astronomy

Start Point transmitting station

Start Point transmitting station is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Start Point transmitting station rather than just read about it. In short: The Start Point transmitting station is a broadcasting facility at Start Point, Devon, owned by Arqiva. The site is just north-west of the Start Point Lighthouse.

Key takeaways

Start Point transmitting station belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Start Point transmitting station to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Start Point transmitting station from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Start Point transmitting station is a broadcasting facility at Start Point, Devon, owned by Arqiva. The site is just north-west of the Start Point Lighthouse. The station currently transmits a single broadcast: BBC Radio 5 Live on 693 kHz.

History

1930s In 1935 the BBC started looking for transmitter sites to improve radio coverage in Devon, Dorset and Cornwall. After investigating 23 sites and carrying out extensive tests, two sites were selected: Start Point and Clevedon in Somerset. Start Point came on air on 14 June 1939 using an ST&C type C100 100 kW transmitter on 1050 kHz, and broadcast the West of England regional programme. A directional aerial array was used to avoid wasting power over the English Channel and to enhance the signal to the east and west. It consisted of two 137 metres (449 ft) stayed lattice masts, one being a mast radiator and the other a parasitic reflector. Both masts had a break at 94.5 metres (310 ft) to allow for the insertion of a loading coil. The station obtained power from two 11 kV mains feeders and a 400 kW diesel alternator. The building design followed L. Rome Guthrie's earlier work at the Brookmans Park transmitting station. By agreement, the BBC obtained copyright in the Brookmans Park elevation drawings and was able to follow them, with changes to allow for building size, for several other sites. The station closed on 1 September 1939, in anticipation of the outbreak of war between Britain and Germany two days later.

World War II In October 1939 BBC Research engineers experimented with horizontally-polarised transmissions at Start Point. The idea was to see if broadcasts could be made without providing enemy aircraft with a navigational radio beacon. A horizontal dipole antenna was suspended between the two masts. The test was reasonably successful and between 18 February and 15 September 1940 regular transmission were carried in the evenings, on 877 kHz, of what became the "Forces' Programme". A Marconi SWB18 short wave transmitter (Sender 22) was added to the station to carry the Home Service on 6075 kHz, from 20 January 1940. This was intended to provide coverage where the mediumwave signals were poor, and to provide an emergency backup to the landline distribution network in case of major disruption. This transmitter also carried the European Service (Norwegian) at certain times. In October 1940, the station began to transmit the European Service on 1050 kHz. This also used a horizontally-polarised antenna. The transmitter's power was increased to 180 kW, with a consequent increase in audio distortion.

Post-1945 The station carried the West of England Home Service on 977 kHz from 29 July 1945. In 1967 the Home Service became Radio 4. By 1978, Start Point had moved to 1052 kHz. On 23 November 1978 there was a major reorganisation of the medium wave band in Europe, and from that date the station transmitted Radio 1 on 1053 kHz.

Mast Stay Failure On 12 January 2016 one of the top stays of the northern mast at Start Point snapped, the point of failure being the highest in-line insulator on the stay. This caused the mast to lean towards the south. On 21 January 2016, the damaged northern mast was demolished. A new mast has been built to replace the demolished. Until the new mast had been finished, the West Prawle transmitter was used.

Services available

Analogue radio (AM medium wave)

References

External links The Transmission Gallery: Start Point

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Start Point transmitting station

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Start Point transmitting station claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Start Point transmitting station before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Start Point transmitting station ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Start Point transmitting station

In research: Start Point transmitting station appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Start Point transmitting station in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Start Point transmitting station is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Buildings and structures in Devon, Stokenham, Telecommunications in World War II, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Start Point transmitting station outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Start Point transmitting station in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Start Point transmitting station means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Start Point transmitting station out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Start Point transmitting station in simple terms?

The Start Point transmitting station is a broadcasting facility at Start Point, Devon, owned by Arqiva. The site is just north-west of the Start Point Lighthouse.

Why does Start Point transmitting station matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Start Point transmitting station?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Start Point transmitting station.