VHF-Low Band: 54-88 MHz
FM Broadcast: 88-108 MHz
VHF-High Band:174-216 MHz

Notice how the second harmonic of 108 (108x2) would be 216, so harmonics of FM stations stay within the TV band, so they don't interfere with weaker services. Those guys who invented all this stuff sure knew their math!

BTW: UHF TV Band: 470-806 MHz

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/allochrt.pdf

this is a question for the engineers for the various TV stations in Macon. (really only 1 response would be helpful)

I am on COX cable, the other night the NHL game was on tv but the first bit was in SD (b.t.w. only bringing this up b/c it happened recently, other stations besides this one have "forgot" other sports events also). I emailed the broadcast station asking someone to turn on the HD feed. My question is does that do any good for me to email? Also, how does the HD switching work after hours? Is the broadcast station on a computer timer that switches as certain times or controlled by flags from the networks? Hope these questions make sense.

I'd also like to say that I really appreciate the time you spend reading these forums and working with us. At least someone takes the time to work with customers.

I don't know about the other channels, but our system uses a Fox splicer. The splicer is enslaved to the analog master control switcher. Since we are manually switched, the board is manned at all times. But the operator doesn't have to think about switching on the hi def feed, it does it automatically when he selects network for the analog signal. That is why we don't have the problem of accidently transmitting a high def show in standard def unless something fails and the operator has to go to the backup feed. We designed our own interface to be able to do it this way. It works quite well, and passes through surround as well thanks to the Fox splicer. Non Fox stations have to decode the Mpeg stream, and then switch it and re-encode. But a similar arrangement could be set up in that type of system also, providing the switching gear was equipped with GPIs and GPOs where necessary.

Ralph Carson
WGXA TV24/16

Just noticed channel 13 is using there blank sub-channel. It's currently showing Jeopardy, which is different programming from the main (HD) channel, which has a soap opera on. This is good news if it continues, so we can have alternate programming to choose from. Hope it will continue to last.
# Speculation (wishful thinking): maybe they are gearing up for either the CW network or MyNetworkTV, which both new networks begin in September. Who knows? But, I like whatever it is.

Al

Well it was something different. Maybe they are experimenting with putting something on there? I'll have to check tomorrow around 3 p.m. and see if there is a pattern to it. Good day to all... And, sorry for getting any hopes up.

Al

# Speculation (wishful thinking): maybe they are gearing up for either the CW network or MyNetworkTV, which both new networks begin in September. Who knows? But, I like whatever it is.

MyNetworkTV's Macon affiliation has gone to WGXA-DT2. The CW Network's Macon affiliation has gone to WBMN (Cable-Only).

~Alan

Hey,
I was talking to my cousin last night, and she asked something,
a bit off-topic (unless we are chatting about multi-casters :) ):

Does anyone know where the Daystar TV guy, Marcus Lamb, lived when he grew up in Macon? She knew some Lambs, and so did I, but we were wondering which family he is related to.

Well it was something different. Maybe they are experimenting with putting something on there? I'll have to check tomorrow around 3 p.m. and see if there is a pattern to it. Good day to all... And, sorry for getting any hopes up.

Al
It was back on today with Jeopardy and now gone again. :confused:

Thanks Dmitch, I was in town getting my trucks AC worked on. It took longer than I thought. I can't help but wonder, what's going on?

Al

Atmospheric conditions were pretty nice last night. Although, I wasn't getting anything to the south, everything I know of in Atlanta was booming, except channel WPBA 30.1 (dt21). To the west, I was getting Columbus with WRBL 3.1, 3.2 (dt15); WTVM 9.1, 9.2 (dt47); WLTZ 38.1 (dt35); and WXTX 54.1, 54.2 (dt49). To the east, I was getting Augusta with WJBF 6.1, 6.2 (dt42); WAGT 26.1, 26.2 (dt30) and in Greenville/Spartanburg WYFF 4.1, 4.2 (dt59); WSPA 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 (dt53) and in Asheville WLOS 13.1, 13.2, 13.3 (dt56) and in Anderson WBSC 40.1 (dt14) and somewhere in S.C. ETV 38.1, 38.2, 38.3 (dt18). It was a very good night for dtxing. Oh Yeah, I was getting Macon as well, but I always get Macon.

Al

Hearing that WGXA (Fox/Macon) will be going to full power in the forseeable future... transmitter and antenna have been ordered.

That's good news. I've heard that WGXA is going to subchannel the new MYTV Network. It starts next month. Anybody else heard about this? How about it Ralph?

Al

I just got my first HDTV going and have an outside antenna on 60' tower for OTA channels. I am getting everything but the ABC HD channel (32.1). I have signal strengths ranging from 93% to 78% on all channels except ABC (WPGA) HD. They are all about in the same location from my house. Not sure why I can't get the ABC HD channel.
Anyone have any ideas on this problem?

To those trying to receive our digital signal and are having trouble due to our low power, take heart, good things are happening. And that's all I can say at this time.

Ralph Carson
WGXA TV24

I just got my first HDTV going and have an outside antenna on 60' tower for OTA channels. I am getting everything but the ABC HD channel (32.1). I have signal strengths ranging from 93% to 78% on all channels except ABC (WPGA) HD. They are all about in the same location from my house. Not sure why I can't get the ABC HD channel.
Anyone have any ideas on this problem?
I'm not having any problems with any of the stations. You might try to turn your antenna slightly one way or the other. You never know? Don't know where you are, but maybe something is in your line of sight. A tall building, a tall tree, another antenna, like maybe channel 31 analog is between you and the 58 tower and the near same frequencies are giving you a problem. Who knows? You could try an amplifier, if you don't already have one. If you do, you could try to take it out and see what happens.

Al

Thanks for the good tidings Ralph. Glad you are still around and good to know "good things are happening". Hopefully by the time Football gets started we will see what you are talking about. And, please keep us posted. Thanks again!

Al

I just got my first HDTV going and have an outside antenna on 60' tower for OTA channels. I am getting everything but the ABC HD channel (32.1). I have signal strengths ranging from 93% to 78% on all channels except ABC (WPGA) HD. They are all about in the same location from my house. Not sure why I can't get the ABC HD channel.
Anyone have any ideas on this problem?

It would help if we knew where you are.

Help Please!!!

I am a new nurse at the Med and am moving to an apartment in N Macon. My first purchase is going to be a Samsung HL S6187W, then a couch to sit on (Yup, my priorities are straight). :p

I was wondering what Cox cable package I should be looking at so I can enjoy some movies and sports (mainly nascar, Braves and Falcons) without killing my budget, I still need bedroom furniture :o

Please, any advice on cable packages or lack thereof, HD equipment (dvd player), etc... is all greatly appreciated, I am totally new at this HD thing and am starting out from scratch. PMs are also graciously accepted...

Thanks in advance,
Jim

Hey Y'all!
The transmitter, transmission line and antenna have indeed been ordered. Unfortunately they won't be here in time for the fall season. However, other parts of the construction will commence, making us ready for when these things arrive. There is plenty to do. Tower reinforcement, pads to be poured, and electrical service construction. I cannot comment on My Network at this time other than if it happens it will probably be after the high power buildout. We are concentrating on the buildout right now. We have been set back in planning due to a massive lightning strike that hit our studio. That took our attention for about three weeks, and we are still doing the mop up on that one. However, we are now getting back to the buildout. So good things are happening.

Ralph Carson
A.C.E.
WGXA TV24/DT16

It would help if we knew where you are.

I'm in Jones County and by the map I am just a few degrees East of Due North from the TV towers.

I recall that the amp on my existing antenna has a couple of traps installed to prevent strong signals from overloading it. Maybe one of those is blocking my reception to 32.1.

Also am also interested in knowing if anyone has any experience with Radio Shack Model VU-190XR antenna. I have had this new in the box for several years and will be replacing my old antenna when it cools down a little. My question is does this antenna perform well with/without an amp and if so, which one is recommended and should it be installed at the antenna?

kencal, is your antenna on a fixed pole, as in one direction only, or do you have a rotor with it, so you can turn the antenna in different directions? Or maybe, can you turn the antenna by hand somehow? I have found, especially with my amp, if I point straight at the towers, I will sometimes have problems. But, if I have it in other directions, it works fine. However, there are directions I can't get them at all. But, I can find the best position to get the best signal. This is just a suggestion, you might want to try?
As far as Radio Shack antennas or amplifiers, I have nothing good to say about them, especially the amplifiers. I can't speak of that model or any other model. I haven't tried one of there's since the late 70's or early 80's, surely they should be better now than they were then. But, I still wouldn't recommend one. Until you get a Channel Master or Winegard, particularly the amp, you won't know what I'm talking about. That's something you'll have to learn for yourself?

Al

kencal, is your antenna on a fixed pole, as in one direction only, or do you have a rotor with it, so you can turn the antenna in different directions? Or maybe, can you turn the antenna by hand somehow? I have found, especially with my amp, if I point straight at the towers, I will sometimes have problems. But, if I have it in other directions, it works fine. However, there are directions I can't get them at all. But, I can find the best position to get the best signal. This is just a suggestion, you might want to try?
As far as Radio Shack antennas or amplifiers, I have nothing good to say about them, especially the amplifiers. I can't speak of that model or any other model. I haven't tried one of there's since the late 70's or early 80's, surely they should be better now than they were then. But, I still wouldn't recommend one. Until you get a Channel Master or Winegard, particularly the amp, you won't know what I'm talking about. That's something you'll have to learn for yourself?

Al

I have a rotor, but the cable to the rotor is bad. I will replace that and get it going when I change out antennas. Thanks for the heads up on the amps. I will check those out. I know the RS is not the best in the world, but for the price I got it and the fact that I already have it, I will give it a shot. Its got to be better than what I have up now, which is 22 years old and missing about half of the radials and I get anywhere from 78% to 94% signal levels right now on all channels except 32.1, which does not come in at all (display says no signal) which I find very strange. I watched the Falcon's game last night on 13.1 and the picture was super.

Hi this is kpax478, the antenna that i use is the (square shooter 2000) bought it off ebay for 60 bucks. I used several antennas and it didn`t pick up that well( main reason are, there are alot of trees in my area) when i purchased the ss2000 i was using it on a trial basis, the guy said if it didn`t pull in the stations i could return for full refund including shipping. I had it inside the house and i was receiving 67 to 70 percent signal on the meter. Mind you i live only about 6 miles from the towers, but my main problems i have about 16 GA pines around my house and i can`t afford to have all of them cut down, and when i seen how this antenna was pulling in stations DAMN them trees. that is what i use. I also have direct** and the HD picture on the antenna show alot better than direct** HD picture.. Can`t wait till Jan 07 for 24 (jack baur) I live on the bibb and twiggs county line near Ga Forestery comm.

WPGA-DT is only running 18 Kw (on a UHF channel). That's kinda low power, and it's mixed in with quite a few much-higher powered channels throughout the band. Any overloading of the preamp or tuner RF amplifiers will result in distortion byproducts across the band, often masking the lower-strength signals.

Right now, without changing antennas, you probably should try lowering the signal level....of course, if the amp is up at the antenna, you may not have much luck. That is very likely where the overload is.

You could try bypassing the amplifier, or try (at least) putting a variable attenuator like the Radio Shack 15-678, in line at the set/tuner and try "dialing in" attenuation (lowering the strength of all the signals) until you get a better lock on channel 32. That, by itself, may not fix everything, if the preamp (on the antenna mast) is what is overloading.

With the new antenna, the VU-190XR, I would not install a preamp on it. It will probably be too much antenna for it to handle. If you want to try for distant stations, you should get help from an experienced antenna installer, who has the analyzers and other equipment to "fine tune" everything. Maybe a preamp that can be bypassed remotely from indoors would work. But, with the huge amount of RF that exists within the bandwidth of modern tuners (nearly 0-1000 MHz), most will overload and distort. A higher-quality preamp, with separate VHF and UHF sections might help there, but the inputs from the combo antenna would need to be separated out....still a job for an experienced tech with the right test gear.

Could someone help me out, I see these antenna towers while I drive around working. I have asked several people where to get one. I was just wondering if anyone might know.

Thanks, Dan

Could someone help me out, I see these antenna towers while I drive around working. I have asked several people where to get one, know one seems to know. I was just wondering if anyone might know here around the Macon area.

Thanks, Dan

Could someone help me out, I see these antenna towers while I drive around working. I have asked several people where to get one, know one seems to know. I was just wondering if anyone might know here around the Macon area.

Thanks, Dan

Not sure exactly what kind of tower you are speaking of. If it is a 3 leg configuration (say a Rohn 25), then you probably can get someone like the Four Acres Electronics on College St. to order it. I doubt anyone in Macon has that in stock. You can also find it in Atlanta, might save some shipping. Or you can try finding someone that has one and no longer uses it and negotiate getting it by taking it down. You should have experience in dealing with this kind of stuff, since it has big potential of fatal danger.

FourAker Electronics should be able to order it. It's on College Street almost on the corner at Riverside Drive. I won't list there phone number, but it's in the phone book. I was in there last week, since O'Rourke Brothers closed last year, it's the only place left for electronics, devices or parts. I won't mention the Rat Shack, as it's no longer worth mentioning, but they were good in there day, no longer.

Al

Are you trying for the Atlanta stations? Or, maybe just are down in a hole, so you need some extra height?

A 40 to 60 foot "3-leg" tower is going to cost somewhere near $1K....plus installation expenses on top of that. There are some other ways.

Telescoping masts have always been a good choice, although they really need several levels of guy wires. You can go up several feet above a roof with a tripod mount, without guys. Many people have used a telephone pole in the past....I'm not sure what they charge to sell and install one nowadays, though.

Check with the local ham radio club, for some experienced help on towers. They can also offer some good recommendations on how to do a solid installation....cabling, rotor installation and alignment, grounding and lightning protection, zoning and building codes.

Thanks guys, for the reply on the towers. I was given a 20 ft telephone pole yesterday, I am going to use it instead. I have a pine forest behind my house and I moving my antenna so when the wind blows I won't lose my signal, like I have been.

Again Thanks
Dan

Hey Y'all:
On Monday, August 28, we will begin the first phases of construction, the electrical service for our high power digital transmitter. The electricians have all the stuff and are ready to get to work.

Ralph Carson
A.C.E.
WGXA TV24/DT16

Hey Y'all:
On Monday, August 28, we will begin the first phases of construction, the electrical service for our high power digital transmitter. The electricians have all the stuff and are ready to get to work.

Ralph Carson
A.C.E.
WGXA TV24/DT16

Hey!
Post some photos for us as you go along.

Yes Ralph, please post some pictures. We love to see progress. Any idea how long it will take?

Al

I am moving to McRae GA about 75 miles south east of Macon.
will I be able to receive Macon HD signals??
What will I need???

Welcome HD-Jeen, since I don't live in McRae, I can't really answer this. But, I think with a good deep fringe antenna with a good amplifier, you should be able to. I'm at Macon (with good reception for locals) and have a deep fringe Winegard with a Winegard amplifier and receive the Atlanta locals at 85+ miles out. I'm not sure how the power rating is for Macon locals, but I think at present only one, maybe two are at full power. The one mentioned above (post # 531) would be the 2nd or 3rd to go full power, I think. There are 5 digital stations in Macon. Maybe someone in McRae will answer your questions. Good Luck.

