: possible 4G in 2019 more600MHz band: new or moved digital TV services more
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W
Italics for analogue, digital switchover was Wednesdays 21st October and 18th November 2009.

Comparison of old analogue and current digital signal levels

BBCA, D3+4, BBCB 2kW
Analogue 1-4(-27dB) 4W

History of Channel 3 in the Llanddona transmitter area

Jan 1958-Jul 1968Television Wales and the West
Jul 1968-Feb 2004Harlech Television
Feb 2004-Dec 2014ITV plc
• Breakfast ◊ Weekends ♦ Friday night and weekends † Weekdays only.


Your comments: most recent posts are at the bottom

firstFirst comments prevEarlier comments  ◊ 

Your comments are always welcome. Please use the form below to add your thoughts or questions to this page. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

Transmitter engineering
Saturday 7 April 2012 4:31AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 14:56 on 05 Apr to 15:11 on 05 Apr HD Digital TV Off Air from 14:56 on 05 Apr to 15:11 on 05 Apr [BBC]
Aerialman
Friday 13 April 2012 1:29PM
Arfon,is one of those more interesting Transmitter sites.
Origionally a VHF Band 3 TV transmitter,broadcasting ITV, HTV Wales on Channel 10, Horizontal polarization at 10KW.
A relay of Presely at that time.Commission date:9/11/62.
Then on 17/10/75,Arfon also started to Brodcast BBC 1/BBC 2/HTV Wales on channels
51/44/41 respectively,Vertical polarization on UHF.
According to the IBA at the time,this transmitter was broadcasting all TV channels at 3.6Kw,but in the BBC handbook at 3.5Kw. Up until the last listing of analogue Transmitters on the BBC website Arfon was then broadcasting at 4.2Kw?
Then i see your information showing that Arfon's analogue powers as being only 4 Watts!
What's the full story?
If you look at any other UHF Main/relay station,particularly during the UHF analogue era,transmitter powers were uniformed.
I 'cut my teeth'using this Transmitter for domestic installs well down the Cardigan coastline as far as Aberaeron/Tre-saith,where reception of both Blaenplwyf and Preseli was impossible.Ocassionally reception suffered from tidal fading,though mast head Amplifiers largely compensated for any losses.
Arfon also broadcasts Classic FM at 18.75Kw mixed pol and Heart?Cymru at 5Kw mixed pol on Band 2 VHF/FM.DAB:BBC/Digital 1 on Band 3 VHF.
Aerialman
Friday 13 April 2012 1:35PM
The other interesting aspect of the Arfon TV transmitter is that it is well received on the East coast of Eire particularly in the Dublin and Wicklow areas.At 2Kw,i would imagine that DTT from Arfon is quite robust in these areas.
Aerialman
Friday 13 April 2012 1:40PM
More interesting facts:largest stayed mast brodacasting as a relay station.Highest relay station in the country:mean aerial heigt=601 meters.
Aerialman
Friday 13 April 2012 1:42PM
DTT=611 metres
Briantist
Saturday 14 April 2012 9:53PM
Aerialman: OK...

The top highest (datum) relays are:

611m Arfon
608m Strathyre Link
581m Strabane
578m North Hessary Tor
557m Kielder
556m Braemar
542m Alston
530m Kirkconnel
530m South Knapdale
513m Llandrindod Wells
504m Ebbw Vale
500m Tullich
497m Llandinam
488m Tomintoul

And the lowest:

13m Attadale
16m Borve
16m Turnpike Hill
17m Brading
21m Cromarty
22m Grimsby
23m Easter Compton
23m Ardintoul
23m Lochinver
23m Hythe Marina
Garret
Wednesday 18 April 2012 7:19PM
We pickup BBC, ITV, S4C, CH4 here in South Dublin (Shankill - D18) quite well (with a masthead amp)
curiously the HD broadcasts don't come in well at all - those channels were fine a couple of weeks ago but seemed to have dropped off now without trace which surprises me as these have the same power output as the SD channels.
Great to be able to pick up all those channels though!
Aerialman
Thursday 19 April 2012 5:01PM
Garret,It's quite possible that you are receiving a marginal signal from the Cairn Hill transmitter in the Irish Midlands which will cancel out the BBC B/HD Mux from Arfon,both on Channel 47.
Cairn Hill does stray into areas,south of Dublin and at 160Kw is an powerful transmitter.Erespective of different polarizations,between the two transmitters.
Mark Wiles
Wednesday 27 June 2012 7:11PM
Anyone else in the Arfon transmitter area lost their Freeview HD signal? I've had no HD since Monday but it was fine (albeit on a low signal) over the weekend. ITV channels and C4/S4C normal def are also showing variable signal strength. I've checked the BBC transmitter website and it comes up as reporting a normal service - I've used the web form to ask what is going on but no reply.

