The Heathfield transmitting station is a facility for FM and television transmission at Heathfield, East Sussex, UK (grid reference TQ566220). Opened in 1969, its antenna mast is a tall guyed structure, giving the transmitter a height of above sea level. A Group B (or wideband or K group) horizontally polarised aerial is required to receive digital TV signals. The original analogue signals were in the Group C/D band, but all the digital MUXES should still be receivable on a C/D group aerial in reasonable signal areas.
The station's coverage area experiences co-channel interference problems, particularly to the south, not only with Brighton (Whitehawk Hill) but with the continent as well. It is owned and operated by Arqiva.
The transmitter broadcasts television and radio services to East Sussex and parts of West Sussex. This includes towns such as Hastings, Eastbourne, Bexhill, St Leonards-on-Sea, Heathfield, Lewes, Uckfield, Seaford, Newhaven, Peacehaven, Crowborough, Hailsham, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and East Grinstead.
Along with Bluebell Hill, Dover and Whitehawk Hill, Heathfield transmits regional television services from BBC One South East and ITV Meridian (east) although between 1993 and 2001 it transmitted BBC South from Southampton ensuring both East & West Sussex received the same regional news programme BBC South Today which is no longer the case.
Heathfield has 13 local relays: Bexhill, Ham Street, Haywards Heath, Hollington Park, East Dean, Eastbourne, Eastbourne (Old Town), Lamberhurst, Lewes, Mountfield, Newhaven, Sedlescombe and Wye. Channel 5 was never avabile at Heathfield, but it was available in hastings on Channel 35, & Tunbridge Wells on Channel 37. Services listed by frequency Analogue radio FrequencykWRadio Listeners Guide 2010Service102.4 MHz8.2Heart South104.5 MHz10BBC Radio Sussex
Digital radio FrequencyBlockkWOperator211.64810B1Sussex Coast222.064 MHz11D2Digital One225.648 MHz12B5BBC National DAB
Digital television FrequencyUHFkWOperatorSystem4020SDNDVB-T41 (was 52)20BBC ADVB-T4320Arqiva ADVB-T44 (was 49)20Digital 3&4DVB-T4620Arqiva BDVB-T4720BBC BDVB-T2
Aerial Group: B Polarisation: Horizontal Heathfield completed 700 MHz clearance on 19 July 2018, therefore ceasing the use of UHF 49 and UHF 52.
Before switchover FrequencyUHFkWOperator291.6Digital 3&4 (Mux 2)341.6BBC (Mux 1)47-1BBC (Mux B)48-1SDN (Mux A)51-1Arqiva (Mux D)541Arqiva (Mux C)
Aerial group: W
Analogue television BBC2 closed on 30 May 2012. The remaining analogue services closed on 13 June 2012.
FrequencyUHFkWTelevision Viewers Guide 2009Service49100BBC1 South East52100BBC2 South East64100Meridian67100Channel 4
Aerial group: C/D Polarisation: horizontal
References
External links The Transmission Gallery: Heathfield Transmitter photographs and information Heathfield Transmitter at thebigtower.com