Northampton (Northamptonshire, England) DAB transmitter
 | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 52.275,-0.888 or 52°16'31"N 0°53'15"W |
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Northampton (Northamptonshire, England) mast?
No problems on any service. 
UK Free TV shows the coverage area for a radio transmitter as a coloured overlay (orange for FM, other colours for DAB) on the grey map. We have computed the coverage by combining the terrain with the official radiation pattern. A single click will select the transmitter to view the coverage for a single site, and a double click goes to a page showing full details. Click on the buttons in the right-hand corner of the map to choose from different frequencies (or multiplexes for DAB).
Local transmitter maps
Northampton DABMonday, 14 August 2023
Research says 11D is the multiplex, maps show the DAB mast at the top of Boughton toward Mouton for nearest DAB radio transmission. My TV is although not is the best place, has an aerial towards Sandy Heath but it is almost in line of site to the 5G mobile transmission near Morrisons Kettering rd.
I started of thinking it was RF interference hence walkabout with the dab radio.
It strange how only a few stations are effected. Two seperate radios same problem. Yet not all are saying why I cannot get LBC DAB radio. And Gold Radio. Perhaps it is the Wellingborough transmission fault?
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Chris.SE1:01 AM
David nicholls:
I did advise you in reply to,your first post on this that it was multiplex 11D and which stations you mentioned were DAB+ and which were not DAB+ on the multiplex, just in case any of your radios were not DAB+ capable.
As I also said two replies before your above post that it could be a synchronisation issue (as the problem is too widespread to be just the Wellingborough transmitter).
From past experience I've also advised on what is probably the quickest way to get the transmitter engineers to look at the problem - PHONE the stations that you are having a problem with, and also mention that there are problems over a wider area - as far afield as Leamington Spa!
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Steve Donaldson1:25 AM
Chris.SE: I didn't include the Wellingborough transmitter in the above analysis because having noted it was just 20W, I figured it wasn't powerful enough to reach Northampton. I'll include the analysis so others can come to their own conclusion on this.
From the sample location at Kingsthorpe Golf Course:
14.9km 9.3mls 74deg 0.02kW -3dB
The terrain plot shows that even in the 9.3 miles, the ground rises up and down six times, obscuring line-of-sight. The antenna being 63m above ground, is 10m below the highest peaks:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
I appreciate that the lower frequency isn't so much affected by obstructions as TV signals, but would such a low power signal with those hills in the way really be able to be receivable in Northampton?
Additionally, there is one report in Leamington Spa, hence my suspicion is now on Daventry as this transmitter sits in-between Northampton and Leamington.
We will have to wait and see whether other reports come in and where they are.
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Steve Donaldson1:35 AM
David nicholls: The transmitter at Boughton doesn't carry the D1 National (Digital One) multiplex on 11D. It broadcasts only the BBC National DAB multiplex on 12B and the Northamptonshire local DAB multiplex on 10C. This is according to the latest set of radio transmitter parameters published by Ofcom on 13th June 2023.
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Chris.SE9:24 AM
Steve Donaldson:
As usual, an excellent analysis. However, I couldn't decide about what the power actually used was, some of those OFCOM documents have been found to have errors before now. Some other sources suggest the total power is 300W!
It's highly unlikely that signals from Sandy Heath contribute anything in the main Northampton area (but may reach the golf course according to its coverage map here - the only one I could trace at the time), hence the relay transmitters, as Daventry is the only other one that it seems can otherwise cover the area.
But because of the widespread nature of the problem, I still think that this could be a synchronisation problem rather than a transmitter being "off-air", all these possibilities are our best guesses.
As mentioned previously, getting engineering attention to this is often best achieved by contacting the stations people are having problems with - they don't like not having listeners!!
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Steve3:52 PM
Seems there are a few stations down around Northampton. Radio X, Smooth UK, LBC, Absolute (UK, 80's, 90's), Gold UK.
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