Clarkestown radio transmitter

The longwave transmitter Clarkestown is a longwave transmitter near Clarkestown, County Meath, Ireland (see [http://tx.mb21.co.uk/features/252/summerhill.shtml here] for pictures). It is located in a field less than a kilometer south of the R156 regional road, km to mi | 3 | abbr=yes | precision=0 east of the village of Summerhill. It was built in 1988 for the transmission of "Atlantic 252" on 252 kHz. The site has an ITU-cleared daytime transmission power of 500 kilowatts (100 Kw at night). It uses one 248-metre-high guyed steel framework mast with triangular cross section, which is insulated against ground. The transmitters are 2x300 kilowatt Continental Solid State built by Varian Associates of Dallas. The ground around the mast and the entire transmission site bed is lined with copper for conductivity.

Atlantic 252 was closed down on December 20th, 2001 and the transmitter was later taken over by RTÉ, the Irish national broadcaster. 252 kHz is now used for the AM version of RTÉ Radio 1, and is the sole source of this since 24th March 2008 [http://www.independent.ie/national-news/anger-as-rte-to-switch-off-medium-wave-band-1269254.html] , when the higher power, but lower range Tullamore transmitter on 567kHz was taken off air.

As of 2007, the transmitter carries a Digital Radio Mondiale multiplex overnight, featuring Radio 1, RTÉ Digital Radio Sport, RTÉ Digital Radio News and the World Radio Network before reverting to AM transmission for the day time.

ee also

*List of masts

External links

*http://members.lycos.co.uk/gregsradio/newpage0.html
*http://tx.mb21.co.uk/features/252/index.shtml
*
*http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b45496
*IAA information on the mast [http://www.iaa.ie/safe_reg/pdf/EI_Amdt_A_2006_46_D_en.pdf here] (page 20).