Al

Mc Rae? Hmmm. The problem there is that our pattern will not be real strong in that direction. But you may be able to pick it up anyway. You won't know until you try. We really don't know what the signal will do until we get it on the air. We have the projections but that only approximates actual conditions and not always well. As far as pictures go, I will have to look into that. The Chief Engineer has a digital camera so that might be possible. We need to take the pictures anyway. It's amazing how useful construction photos can be later when repair work needs to be done. Especially pictures of trenches and underground conduit paths and grounding systems. I will probably snap some with my SLR camera. Yeah, I know, old technology, but good technology. I have a couple of SLRs that I picked up at a garage sale years ago, they were made in the USSR. They are strictly manual, but they take real good pictures and I hate to let go of them. We'll see what we can do.

Ralph Carson
A.C.E.
WGXA TV24/DT16

I agree on the photos of trenches and stuff. I do the "Blue Stakes" for our companies.
It is really nice to have some construction photos, and then doctor them up with measurements and bearings, for later. Memory just doesn't cut it!

Well, I've noticed the PSIP has changed on my Mits for WGXA. I was (and still am) getting it on 16.3, now it's back on 24.1. So, I guess you're up to something over there at channel 24. Hopefully it won't be long before we see "Full Power".

Al

I'm having trouble tuning WMGT-DT into my pc using Mytheatre software, all other macon channels work and WMGT works in another app...I think the scanned audio pid may be wrong, "0014/AC3".
Any ideas would be appreciated

I don't usually watch channel 41, but I channel surf from time to time. I was channel surfing about 8:30 p.m. tonight and I wasn't getting channel 41. I guess they were down. When I do occassionally watch NBC, I usually watch 11 Alive out of Alanta for their D.D. 5.1 sound. After reading your post, about the time for Medium to come on, I checked channel 41 and it's now on with no apparent problems. Maybe they were working on something earlier. Sometimes, you know, it's not your equipment, it's there's?

Al

We had a viewer complaint that they were getting our signal but no picture. We took the opportunity to straighten out some issues with our splicer, and reworked the PSIP file. We hope this resolves the "plenty of signal but no picture" issue for all viewers. But it's hard to know if a particular manufacterer's set will reject your signal, some are a lot more finicky. We never know what changes will affect who's set.

Transmitter construction is coming along nicely, but we are having a time trying to figure out how to get everything into our small building. We will have to move our current transmitter, which will put our digital signal off the air, but we hope to accomplish that rather quickly.

Ralph Carson
A.C.E.
WGXA TV24/DT16

Thanks for the heads up on going off the air, Ralph. When I notice it, maybe I will remember and not complain to loudly about it. Good Luck on a speedy conversion.

Al

Sometimes, you know, it's not your equipment, it's there's?

Al


Well I get it fine with my tv's tuner and with another application on my pc. The app I prefer to use (Mytheatre) is very customizable, I have settings for audio and video pids and all sorts of stuff I know nothing about lol

does anybody know anything about the new channels Cox is supposed to add to the lineup? i got a letter today saying my bill would be going up. It mentioned that they would be adding the Zone channels (Sportszone, Kidszone, and Newszone). Be nice if they'd add ESPN2HD instead, but i guess we could only dream.

Why do you have "Wheel of Fortune" in HD and you don't have "Jeopardy!" in HD? I thought both shows were to be in HD? What's going on?

Al

they may still be having problems with jeopardy. the first show started in HD but the audio was nothing but static. not sure why there is a difference, they both come from Sony studios.

They must have found the problem. Jeopardy is in HD tonight.

Al

Hey, I just noticed you can select a white background to view the forum. I like this much better!

Ralph Carson
WGXA

I searched around and cant find out what channels are in clear QAM on Cox Cable (Byron). Does anybody know, or will someone with a clear QAM tuner and cable try an experiment? :confused:

Another item im researching is availability of "TV Guide On Screen" (from Gemstar) in this area. A number of consumer digital recorder devices now use it.

Wikipedia Says: "The original analog TV service uses the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of host television stations that datacast the service, similar to the way closed captioning and teletext are broadcast. .............The new service, launched in the United States in 2006, is entirely digital, using the ATSC TV standard. Like the analog service, it is distributed by National Datacast on PBS TV network stations."

I presume Cox cable does not carry it because it provides a free alternative to their DVR service. (if you buy a compatible recorder)

Does anybody know if WPBA DT in Atlanta broadcasts "TV Guide On Screen"?
Do any of the other Macon DTV stations provide it?

I have a JVC HM-DT100U Digital VCR, with built-in ATSC tuner and it has an EPG (Electronic Program Guide). It works great, but it only works with the digital channels, and I can't tell you where it comes from? I believe it comes from the individual channels, but I don't know. And, I don't have cable, I use it for my OTA (over the air), but if I understand my instruction book, I see no reason to keep it from working with cable channels, unless the digital only would stop it. But, if you have digital cable, I would think it would work. I can't tell about something I don't know, but it works for OTA great.
On my tv, the one with the built-in ATSC tuner, I only get the info from the PSIP, that my Mits will decode. It sometimes shows the names of the programs, but usually it doesn't. It depends on the station, as they put out different information. I think different tuners are different, so different tuners get different results.

Al

We transmit Gemstar on our analog signal, but not on the digital signal. It probably makes it through the upconversion, but a digital receiver would probably not look for it in the vertical interval of the de-digitized signal. Even then it would only appear during local programming, or during commercial breaks while in network.

Ralph Carson
WGXA TV24/DT16

Hey thanks Ralph for confirming what i suspected. I did read part of the AVS Forum string on the LG LST3410A (which uses this service) and found some speculation there that TV Guide On Screen data is transmitted by many analog TV stations, especially in the larger cities. Looks like if there is near nationwide coverage, you could find this info online. But even TV Guide On Screen web site does not ID stations or coverage.

Now if someone with a tuner would do the clear QAM experiment with cox................

I'm not exactly new to HDTV but I'm still trying to fine tune my set-up for the best OTA reception. I have a 50" Sony Grand WEGA LCD monitor and a Dish HD Receiver. For OTA signals I have a Channel Master 3671 UHF/VHF antenna with a Channel Master 7777 preamp mounted on a rotator around 20' up. There are some tall trees around my house but no tall buildings.

I live in Reynolds, GA 31076. My problem is that right now I am receiving HD signals from three different cities in opposite directions (Macon - 35 to 40 miles and generally east of me, Columbus - 50 to 60 miles and generally west of me and Atlanta - 80 to 100 miles and generally north of me). Right now, the strongest HD signal I get is WMAZ-DT from Macon although even that usually has some pixillation depending on the atmospheric conditions. The other VHF signal is WXIA from Atlanta. Other than that, it appears all of the other digital signals are UHF with broadcast frequencies between 15 and 49.

From what I have read, I would like to try a UHF antenna, maybe a Channel Master 4228 or Antennas Direct DB8 with a rotator to be able to get signals from all three cities. Any suggestions on which model? Also, since WMAZ's and WXIA's digital channels are VHF, will I lose these signals if I only use a UHF antenna? Finally, how directional are these UHF antennas and will I have any problems with using a rotator?

Other than WMAZ, all of the HD signals are generally hit or miss but usually the Atlanta signals are the strongest. I assume this is because it is a larger market and the stations are probably already operating at full power whereas I understand the Macon and Columbus stations have not gone full power yet. In addition, I never know which way I am going to have to point my antenna to get a particular signal. For instance, when WXIA (Atlanta) is coming in strong with the antenna aimed between 0 and 10 degrees, other signals from Atlanta may come in with it pointed at 100 degrees or around at 240 degrees. I assume these signals are bouncing off of something. There are three very tall (200 feet +) towers within a couple of blocks from me that are owned by the phone company and the power company but I'm not exactly sure what they are.

Anyway, would either of the two UHF antennas I mentioned (4228 or DB8) likely make any difference from my current setup? It's frustrating getting such strong signals on some nights with hardly any signals on others and always having to adjust the direction of the antenna to find them. I don't mind mounting whatever antenna I use on a rotator but I'm just not sure what type of antenna I should be using.

From what I've read in the Atlanta threads, the 4228 works well for VHF 10 in Atlanta. But, at your distance it could be risky? I don't think it would work for VHF 4 in Macon, if you decide to try it, let us know the results. I have a CM Spartan 3 amplifier (0064DSB), it has a 300 Ohms input to 75 Ohm download output. They also make one that's 75 Ohm to 75 Ohm (I think it's # is 0065DSB). I used it on a CM antenna, that high winds took down a couple of years ago. At that time I got a Winegard deep fringe VHF/UHF/FM antenna, the largest one they make. It's powered by a Wingard distribution amplifier (DA-1136). I get great results with it. Six weeks ago, I ordered the 3671b from CM (that may be what you have), through Fouraker Electronics in Macon, along with the CM rotor with remote. I got the antenna last week, the rotor didn't come in, yet. I plan to use my CM Spartan 3 with it and put it up at my sister's place. If the rotor gets here in time, before you change anything, I'll let you know how well it works. My only concern is the Spartan 3 took a good wack when the antenna fell a couple of years back. If it doesn't work, I'll get another Spartan 3, I don't know how well the 7777 works (at least in the spec's.), but if I remember right, it's not as good as the Spartan 3? Maybe you should try a Spartan 3 amplifier? Good Luck!

Al

evo,
unfortunately even with a QAM tuner and cox, you can't get HD channels from the cable line unless you pay for it. Their website says you get the locals in HD free if you have basic cable, but if you try to tune the channels you get nothing. A friend of mine used to get the channels free but not anymore. This is also the case for my parents who live in Baton Rouge and use Cox. I'm wondering if it would be worth contacting the BBB against Cox for false advertising. Depending on where you live, you may be able to get away with a pair of rabbit ears connected to your tv to get the locals OTA.

seanmc:

here is a website where you can compare the theoretical gain of 3671 and the 4228:
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html
look at the plot labeled "Net Gain for some common UHF antennas"

Looks like the 4228 will give you from 1 to 3 dB better gain where it counts. Im not sure if this is enough to solve your problem though. Thats not much. If possible, i would recommend some more height to see if it helps. Also, make sure the coax is in good shape, not significantly longer than necessary, and a low loss type for the RF range needed. I used Belden 1694A on my install. Also i used sealed connectors and purchased the tools to install them.

I have a 4228 waiting for me to install - to be pointed toward Atlanta. Im only 11 miles from the Macon stations and pull them in with a cheapie antenna.

mchias 1:

I already have an ATSC tuner and outdoor antenna to pull in the local HD stations. I also have standard COX cable and refuse to pay the diff for digital as it looks like theres not much more HD content right now that i cant get for free.

I was just wondering if there are any channels other than local that Cox local might not be scrambled. People in some areas around the country are reporting this. One guy even reported getting PPV programs purchased by a neighbor for some reason.

When you say "if you try to tune the channels you get nothing", do you know someone who has done this locally with a clear QAM tuner?

Note cable companies are using QAM modulation - This is not compatible with 8VSB modulation used by ATSC, over the air tuners. If you simply hook Cox cable up to an ATSC tuner, you will get nothing because the signals are not compatible. The set top box provided by the cable company is a QAM tuner and descrambler. A "clear QAM" tuner is included in some HDTV's and receivers (although not common), and i think some "cable cards" may receive unscrambled content without the cable company's software.

locally i'm not sure. i know the guy who tried through a friend of mine. i'm not sure if he has a QAM tuner or just an atsc.

my parents in louisiana have cox also and have a QAM atsc tuner. they can not get ANYTHING through the cable line. they have to use an antenna for the locals.

according to cox's website, you are only supposed to get the locals, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, for free through the cable line with basic cable. all the rest you must get digital cable to receive.

I get locals in HD over a basic cox sub with a dvico fusion pci card

I get locals in HD over a basic cox sub with a dvico fusion pci card

Chuck35
There you go! Thanks. I assume you have Cox Middle GA ......right?

I just noticed WMAZ is simulcasting there main feed in SD on the channel that's been a black screen for so long. So now it's like this: 13.1 = HD, 13.2 = SD, 13.3 = Dopplar Radar.

Al

Anyone else getting the occasional breakup in their picture and sound on WGXA-DT? First started to notice it Sunday during the football games and just had it happen now during the ALCS game. Using Cox on a Motorola HD box.

flashram,
i've been getting the break ups for over a week now. i have digital cable in warner robins. it's pretty much been happening since around the time they upped the broadband bandwidth. not sure if that has something to do with it or not. hopefully cox fixes the problem.

i get the break ups only from the digital box. the analogue tuner in my computer doesn't have any problems.

Hey Y'all:
Progress is moving along on our DTV transmitter construction. We have the new electrical service installed, they're installing the new air conditioners now. We have the Ranger transmitter moved to make room and we expect delivery of the new transmitter soon. After assembly of the transmitter, we still have to do tower reinforcement and install the new antenna and line. Of course each one of these steps involves a bunch of little steps, but we're moving right along.

Ralph Carson
WGXA TV24/DT16

Chuck35
There you go! Thanks. I assume you have Cox Middle GA ......right?


Yes Mid Ga!

The air conditioners are in and we now await the transmitter itself. It should be in next week. Things are moving right along.

Ralph Carson
WGXA TV24/DT16

mchias1- Are you still getting break ups in your WGXA-DT picture? It is beyond annoying at this point. :( I guess I will call Cox tomorrow, not that I think it will make a difference.

i get the break up on all digital channels. but i read in the Cox thread for Baton Rouge that there are people complaining about the same thing there.

Anyone ever gotten in to the menus on your STBs and made a list of what channels are on what actual frequencies on Cox in Macon? You might find some interesting ingress problems that might explain things. Possibly some OTA full-power and LPTV stations, plus the usual nearby two-way, paging, etc.

Breakup on ALL digital channels (on Digital Cable) is often due to low signal levels or some really bad connections (causing reflections).

i would say it is bad connections on my side with the digital break ups, but it just started happening recently. i haven't changed anything. the only thing that has happened is Cox has upped their broadband bandwidth. that's the only thing that i can think of that might be causing problems.

I haven't changed anything on my end either. My father who lives a few miles away is having similar issues so I do not think it is an issue with my connections. Seems to be very random.

Hey Flashram and Rbird ?? I live in Warner Robins and wondering do either of you... have COX Cable and thier hd channels

Hey Flashram and Rbird ?? I live in Warner Robins and wondering do either of you... have COX Cable and thier hd channels

I do.

mine goes in and out alot ... like 716 tnt ... it goes out all the time.. does yours do this ?? and do you know if they plan to offer anymore hd channels other the the ones they have now.. ??

Need some antenna picking guidance. Ok, I live in North Warner Robins, just where the Houtson County, Peach, Bibb line is at. I live somewhat on top of a hill that drops off to my north, so I have a pretty good view of either Macon stations (about 51* and 10 miles from me) and Atlanta Stations (about 331* and 85 miles from me). I tried getting an indoor antenna from Radio Shack and was able to get the following.

Channel 13-1: I was able to get a very low signal, sometime it would come in sometime it wouldn't. But I noticed no matter what setting I had on the TV it would come in formated for 4:3 even though the info said 16:9 (is that normal)
Channel 13-2, 13-3: Again these came in with a very very low signal

Channel 24-1: Couldn't get anything from this one

Channel 58-1: Got a low signal from this again, couldn't keep a stable signal

These were about all I tried before I gave up. I wasn't very impressed when I did get a decent signal, but I am hoping this is just because of the weak antenna.

Now, comes my question. I am wanting to mount an external antenna to the highest point on my house with about a 5 foot mast (this will place it about 25 foot of the ground). Is there any chance at all of me being able to pick up Atlanta stations with any kind of consitency??? Are the macon stations really up to par (from what I saw, they didnt' look good at all). If the macon stations can actually look decent then I will just worry about those, as long as some football games and stuff can come in nice and clear.

Also, where is a good place to get antennas from (I know of radio shack, but any websites or anything??). And any recommendations of a particular antenna??