For the record, I've rescanned and also tried reverting to factory settings on my Panasonic TX-L37ET5B just in case a software update had caused problems, but nothing doing so I think the TV is fine. Trouble is none of my neighbours can get Freeview HD on their sets so I can't tell if it's widespread or not!
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 10 July 2012 11:28AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Off Air from 10:40 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 10 July 2012 12:28PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Off Air from 10:40 today to 11:36 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Wednesday 11 July 2012 8:26AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Off Air from 10:40 yesterday to 11:36 yesterday [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Thursday 12 July 2012 4:26AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Off Air from 10:40 on 10 Jul to 11:36 on 10 Jul [BBC]
Briantist
Wednesday 25 July 2012 1:58PM
Mark Wiles: As per the posts, "Freeview HD Digital TV Off Air from 10:40 on 10 Jul to 11:36 on 10 Jul".
Transmitter engineering
Monday 24 September 2012 4:56PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Off Air from 12:56 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Monday 24 September 2012 7:56PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 17:30 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 25 September 2012 7:56AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 17:30 yesterday [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 25 September 2012 1:56PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Off Air from 11:36 today to 11:38 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 25 September 2012 4:56PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 11:38 today to 14:18 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Wednesday 26 September 2012 4:54AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 11:38 yesterday to 14:18 yesterday [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Thursday 27 September 2012 4:53AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview HD Digital TV Weak Signal from 11:38 on 25 Sep to 14:18 on 25 Sep [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Monday 12 November 2012 10:49AM
ARFON transmitter - Over the next week Arfon relay: TV (digital) Service Shutdowns, Radio (analogue) working normally, Radio (digital) working normally. [DUK]
Transmitter engineering
Thursday 6 December 2012 4:49PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 14:30 today to 15:04 today HD Digital TV Off Air from 14:30 today to 15:04 today [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Friday 7 December 2012 4:49AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 14:30 yesterday to 15:04 yesterday HD Digital TV Off Air from 14:30 yesterday to 15:04 yesterday [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Saturday 8 December 2012 4:49AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview BBC Digital TV Off Air from 14:30 on 06 Dec to 15:04 on 06 Dec HD Digital TV Off Air from 14:30 on 06 Dec to 15:04 on 06 Dec [BBC]
Phil Simmons
Sunday 9 December 2012 3:04PM Criccieth
Hi, I have a static caravan in Criccieth which is covered by the Arfon transmitter. Why is it that we only receive about 17 channels on Freeview whereas at home in Cheshire we can receive aproximately 70+?
Dave Lindsay
Sunday 9 December 2012 3:15PM
Phil Simmons: Because they are the only channels that Arfon broadcasts.

The Commercial network operators don't wish to invest in Arfon and many other smaller relays.

See:

Londonderry transmitter | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 15 January 2013 8:02PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview - No reported problems -. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 15 January 2013 8:50PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview No problems on any service. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Wednesday 16 January 2013 2:13PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: BBC Digital TV Off Air; DSO related from 13:45 today. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Wednesday 16 January 2013 5:13PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air from 15:45 today to 16:31 today. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Thursday 17 January 2013 5:13AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air; DSO related from 13:45 yesterday to 15:45 yesterday. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Friday 18 January 2013 5:13AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air; DSO related from 13:45 on 16 Jan to 15:45 on 16 Jan. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Friday 18 January 2013 10:31AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air; DSO related from 13:45 on 16 Jan to 15:45 on 16 Jan. DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 08:50 today to 10:16 today. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Friday 18 January 2013 4:32PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air; DSO related from 13:45 on 16 Jan to 15:45 on 16 Jan. DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 11:00 today to 12:02 today. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Friday 18 January 2013 7:31PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air from 15:45 on 16 Jan to 16:31 on 16 Jan. DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 11:00 today to 12:02 today. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Saturday 19 January 2013 4:31AM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air; DSO related from 13:45 on 16 Jan to 15:45 on 16 Jan. DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 11:00 yesterday to 12:02 yesterday. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Sunday 20 January 2013 4:31PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air; DSO related from 13:45 on 16 Jan to 15:45 on 16 Jan. DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 11:00 on 18 Jan to 12:02 on 18 Jan. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Sunday 20 January 2013 10:31PM
ARFON transmitter - Freeview: HD Digital TV Off Air from 15:45 on 16 Jan to 16:31 on 16 Jan. DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 11:00 on 18 Jan to 12:02 on 18 Jan. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Monday 21 January 2013 4:32AM
ARFON transmitter - DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 11:00 on 18 Jan to 12:02 on 18 Jan. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Tuesday 22 January 2013 4:31AM
ARFON transmitter - DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 08:50 on 18 Jan to 10:16 on 18 Jan. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Sunday 27 January 2013 4:32AM
ARFON transmitter - DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 22:09 yesterday to 22:44 yesterday. [BBC]
Transmitter engineering
Monday 28 January 2013 4:32AM
ARFON transmitter - DAB: BBC National DAB Radio Off Air from 22:09 on 26 Jan to 22:44 on 26 Jan. [BBC]
Patrick
Tuesday 26 March 2013 5:53PM
Hi Aerial man , I am an aerialman on west side of irish sea . I have been erecting tv aerials in Dublin Wicklow and Wexford since it opened in 1978 whatever, Received as far north as Howth ,and as far south as Gorey. It died rapidly going inland.
Aerialman
Thursday 28 March 2013 8:02AM
Hi Patrick,interested to read your post.
I suppose most Arfon aerial installs still need mast-head amps?Also do weather conditions cause issues with reception across the Irish Sea?
Finally,is reception of Arfon severely impaired by reception from Cairn Hill?using the same channel numberseg channel 41.
In West Wales,coastal areas,good reception of Mount Leinster is possible,with high pressure,Cairn Hill used to severely co-channel with Presely analogue frequecies.
updates
Automatic update every 1 minute



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'

If you have other problems, please provide a full (not partial) postcode (or preferably enter it in box at the top right) and indicate where if aerial is on the roof, in the loft or elsewhere.

UK Free TV is here to help people. If you are rude or disrespectful all of your posts will be deleted and you will be banned.








Privacy policy: UK Free Privacy policy.