Lisnagarvey transmitting station

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The Lisnagarvey transmitting station is a facility for mediumwave broadcasting located on the south western edge of the town of Lisburn, Northern Ireland (grid reference J258919). The station was built by the BBC for the Regional Programme to be transmitted to Northern Ireland and it went into service in 1936. It is now owned by National Grid Wireless.

The station includes three radio masts, including two standard lattice masts and one diamond shaped Blaw-Knox Radiator.

The two standard lattice masts have a wire slung T-antenna suspended between them. The Blaw-Knox radiator is the only one of its kind in Western Europe.

The height of a Blaw-Knox radiator is related to the frequency (or wavelength) of the service transmitted, and for maximum efficiency should be exactly one half wavelength. Its height was originally 475 ft (144.8 metres), but it was shortened when the station's broadcast frequency was changed.

Similar masts in Europe can be found nowadays only at Lakihegy, Hungary, at Riga, Latvia, at Vakarel, Bulgaria and at Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.

[edit] Channels listed by frequency

• Analogue Radio (AM Medium Wave)
  • 720 kHz - BBC Radio Four
  • 909 kHz - BBC Radio Five Live
  • 1089 kHz - TalkSPORT
  • 1215 kHz - Virgin
  • 1341 kHz - BBC Radio Ulster

[edit] See also

• List of masts
• List of towers
• List of radio stations in the United Kingdom

[edit] External links

• The Transmission Gallery: photographs and information
• BBCEng.info: Comprehensive article on the design and history of the tower
• Lisnagarvey Transmitter in the Structurae database
• Entry at Skyscraperpage.com

Coordinates: 54°29′23″N, 6°3′37″W