Thanks for all your help.

Now, comes my question. I am wanting to mount an external antenna to the highest point on my house with about a 5 foot mast (this will place it about 25 foot of the ground). Is there any chance at all of me being able to pick up Atlanta stations with any kind of consitency??? Are the macon stations really up to par (from what I saw, they didnt' look good at all). If the macon stations can actually look decent then I will just worry about those, as long as some football games and stuff can come in nice and clear.With an external antenna, mounted like that, you will get excellent signal from WMAZ-DT (13.1, 13.2, 13.3... 13.1 always looks great when CBS is in HD... 13.2/13.3 are low bitrate radar, so don't judge anything based on the quality of those images)...you'll also get WPGA-DT (32.1) very well. Right now, the CMA Awards in HD on WPGA-DT look *very* nice.

WGXA-DT (24.1) is going to be very tough to get, but with what you describe, you should get something... WGXA is currently building out their full power facilities, so a few more weeks should see that low signal change. When WGXA is in Fox programming, they look great. Their local stuff could use some work.

WMGT-DT (41.1) stands for We Might Get Television-Don't Think so. Currently at low, low, low power, they continue to beg the FCC to allow them to not spend any money (their calls used to be WCWB, which stood for "We Can't, We're Broke"), so don't expect a great signal from that one, but with the rooftop antenna, you may well get a stable signal. As for the HD... well, if the master control operators can stay off their cell phones and remember to switch it, it looks good... but it's disconcerting to watch a program start after a local break in 4:3 and suddenly switch to 16:9 HD.

WGNM-DT (64.1) is all-God, all the time, and they're up at a full one million watts effective radiated power. Their digital channel is 45, and if you can't see this one, you have big problems. All programming is standard definition, and as it comes from a variety of sources, quality varies wildly.

As a note, WRBL-DT from Columbus on digital 15 (3.1 and 3.2, CBS affiliate) is up with one million watts effective radiated power, and the antenna's mounted at 507 meters... a smidge over 1500 feet. With my antenna pointed at the Macon tower farm, WRBL-DT comes booming in here. 3.1 is the main channel, as expected, 3.2 has their doppler on it.

A lot of rambling here, just to say, in short, that at 25 feet above ground, with little/no trees in the way, you'll do a LOT better than you've seen so far.

Sorry to say I'm not familiar with antenna suppliers, other than Radio Shack (my RS antenna does fine, thanks). I picked up a Channel Master amplifier at Lowe's, which helped on WGXA and WMGT, but I'm only about 20 feet up, and behind something of a hill here by Lake Joy.

One more thing - WMAZ-DT is actually on VHF channel 4, so if you go with a UHF only antenna, don't expect a great signal for 13.1, 13.2, 13.3. In Feb, 2009, WMAZ will move their digital signal to channel 13 and shut off channel 4.

I've not checked specifically on the other elections in Macon, but I believe everybody else is staying on their current digital channels (all UHF, but even if they don't, they're still UHF).

In Atlanta, everybody's on UHF for their digital (except WXIA, the NBC affiliate, which is on channel 10), and I believe they're all staying there.

One other thing on the picture quality thing... all the Macon network affiliates are in 16:9 when their network is broadcasting HD... but 4:3 (really 16:9 transmitted, with either gray or black bars on the sides) when they're not. This means *all* local programming currently, as well as syndicated shows (except Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy on WMAZ... they're in HD... most of the time), as well as reality shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race... those are shot in standard def, so you get the boxes on the sides with those.

TitanTV.com has the listings and shows what's in HD and what's not... tonight's the first time I've seen a live event other than sports in HD (The CMA Awards on ABC).

( by rockandchelle)
Also, where is a good place to get antennas from (I know of radio shack, but any websites or anything??). And any recommendations of a particular antenna??


Try a channel master 8 bay antenna for the uhf channels.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?main_cat=03&CAT=&PROD=ANC4228

and for 13.1, I would use this antenna channelmaster 3671 and combine the signals. I live in Hawkinsville and I pick up The Macon channels. I also use amplifiers. Also try Warren Electronic.

http://www.warrenelectronics.com/

One other thing on the picture quality thing... all the Macon network affiliates are in 16:9 when their network is broadcasting HD... but 4:3 (really 16:9 transmitted, with either gray or black bars on the sides) when they're not. This means *all* local programming currently, as well as syndicated shows (except Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy on WMAZ... they're in HD... most of the time), as well as reality shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race... those are shot in standard def, so you get the boxes on the sides with those.

TitanTV has the listings and shows what's in HD and what's not... tonight's the first time I've seen a live event other than sports in HD (The CMA Awards on ABC).

Thank you for all your insight. I am going to have to research this some more to see what I will end up with. I really don't want to have a huge external antenna, but I do want to get some good reception.

( by rockandchelle)
Also, where is a good place to get antennas from (I know of radio shack, but any websites or anything??). And any recommendations of a particular antenna??

Try a channel master 8 bay antenna for the uhf channels.
and for 13.1, I would use this antenna channelmaster 3671 and combine the signals. I live in Hawkinsville and I pick up The Macon channels. I also use amplifiers. Also try Warren Electronic.



I will check out warrenelectronics and see what all they have. I really do like that UHF antenna that you pointed out, but I was really wanting to get a UHF/VHF antenna...any chance that i would be able to pickup VHF with that, beings I am so close??

Whatever happened to WMGT:"Macon Gerbil Television"? :)

Have any of the LPTV stations flash cut, or started construction on a Digital Companion Channel?

We had to get Ga Power out again to resolve an over voltage problem. They had to change some transformers. Transmitter is delivered and we're proceeding with installation. Acrodyne will send an engineering crew to help, but preliminary stuff is being done already. The mask filter has arrived and it's bigger than my big Dodge truck. Fills about half the room. A fine looking system, I hope it runs as good as it looks.

Ralph Carson
A.C.E.
WGXA TV24/DT16

Whatever happened to WMGT:"Macon Gerbil Television"? :)

Have any of the LPTV stations flash cut, or started construction on a Digital Companion Channel?
I believe the gerbil expired... or maybe he's the one that can't be bothered to get off his wheel and switch the HD back in. Either way, they're the only station in Macon that's not installed some form of automatic switching (though I'm given to understand that WPGA had an issue for a while with an inability to address both serial ports on the switcher simultaneously - that problem should be solved by now with a software upgrade).

So far as I know, none of the Let's Play TV stations have started construction on any digital facilities yet.

Thank you for all your insight. I am going to have to research this some more to see what I will end up with. I really don't want to have a huge external antenna, but I do want to get some good reception.
You don't need a huge one, unless you really insist on trying to rope in the Atlanta signals. Once WGXA finishes their upgrade (and as Ralph has pointed out, that's moving right along - I, personally will be glad to finally be able to reliably see NASCAR in HD come February), only WMGT among the network affiliates will require anything special/large/amplified.

( by rockandchelle)
Also, where is a good place to get antennas from (I know of radio shack, but any websites or anything??). And any recommendations of a particular antenna??


Try a channel master 8 bay antenna for the uhf channels.



and for 13.1, I would use this antenna channelmaster 3671 and combine the signals. I live in Hawkinsville and I pick up The Macon channels. I also use amplifiers. Also try Warren Electronic.


I live in Reynolds and have an amplified Channel Master 3671, which I understand to be a UHF/VHF combo antenna, about 25 feet up. Do I understand you correctly that you have this type of antenna but also use a separate 8-bay UHF antenna and combine the signals? What is the advantage of this? Channel 13.1 is almost always a strong signal for me but the other HD signals from Macon, Atlanta and Columbus are more hit or miss. Can I expect a big difference on my UHF signals from the 8-bay antenna over the 3671? Also, my Sony KDF-E50A10 has been in the shop since the beginning of October and can't be repaired. Right now I am fighting with Sony and Best Buy for a new replacement instead of a refurbished model which has been a pain. Have there been any noticeable changes in signal strengths through upgrades by any of the local stations in the last month? I miss my HD broadcasts.

Thank you for all your insight. I am going to have to research this some more to see what I will end up with. I really don't want to have a huge external antenna, but I do want to get some good reception.

Im on the east side of I-75 near Byron - probably near you from your description. You will be able to get the Macon stations just fine with almost any outdoor UHF-VHF antenna mounted with clear view in the station's direction. You will not need an amplifier if you use good quality low loss cable. Beware, if the antenna is "looking" through trees with leaves in spring/summer, you may lose the weaker stations occasionally.

I have this antenna mounted about 30 ft high (10 ft above 2 story roof peak): http://www.antennasdirect.com/V10_vhf_antenna.html
This antenna is quite small and light.

I occasionally pick up atlanta when the weather is right even though my little "medium gain" VHF-UHF is pointed toward Macon. You might get a high gain VHF-UHF and a rotor and do OK but changing channels between Macon and Atl stations will be a hassle.

I have the 8-bay channel master in a box waiting for install to point to Atlanta, leaving the other antenna pointing to Macon. For this i will probably go to a 3-section telescoping mast to get them higher. This must be guyed. I plan to test reception of Atl only with the 8bay for a few days. If OK, i will try to combine the input from the two antennas on the same mast-down the same cable. Combiner loss will be about 4 dB. If needed, i can add an amp. Only potential problem i can think of is unwanted backlobe/sidelobe reception feeding out of phase between the two antennas.

I will check out warrenelectronics and see what all they have. I really do like that UHF antenna that you pointed out, but I was really wanting to get a UHF/VHF antenna...any chance that i would be able to pickup VHF with that, beings I am so close??

P.S. here is an excellent site to compare theoretical antenna performance.
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html
Note the CM4228 has decent performance in VHF-hi range.

Note the CM4228 has decent performance in VHF-hi range.

My local FOX affiliate broadcasts on digital channel #12 at VERY low power, and I can receive a signal ranging from 70-80 in almost the full 360 rotation with the CM4228.

My local NBC affiliate broadcasts on analog channel #10, and I can pick them up GREAT with the CM4228.

I can also pick up channels 9, 6, and 3... from neighboring cities (Columbus and Thomasville) as well as the occasional channel from elsewhere in the state, but not as well as the above mentioned channels.

~Alan

You don't need a huge one, unless you really insist on trying to rope in the Atlanta signals. Once WGXA finishes their upgrade (and as Ralph has pointed out, that's moving right along - I, personally will be glad to finally be able to reliably see NASCAR in HD come February), only WMGT among the network affiliates will require anything special/large/amplified.

Yeah, I was thinking that I would just try and get my locals for now, and then upgrade my antenna later to try and get those in atlanta.

Im on the east side of I-75 near Byron - probably near you from your description. You will be able to get the Macon stations just fine with almost any outdoor UHF-VHF antenna mounted with clear view in the station's direction. You will not need an amplifier if you use good quality low loss cable. Beware, if the antenna is "looking" through trees with leaves in spring/summer, you may lose the weaker stations occasionally.

I have this antenna mounted about 30 ft high (10 ft above 2 story roof peak): http://www.antennasdirect.com/V10_vhf_antenna.html
This antenna is quite small and light.

I occasionally pick up atlanta when the weather is right even though my little "medium gain" VHF-UHF is pointed toward Macon. You might get a high gain VHF-UHF and a rotor and do OK but changing channels between Macon and Atl stations will be a hassle.

I have the 8-bay channel master in a box waiting for install to point to Atlanta, leaving the other antenna pointing to Macon. For this i will probably go to a 3-section telescoping mast to get them higher. This must be guyed. I plan to test reception of Atl only with the 8bay for a few days. If OK, i will try to combine the input from the two antennas on the same mast-down the same cable. Combiner loss will be about 4 dB. If needed, i can add an amp. Only potential problem i can think of is unwanted backlobe/sidelobe reception feeding out of phase between the two antennas.

This is very good information to know, as I was considering getting the V10 or V15 for now, and then upgrading to the 8bay for UHF, and combining like you are doing.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=AD-V10
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=AD-V15

Please keep me posted when you do this, I am very interested. Thanks.

Like I said above, I will probably end up with the Antennas Direct V15, or something similiar. I think this will do the job quite nicely. Now my next concerns:

1.) Cabling. I will be probably running new RG-6 cable for this. I was thinking about setting the antenna next to my DirecTV dish and using a diplexer or something to combine the two signals, but the total lenght of cable would probably be around 75 feet (maybe a little shorter), but I was worried I would get to much loss and it would be pointless. Plus, I couldn't put in a preamp because of the diplexer. So, I think I will install it on the other side of my house, where the cable run should be less than 50 feet (probably more like 30). Should I experience much loss from this, where I would need an amplifier??

2.) Mounting. I plan to mount it at the peak of my roof. I was going to use something like this, so I wouldn't have to get a long pole all the way to the ground.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=RON4560

Does anyone forsee any problems with this. I believe this should offer enough support, but if not, I can always run it down to the ground, I just really didn't want to.

That is all for now...hopefully I can get some money soon, and begin work on this.

On a side note, I had a cheap indoor antenna from radio shack that I tried out the other, day and could only get it to pick up channel 13.1 with any kind of consitency from by my tv. Before I returned this unit, I got a long cable and placed it by a window pointing in the direction of the antennas, and found that I was able to pickup all four major networks including FOX. Also, I was getting a 58.1...what is that?? Antenna web shows the following for me, and I didn't see a 58.1, so I wasn't sure.

* yellow - uhf WPGA-DT 32.1 ABC PERRY GA 60° 10.3 32
* yellow - vhf WMAZ-DT 13.1 CBS MACON GA 60° 10.4 4
* yellow - uhf WGNM-DT 45.1 CTN MACON GA 57° 10.8 45
* yellow - uhf WGXA-DT 24.1 FOX MACON GA 61° 10.2 16
* green - vhf WDCO-DT 7 PBS COCHRAN GA 07-08 121° 29.8 7
* green - uhf WMGT-DT 41.1 NBC MACON GA 59° 10.2 40

"My local FOX affiliate broadcasts on digital channel #12 at VERY low power, and I can receive a signal ranging from 70-80 in almost the full 360 rotation with the CM4228.

My local NBC affiliate broadcasts on analog channel #10, and I can pick them up GREAT with the CM4228."

Note that a directional antenna that receives in almost all directions isn't really considered "decent" performance ;) .

"My local FOX affiliate broadcasts on digital channel #12 at VERY low power, and I can receive a signal ranging from 70-80 in almost the full 360 rotation with the CM4228.

"Note that a directional antenna that receives in almost all directions isn't really considered "decent" performance ;) .

Hmm... Well, it only does that on the VHF channels... though I get pretty good rotation with full power signals (WRBL-DT from Columbus, WCTV-DT from Thomasville) and somewhat good rotation with WTLH-DT (from Bainbridge) and WSST-DT from Cordele. I can't do this with low powered signals (WALB-DT from Albany and WTXL-DT from Tallahassee, Florida).

Note that it doesn't work this way with the analog channels, except for WACS (which is my closest station, and I can receive them without an antenna)...

Where I live, an antenna that didn't do like this, would mean that I'd need at least three or four antennas to receive my locals (and others to allow me to receive 6 of the seven networks).

~Alan

Just commenting that, when not used on the channels it's designed for, an antenna works pretty unpredictably. They may have odd patterns, they may have very strange frequency responses, and their impedance and return loss specs are all over the place, which could lead to reflections between the TV and the antenna ends of the cable. So, be careful.

Just commenting that, when not used on the channels it's designed for, an antenna works pretty unpredictably. They may have odd patterns, they may have very strange frequency responses, and their impedance and return loss specs are all over the place, which could lead to reflections between the TV and the antenna ends of the cable. So, be careful.

