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Old 1st May 2013, 6:40 pm   #1
Focus Diode
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Default 405-Line VHF Aerials 2013 to the present day.

The following photos were taken at Coldstream in the Scottish Borders earlier on today (1st May 2013). Amazing these huge structures are still standing. Presumably the horizontally polarised arrays for Pontop Pike ch5 and Burnhope ch8 were installed before Selkirk opened, which that station did on the 1st December 1961! Full compliments to the aerial rigger(s) seeing they've been up there for over 50 years. Indeed ch13 vertically polarised aerials can be seen on a couple of masts for Selkirk. Those nasty things for BBC2 have been painted out on a couple of pics, the exception being picture 3 with the 3-element ch5 Pontop Pike and ch13 vertically polarised one for Selkirk.

Perhaps they're awaiting the long awaited re-introduction of 405-line television?!

Cheers,
Brian
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Last edited by Focus Diode; 1st May 2013 at 6:47 pm.
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Old 1st May 2013, 7:53 pm   #2
paulsherwin
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Pontop Pike really used to travel when the conditions were right. We often used to get it in Stoke when I was growing up, using a standard VP H aerial pointing north to Holme Moss.
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Old 2nd May 2013, 8:49 am   #3
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

There seems to be something especially good about North-South paths when there are VHF openings.

I suppose the reason so many VHF TV aerials survive is that few see the point in paying good money to have them taken down when it costs nothing to leave them up. The quality of aerial fitting back then certainly was a lot better than what I see nowadays.

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Old 2nd May 2013, 9:30 am   #4
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
Pontop Pike really used to travel when the conditions were right. We often used to get it in Stoke when I was growing up, using a standard VP H aerial pointing north to Holme Moss.

Not bad for a 17KW transmitter! At Coldstream there's a clear view over the Cheviot hills to the South thus long range reception from Pontop Pike and Burnhope would've been possible but what quality under normal conditions we'll probably never know.

Not surprisingly I've not seen any surviving ch1V aerials for Ashkirk which opened on 17th June 1963. The installation in the third picture must date post 01/12/61 (when Selkirk ch13V opened) and pre 17/06/63 therefore.

Cheers,
Brian
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Old 2nd May 2013, 12:37 pm   #5
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

The Manningham district of Bradford is absolutely teeming with 405 X aerials.

I've taken pictures of ones I've spotted in the other 405 aerials thread on here, however one missed my eyes, until January this year.

The second picture is of one in the Woodseats district of Sheffield.
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Old 2nd May 2013, 12:52 pm   #6
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

In Barnsley VHF/405 aerials are all but extinct alas; however, I'm a frequent visitor to Walthamstow (that's E17 to postcode spotters and 'poppickers') where there are loads here are a few.
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Old 2nd May 2013, 1:02 pm   #7
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

There's a twin band 3 aerial in Cottingley near Bingley somewhat in the shadow of Emley Moor. I keep meaning to stop and take a picture.

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Old 2nd May 2013, 1:12 pm   #8
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

For some reason there are lots of intact specimens around Stratford-on-Avon, the local rigger there must have been really good for them to have lasted all these years.
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Old 3rd May 2013, 12:05 am   #9
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

I still see a few old 405 line aerials in the lower lying parts of Bath and Bristol,band 1 ch5 from Wenvoe and band 3 ch10 from St Hilary, both vertical. Some are completely intact after all these years. I have noticed more surviving 405 line aerials in more sheltered locations whereas in more exposed areas and locations that suffer with higher pollution levels or are near the coast there are no 405 aerials to be seen. In these areas even UHF TV aerials don't last very long and have to be replaced fairly frequently thanks to wind damage or problems with corrosion.
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Old 3rd May 2013, 12:28 pm   #10
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Great photos. I know (or knew) of a double 8 or 11 BIII array for Winter Hill in Bowness in a sheltered location.

I remember seeing some marvelous structures in Bath, even some horizontal ones for the Bath relay several years ago.

