Number of TVs in South Devon in the early sixties?

[westerner]

Having just found out that in the early sixties some 3/4 of homes had TVs. Obviously some areas would have had more than that (one suspects the big conurbations), before sticking TV aerials willy-nilly I was wondering if any body knows on here what the reception would have been like in S. Devon particularly the South Hams area as this would have affect the number of TVs and therefore the number of aerials.

[ELTEL]

Having just found out that in the early sixties some 3/4 of homes had TVs. Obviously some areas would have had more than that (one suspects the big conurbations), before sticking TV aerials willy-nilly I was wondering if any body knows on here what the reception would have been like in S. Devon particularly the South Hams area as this would have affect the number of TVs and therefore the number of aerials.

It begs the question why?

[westerner]

Why? As mentioned in the request for info I wish to put some TV aerials on the houses and hotels on my layout. I would look a bit silly if I put lots of aerials on chimney stacks only to find out that that area of Devon Had such poor reception nobody had TVs.

[bgman]

When I saw that title I was rather expecting something else !

 

Elsie Betterwatchout

[Steamport Southport]

Not as daft a question as you would think.

 

I remember when Steam Railway had the Permanent Way... Not Permanent Way page and quite often the main difference in the background was that in the old photos the houses had aerials and in the modern photos most of them had disappeared due to satellite dishes and cable TV.

 

So possibly looking at local photos from the era is an idea.

 

 

Jason

[ELTEL]

"I wish to put some TV aerials on the houses and hotels on my layout"

 

The above was not in your orginal request, but know I understand the question.

 

You are correct in that the country areas tv signals were to say the least patchy and the number of homes with a tv were less in thease areas

 

The early sxties would 405 lines before 625 lines UHF (This commenced from about 1964 in the London area)

 

The type of aerials would be a X for band 1 (BBC1) and 5 or 7 array for band 3 (ITV) and of course black & white tv only

 

Hope it helps

 

Terry

[sp1]

"I wish to put some TV aerials on the houses and hotels on my layout"

 

The above was not in your orginal request, but know I understand the question.

 

You are correct in that the country areas tv signals were to say the least patchy and the number of homes with a tv were less in thease areas

 

The early sxties would 405 lines before 625 lines UHF (This commenced from about 1964 in the London area)

 

The type of aerials would be a X for band 1 (BBC1) and 5 or 7 array for band 3 (ITV) and of course black & white tv only

 

Hope it helps

 

Terry

I'm sure I can remember H shaped aerials too (although admittedly late 60s early 70s) what would those have been for?

[loickebros]

Having just found out that in the early sixties some 3/4 of homes had TVs. Obviously some areas would have had more than that (one suspects the big conurbations), before sticking TV aerials willy-nilly I was wondering if any body knows on here what the reception would have been like in S. Devon particularly the South Hams area as this would have affect the number of TVs and therefore the number of aerials.

Beacon hill transmitter which currently serves south hams wasn't introduced till 1973 so as far as i can tell  it would have been Caradon hill on bodmin moor which was errected in 1961 so i guess signal would not have been too good in south hams, that said there would not have been much around at that time to interfere with signal.

Will also make a difference to which way the aerials point.

Dave

[ELTEL]

I'm sure I can remember H shaped aerials too (although admittedly late 60s early 70s) what would those have been for?

Band 1 (BBC1) Could be a X or H

 

It's a long time since I was a tv engineer (1965 till 1970) so I can not remember the difference characteristics between X & H Aerials

[melmerby]

I'm sure I can remember H shaped aerials too (although admittedly late 60s early 70s) what would those have been for?

H shaped aerials were, I would have thought, more common than Xs. They're the ones I remember for band 1 (BBC) in the Midlands (late 40s/early 1950s onward).

Later we had Band 3 (ITV) aerials from the mid 50s, these were about 1/3 size element wise but had more of them, 3 or more. Some were combined into a single array for both Band 1 and Band 3

 

Nice selection here - all horizontal polarized. IIRC most main transmitters were vertical polarized

http://www.forum.radios-tv.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1382&p=10917

 

Keith

[phil_sutters]

Curious to see what might have been about in South Devon in the '60s, a search revealed the picturesque village of Holcombe - the Devon one - I used to live next door to the Somerset one - with an array of aerials and, more prominently, power lines. http://www.oldukphotos.com/graphics/England%20Photos/Devon,%20Holcombe%20Village%20in%20the%201960's%20-%20Austin%201100%20car.jpg

Do you really want to wish that lot on your layout?

[Dunsignalling]

The Holcombe picture shows the later style of aerial, not X or H (don't know the correct term) which suggests to me that it is the sort that came into use with 625 Line transmissions (1964) or possibly even Colour (1969).

 

Westward TV began broadcasting in April 1961 and the South Hams, being close to Plymouth, should have received it immediately. Where we lived in East Devon, the relay station at Stockland Hill came into operation to provide coverage of the new station. Prior to that, what we now know as BBC 1 was it.

 

The Morris 1100 wasn't introduced until 1962 and the one in the picture doesn't look to be in the first flush of youth.

 

John

[westerner]

Thanks for all your replies. Most helpful.

[JohnR]

When Westard TV started broadcasting, they had an exhibition train tour the region informing people. It was halued by City of Truro.

[br2975]

When I saw that title I was rather expecting something else !

 

Elsie Betterwatchout

 

Great minds think alike

 

Regards

 

Dan Gleebitz.