I see a lot of posts from people who apparently just rely on a UHF antenna, which I guess is not an option to pick up WMAZ-DT, and generally aim their antenna at a fixed location, for instance at all of the towers where the Macon signals are generated. Is there any disadvantage to using a UHF/VHF combo on a rotator to try to pick up signals from other cities like Columbus and Atlanta? When I do that I hardly ever find those signals in the same locations from day to day. For instance, some nights I may pick up Channel 11 from Atlanta with the antenna aimed between 0 degrees and about 20 degrees, basically due north of me, while I may have to rotate it to between 240 degrees and 300 degrees to get Channels 2, 5 and 46 from Atlanta. Also, according to antennaweb. WPGA-DT's tower should be oriented roughly 70 degrees from my location but sometimes I have to rotate the antenna around to between 150 and 180 degrees. Is this typical or are the signals I am receiving being bounced off of something before I pick them up? I'm confused.

[QUOTE=rockandchelle]Like I said above, I will probably end up with the Antennas Direct V15, or something similiar. I think this will do the job quite nicely. Now my next concerns:

1.) Cabling.
After some research, i settled on Belden 1694A:
http://www.atechfabrication.com/products/belden_1694a.htm
I purchased some bulk cable, sealed connectors, and cutting and connector install tools. Eventually, I will replace all coax in my house with this stuff. Most important spec is dB loss per unit length at the highest frequency you plan to use it. This is 95% braid shield coverage cable with very low loss, which is better than all of the locally sold bulk or "quad" shield cable i looked at (much of which you cant find specs for). I recently noticed Home Depot has similar connectors and tools for the quad shield cable they sell.

2.) Mounting.
Sure that mount will hold the V10 or V15. I'd be careful about channeling water to the trim on your house if it's wood though. Also, you really should ground the mast to a ground rod. And use a coax ground block attached to the grounded mast or some grounded object. The ground block will help protect your equipment from static buildup.


<<58.1...what is that?? >>
Same as 32 : WPGA-DTV
DTV tuners recognize both a marketing channel number (usually the same as the old analog TV channel number) and a DTV channel number, corresponding to the actual RF Frequency range of the digital station. DTV channel/freqency assigments fall in the old analog bandwidths (e.g. DTV 2-13 is VHF, and DTV 14-69 is UHF).

Call Sign Mkt DTV
Chnl RF Network Studio City channel
WGNM-DT 64 657.25 UPN MACON 45
WGXA-DT 24 531.25 FOX MACON 16
WMGT-DT 41 633.25 NBC MACON 40
WMAZ-DT 13 211.25 CBS MACON 4
WPGA-DT 58 579.25 ABC PERRY 32
WDCO-DT 29 175.25 PBS COCHRAN 7 (not on the air yet)

The RF is the carrier RF for analog channels. DTV may not use that actual carrier but it falls in the 6MHz slot somewhere. (I havent studied the acutal modulation method for the digital signals)

Note that a directional antenna that receives in almost all directions isn't really considered "decent" performance ;) .[/QUOTE]


Well.....by "decent" I was referring only to the theoretical CM4228 gain values (i assume on boresight) posted on the refereenced website. I realize this is not ideal as sometimes you DONT want an antenna receiving from all directions.

Thanks everyone for the information. I will probably by the mount I mentioned above with the V15, and just make sure to seal it very well where I attach it to the house. As for cable, I am not sure what I will do about that, because I really can't afford to buy bulk cable, crimpers and such, so maybe I will try and find some place online that will make custom cable lengths. I shouldn't need much more than 50 feet. As for the grounding situation, I am going to be installing it on the side of the house where the A/C unit is at, so I should be able to ground to that just fine...hopefully, because I really don't want to have to bury a grounding bar. But we shall see...I will probably be working on my project the beginning of December, so I will keep everyone posted. Thanks for all your help.

Just a general topic of discussion here. I'm curious about what type of antenna/amp/rotator set-ups y'all have out there. Why did you choose what you have? What type of reception do you receive and what problems so you have? What would you change if you could?

Just a general topic of discussion here. I'm curious about what type of antenna/amp/rotator set-ups y'all have out there. Why did you choose what you have? What type of reception do you receive and what problems so you have? What would you change if you could?
Big ol' Radio Shack VHF/UHF antenna (the only deep fringe I could find in town the day I decided to do it), Channel Master amp (not the one with the best noise figures, but the one Lowe's carries... or did at the time), no rotator at all.

Mostly, I have what I have because it's what was available the day I decided to put up an antenna, and I don't know that there's much I'd change - possibly remove the amp (and thereby remove some of the noise) once the locals go full power.

I don't get WMGT very often, and WGXA is kind of hit-miss. The main problem with WMGT-DT is that they're on channel 40, and their analog is on 41. The amplifier noise, along with the adjacent channel noise, pretty much leaves them out, especially since they're at 3.3 KW effective on the digital, but their analog on 41 makes 1050 KW.

I haven't looked at the noise figures closely on adjacent channel digitals, but WRBL-DT/Columbus is making a megawatt at 507 meters on channel 15, which can't be helping with WGXA-DT's 1.16 KW on channel 16 (note that WGXA is currently building their full power facilities - Ralph's keeping everybody up to date in this thread on the progress there), especially with the amplifier noise thrown in... and with the antenna pointed at the Macon tower farm out on Cochran short route, I still get almost full scale on the signal meter from WRBL-DT (if that doesn't annoy WMAZ, that folks can watch CBS HD on a station other than theirs around here, nothing will).

WPGA-DT is making 18 KW on channel 32, but they have a construction permit to go to 100KW. I've no idea where they are in planning/implementing that, though.

Basically, honkin' big antenna and an amplifier currently gets me 3 of the 5 digital signals on the air in Macon. If I manually turn the antenna toward Atlanta, I can usually see all of them at night. And only 1 signal from Columbus makes it over here.

When I finally get enough money to do everything, my plan is to put up an Antennas Direct V15 or V21 Antenna without an amplifier (i am only about 10 miles from the towers, so this should be plenty). If I have to add an amplifier then I will do that at a later date, but I think the only reason I should have to would be if my cables are to long.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=AD-V15
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=AD-V21

I currently have an amplified indoor antenna sitting in the room adjacent from my tv and I am able to pickup the following.

Chnl RF Network Studio City channel
WGNM-DT 64 657.25 UPN MACON 45 50%
WGXA-DT 24 531.25 FOX MACON 16 Nothing Here...If I play with it some I can get about 5 - 15%
WMGT-DT 41 633.25 NBC MACON 40 About 30-40%
WMAZ-DT 13 211.25 CBS MACON 4 About 40-50%
WPGA-DT 58 579.25 ABC PERRY 32 About 30-40%

So, I don't think this is too bad at all considering it is indoors, pointing through about 3 walls, and almost right in the direction of a few houses. When I get my outside antenna mounted above my roof line, I think I will be all set.

I live in Warner Robins and I need a good installer for my OTA antenna. (I know nothing about this stuff.) Does anyone have any suggestions of who I could call?

I live in Warner Robins and I need a good installer for my OTA antenna. (I know nothing about this stuff.) Does anyone have any suggestions of who I could call?
If you're not going real high with it, it's not hard at all. Brackets on the side of the house to hold the mast... mount the antenna to the mast, connect the coax (using the supplied balun if you're not using an amp), raise the mast up into the brackets, secure the mast to the brackets... run the coax in the house, plug it into the TV, you're all set.

Those are the basics, and it may seem like I'm making it easier than it is, but I'm really not.

Yes, some go all-out on grounding, etc... I've never grounded a receive antenna before (I'm well aware of the arguments both for and against, as well as the ongoing debate about which is better... transmit antennae are another story entirely and I'm a fan of hanging out at AM towers and watching the fun across the arc gap - not).

If you're not going real high with it, it's not hard at all. Brackets on the side of the house to hold the mast... mount the antenna to the mast, connect the coax (using the supplied balun if you're not using an amp), raise the mast up into the brackets, secure the mast to the brackets... run the coax in the house, plug it into the TV, you're all set.

Those are the basics, and it may seem like I'm making it easier than it is, but I'm really not.

Yes, some go all-out on grounding, etc... I've never grounded a receive antenna before (I'm well aware of the arguments both for and against, as well as the ongoing debate about which is better... transmit antennae are another story entirely and I'm a fan of hanging out at AM towers and watching the fun across the arc gap - not).

What are the arguments for and against grounding a receiving antenna? I've always heard of the possible consequences for not grounding but are there any drawbacks if you do ground your antenna?

Quick update. I finally made the plunge and purchased the stuff I need to get my antenna going. I picked up a WineGard 5646 VHF/UHF/FM Antenna from Foreaker Electronics in Macon. It is very similiar to the Channel Master 3016 that Solid Signal recommended to me. I was able to get everything yesterday, except the mount I need, so I will be ordering it online.

Right now, I temporarily have it mounted on a 10 foot mast in my backyard that I shoved about 2 feet into the ground (man am I glad it rained), and temporarily bolted to my deck. It is connected using about 65 to 70 foot of cable, so I could have an idea of how it will be once it is fully up. Right now I am having to point it directly at my shed (which is the general direction of where the antennas are) and I am still getting the following results.

Chnl RF Network Studio City channel
WGNM-DT 64 657.25 UPN MACON 45 About 60-70%
WGXA-DT 24 531.25 FOX MACON 16 About 30 - 40%, but a good strong steady signal
WMGT-DT 41 633.25 NBC MACON 40 About 50-60%
WMAZ-DT 13 211.25 CBS MACON 4 About 60%
WPGA-DT 58 579.25 ABC PERRY 32 About 60%

All in all, I am very pleased. I am sure once I get it fully mounted that I will be getting an even better signal. Now, I just have to wait on getting my mount.

What are the arguments for and against grounding a receiving antenna? I've always heard of the possible consequences for not grounding but are there any drawbacks if you do ground your antenna?
Not really any drawbacks. There's some thought that not grounding an antenna makes it "invisible" to lightning, since there's no path to ground... on the other hand, without a ground, static buildup on the antenna is possible, causing it to discharge to the atmosphere... which is... well... lightning.

If you do ground your mast, I do suggest making sure there are several (3 or 4) turns in the coax outside, which will present an inductance and make it less likely that lightning would travel inside to sensitive electronics.

On the other hand, if lightning is going to come in, it's going to come in and there is absolutely nothing that can be done to stop it completely (short of some VERY expensive lightning arrestors.. and even then, it's not going to be 100%... basically, you do what you can for a reasonable cost and then just rely on luck)

Chnl RF Network Studio City channel
WGNM-DT 64 657.25 UPN MACON 45 About 60-70%
WGXA-DT 24 531.25 FOX MACON 16 About 30 - 40%, but a good strong steady signal
WMGT-DT 41 633.25 NBC MACON 40 About 50-60%
WMAZ-DT 13 211.25 CBS MACON 4 About 60%
WPGA-DT 58 579.25 ABC PERRY 32 About 60%

A couple of notes...

You have your RF and "channel" backwards :)

And WGNM-DT isn't a UPN affiliate... nobody is, since UPN went the way of the do-do bird...

WGNM did not pick up The CW nor My Network TV, they chose to go All-God, All The Time.

There's a rumor that WGXA-DT will carry MyTV on 24.2 sometime after they go full power. We'll just have to wait and see on that one (though WGXA is listed as an affiliate on the MyTV website).

Sorry about getting the RF and Channel numbers mixed up. I was just copying and pasting from something I saw earlier in the thread. I really do hope that someone carries MyTV and maybe even CW. But we shall see. All I know is the college football games yesterday looked nice.

Has anyone had the free professional antenna installation done by DISH yet since they are going to have to quit offering distant network stations after December 1? At first I turned it down, but then I thought why not see what they install. Even though I usually watch my local programming on the Macon affiliates, in Reynolds we are technically in the Columbus DMA so DISH does not offer our local channels. I have waivers for NBC and FOX right now and I record any programs from them on my DVR even though they are not HD signals. Hopefully after I upgrade to a HD DVR, I can record local programming OTA and it won't matter that I don't receive the distant channels any more.

Do any of the Atlanta or Columbus stations carry the new networks?

A neat trick that companies use out here in the west, is, they put stations in smaller towns (or, even, on mountaintops where there are no towns), making sure they "technically" get some amount of signal in to part of a large city. Then, they have the right to put translator and booster stations in that large city, and add that to their name ("KXYZ-FM, Podunk, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, New York" :) ).

Seems like a Macon TV station, maybe with a bit of help from the network, could do the same. Find a spot north or west of Macon, put up a tall tower, then add translators in Macon (at the CSR site), Atlanta, Columbus, etc. That has to be a better sales advantage than just being a "Macon station". This would work for getting CW or MyTV in to those other markets, Atlanta and Columbus:

"WMCW-DT, Macon, Atlanta, Columbus.....CW22 TV"

Son will be interviewed in the morning concerning a documentary he has made on Sacred Harp music. I called the station (WPGA-TV 58) and they said it will be run twice, once at 7:23 and again at 8:25 and will be simulcast on the Radio 100.9 on the dial.

I live in Tucker Ga. Is there anyway I can access and record this show.

I know this lacks the AV technical content that I should be asking, but what do I know. Read something about TitonTV.

Thanks

Bill

Do any of the Atlanta or Columbus stations carry the new networks?
Yeah, both are on in Atlanta... dunno about Columbus.

Seems like a Macon TV station, maybe with a bit of help from the network, could do the same. Find a spot north or west of Macon, put up a tall tower, then add translators in Macon (at the CSR site), Atlanta, Columbus, etc. That has to be a better sales advantage than just being a "Macon station". This would work for getting CW or MyTV in to those other markets, Atlanta and Columbus:

"WMCW-DT, Macon, Atlanta, Columbus.....CW22 TV"
Seems expensive for little to no real advantage, since both would have to be on sub-channels on the digital... and if the market's there for those networks, Columbus stations would pick 'em up and put 'em on their own sub-channels.

Do any of the Atlanta or Columbus stations carry the new networks?
Yes, Atlanta has dedicated stations for both MyNetwork (WATL) and CW (WUPA), while Columbus has a dedicated channel for CW (WLGA).

Al

We recommend that a ground rod be driven into the ground and a copper wire connected from there and to the mast. A lightning arrestor should be installed at the base of the mast or house entry point and grounded to the rod. A bare 6AWG wire should be sufficient to ground the mast. A 12AWG for the arrestor. Ground them to the same rod. I prefer the gas diode type arrestors. This grounding is always a good idea from a safety perspective. If a major lightning strike hits the antenna directly, it probably won't save the gear, but it can shunt the majority of the energy to/from the ground (lightning goes both ways) , preventing a fire, or, and, an electrocution. It will also protect the gear in a minor incident, which most will be. I had a ham radio station grounded like this and had no lightning problems in spite of experiencing many violent storms. If you have no grounding, then there is nowhere for the lightning to go except through your gear. More ground rods are even better, two or three are good.

Incidently, the dtv signals are an entirely separate transmission from the analog signals. DT16 transmits a signal that identifies itself as 24.1 . This is all just branding. there is no technical connection between the two. One post seemed to be confused on this matter, and that is understandable. When color was implemented back in the sixties, the color signal was a rider on the NTSC signal and it all came from the same transmitter. Therefore a black and white set could receive a color signal and display it in glorious black and white. Not so with digital. You cannot receive a digital signal at all on an NTSC (older) set. It must be received by a set top box and demodulated, downconverted, and sometimes remodulated, depending on whether the set used has AV jacks or not. Hope this is helpful.

