Hannington Transmitter – A.T.V. Poles, Brackets, Clamps & Aerials (original) (raw)

Subjects are listed on this page in the following order :

- Digital power output, aerial group and polarisation of Hannington transmitter
- Hannington’s “Local channels”
- Our TV aerial recommendations for Hannington
- Hannington’s graph (its transmissions v our aerial recommendations)
- Hannington’s channels/frequencies (including alternative transmitters)

Hannington transmitter is situated 16 miles SW of Reading on the North Hampshire Downs and it was opened about 1970. The site height is 217m and the actual mast is 134m high with the shroud covering the analogue transmitting array being about another 20m on top of that, thus the (average) transmitting height is about 369m, see How High is High ?

The transmitter is actually about 2 miles to the East of Watership Down (as in the talking rabbits). Until 1964 there was a railway running (about 3 miles to the west) from Didcot Winchester. This line had a fascinating history as it was originally planned as a double track but only completed as a single line in 1885 then, because the line ran from the industrial Midlands down to the South Coast ports it became very heavily used during WW2 and was finally doubled between 1942 to 1943 ! Unfortunately its importance then diminished so greatly that by 1964 it was closed. However that was not quite the end of the story because the infamous Newbury bypass (that’s Swampy et al) was built on part of the ex railway lines trackbed, the actual section used was from Tot Hill to Enborne. Fascinating indeed.

Hannington’s population coverage is approximately 750,000 and it transmits to homes in many towns ESE of London including Reading, Newbury, Basingstoke and Winchester. It is often used as an alternative to Crystal Palace, Oxford, Guildford or even Rowridge transmitters.