Ochsenkopf Transmitter

Aerial view of Ochsenkopf TV Tower

The Ochsenkopf Transmitter (German: Sender Ochsenkopf}) is a 163 metre tall radio and TV tower of reinforced concrete, which was built in 1958 as replacement for a 50 metre tall guyed steel tube TV mast, which collapsed in January 1958 as result of icing, on the summit of the 1024 metre high Ochsenkopf mountain, the second highest mountain in the Fichtelgebirge mountain chain in Northern Bavaria, Germany. Ochsenkopf TV Tower, which is not accessible for tourists, has a characteristic hyperbolic shaped basement, in which are 5 floors with technical equipment. Above it, there are platforms for directional antennas. The antennas for FM-transmission are on the upper part of the concrete tower, that for TV transmission on a steel tube mast on the top.

Role for Supply of TV from West Germany in former GDR

Penetration of West German TV reception (grey) in East Germany for channel ARD. Areas with no reception (black) were jokingly referred to as "Valley of the Clueless" (Tal der Ahnungslosen).

Ochsenkopf TV Tower played an important role for the former GDR's supply with West German FM and TV programmes - notably ARD, West Germany's first - and between 1952 and 1963 only - television channel. Its signal could penetrate deep into the southern territory of East Germany due to its closeness to the border, its use of a low frequency (VHF Band I channel 4) and of vertical polarization. Its signal could be received as far away as Görlitz on the East German-Polish border under good conditions, even though most aerials there were pointed at the West Berlin transmitters.

The technical characteristics of the transmitter in turn required large and specifically mounted aerials nicknamed Ochsenkopf-Antenne or short Ochsenkopf, thus making the homes of viewers of western television easily recognizable. A campaign in the early 1960s by East Germany's state youth organisation FDJ aimed at turning away or removing such aerials exploited this fact.

Similar Towers

Many other TV towers of similar design were built after 1958 in Germany and other European countries.

These are e.g.:

• Święty Krzyż TV Tower in Poland
• Brotjacklriegl TV Tower in Germany
• Donnersberg TV Tower in Germany
• Ještěd Tower in Czech
• Schladming TV Tower, Austria [1]
• Kitzbühl Horn transmitter. Austria
• Mugel TV Tower, Austria
• Burgas-Предаватели TV Tower, Bulgaria [2]
• Стръмни Рид TV Tower, Bulgaria [3]
• Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia

Transmitted Programmes

FM Radio

Program	Frequency	ERP
Bayern 1	90.7 MHz	100 kW
Bayern 1	91.2 MHz	20 kW
Bayern 2 Radio	96.0 MHz	100 kW
Bayern 3	99.4 MHz	100 kW
DLF	100.3 MHz	100 kW
Bayern 4 Klassik	102.3 MHz	100 kW
Antenne Bayern	103.2 MHz	100 kW
B5 Aktuell	107.1 MHz	100 kW

Television (analogue, PAL standard)

shut down on 30 Nov 2008

Program	Frequency	ERP
ARD (BRF region)	Ch E4 vertical	50 kW (used to be 100 kW)

The public channels ZDF and Bayerisches Fernsehen for the region used to be transmitted from the nearby mountain Großer Waldstein.

Television (digital, DVB-T standard)

launched on 25 Nov 2008

Channel	Frequency  [MHz]	Multiplex	Programme im Multiplex	ERP  [kW]	Antenna Diagram rund (ND) / gerichtet (D)	Polarisation horizontal (H) / vertikal (V)	Modulation	FEC	Guard Interval	Bit Rate  [MBit/s]
E23	490	ZDFmobil-Bouquet	ZDF 3sat KI.KA (6 am - 9 pm) / ZDFdokukanal (21-6 Uhr) ZDFinfokanal	50	ND	H	16-QAM	2/3	1/4	13.47
E29	538	ARD Bouquet	Das Erste (BR Nord) arte Phoenix EinsPlus	100	ND	H	16-QAM	2/3	1/4	13.47
E40	626	BR-Bouquet	Bayerisches Fernsehen (Franconia) BR-alpha MDR Fernsehen (Thuringia) hr-fernsehen	100	ND	H	16-QAM	2/3	1/4	13.47

External links

• Sendeturm Ochsenkopf at Structurae
• http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b54478
• Video: Final closedown of analogue channel E4

See also

• List of towers

Coordinates: 50°01′50″N 11°48′29″E / 50.03056°N 11.80806°E / 50.03056; 11.80806