Crown Castle International: Sheffield MF

 This must be one of the most unusual MF sites there is. If you didn't know this was there, you wouldn't! The site is located on one of the slopes of the valley of the River Sheaf; from which Sheffield gets it's name of course. The antenna consists of a Marconi T slung between the tall brick chimney of Heeley Swimming Baths, and a sort wooden pole high on the bank. The vertical section of the T slopes at about 45 degrees. The ground conductivity here must be excellent, due to the proximity to the river, and the existence of a layer of sticky yellow clay just beneath the surface of the ground. This hold water in the soil for as long as you like.

  • Site: Sheffield MF
  • Operator: Crown Castle International
  • OS Grid Ref: SK348849
  • Antenna: Marconi Tee with sloping vertical
  • Programme: BBC Radio Sheffield, 1035 kHz and Virgin Radio, 1233 kHz
  • Power: 1kW on R. Sheffield and 1.5kW on Virgin
The diagram here attempts to show the layout of the site.

CCI Sheffield MF site layout


The photographs were taken in late November 2002. Click on the images to open the full-size picture in a new browser. Each main image is a 1800 x 1200 JPEG and is about 340 KBytes. It's very difficult to see the antenna wire in these pictures, though you can if you zoom on them quite a bit with an image program.

Tx view from bank view from access
View from the top of the bank of the Tx building. I've marked the vertical and the feedpoint in the picture. The old sofa is on top of the diesel tank! The transmitter building from the access road. The CCI sign is visible on the door.
Pole end of antenna Tx view from bank
The pole end of the antenna. Note that there are several insulators- presumably to well and truly break up the support wire electrically so it doesn't ahve any resonances. The Chimney end of the entenna. You can see (just) the hoist used to raise and lower it.


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Page last updated 3/4/05 AC