Ralph Carson
WGXA TV24/DT16

P.S. In the following post, Old Dave points out that the grounding system may be at odds with the house electrical ground potentialwise. This is correct, and to solve this problem, a 6AWG solid copper (always) should be connected from the house electrical box ground to the antenna ground. It will keep the potential close to the same in both places. If the line is being buried to improve the grounding, it should be bare. Also it's not a bad idea to put some lightning arrestors in the electrical box and connect to the busses. This is usually done with an arrestor that looks and fits like a breaker. it has a green wire that attaches to the box ground bus. Do not connect it to the neutral bus, which is the return path for the electrical current. Since this is dangerous work, it should be left to an electrician if you have any doubts about what you are doing and if you don't , it should never be done in an energized box.

We recommend that a ground rod be driven into the ground and a copper wire connected from there and to the mast. A lightning arrestor should be installed at the base of the mast or house entry point and grounded to the rod. A bare 6AWG wire should be sufficient to ground the mast. A 12AWG for the arrestor. Ground them to the same rod.When you do this, you create a difference of potential between the antenna/coax and the building ground...

For extra credit... what can happen when there's a difference in potential, boys and girls?

Any ground wires must go to the main electrical ground where the service enters the building to avoid this potentially dangerous situation.

Well, my install is complete, and I must say in all I am very happy. With where I ended up mounting my antenna for simplicity sake, it is somewhat pointing in the direction of a tree. Now, I was concerned about this, but all seems to be fine (plus the tree currently still has all of its leaves on it, so I am sure I will be fine in the spring). I am still not getting as high of signals as I am wanting, but I have a feeling that has to do with the fact that I am currently diplexing the signal with my sat signal. Currently I get all macon stations at about 6 out of 10 bars (I dont' have exact percentage numbers). And Fox is coming in with a steady 4 to 5 bars. I figured these values would go up some when I go to a dedicated OTA antenna cable into my house, instead of diplexing with my satellite. Also, it appears that I top out at 6 bars even on the most powerful stations, so I am guess this is because of loss in the lines. I may have to eventually replace the cable in the house with some newer, better stuff and possibly at a signal amplifier. But, for now I am pleased. Thanks again everyone for your help.

Ok, last question, and this one is about National HD Channels. I currently have DirecTV and am trying to figure out if I want to upgrade DirecTV to HD, go with Dish Network for HD, or go with Cox Cable. I have a pretty good idea about the two satellite companies, but I know nothing about Cox HD Cable. Does anyone have it?? Does anyone know if they compress the HD Signals or if they are giving them full bandwidth?? And can anyone comment on the picture quality?? Also, does Cox offer an HD DVR?? If so, how is the quality of that?? What about using the HD Tivo, is that a possiblity??

I am really just trying to figure out my best course of action. Thanks.

Yes, Old Dave is right. To resolve this problem, a 6AWG solid wire should be connected from the electrical box ground to the ground at the mast. This will keep the ground potential the same in both places. I will edit the original post to reflect this, so all the info will be in one post.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA TV24/DT 16

Is there any way to post pictures on this webpage? I tried to do it to no avail. I was going to post some transmitter pix.

Ralph Carson

Is there any way to post pictures on this webpage? I tried to do it to no avail. I was going to post some transmitter pix.

Ralph Carson
Not really - you have to put the pictures up someplace like Flickr.com or Photobucket.com and then come over here and post links to 'em.

Yes, Old Dave is right. To resolve this problem, a 6AWG solid wire should be connected from the electrical box ground to the ground at the mast. This will keep the ground potential the same in both places.Really, the main point is that all ground rods need to be bonded together with at least 6AWG (if you have more than one for some reason).

This will help avoid the difference in potential (and anybody's who's ever been "bitten" by electrical/electronic gear can tell ya it's a bit... well... shocking).

Ok, last question, and this one is about National HD Channels. I currently have DirecTV and am trying to figure out if I want to upgrade DirecTV to HD, go with Dish Network for HD, or go with Cox Cable. I have a pretty good idea about the two satellite companies, but I know nothing about Cox HD Cable. Does anyone have it?? Does anyone know if they compress the HD Signals or if they are giving them full bandwidth?? And can anyone comment on the picture quality?? Also, does Cox offer an HD DVR?? If so, how is the quality of that?? What about using the HD Tivo, is that a possiblity??

I am really just trying to figure out my best course of action. Thanks.
Dish Network currently has the largest number of HD channels (non-local network affiliates), since they bought Cablevision's failed Voom channels.

No idea what the picture quality is since I've been too cheap to lay out the $$ for the Dish HD receiver.

From what I have heard about Dish Network, is that their picture quality is better than DirecTV (Which I have heard is absolutely horrible), but still not as good as it could be. I am seriously thinking about going with Dish just because of the larger selection, but I really want to find out the picture quality thing. Plus, I really like the DVR they offer.

I am mainly wanting to find out what the Picture Quality is like on Cox.

From what I have heard about Dish Network, is that their picture quality is better than DirecTV (Which I have heard is absolutely horrible), but still not as good as it could be. I am seriously thinking about going with Dish just because of the larger selection, but I really want to find out the picture quality thing. Plus, I really like the DVR they offer.
The thing is, when you compress video, it's never going to be as good as it could be. But both DirecTV and Dish Network have to compress the video, otherwise, they couldn't offer all the channels they do... you can't put 6 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket.

Dish Network seems to do a better job of allocating available bandwidth, but you'll still see noticeable artifacts on some channels... but there's no getting around that considering the number of transponders available versus the number of channels that subscribers expect to receive.

I am mainly wanting to find out what the Picture Quality is like on Cox.
Not a clue... out here, it's either satellite or Bob's Cable. I chose not to go with Bob's Cable when I called and asked about a cable modem and their answer to that question was... and I quote... "whut's that?"

Admittedly, they've upgraded the cable system in this area, but it's still not Cox, so I can't speak to the quality of their digital/HD offerings.

For some time, I had Directv HD, OTA local HD, and Cox HD (with their HD DVR). I casually compared the HD between all three sources, and the differences (to my eye at least) were nonexistent to minor. I recently cancelled Directv, because I'm satisfied with Cox's HD DVR, picture quality, and package pricing. The only problem I have experienced with the HD DVR is that a reset has been required twice (in the past 9 months) to correct a failure to record.

The only problem I have experienced with the HD DVR is that a reset has been required twice (in the past 9 months) to correct a failure to record.

I get this with the Charter Moxi HD DVR also.
Probably caused by software updates, network problems ect.
I use a Battery Backup with auto power regulation.
This has helped with the high and low voltage here and
reduced the stalls/reboots on the HD DVR.

Still, it is frustrating when you want to record and the reboot takes 10 min.


BeeCee

I am new to this forum.
I have a question about a problem I am having on 13-3 Doppler.
I am receiving 13-1 at 90% all the time, but when I switch to 13-3 the signal is jumping from 90 to 0 at about 5 second intervals.
I have ruled out the Antenna, as 13-1 is fine.
Any ideas what is causing this?

I am new to this forum.
I have a question about a problem I am having on 13-3 Doppler.
I am receiving 13-1 at 90% all the time, but when I switch to 13-3 the signal is jumping from 90 to 0 at about 5 second intervals.
I have ruled out the Antenna, as 13-1 is fine.
Any ideas what is causing this?It's not really possible to say with any certainty. Most of those "signal meters" in consumer gear are approximations of "signal quality," which supposedly takes into consideration the strength of the RF as well as the quality of the data... which would be degraded by noise/errors.

Every manufacturer does the metering differently; my US Digital box shows no signal drop on WMAZ-DT on any of their channels... 13.1, 13.2 or 13.3.

If you're seeing the picture, it's really a non-issue.

It's possible your set/box doesn't like the lower bit rate on 13.3... I think I remember John Timms (the chief engineer at WMAZ) telling me they were running 2 megabits/sec on the Doppler channel. They may be running less than that these days (it does look pretty compressed) as they prepare to carry the CW on 13.2 (rumor only, unconfirmed by anybody).

The problem is that the picture is on and off also on 13-3.
Maybe it is the bit rate.
Like I say 13-1 comes in fine.
I am using a Samsung receiver with my monitor.
I'll keep on watching it.
Also getting 58 last couple of days.
but it is much weaker than 13-1
I got DirecTV HD activated yesterday.
Great picture quality.

Any good suggestions on picking up 13 WMAZ in Warner Robins? I can pick up ABC, NBC, and FOX just fine, but get almost nothing from 13. I can even pick up some stations in Augusta and Columbus. I'm using the SquareShooter 2000. Any ideas would be helpful.

Any good suggestions on picking up 13 WMAZ in Warner Robins? I can pick up ABC, NBC, and FOX just fine, but get almost nothing from 13. I can even pick up some stations in Augusta and Columbus. I'm using the SquareShooter 2000. Any ideas would be helpful.Tune to channel 4... and see what you get for signal strength/quality. WMAZ-DT is on VHF channel 4, so that's where you need to start looking for whatever problem you may have.

It looks, from what I see, as if that antenna is a VHF-Hi/UHF antenna, which likely won't work well at channel 4.

It looks, from what I see, as if that antenna is a VHF-Hi/UHF antenna, which likely won't work well at channel 4.

I can't get squat. What antenna do you suggest to pick up WMAZ? Will a cheap VHF antenna from RadioShack work? I'm willing to try anything.

Tune to channel 4... and see what you get for signal strength/quality. WMAZ-DT is on VHF channel 4, so that's where you need to start looking for whatever problem you may have.

It looks, from what I see, as if that antenna is a VHF-Hi/UHF antenna, which likely won't work well at channel 4.

Are you saying that 13-1 WMAZ digital is also on anlog VHF channel 4 OTA?

What he's saying is that it's on CH 4 but it's the digital signal. Their analog signal is on CH 13. The fact that the TV reports it as 13-1 is because that is what the datastream tells the TV to do. The digital signal is actually on channel 4.

Ralph Carson
WGXA TV24\DT16

Any good suggestions on picking up 13 WMAZ in Warner Robins? I can pick up ABC, NBC, and FOX just fine, but get almost nothing from 13. I can even pick up some stations in Augusta and Columbus. I'm using the SquareShooter 2000. Any ideas would be helpful.

The Squareshooter 2000 is an antenna more designed for UHF and Higher VHF. Since channel 13 actually broadcasts it's digital signal on VHF 4 (Lower VHF spectrum) you are going to have trouble with the SquareShooter.

http://www.winegard.com/offair/squareshooter.htm

What you may have to do is an outdoor good VHF only antenna or change out the SquareShooter 2000 for good VHF UHF combo. I currently use a Channel Master 3016, and am able to pick up all Macon Stations Just fine (I am in Warner Robins too). I am sure I will be able to pick them up even better when I run a dedicated line, and don't diplex them onto my satellite line. See here for more information on my antenna.

http://www.pctinternational.com/channelmaster/antennas_outdoor_advantage.html

But, I guess I would say start out with a cheap pair of rabbit ears or something from Wal-Mart to see if you can pick up 13, if not then you will have to look into alternatives.

Does anyone have a good reccomendation on a ASTC/NTSC tuner with a built in DVR?

So far, the only thing i can find is one that LG makes - LG LST-3410A. I've read mixed reviews on it, so i wanted to see what you guys have.

Thanks

But, I guess I would say start out with a cheap pair of rabbit ears or something from Wal-Mart to see if you can pick up 13, if not then you will have to look into alternatives.

So, I went to Best Buy and bought a decent indoor antenna. I can pick up analog 13 just fine, but I still can't get digital 13. Shouldn't I be able to pick up digital if I can analog?

I don't know, you should be able to pick it up just fine. Channel 13 digital (which is really channel 4) should be about the easiest to pick up. I am not sure why you can't get it. What are you using as your tuner?? Are you using a built-in in ATSC tuner in your TV or are you using an external box??

What are you using as your tuner?? Are you using a built-in in ATSC tuner in your TV or are you using an external box??

Both. I've tried using the tuner in my TV and going through my DirecTV box. If I'm having this much trouble, would the CM 3016 be worth getting? I must be in a "digital 13 hole".

I don't know, that is just very strange. I get channel 13 perfect. You could always do what I did, run to Lowe's and get the 3016 and a 5 or 10 foot pole, and temporarily mount it in your backyard. If that doesnt' work you can always return it to lowes, if it does work, then the fun begins of trying to mount it somewhere on the side of your house. Just don't forget to ground it.

Warner Robins is only a few miles from the Macon towers. You are probably getting too much signal, and it is interfering with the low-band signals (2-6).

You could try almost any "rabbit ears" and see if you get WMAZ-DT on channel 4. If you need a higher-gain (higher-directionality, really) antenna, due to multipath, you could try putting an attenuator in line before any active circuit (that is, prior to the tuner or any amplifier/preamp), or try something like the Radio Shack 15-577 FM Trap. If you are pointed at the Macon towers on Cochran Short Route, you are also aimed right in to several strong FM stations. The FM Trap seems to be discontinued by RS, but is probably still available in many stores.

Edit:
I see that the Squareshooter 2000 is an amplified antenna. You probably are out-of-luck on the FM thing, then. If possible, trade in the SS-2000 for a SS-1000, or a small VHF/UHF combo antenna.

Just in case any one is interested,
the software on my D*TV HR20 just updated, to allow for OTA input.
Picking up 58 and 13 fine.

My HR20 is getting 13-1 (100% signal strength), 41-1 (50-60%), 58-1 (80%), 64-1 (95%) and 24-1 (intermittent 10% w/no picture or sound). I live down in Kathleen with a RS antenna in the attic distributed through a channel vision structured box. I'll be glad when Fox gets there signal boosted.

Kenny

Anybody having issues with Fox 24-1. I had been getting around 40 to 45% on this channel up until about 30 minutes ago. Now, I am getting absolutely nothing. I haven't changed anything here, so I am wondering if something is going on at the tower there. Very strange. Anyone else seeing issues??

Well, now it is back up to the normal 40 to 45%...so we shall see. Hopefully it won't go out again, I am looking forward to watching some spiderman tonight in HD.


***UPDATE***
It is back to no signal at all. This is very odd...I will be glad when they get there power increased some.

I have checked a couple of times in the past 2 hrs and no Fox here either. Usually locks in but black screen, no sound this afternoon: 45-50% signal with 17db S/N ratio.

My HR20 is choosing 13-2 for Doppler.
It's just giving a black screen.
It will not recognize 13-3 at all.
Is doppler still on 13-3?
Is anybody else having this problem?

I am using my TV's internal tuner and I am able to get 13-1, 13-2, and 13-3. For me, 13-2 is just a blank screen and 13-3 is the doppler.

Yes rockandchelle that is what it should be.
It appears that d*TV depends on a third party to give its HR-20 HD-DVR local market information.
The HR-20 does not have an OTA scanner, but depends on this information.
If it is incorrect, it is impossible to overide it.
13-3 can not be manually input.
Maybe they will fix it soon, as I am only using a monitor.

Happy New Year to all, and here's hoping we in middle Georgia have full-power digital TV signals from all the local stations soon!

