Swingate transmitting station: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Transmitter station in Kent, England}}

The '''Swingate transmitting station''' is a facility for FM-transmission at [[Swingate]], [[United Kingdom|UK]] (national grid reference: TR334429 ). It includes three lattice towers with a height of 111 metres, which were built for [[Chain Home]] [[radar]] before [[World War II]]. The FM transmitting [[antennas]] are attached to the middle tower, with [[microwave]] link dishes and [[mobile telephone]] antennas being attached variously across all three towers.

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox UK transmitter

|name = Swingate

|image = [[File:Swingate military telecommunication station - geograph.org.uk - 1633769.jpg|250px]]

|caption = The three Swingate towers

|map_name = Kent

|coordinates = {{coord|51.137778|1.335833|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

|___location = [[Swingate]], [[Kent]]

|height2 = {{convert|111|m|ft|0}}

|gridref = TR334429

|built =

|demolished = 2010 <small>(South tower)</small>

|collapsed =

|footnotes =

}}

The '''Swingate transmitting station''' is a facility for FM-transmission atin the village of [[Swingate, Kent|Swingate]], near [[UnitedDover]], Kingdom|UK[[Kent]] (national grid reference: {{gbmapping|TR334429 }}). ItFor includesmany years there were three lattice towers with a height of {{convert|111|m|ft|0}}. metres,This whichstation werewas one of the builtfirst for5 [[Chain Home]] [[radar]]Radar beforestations completed in 1936 and was originally designated AMES ([[WorldAir WarMinistry IIExperimental Station]].) 04 Dover. The FM transmitting [[Antenna (radio)|antennas]] are attached to what was the middle tower, with; [[microwave]] link dishes and [[mobile telephone]] antennas beingwere attached variouslyspread across all three towers. The south tower was dismantled in March 2010, as a result, only two remain.

It is the only radar tower from the [[Battle of Britain]] in WWII still in use today.

The Swingate towers no longer have the three cantilever platforms that were fitted originally.

==History==

Originally there were four towers with wires stretched between them to transmit radio waves that were detected by a group of four smaller towers to the east of the surviving ones. The receiver towers were demolished after the war, along with one of the transmitter towers. Subsequently the north mast was demolished and replaced with a similar tower with a different bracing design. During the Cold War the towers sprouted four transmitters at their base which were popularly assumed to be part of the US [[ACE High]] communication system but were more likely an RAF link to Germany. The south tower was dismantled in March 2010.

===Timeline===

In 1936, four transmitters with platforms were erected. In 1955 one transmitter was dismantled, leaving three standing. In 1991 the north tower was replaced by a shorter one. In 2010 the south tower was dismantled.<ref>{{cite web |author=Lorraine |title=Part 3 Swingate, Radar and the Towers |url=https://doverhistorian.com/2015/02/07/part-3-swingate-radar-and-the-towers/ |website=doverhistorian.com |publisher=The Dover Historian |access-date=14 March 2021 |date=7 February 2015}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights="200px">

Swingate transmitting towers - original configuration 1936.jpg|Four towers with platforms, 1936

Swingate military telecommunication station - geograph.org.uk - 1633769.jpg|Three towers plus Cold War installation, 1982

Remaining Swingate Chain Home Station Masts - geograph.org.uk - 74790.jpg|Two of the original towers plus a newer, shorter one, 2005

Swingate Chain Home radar towers - White Cliffs of Dover.jpg|Two remaining towers, 2011

</gallery>

Currently the only remaining Chain Home radar tower complete with all three cantilever platforms is at Great Baddow, Chelmsford

== Channels available from this site ==

[[File:Chain home.jpg|thumb|right|Tower with platforms at [[Great Baddow]] in Essex, the only Chain Home radar tower to retain the original platforms.]]

'''Analogue Radio''' <ref>Radio Listeners Guide 2010</ref>

=== High Frequency Trading ===

The transmitter is the main transmission station for the [[BBC]] which serves the bulk of Kent.

Several of the microwave dishes located on one of the towers provide connections via a chain of towers between the NYSE Euronext datacentres in Basildon and Slough, and Frankfurt for use in High Frequency Trading

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"

|- bgcolor="#efefef"

=== Analogue radio ===

! Frequency || KW || Service

The transmitter is the main transmission station for the [[BBC]] which serves the bulk of Kent.<ref>Radio Listeners Guide 2010</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Frequency

!kW

!Service

|-

|90.0 [[MHz]]

|11

|[[BBC Radio 2]]

|-

|92.4&nbsp;MHz

|11

|[[BBC Radio 3]]

|-

|94.4&nbsp;MHz

|11

|[[BBC Radio 4]]

|-

|99.5&nbsp;MHz

|11

|[[BBC Radio 1]]

|-

|104.2&nbsp;MHz

|align=right| 90.0 [[MHz]] || 11.000 || [[BBC Radio 2]]

|10

|-

|align=right| 92.2 MHz || 11.000 || [[BBC Radio 3Kent]]

|-

|align=right| 94.4 MHz || 11.000 || [[BBC Radio 4]]

|-

|align=right| 92.2 MHz || 10.000 || [[BBC Kent]]

|-

|align=right| 99.5 MHz || 11.000 || [[BBC Radio 1]]

|-

|}

==See also==

'''Digital Radio'''

* [[Dover transmitting station]] - broadcasts TV, DAB and commercial FM radio from a site west of the town

There are currently no [[DAB]] signals from this site at present due to its proximety to mainland Europe. The county of Kent is therefore covered with smaller, low-powered relay stations instead to avoid interferrence.

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*[http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/swingate.php entry at mb21]

{{Commons category-inline|Swingate transmitting station}}

*[http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=633500&Y=143000&width=500&height=300&gride=633400&gridn=142900&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&zm=0&scale=10000&out.x=3&out.y=10 Swingate Transmitter on Multimap]

*[http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/swingate/index.php entrySwingate transmitting station at mb21]

{{coord|51|8|16|N|1|20|9|E|type:landmark|display=title}}

*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/doverpast/4460372893/in/photostream/ National Geographic photo] showing the original configuration of four transmitters and four receiver towers

{{Swingate_VHF_405-line_Transmitter_Group}}

[[Category:Transmitter sites in the United KingdomEngland]]

{{UK-bcast-stub}}