Spotlight on Mt Barrow

26 May 2010

Broadcast Australia’s Mt Barrow transmission site overcomes extreme weather conditions to deliver television and radio services to Tasmania’s north.

Perched approximately 1400 metres above sea level in the wilderness of Tasmania’s northeast, Broadcast Australia’s Mt Barrow transmission site delivers analogue and digital television (DTV) services on behalf of the national broadcasters, as well as FM radio services, to local surrounds and beyond.  

‘Mt Barrow’ is a unique broadcast installation, as it fulfils two important roles—providing coverage to nearby towns and cities such as Launceston, while at the same time delivering the transmission feed to nearly 40 repeater sites in the island’s north. Like most of Broadcast Australia’s transmission facilities, Mt Barrow is unmanned, but is remotely monitored, operated and managed from our network operations centre (NOC) in Gore Hill, Sydney. 

Weather-proofing  

Mt Barrow is situated well above the ‘snow line’, and as a result is exposed to extreme weather conditions, including lightning, high winds, rain and ice formation.  

“Falling trees causing cuts to the site’s power supply are not uncommon thanks to the wild weather experienced in the area,” said Broadcast Australia District Supervisor - Field Services, John Becker. “We have a back-up generator that kicks in during power outages while repairs are made. The site is also equipped with surge-protection gear, which safeguards the transmission equipment in the event of a lightning strike.” 

Owing to the extreme weather conditions, the site has been equipped with dual send and receive transmission infrastructure to provide broadcast redundancy. If one element loses power or goes offline, the standby systems are automatically engaged. “A secondary RD12 antenna array ensures analogue and digital TV services remain online while repairs or maintenance is performed on the primary transmission antenna,” said John. “A separate FM transmission system provides similar redundancy for radio services.” 

This, in conjunction with the site’s custom-designed ice-resistant antenna radomes, optimises the overall availability of television and radio services to the region.

Snow support

John and the Launceston-based team of field service technicians provide on-site technical and maintenance support to Mt Barrow, along with the rest of Broadcast Australia’s transmission facilities in northern Tasmania. However, for approximately six months of the year, access to Mt Barrow site is made more challenging due to the snowy and icy conditions. 

“The site can be cut-off to most vehicles during the colder months, so we have a four-wheel-drive tractor on standby just below the snow line, which allows us to access the site,” said John. “By putting such measures in place to combat these climatic challenges, we are able to ensure broadcast services remain online across northern Tasmania.”

Picture caption:  Broadcast Australia's Mt Barrow Site in Tasmania

← Back to main 'Amplify' newsletter page