Cheers,
Brian
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Old 25th Jun 2013, 12:49 am   #11
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Loads found around London on a recent trip through there to Hastings

1) Lewisham
2) Southwark
3) Newington
4) Fortune Green/Child's Hill
5) Golder's Green

I just want to get a GEC BT302 in one of those properties and get this on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeUyOVk_wI4

and pretend it's 1964!
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Old 25th Jun 2013, 9:05 am   #12
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

It's amazing how a bit of steel lashing wire strapped around a chimney can support that lot for more than 60 years in some cases. Makes you feel how vulnerable we are.
That is more than a lifetime in many cases. John.
PS I took this picture of a channel 3 'X' just outside Littlehampton [Rowridge] a week or two back. I did take a picture of it some years ago and posted it but I did not expect it to be still there!
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Old 25th Jun 2013, 9:20 am   #13
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Quote:
I took this picture of a channel 3 'X' just outside Littlehampton [Rowridge] a week or two back
There are quite a few still intact round here, what is amazing is they survived the hurricane of 1987, we took a severe beating down here on the coast, Most of the aerials (including ours) were destroyed.

They were obviously of much better quality than the later aerials.

Mark
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Old 6th Jul 2013, 6:07 am   #14
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

These both found in North Lamberhurst:
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Old 6th Jul 2013, 8:20 am   #15
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

That 1+7 may well be a Belling-Lee; there appears no direct connexion to the Band III section and the rear Band III element is very close to the Band I dipole for optimum 'coupling'. A bit of a cheap 'get-out' really but it worked quite well, Aerialite & Antiference had a tendency to have a direct connexion to a band III dipole and would have used the Band I dipole as a reflector. Any-how it gets 10/10 for survival.
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Old 16th Aug 2013, 7:35 pm   #16
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Aerials that received UK 405-line TV still standing on a house in the Naas Road area of Dublin. The 4-element Band I Yagi received BBC from Divis near Belfast, whilst the Band III at the top was for ITV from the Arfon transmitter in North West Wales.
I took this picture a few weeks ago - from the Luas (Dublin Tram service) Red-Line which passes by. I was disturbed just as I was taking the picture by the ticket inspector looking to see my ticket!
The aerials were probably unused ever since cable TV was installed in the area - not sure when but probably late 1960s or early 1970s

Here's an external link to a high definition picture:

http://s14.postimg.org/ecmik693l/dub...s_july2013.jpg

I also have the picture as attachments as back-up, but note they are low definition.
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Old 16th Aug 2013, 8:59 pm   #17
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Amazing! A lot of people don't realize that the 405 bits have nothing to do with today's television and just leave them in place. I may have mentioned this before but there is a really old 'X' in perfect condition on the roof of the 'Cafe Rouge' in Dorking High Street. This is the wrong side of Box Hill and the signal from AP must have been at the lower end. I followed the balanced twin feeder down the flank wall to find it carefully separated and wrapped with the old rubberised insulation tape. I expect they were not sure where it lead and taped it off 'just in case'. Old photographs of Dorking show the roofs cluttered with early television aerials. Clear & Son in the High Street has been a family business since 1924 and is still there. They sold pre war TV and I suspect a lot of the early post war iron work is down to them. John.
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Old 16th Aug 2013, 9:00 pm   #18
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

A great catch Colourking. Amazing to think such an installation remains in excellent condition over the years. I wonder if the arrays are chimney mounted or on a tower in the garden?

I was speaking to a colleague a couple of years back who comes from the far west of Northern Ireland. I was told they were still viewing 405 as late as 1978 (Brougher Mountain 625 UHF opened on 06-10-78). They could receive BBC1 NI, Ulster and RTE-1 on 405 VHF. When they went UHF colour they gained BBC-2 but lost RTE!

I've heard about many complex aerial systems erected to receive UK TV in the Republic of Ireland (usually the West Wales VHF transmitters). Amazing to think at least one of these has survived.

Cheers and thanks to you all for uploading your great photos. Look forward to seeing more.
Brian
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Old 16th Aug 2013, 9:26 pm   #19
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Tuesday I spotted a perfect combined BI/BIII vertical on a lone building on the route of the Bluebell Railway between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes. As the steam engines
cannot exceed 25 mph, you should get a good view.
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Old 16th Aug 2013, 10:30 pm   #20
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

And here's another great survival - even the UHF on this installation is pretty ancient.
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