[JZ]

Going back to the Holcombe picture. The 1100/1300 has a white numberplate. These didn't become available until after 31 October 1967( A plate made of reflex-reflecting material complying with the requirements of the British Standards Specifications for reflex-reflecting number plates published on 31 OCTOBER 1967 under the number BS AU 145(3).), compulsory from 1 January 1973.

[rab]

Sorry if this is going a bit off topic.

 

At the time Westward TV came on air,

I lived in mid Cornwall.

Our BBC signal came from North Hessary Tor on Dartmoor.

As has already been said, the ITV signal

came from Caradon Hill on Bodmin Moor.

So that we could get good reception from both,

Dad mounted the aerial on a long pipe

which could be turned.

He put a handle on the pipe and, after some experimenting

marked the position the handle had to be in

for best reception on either channel.

Whenever we changed channel on the set

someone had to go outside and turn the aerial.

It's interesting to compare that with

the situation now where we don't even

have to get up from the chair to change channels.

[melmerby]

Sorry if this is going a bit off topic.

 

At the time Westward TV came on air,

I lived in mid Cornwall.

Our BBC signal came from North Hessary Tor on Dartmoor.

As has already been said, the ITV signal

came from Caradon Hill on Bodmin Moor.

So that we could get good reception from both,

Dad mounted the aerial on a long pipe

which could be turned.

He put a handle on the pipe and, after some experimenting

marked the position the handle had to be in

for best reception on either channel.

Whenever we changed channel on the set

someone had to go outside and turn the aerial.

It's interesting to compare that with

the situation now where we don't even

have to get up from the chair to change channels.

It was very unusual for BBC and ITV to share transmitters in the early days and they normally used different sites.

BBC was mainly on Band 1 and ITV was exclusively Band 3, so usually two separate aerials would be required (except where they were in a similar direction and a combined unit could be used)

I've not heard of the need to swivel the aerials around because normally each aerial should be fixed on the mast pointing in their respective direction (BBC was channel 2, Band 1 and ITV Channel 12, Band 3) and the signals combined with a diplexer.

 

Keith

[Joseph_Pestell]

It was very unusual for BBC and ITV to share transmitters in the early days and they normally used different sites.

BBC was mainly on Band 1 and ITV was exclusively Band 3, so usually two separate aerials would be required (except where they were in a similar direction and a combined unit could be used)

I've not heard of the need to swivel the aerials around because normally each aerial should be fixed on the mast pointing in their respective direction (BBC was channel 2, Band 1 and ITV Channel 12, Band 3) and the signals combined with a diplexer.

 

Keith

 

Where we lived on the edge of SE London (1969 onwards), the signals did indeed come from two masts.  But both of these were at Crystal Palace.

 

Signal was actually too strong to have an external aerial and aerials were mostly out of sight in lofts.

 

As I recall, back in the early 60s, a lot of people just had the set-top aerials. So even if 75% of homes had TVs, not quite that many would have roof aerials.

[4630]

.

[Coppercap]

Where we lived on the edge of SE London (1969 onwards), the signals did indeed come from two masts.  But both of these were at Crystal Palace.

 

Signal was actually too strong to have an external aerial and aerials were mostly out of sight in lofts.

 

As I recall, back in the early 60s, a lot of people just had the set-top aerials. So even if 75% of homes had TVs, not quite that many would have roof aerials.

I used to live in west Middlesex (Hounslow), and we has a loft aerial until dad eventually got a colour TV. I recall that BBC1 was 'number 1', ITV was 'number 9' from Crystal Palace. In the early 60s ITV was Associated Rediffusion, then ATV London (I think...). We could see both transmitter towers from the 3rd floor of Heston School on a clear day, so reception ought to have been pretty good!

[melmerby]

Where we lived on the edge of SE London (1969 onwards), the signals did indeed come from two masts.  But both of these were at Crystal Palace.

 

Signal was actually too strong to have an external aerial and aerials were mostly out of sight in lofts.

 

As I recall, back in the early 60s, a lot of people just had the set-top aerials. So even if 75% of homes had TVs, not quite that many would have roof aerials.

Until the days of 625 line (Band IV/V) they were on different sites.

1969 is in the 625 line era.

 

Keith

[Tim V]

What a fascinating question. The ephemera of what is perched on the roof top!

 

I have pored over pictures of Kingsbridge, and Kingsbridge station. There is a row of houses behind the station, but the pictures I can access, or via Google, are not of sufficient resolution to determine if there are aerials. I think I saw an aerial on a house at Churston in one picture - not enough evidence I think. The colour albums gave the best pictures, but the camera was pointing the wrong way, usually at some engine or other!

 

Where I lived in Bath, we could pick up BBC, TWW and Southern, off different aerials. I think they were in the roof. Safer than putting on the chimney.

[HSB]

The BBC aerial was next to Princetown on Dartmoor. Because of the poor reception in Torbay there was a cable company called South Devon Relays supplying many home but I don't know if they operated in the South Hams.

[olivegreen]

Totally off-topic, but when I lived in hilly North Devon in the sixties and early seventies, we could only get Welsh TV (from Cardiff, IIRR), as neither Bristol nor Plymouth BBC or ITV signals could be picked up… and that was even after the arrival of S4C.  I've nothing against the Welsh, but it was less than satisfactory.  Needless to say, there was a forest of aerials on houses at that time pointing in all directions!