Happy New Year To All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks newbie here and I am looking for some advice on antenna selection. I have 2 story house in Kathleen, GA at the intersection of Hwy 41 and 96 which is very close to I-75. I plan to put the antenna at the highest point possible but I do live on a slope with a lot of large trees. Antennaweb doesn't even mention that is possible that I can pickup NBC in HD but that seems odd to me. I want to be able to pick up all four major networks in HD so if you have any recommendations on what antenna might do the trick it would be greatly appreciated.

red - vhf WMAZ 13 CBS MACON GA 36° 17.1 13
* red - vhf WMAZ-DT 13.1 CBS MACON GA 36° 17.1 4
red - uhf WMGT 41 NBC MACON GA 35° 17.1 41
red - uhf WPGA 58 ABC PERRY GA 36° 17.1 58
red - uhf WGXA 24 FOX MACON GA 36° 17.0 24
* red - uhf WGXA-DT 24.1 FOX MACON GA 36° 17.0 16
blue - uhf WDMA-LP 32 DAY MACON GA 11° 20.9 32
* blue - uhf WGNM-DT 45.1 CTN MACON GA 34° 17.8 45
blue - uhf WDCO 29 PBS COCHRAN GA 104° 27.2 29
* violet - vhf WDCO-DT 7 PBS COCHRAN GA 07-08 104° 27.2 7
* violet - uhf WPGA-DT 32.1 ABC PERRY GA 36° 17.1 32

Thanks,
Brannon

Brannong:

Id beg, borrow, or steal (not really) a used VHF/UHF antenna, or a UHF-only antenna and experiment with it. Take advantage of the 2-story and put it upstairs (either outside or inside-temporary mount) where you can manually rotate it while connected to an ATSC receiver/TV. I dont see why you shouldn't be able to get HD NBC (WMGT). I assume Fox will be the bigger problem till they get the power cranked up. That will give you an idea if you can get by without a super duper fringe wavesucker mounted 500 ft in the air. Keep the cable length to a minimum.

brannong-PS:

Click on my profile and look at my past posts to see link info on antennas and what i am using. I have a relatively cheap VHF-hi/UHF antenna mounted 10ft above a 2-story roof peak and am looking thru trees also from just east of Byron. Looking at GoogleEarth, the ground elevation at Hwy 96/41 is 400 ft. My ground elevation is 462 ft so you may have more of a "line of sight" problem than me. Also, you are 2x the range, which equates to an additional 3dB gain or lower cable loss needed (in addition to making up loss due to your elevation).

For the Macon stations, I occasionally have a reception problem only with Fox.

Has anyone noticed any problems with WPGA-DT (58-1) Tonight. I have tried watching several shows on this channel tonight and kept getting audio and video breakups. This channel has been flawless for me, up until this evening. Anyone else seeing this??

Has anyone noticed any problems with WPGA-DT (58-1) Tonight.

I'm getting it too. My signal is still strong so something must be up with the broadcast.

Well, I sent an email to Hal Sutton, chief engineer at WPGA, and this is what he had to say.

Scott,
It was either our abc hd receiver or network feed. The receiver showed error messages last night between 8:00 and 11:01pm.
It appears that there were problems in New York because the log shows several receiver configuration changes initiated by the network during that time.
Since there was no really inclement weather in New York nor their uplink near Camden, I'll guess it was a software error - somewhere.
Our master control operator didn't see anything odd, but I think she just wasn't watching the hd feed. If you see something like that again,
I would appreciate it if you could give me a call at 745-5858, extension 166. If you leave a voice message and mark it "urgent" it'll find me.
Thanks,
Hal Sutton, WPGA-TV

So, I will be keeping that number handy if I ever have a problem like that again. Good to know it wasn't just me.

Can anybody give me the status on 24 and 41 Digital situation?
Such as current power output, height on the tower,
future plans.
I am only getting 13 and 58 digital from my attic antenna.
If the current situation is not looking to improve soon, I may spring for the 35 element PR-9032 Winguard UHF., and stick it up about 100 ft in a tree.
If things might get better soon, I may just wait it out.

From W9WI.com:

Macon, GA WGXA-DT [16] 1000. 226.0 dH 32°44'58"N 83°33'35"W DT-CP
Macon, GA WGXA [16] 1.16 155.0 d 32°44'58"N 83°33'35"W DS-STA

Macon, GA WMGT-DT [40] 110.0 189.0 H 32°45'12"N 83°33'46"W DT-CP
Macon, GA WMGT-TV [40] 3.30 143.0 32°45'12"N 83°33'46"W DS-STA

The number after the channel number (note that the channel number in brackets is the actual RF channel, not the "branded" channel... WGXA-DT is 24, WMGT-DT is 41) is the power authorized in kilowatts, the second number is the height of the antenna in meters. The first line for each station above ends with DT-CP, that means that they have a construction permit from the FCC for the facilities shown.

The second line shows the current power level and height. As you can see, WGXA is currently transmitting 1,160 watts from 155 meters (approx 508 feet). WMGT is transmitting 3,300 watts from 143 meters (approx 469 feet).

WGXA is currently building their full-power facility, and when it's complete (I personally hope within the next 6 weeks, before NASCAR starts), they will transmit 1 million watts from 226 meters (approx 741 feet).

I'm sure Ralph will pipe up with the latest on the construction at WGXA.

WMGT has a construction permit for 110,000 watts at 189 meters (approx 620 feet), but I've not heard a word about them starting up actual construction, and I wouldn't hold my breath on it happening anytime soon.

Incidentally, the DS-STA at the end of the 2nd line for each means they're operating under a Special Temporary Authority from the FCC. Basically, they went before the Commission and said "we can't afford to build this right now, but we know we have to have a digital signal on the air, so could we please have a special permit to go on at really low power?"

The Channel Master 3016 works like a champ. Thanks for everyone's help.

"Hal Sutton".....that's a name from my past! Been wondering where he is nowadays!

Interesting... WMGT-DT (NBC) is showing full scale on the silly "signal quality" meter this evening... when did they pump up their power? Or are we just having fun with atmospherics (seems unlikely only 16 miles from the transmitter) this evening?

Hello again.

I just finished building my house in Eastman, which is about 50 miles south of Macon. I'm now trying to decide on an antenna. I've been thinking of getting the Channel Master 3671. My question is do I need an amplifier as well as the antenna? I was planning on getting the 3671, an amplifier, and a motorized rotor. Would this combination do the trick? I'm also diplexing the antenna with my dish's coax. Here's my channel list from antennaweb.org. Thanks.

yellow - uhf WDCO 29 PBS COCHRAN GA 0° 18.8 29
* yellow - vhf WDCO-DT 7 PBS COCHRAN GA 07-08 0° 18.8 7
red - uhf WMGT 41 NBC MACON GA 338° 43.0 41
red - uhf WGXA 24 FOX MACON GA 338° 42.6 24
* red - uhf WGXA-DT 24.1 FOX MACON GA 338° 42.6 16
red - uhf WPGA 58 ABC PERRY GA 338° 42.8 58
blue - uhf WSST 55 IND CORDELE GA 242° 39.6 55
blue - uhf WFXL 31 FOX ALBANY GA 216° 70.3 31
blue - vhf WALB 10 NBC ALBANY GA 216° 70.4 10
blue - uhf WLGA 66 CW OPELIKA AL 280° 91.5 66
blue - uhf W35BB 35 FMN DUBLIN GA 39° 26.7 35
* blue - uhf WGNM-DT 45.1 CTN MACON GA 338° 43.6 45
violet - uhf WACS 25 PBS DAWSON GA 262° 79.5 25
violet - vhf WTVM 9 ABC COLUMBUS GA 280° 90.8 9
violet - vhf WRBL 3 CBS COLUMBUS GA 280° 90.8 3
* violet - uhf WSST-DT 51.1 IND CORDELE GA 242° 39.6 51
* violet - uhf WPGA-DT 32.1 ABC PERRY GA 338° 42.8 32

Y'know, I think that what I would do is put the antenna up by itself with no amp. WPGA and WGNM are up at full power, and tonight, it appears as if WMGT has gone full power... WMAZ is making what'll be their full power on digital until the transition in 2009...

If everything works ok without the amp, of course, you're golden. If you have issues, you can add the amplifier after the fact.

In order to get all those stations from various points on the compass, you would need a rotor, or go outside and rotate the antenna yourself to view those out of market stations in Albany, etc.

The problem with the amplifier is that it will increase the noise in the received signal, so if it isn't necessary, it shouldn't be there.

I have one (an amplifier) and it allows me to see WGXA, but that's really all it's doing for me... until tonight, I couldn't see WMGT, even with the amp, regularly. But I have a high power FM station nearby, as well as the problem of WMGT's analog and digital signals being on adjacent channels... in other words, the amplifier has not made much of a difference for them.

How much signal do you lose diplexing the antenna and satellite cables?

Hi,
I was just wondering that last night, so I looked up specs of a "fairly good" one. It's right around the same as a combiner/splitter....just a bit over 3 to 3.5 dB each way. So, I suspect a pair of them would lose around 7 dB total on each (OTA and satellite) signal.

Some people don't care for them, due to the combining loss, as well as the return loss, which can sometimes cause reflections.

Just to confirm, I am seeing the increased signal on WMGT. I am up around 94% signal strength on this channel now. It went from being one of the lower signal strength channels, to the second highest for me.

Hi,
I was just wondering that last night, so I looked up specs of a "fairly good" one. It's right around the same as a combiner/splitter....just a bit over 3 to 3.5 dB each way. So, I suspect a pair of them would lose around 7 dB total on each (OTA and satellite) signal.

Some people don't care for them, due to the combining loss, as well as the return loss, which can sometimes cause reflections.

Looks like I'm going to have to run a new coax line for the antenna then. Being that I live pretty far away I want to get as much signal as possible.

I was planing on putting the antenna on the top of my roof since it's pretty high. I have a pretty steep roof. I'm thinking I should probably hire someone to install it for me. Are there any decent dealers in the middle Georgia area that could do this?

Well, I am once again having some issues with WPGA-DT (58-1). Is anyone else seeing this. I contacted Hal Sutton, the chief engineer at the station, but he wasn't in so I left a message. I really hope they get this worked out before Lost starts back up.

Hey Y'all:
Update on our high power buildout. We have had some problems with our analog transmitter over December and they are still ongoing. We also lost our STL on our digital feed. But we have this problem straightened out now. All this had distracted us from construction but we plan to resume very soon. Meanwhile, engineering design work has been done on the transmission line, which gets an obstacle out of the way. Since some of the tower work was scheduled for later, we don't anticipate that these delays will hold us up for very long. We are shooting for around March 1, but no guarantee.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA TV24, DT 16

We are shooting for around March 1, but no guarantee.
Oh, good... no NASCAR on Fox in HD for middle GA until '08.

Oh, well, at least there's the horrible analog signal (you wouldn't think there could be that much multi-path in relatively flat central Georgia) or the incredibly pixelated images on Dish Network.

I'm thinking we'll be better off with FM radio for the racing until it moves to TNT then ABC/ESPN.

Thanks for the update Ralph, and hopefully, we'll actually get quality video for the 2008 Daytona 500.

I have seen the analog signal from our (and other) stations look very good. Multipath can be a problem, but we do transmit the ghost cancelling reference signal, so if your set has the ghost cancelling circuitry for analog, you can take advantage of it. I suspect that never really caught on, but we have been transmitting it for some time now.

Ralph Carson
A.C.E.
WGXA TV24/DT16

I have seen the analog signal from our (and other) stations look very good. Multipath can be a problem, but we do transmit the ghost cancelling reference signal, so if your set has the ghost cancelling circuitry for analog, you can take advantage of it. I suspect that never really caught on, but we have been transmitting it for some time now.
I know you guys do all you can. You can't control things once the signal leaves the antenna, though, and I do understand that. There are a LOT of things out here in the real world that affect reception, and in a perfect world, you'd be able to transmit a perfect signal, and the receiver would receive it perfectly.

Unfortunately, that's never the case, so we do what we can.

On the bad side, Idol starts on Tuesday, so we have to do what we can... we probably shouldn't be subscribing to Dish Network, if we want really, really great video, we would call up Billy Bob Cable... 'scuse me... ComSouth... and get their digital service.

I hope that I'm not out of line by asking this here. I live in western Warner Robins (Centerville- the Quail Run area) and just had my D* upgraded to the HD DVR. What antenna would y'all recommend for me to try in order to get my local HD broadcast? I pulled up the web page map coverage and it appears that I'm 13 to 17 miles from most of the broadcast towers.
Any input and/or advice would be appreciated!

Mark

I hope that I'm not out of line by asking this here. I live in western Warner Robins (Centerville- the Quail Run area) and just had my D* upgraded to the HD DVR. What antenna would y'all recommend for me to try in order to get my local HD broadcast? I pulled up the web page map coverage and it appears that I'm 13 to 17 miles from most of the broadcast towers.
Any input and/or advice would be appreciated!

Mark

A Channel Master 3016 works flawlessly. I installed one a week ago. How are you planning on getting the line to you receiver?

Where could I find this antenna at? How would you recommend connecting it?
I'm a total duh when it comes to this!
Thanks for your reply!


Mark

Well I don't believe it.
All the people on this and other post badmouthing 41 for being broke.
They just left 58-1 in the dust in Monroe County.
They may not have HD yet but they have a great digital signal, just as good as 13-1.
And don't even ask about 24-1.

Who is the CE at channel 41 nowadays?

Channel 41 to increased their signal strength the other day. Now, I am peaking at 100% with 41 and 13, about 80% on 58, and down around 65% on 24 (although I never lose my signal).

Where could I find this antenna at? How would you recommend connecting it?
I'm a total duh when it comes to this!
Thanks for your reply!

Mark

Well Mark, you can find the Channel Master 3016 at owes. This is the same antenna I have, and it has worked great. Just make sure that you have a fairly good line of sight for the antennas. As for how to install it. I would recommend reading through some of the threads here, you should be able to find a lot of valuable information.

As for connecting cables. It is always best to run a separate cable just for the antenna, but there is always the option of a diplexer with your DirecTV cable that is coming in. A diplexer will take the higher frequency of the DirecTV signal and combine it with the lower frequency of the normal OTA signal. This will all go on the same cable you currently are using. Then inside, you will use another diplexer to split it back out correctly. I did this for a while, before I was able to run a dedicated line. I will say though, you will lose signal strength this way, but it should work. Here is what a diplexer looks like. You would need one at each end.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103927

Thanks again for the reply and advice. I am going out tonight and see what I can round up. I was kinda hoping that I might be able to use an indoor antenna (Silver Sensor or perhaps the Phillips 950) but realize that an outdoor antenna will give me better signal.
Again thanks for the advice and I will let y'all know how it turns out!

Mark

Well I went by Wally World late last night and decided to try an indoor Phillips MATD510 antenna. Got home plugged it up and set it atop the 51" Sony and I was able to get 13-1 at about 55%. Not much luck on any other Macon locals. BUT today I am lucky to get 15 to 25% on 13-1 and then only sporadically. Next will be a trip to Lowes to try the Channel Master suggested.

Honestly my experience with my new D* HD DVR and High Definition has been dissappointing. I know I need to get the proper equipment and hopefully it will be worth the $$$ and time. My family is like "We liked what we had before ( D* TIVO)

Thanks for the advice and for letting me vent alittle.

Mark

Well I went by Wally World late last night and decided to try an indoor Phillips MATD510 antenna. Got home plugged it up and set it atop the 51" Sony and I was able to get 13-1 at about 55%. Not much luck on any other Macon locals.

That's better than what I got when I started out. I tried 4 different set-top antennas and got basically nothing. Then I setup the CM 3016 and now everything is perfect.

The times I looked at Lowe's they never had them in stock so I just ordered one from summitsource.com. It was in stock and I had it within a week.

I put it up in the attic and just dropped a line down and ran it through my existing outlet. Couldn't be happier.

Does anybody know when WDCO-DT 7 PBS Cochran GA goes live?

Check out solid signal they have a large stock of off air antennas. Here is the link. I use a cm 4228 for uhf and seperate ant. for 13.1 but I am in Hawkinsville. They get the job done most of the time.

http://www.solidsignal.com/cat_display.asp?main_cat=03&CAT=TV%20Antennas

Check out solid signal they have a large stock of off air antennas. Here is the link. I use a cm 4228 for uhf and seperate ant. for 13.1 but I am in Hawkinsville. They get the job done most of the time.

http://www.solidsignal.com/cat_display.asp?main_cat=03&CAT=TV%20Antennas

What VHF antenna are you using?

read this before selecting an antenna
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html

Well I don't believe it.
All the people on this and other post badmouthing 41 for being broke.
They just left 58-1 in the dust in Monroe County.
They may not have HD yet but they have a great digital signal, just as good as 13-1.
And don't even ask about 24-1.
41 *is* broke... always have been. The calls used to be WCWB, which stood for We Can't, We're Broke. These days, it's WMGT, which stands for We Might Get Television.

Well, that isn't necessarily true that they're broke. They're just worse than usual when it comes to pinching pennies... I really do understand the problems of capital expenditures without revenue to back it up, and there's no case to show that digital increases revenue. Basically, it's an unfunded government mandate.

And they do have HD. When NBC has HD... and the master control operator can be bothered to hit the switch (which isn't often... but I understand it's more important to be talkin' on the cell phone than dealing with all those nasty switches and knobs and stuff).

Basically, 41 looks a *lot* like amateur fast-scan TV with music and commercials (sometimes... it's fun to watch the animated peacock when the master control operator is too busy on the cell phone).

Does anybody know when WDCO-DT 7 PBS Cochran GA goes live?Allegedly... this year.

TODDUGA

I went with Winegard PR5030, so far it works most of the time depending on time of day and weather.

http://www.winegard.com/offair/vhf.htm

Well I went by Wally World late last night and decided to try an indoor Phillips MATD510 antenna. Got home plugged it up and set it atop the 51" Sony and I was able to get 13-1 at about 55%. Not much luck on any other Macon locals. BUT today I am lucky to get 15 to 25% on 13-1 and then only sporadically. Next will be a trip to Lowes to try the Channel Master suggested.

Honestly my experience with my new D* HD DVR and High Definition has been dissappointing. I know I need to get the proper equipment and hopefully it will be worth the $$$ and time. My family is like "We liked what we had before ( D* TIVO)

Thanks for the advice and for letting me vent alittle.

Mark

Sometimes, I think the best thing the Government could do is ban those "amplified" antennas. If you're in WR, you are only a few miles away from the towers, so you already have a strong-to-too-strong signal. Add in the fact that those same towers broadcast several full-power FM stations (FM-caused overload has always been a problem with TV reception) and an amplified antenna is a recipe for disaster. Try a simple pair of "rabbit ears", or a small-ish outdoor antenna.

We went to full power the first weekend in January. :)

41 *is* broke... always have been. The calls used to be WCWB, which stood for We Can't, We're Broke. These days, it's WMGT, which stands for We Might Get Television.

LMAO

When I used to work at 58abc, the long dead news department said the WPGA call letters stood for "We'll Probably Go Away"

41-01 is coming in great in Hawkinsville. It has gone from the worst reception, to the best. Anyone know if 13.1 will be going full power.

We went to full power the first weekend in January. :)
I learned that last night from another source... just because I thought to ask.

I also learned that GXA will be very lucky to make it on full power by March.

LMAO

When I used to work at 58abc, the long dead news department said the WPGA call letters stood for "We'll Probably Go Away"Lowell does have a way of not instilling confidence...

41-01 is coming in great in Hawkinsville. It has gone from the worst reception, to the best. Anyone know if 13.1 will be going full power.
13.1 is at full power, at least until the 2/09 transition, when they should be moving their digital signal from channel 4 to channel 13.

I don't see any applications to increase beyond 7,000 watts on the current RF channel 4.

We went to full power the first weekend in January. :)

Great signal in Monroe County.
What is your full power?
Are you at the top of the tower?
Thanks again !

I decided on a Channel Master 3671 mounted on the peak of my roof with a rotor and amplifier. Hopefully that will be enough antenna to pick up the stations in Macon (and maybe a few other places as well) from 50 miles away. How do I go about grounding this sucker so that lightning strikes don't burn down the house? Am I going to run into problems with my homeowners insurance?

Edit: I had decided on the 3671, but I see the Winegard HD8200P is also a pretty powerful antenna. Any preference between the two?

I decided on a Channel Master 3671 mounted on the peak of my roof with a rotor and amplifier. Hopefully that will be enough antenna to pick up the stations in Macon (and maybe a few other places as well) from 50 miles away. How do I go about grounding this sucker so that lightning strikes don't burn down the house? Am I going to run into problems with my homeowners insurance?

Edit: I had decided on the 3671, but I see the Winegard HD8200P is also a pretty powerful antenna. Any preference between the two?

I previously had a Channel Master 3671 antenna with a CM 7777 pre-amp and rotator but I switched to a CM 4228 UHF antenna. The 3671 is a huge antenna and can be tricky to install. The 4228 is much smaller and lighter and I get much better reception. I am about 35-40 miles west of the Macon towers and around 50 miles east of the Columbus towers. Right now I get a great signal from WMGT-DT but sporadic reception of WPGA-DT, nothing from WGXA-DT and obviously nothing from WMAZ-DT since it is VHF. However, I get WRBL-DT (CBS) from Columbus with 100% signal strength and WXTX-DT (Fox) from Columbus with about 60% signal strength. If you can live without WMAZ, I would recommend the 4228 since from your location you might get WRBL-DT and the digital channels from Albany. Even if you cannot get WRBL-DT with the 4228, you could add a separate smaller VHF antenna for WMAZ-DT. But having tried them both, I definitely recommend the 4228 over the 3671. And you will definitely need the amp and rotator.

I decided on a Channel Master 3671 mounted on the peak of my roof with a rotor and amplifier. Hopefully that will be enough antenna to pick up the stations in Macon (and maybe a few other places as well) from 50 miles away. How do I go about grounding this sucker so that lightning strikes don't burn down the house? Am I going to run into problems with my homeowners insurance?

Edit: I had decided on the 3671, but I see the Winegard HD8200P is also a pretty powerful antenna. Any preference between the two?

I agree with seanmc1114. I looked at data on http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html If the graphs are accurate for relative gain, from about channels 14 to 60, the 4228 is better than the 3671, for some channels as much as 4 dB better. Unfortunately, WMAZ DT is currently at 4 and I think WDCO DT will be on 7. I dont know if WDCO will stay there or go higher (anybody know?). I too would use the 4228.

Looking at the HD8200P from the winegard gain specs, it might be comparable with the 4228 in UHF region. But i wouldnt trust the comparison because it was not run thru the same math models used on hdtvprimer.com. Another consideration is weight and size. 4228 is easier to put up and will require less guying/bracketry. The HD8200P will not even ship UPS it is so big.

Grounding: See http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/basics.html and scroll down to grounding section. NO ground system will protect your equipment from a direct strike although i believe the NEC method might help prevent a fire. (see NEC grounding on same web page). I have had antennas for many years that were not properly grounded and never had a problem with lightning thru the antenna cabling. You just take your chances. If your antenna is the highest thing around for several hundred feet (e.g. no trees) then it might be a good idea to invest in a good grounding system. I think it was oldave on this forum who made some good points why grounding is not that critical for system operation.

My homeowners carrier have never asked a question about antennas.

Unfortunately, WMAZ DT is currently at 4 and I think WDCO DT will be on 7. I dont know if WDCO will stay there or go higher (anybody know?). I too would use the 4228.

Re asking that question... where will WDCO be after 2009? I am trying to decide if a good UHF antenna is all I need for the future. On hdtvprimer, it states that a CM 4228 will receive channels 9-13. If that is so, all I will be missing is WDCO... or not, depending on their final HD channel.

Does anybody have any experience with the CM 4228 receiving VHF?

Re asking that question... where will WDCO be after 2009? I am trying to decide if a good UHF antenna is all I need for the future. On hdtvprimer, it states that a CM 4228 will receive channels 9-13. If that is so, all I will be missing is WDCO... or not, depending on their final HD channel.

Does anybody have any experience with the CM 4228 receiving VHF?

Since I replaced my CM 3671 with a 4228, I no longer get WMAZ-DT by directly pointing the antenna at the tower. However, even though I can't explain it, I am able to receive VHF digital signals fairly well by pointing the antenna roughly 180 degrees away from the tower. This also works for WXIA-DT (Digital 10) out of Atlanta which I can also get by aiming directly north. And even though I am west of Macon and this might not be an option for everybody in this forum, WRBL-DT (CBS) out of Columbus has a very strong signal. I can usually pick it up at 100%

By the way, I am getting several crystal clear (no pixillation) digital signals from Orlando, Florida with signal strengths above 65%. After scanning for digital signals, I have picked up several that I haven't even figured out where they are yet. Again, this is with the CM 4228 and 7777 pre-amp. I assume this is just the atmospherics and is not permanent but that would be nice.

Since I replaced my CM 3671 with a 4228, I no longer get WMAZ-DT by directly pointing the antenna at the tower. However, even though I can't explain it, I am able to receive VHF digital signals fairly well by pointing the antenna roughly 180 degrees away from the tower. This also works for WXIA-DT (Digital 10) out of Atlanta which I can also get by aiming directly north. And even though I am west of Macon and this might not be an option for everybody in this forum, WRBL-DT (CBS) out of Columbus has a very strong signal. I can usually pick it up at 100%

By the way, I am getting several crystal clear (no pixillation) digital signals from Orlando, Florida with signal strengths above 65%. After scanning for digital signals, I have picked up several that I haven't even figured out where they are yet. Again, this is with the CM 4228 and 7777 pre-amp. I assume this is just the atmospherics and is not permanent but that would be nice.


How long is the boom?
Maybe it's acting like a 1 element dipole at channel 4 frequency from the side.

How long is the boom?
Maybe it's acting like a 1 element dipole at channel 4 frequency from the side.

I'm not sure about all of those specifics. The 4228 is a two bay antenna but when I received it, based on something I read somewhere, I made sure the elements on each bay were lined up properly then attached them together using about four or five plastic zip ties. Maybe that has some effect on reception.

However, I also receive similar reception for other stations by aiming the antenna in the opposite direction from the tower. This mainly works for WXIA-DT (Digital Channel 10) as well as WTBS-DT (UHF digital channel but not sure which one), both from Atlanta and both over 80 miles from my house. Both towers are almost due north of me but I usually get very strong reception with the antenna aimed between due south and southwest. It usually takes a little tweaking with the rotator. This often works with the other Atlanta signals as well, all of which I believe are UHF. And even though I can generally get a good signal from WMGT-DT by aiming the antenna directly at the tower which is around 69 degrees from my home according to antennaweb.org, I actually get my consistently strongest signal from that station by turning the antenna to about 280 to 300 degrees, which is basically the opposite direction from where I should be receiving it. I don't understand it but as long as I get a strong signal I'm not going to complain.

Re asking that question... where will WDCO be after 2009? I am trying to decide if a good UHF antenna is all I need for the future. On hdtvprimer, it states that a CM 4228 will receive channels 9-13. If that is so, all I will be missing is WDCO... or not, depending on their final HD channel.

Does anybody have any experience with the CM 4228 receiving VHF?

Here is a quote from http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html
"The surprise here is the Channel Master 4228, which has a lot of gain for VHF-high, especially channels 9-13. What makes it different is the screen that is continuous across all 8 dipoles. Other 8-bays, like the 8800 and the DB-8, have a reflector that is not continuous across the right and left halves, and thus they have no useful gain for VHF."

Since you are in Byron, only 11 or so miles from the tower, the 4228 might pick up WMAZ DT adequately.

I'm starting to see some breakups on ABC WPGA-DT (58) again. I called and left a message with the chief engineer, so hopefully they will be worked out soon.

I helped my brother hook up an antenna to his HDTV this weekend. It was a piece of crap, old VHF/UHF/FM antenna with equally old coax and no amplifier. I told him it would be a good idea to replace it, but he's stubborn.

Anyway, after hooking it up and doing a scan, I was amazed that he was picking up 41, 58, and 64 digitals at close to 100% signal strength. He's only about 3-4 miles away from me here in Eastman (and we're about 40 miles away from the towers). He couldn't pick up 13, only getting around 20% I would guess. The picture would just pixelize after a frame or two. I think with some decent coax and amp, he could pick up 13 no problem. Of course, 24 was out of the question as they are barely putting out any signal at all.

This gives me a ton of hope about what channels I can pick up here in Eastman. My Winegard HD8200P that I'm installing in the next few weeks shouldn't have any problem picking up 41 and 58 without an amp.It might even be possible to pick up 13 with this antenna without an amp. I think I'm going to try it without an amp and see how it goes. Hopefully 24 will go full power soon and I'll finally be able to enjoy all of the HD networks. :)

Hey Y'all:
Update on our high power buildout. We have had some problems with our analog transmitter over December and they are still ongoing. We also lost our STL on our digital feed. But we have this problem straightened out now. All this had distracted us from construction but we plan to resume very soon. Meanwhile, engineering design work has been done on the transmission line, which gets an obstacle out of the way. Since some of the tower work was scheduled for later, we don't anticipate that these delays will hold us up for very long. We are shooting for around March 1, but no guarantee.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA TV24, DT 16

Hey Ralph.

How's the progress on getting to full power?

Hey guys and gals. New to the page, but have been a recent frequent reader. I would like to know how many of you use, on a regular basis, the digital over-the-air channels. Is there a high demand in this market for the over-the-air signals to receive both digital and HD broadcasts? Secondly, how many of you use or have used the digital sub-channel that WMAZ uses for their radar and audio forecast? Do you use it frequently during inclement weather? Is there a demand for a 24-hour type weather "network" in this area? Thanks ahead of time!

Hey guys and gals. New to the page, but have been a recent frequent reader. I would like to know how many of you use, on a regular basis, the digital over-the-air channels. Is there a high demand in this market for the over-the-air signals to receive both digital and HD broadcasts? Secondly, how many of you use or have used the digital sub-channel that WMAZ uses for their radar and audio forecast? Do you use it frequently during inclement weather? Is there a demand for a 24-hour type weather "network" in this area? Thanks ahead of time! [/QUOTE]

I use the HD channels at night about every night and the doppler radar, when they call for rain or severe weather.

Hey guys and gals. New to the page, but have been a recent frequent reader. I would like to know how many of you use, on a regular basis, the digital over-the-air channels. Is there a high demand in this market for the over-the-air signals to receive both digital and HD broadcasts? Secondly, how many of you use or have used the digital sub-channel that WMAZ uses for their radar and audio forecast? Do you use it frequently during inclement weather? Is there a demand for a 24-hour type weather "network" in this area? Thanks ahead of time!

We generally use digital broadcast with HDTV receiver rather than standard (analog) cable any time we watch what is on the locals - generally prime time (me: The Unit, NCIS, CSIs, Shark. Wife: other stuff) and weekend sports (mostly NASCAR on Fox). We dont pay for digital cable. And from what i glean on this and other forums, the Hi Def cable may not be as good as broadcast.

Yes, i channel surf almost daily and look at the WMAZ-DT doppler radar channel. Any time i want to check the forecast or look at precip.

Hey guys and gals. New to the page, but have been a recent frequent reader. I would like to know how many of you use, on a regular basis, the digital over-the-air channels. Is there a high demand in this market for the over-the-air signals to receive both digital and HD broadcasts? Secondly, how many of you use or have used the digital sub-channel that WMAZ uses for their radar and audio forecast? Do you use it frequently during inclement weather? Is there a demand for a 24-hour type weather "network" in this area? Thanks ahead of time!

I have Dish Network with my standard locals, but have them completely blocked out in favor of a standard OTA antenna for receiving HD and Digital Broadcasts. My wife and I watch many shows in the evening that we enjoy seeing in HD, and she watches several shows throughout the day. I also love to see my sports in HD so I am normally watching that OTA on the weekends.

As for Digital Sub-Channels. I think they are a good thing and bad. I have noticed, for instance with the WMAZ, that their main HD feed is not as clear as other local HD Channels, and I am guessing this is because they are using some of their available bandwidth for the digital sub channels. Now, don't get me wrong..I peek at the radar every now and then...but I don't know if it is worth the drop in picture quality on the main channel just to have it.

I have noticed, for instance with the WMAZ, that their main HD feed is not as clear as other local HD Channels, and I am guessing this is because they are using some of their available bandwidth for the digital sub channels.

I have noticed the opposite. CBS and Fox local HD broadcasts are MUCH better than NBC, which looks pixelated and "color distorted or limited" all the time. I notice pixelation on CBS and Fox only during motion scenes.

What digital subchannels does 13 have? I know they have the doppler subchannel but what is the other one?

What digital subchannels does 13 have? I know they have the doppler subchannel but what is the other one?
So far, nothing. 13-2 is just there. 13-3 is their doppler at a dismal bitrate.

Well, I have begun my antenna project. I just picked up a Channel Master 3671 Deep Fringe Antenna from a fellow member here (man is this a BIG antenna). I have also ordered a Channel Master 7777 pre-amp, eave mount kit, and miscellaneous parts as well. I'm not sure yet if I'll need the pre-amp, but I got it just in case. As soon as my other parts arrive, the installation will begin.

Hopefully my results will help others out there in the Middle Georgia area. Eastman is a good 45-50 miles away from the Macon towers, so I'm hoping for the best.

You might want to pick up an FM Trap as well, especially if you are using the preamp.

Looks like you have a couple of FM stations near you. Something like the Winegard FT7500 will attenuate all of the entire FM band. There are some FM Traps, including the ones in some preamps, that only attenuate the higher part of the FM band, so as to not affect channel 6 TV reception. But, these operate on the assumption that the low part of the FM band is only little NCE (non-commercial educational) "high-school" stations. There are many higher-powered FMs down there, now, and more to come.

The Winegard FT7500 will attenuate by 26 dB, which may or may not let the Macon FM stations come through well. You could try it, or try an FT7600, and tune it to attenuate the strongest couple of FM signals, while it is someplace accessible. Then, mount it after the antenna, but before the preamp (or tuner). You might want to put two in series, if needed.

You can run a "Stations Within a Radius" on the FCC website search pages:

http://www.fcc.gov/searchtools.html

Look under TV and under FM Query.

You might want to pick up an FM Trap as well, especially if you are using the preamp.

Looks like you have a couple of FM stations near you. Something like the Winegard FT7500 will attenuate all of the entire FM band. There are some FM Traps, including the ones in some preamps, that only attenuate the higher part of the FM band, so as to not affect channel 6 TV reception. But, these operate on the assumption that the low part of the FM band is only little NCE (non-commercial educational) "high-school" stations. There are many higher-powered FMs down there, now, and more to come.

The Winegard FT7500 will attenuate by 26 dB, which may or may not let the Macon FM stations come through well. You could try it, or try an FT7600, and tune it to attenuate the strongest couple of FM signals, while it is someplace accessible. Then, mount it after the antenna, but before the preamp (or tuner). You might want to put two in series, if needed.

You can run a "Stations Within a Radius" on the FCC website search pages:

http://www.fcc.gov/searchtools.html

Look under TV and under FM Query.

What if I'm not interested in picking up any FM stations from my antenna? I'm using the antenna for television only. Will having an FM trap affect WMAZ-DT at VHF channel four? I'd like to filter out all of the FM stations if they're going to overload my pre-amp but still pick up WMAZ-DT.

Edit: I checked the FCC site and it showed two FM stations here in Eastman...one at 91.9 and one at 97.5.

You could try the 7500. It shouldn't hurt the rest of the band, just the most minor insertion loss. But, why not pick up some FM? You could even add a separate FM antenna, if you wanted, keeping it all (TV and FM) separate all the way.

But, why not pick up some FM?Have you actually listened to FM lately?!

Have you actually listened to FM lately?!

That's pretty much on the nose. I only listen to my cd's and the Sirius channels on Dish Network. FM radio is awful these days, especially where I live. It's all Christian and country stations. So FM is unimportant to me.

Hey guys and gals. New to the page, but have been a recent frequent reader. I would like to know how many of you use, on a regular basis, the digital over-the-air channels. Is there a high demand in this market for the over-the-air signals to receive both digital and HD broadcasts? Secondly, how many of you use or have used the digital sub-channel that WMAZ uses for their radar and audio forecast? Do you use it frequently during inclement weather? Is there a demand for a 24-hour type weather "network" in this area? Thanks ahead of time!Da Chief, are you da chief at WMAZ? I can't speak for anyone else, but I watch OTA everyday, so at least I demand digital and HD and 5.1 Surround Sound, as soon as possible. I look at the Radar (13.3) everyday, 2-5 times daily. And during March Madness, I've watched a game of more interest on your other SD channel (13.2). I've also caught (only a couple of times) Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune on it (13.2) around 1pm, of course that was before they became HD programs. If by 24-hour weather network, you mean like your sister (Gannet) station in Atlanta's (Eleven Alive) Weather Plus, or like the CBS affiliate in Columbus's (WRBL) First Alert - 24/7 Weather. Then by all means Yes, I demand it also, but I would hate to lose the radar. If you're going to leave the other (13.2) channel Blank, put it there. Please!

Al

Have you actually listened to FM lately?!

Not much of the Macon area FMs. Here in SLC we have a couple of classical, a Jazz, and a light jazz station that are pretty good.

And, I remember when Macon had several good, locally-produced FM stations....WCRY's FM, WMAZ's FM, Lowell Register's MOR station from Perry, and good ole' WDEN. Maybe I should set up a Slingbox back home, and check out the Macon stations sometimes.

How well do the Atlanta stations come in? I guess if you just want some good music for free, there's always FTA sat.

Hey Y'all:
I apologize for not responding to a request for an update about the status of WGXA's high power digital effort, but I have been out working on the new transmitter. Of course I know that's what you really want to hear. However, we have been set back by bad weather and tower crews cancelling because of the need to handle a line burnout at another station up in South Carolina. We will not be on air in March, with the delays they're saying April, but I suspect it could be May. However, I hope not. But a lot has been done and when they get to it, we will have done our part. The electricians are done with power distribution, and we are doing grounding and signal conduits now. If you don't hear from me it probably means I am working on it. That's all for now.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA TV24/DT16

Thanks for the update Ralph. Sorry to hear about the setbacks. Good luck with the upgrade and hope to see you guys in HD in the next few months. I'm hoping April as that is my birthday month and would be a great birthday present. :)

Da Chief, are you da chief at WMAZ? I can't speak for anyone else, but I watch OTA everyday, so at least I demand digital and HD and 5.1 Surround Sound, as soon as possible. I look at the Radar (13.3) everyday, 2-5 times daily. And during March Madness, I've watched a game of more interest on your other SD channel (13.2). I've also caught (only a couple of times) Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune on it (13.2) around 1pm, of course that was before they became HD programs. If by 24-hour weather network, you mean like your sister (Gannet) station in Atlanta's (Eleven Alive) Weather Plus, or like the CBS affiliate in Columbus's (WRBL) First Alert - 24/7 Weather. Then by all means Yes, I demand it also, but I would hate to lose the radar. If you're going to leave the other (13.2) channel Blank, put it there. Please!

Just to clarify, I am NOT the chief at WMAZ. Thanks for everyone who responded to my unofficial survey question. It appears that OTA is fairly popular in this area and a weather feature would be used by area viewers. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks everyone!

Just to clarify, I am NOT the chief at WMAZ. Thanks for everyone who responded to my unofficial survey question. It appears that OTA is fairly popular in this area and a weather feature would be used by area viewers. This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks everyone!

If we're talking a weather feature as a subchannel of a current HD channel, then count me out. I'm not a fan of taking bandwidth from a main channel because picture quality suffers.

If we're talking a weather feature as a subchannel of a current HD channel, then count me out. I'm not a fan of taking bandwidth from a main channel because picture quality suffers.

You should check out WRBL-DT. Their weather channel on 3.2 is very well done, and their main 3.1 looks better than WMAZ's.

And, I remember when Macon had several good, locally-produced FM stations....WCRY's FM, WMAZ's FM, Lowell Register's MOR station from Perry, and good ole' WDEN. Maybe I should set up a Slingbox back home, and check out the Macon stations sometimes.

Don't bother. Clear Channel and Cumulus jukeboxes, and Lowell's WPGA-FM's doing a Jones AC format, with WPGA-AM is Radio Disney (along with WNEX, which Lowell purchased).

How well do the Atlanta stations come in? I guess if you just want some good music for free, there's always FTA sat.

Or the Sirius channels on my Dish Network... not exactly free, I guess. I've also got the Sirius receiver itself.

Here's a link to my favorite channels:
http://www.lyngsat.com/galaxy25.html

and, my programming provider:
http://www.lyngsat.com/america.html

:)

FYI: Signal Strength DTV recever
Bolingbroke area:
RS antennea in the attic:
Preamp.
13-1 100%
24-1 30/40%
41-1 95%
58-1 68%

Hey Y'all:
Things are in full swing at the WGXA transmitter site. The tower modifications are being done and the transmitter is being assembled. I have been hanging unistrut and conduit for signal, control, and monitoring lines. We hope to have the transmitter ready to go by the time the antenna and line are up. But I don't know when that will be. But things are moving right along.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA TV24/DT 16

Incidently, I noticed a lot of conversation about WMGT. They did something odd. They went with a "mid power" transmitter that puts out somewhere around 15 to 20 kilowatts. This is of course not counting antenna gain. Ours will be a 30 KW, about half of our analog power. They say you don't need as much in digital for the same coverage so this is normal. But why they didn't go with a 30KW I'll never quite understand. RC

Keep them updates coming Ralph! :)

Thank you WMAZ for showing at least 1 March Madness game in HD. The Atlanta CBS affilate Channel 46 has elected to show all games in SD in order to show all games. While that is commendable if you do not have a digital tuner tv you cannot see them all and if you have a digital tuner tv you would normally want to see at least 1 in HD. Living in Forsyth I had the option of turning my ant to Macon. So thanks again WMAZ!!

I finally got my antenna up. It's a Channel Master 3671 and a 7777 pre-amp. I'm only getting about 65-70% on 13 (4) and around 40-50% on 41 (40) and 58 (32). I think my problem is the crappy job I did crimping the f-connectors on the coax. I'm going to try and go buy some decent crimping tools and connectors tomorrow. I may see if my local installer will come out and use some good f-connectors and crimp everything for me. Plus I'm going to put it a little higher and see if that helps.

What little I have seen of 13 and 41, OTA HD looks much better than HD-lite on E*. :)

Edit: I've got a thread going on over at the HDTV Reception Hardware forum to see if maybe I can get more signal strength. Any of you local guys have any advice feel free to let me know.

Incidently, I noticed a lot of conversation about WMGT. They did something odd. They went with a "mid power" transmitter that puts out somewhere around 15 to 20 kilowatts. This is of course not counting antenna gain. Ours will be a 30 KW, about half of our analog power. They say you don't need as much in digital for the same coverage so this is normal. But why they didn't go with a 30KW I'll never quite understand. RC

Ummm... operating costs?

They only need to make 110KW ERP at 189 meters.

Hey Y'all:
More progress! The plumbing is finished and flushed out. The tower mods are finished and it will now support the weight of the new antenna. Another crew will come and put up the line and antenna. Most of the conduits are finished and I have to run one more. The mask filter is connected to the transmitter. An engineer from Acrodyne will come and wire it all up. It's starting to look real industrial, the ceiling has pipes and conduits running everywhere, hung from unistrut. I have to move a rack. We still have to install the IOT device. So there is still much to do, but a lot has been done.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA-TV-24/DT-16

Hey Y'all:
More progress! The plumbing is finished and flushed out. The tower mods are finished and it will now support the weight of the new antenna. Another crew will come and put up the line and antenna. Most of the conduits are finished and I have to run one more. The mask filter is connected to the transmitter. An engineer from Acrodyne will come and wire it all up. It's starting to look real industrial, the ceiling has pipes and conduits running everywhere, hung from unistrut. I have to move a rack. We still have to install the IOT device. So there is still much to do, but a lot has been done.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA-TV-24/DT-16

Woo-hoo!

Can't wait for Fox sports in HD! :)

Woo-hoo!

Can't wait for Fox sports in HD! :)
Unfortunately, we'll probably miss NASCAR on FOX this year... at least ABC is carrying the final 10 races.

Hey Y'all:
It will not be April 1st. Maybe May 1st. We still have to wait for others.

Ralph Carson
WGXA TV24/DT 16

Well, if you guys can get the tower work done by June 3, we'll get to see one Cup race in HD. Otherwise, we'll have to settle for TNT-HD then ESPN-HD and WPGA-DT.

Hey Y'all:
Construction is proceeding very fast now on WGXA DT's high power transmitter. The transmission line is stacked on the tower and the antenna will be raised today (April 13) IF we can get the winch repaired, which broke down yesterday. I await a part as I type this. The IOT tube has arrived and will be installed soon. I have been wiring up remote control lines and that is mostly done. Only programming remains on the remote system. Gentlemen, we are mere days away.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA TV24/DT16

Woohoo! Thanks Ralph. Almost there....

Gentlemen, we are mere days away.
Few enough that I could plan on HDTV for the cookout Saturday night, or ya reckon I'll still need the satellite receiver?

Hey Y'all:
Construction is proceeding very fast now on WGXA DT's high power transmitter. The transmission line is stacked on the tower and the antenna will be raised today (April 13) IF we can get the winch repaired, which broke down yesterday. I await a part as I type this. The IOT tube has arrived and will be installed soon. I have been wiring up remote control lines and that is mostly done. Only programming remains on the remote system. Gentlemen, we are mere days away.

Ralph Carson
Assistant Chief Engineer
WGXA TV24/DT16

This is really great news.

Hey Y'all:
Progress is still moving rapidly. The antenna and line are installed and ready to be tuned and swept. The transmitter is in the testing phase and has developed a problem, but we'll work it out. We have a top notch engineer from Acrodyne on site and he is on it. Remote control is ready and awaiting testing. The finishing touches are being put on. The tower guys will be derigging soon. We are working furiously. There may be signal interruptions as the tests are run, just tune in to the analog transmitter or satellite and have patience. All those of you who cannot pick us up now, it will be soon. I would say start rescanning sometime next week. I will let you know when we are on at full power, but you might find out sooner that way. As before, our high def schedule will not change, but our reach will.

Ralph carson
WGXA TV24/DT16

What's the current list of OTA channels (both analog and Digital would be nice) for the Macon area now? I'm curious what is on air.

What's the current list of OTA channels (both analog and Digital would be nice) for the Macon area now? I'm curious what is on air.

These are the stations I recieve both Digital and Analog there may be others but these are all I get.

Digital

WMAZ-DT 13.1 CBS
WGXA-DT 24.1 FOX
WMGT-DT 41.1 NBC
WPGA-DT 58.1 ABC
WGNM-DT 64.1 CTN

Analog

WMAZ 13 CBS
WGXA 24 FOX
WMGT 41 NBC
WPGA 58 ABC
WGNM 64 CTN

Thanks.

No subchannels, though? I think I could wean my father off of Cable, if they just had an OTA weather channel, like WeatherPlus.