Does anyone happen to know whether WSMH-DT 16 is operating at 19.3 kW or 245kW? They seem to have two construction permits granted. I'm only getting them sometimes later at night, so I was wondering if I should expect some improvement soon.

Does anyone happen to know whether WSMH-DT 16 is operating at 19.3 kW or 245kW? They seem to have two construction permits granted. I'm only getting them sometimes later at night, so I was wondering if I should expect some improvement soon.
They are operating at lower power until sometime in August.

Has anyone else lost channels since the transition? Before I was able to receive WNEM (CBS 5), WJRT (ABC 12), WEYI (NBC 25), PBS (WFUM 19), and FOX (WSMH 66). After the transition, I get WNEM and WMSH. I get WFUM sporadically. I've scanned and re-scanned, I have a VHF/UHF combo antenna, which worked great before. Did these channels cut power or something? It's pretty annoying...

I've noticed the same thing. WFUM 28 usually has a signal strength (on my tv's signal meter) around 88. Last night, it was 50. WEYI is usually marginal, but didn't come in at all last night.

WJRT made a big mistake by moving back to 12. They are on much lower power now. I live about 5 miles from the WJRT/WSMH/WAQP antenna farm. I used to get a 100% signal at all times when they were on 36 but now I get maybe 80%.

Does anyone know if WJRT has any plans on boosting their power?

There is something strange going on at WEYI. They now have both 25.1 and 25.2 at 720p (remember 25.1 was 1080i and 25.2 was 480i). The PQ on 25.1 has thus dropped significantly. I hope it's only temporary.

I see the change on WEYI. Plus, 25.2 is STILL stretch-o-vision. My question is since CW 46 is on the air, why is WEYI running CW programming on 25.2 in 720P?

At least in my location I can watch WDIV or WILX.

I contacted WEYI they told me 25.1 and 25.2 will be 720p permanently. So it looks like I'll be watching WDIV from now on, as I prefer my HD to not be YouTube quality.

Luckily for me I am getting 90-95% signal strength for WDIV here in Holly. I also prefer my HD to be non-YouTube quality.

I asssumed the network dictated that, apparently I was mistaken.

Yup. that is why my antenna is permanently pointed at Detroit. How many years did we put up with (well I didn't...) the stretchovision from WJRT? Now this crap from WEYI, no thanks.

Here is the message that I received from ABC12 in Flint, regarding why their signal was no longer detectable:

Hello,

As of June 12, we have switched our signal to VHF 12 for our digital
programming; we were previously UHF36.

Be sure you have re-scanned your digital tv and converter box to update
our new channel position on VHF12.

We are operating at the full power authorized by the FCC for VHF12 which
is significantly lower than the power of our previous UFH signal. We are
working with the FCC to find a solution to our power issue but the
answer will not be found quickly.

Because of the lower power of the new digital signal, you may need to
improve your antenna system to reliably receive abc12. Make sure you
have a VHF/UHF antenna and that it is pointed toward Chesaning when
re-scanning.

You can also try the process below as it has resolved problems for some
of our other viewers. The fact that you were watching us on Channel 36
and that channel is still scanned into your tv or converter box may be
blocking the rescan for our new channel 12 signal.

Unplug the tv and converter box from the wall and disconnect the antenna
cable from the tv or converter box (if you're using one).

Wait 5 minutes .... then plug the tv set and the converter box (if
you're using one) back into the wall (DO NOT reconnect the antenna).

Next ... scan for channels with the antenna disconnected. (This will
clear out all channels)

After scan completes, reconnect the antenna and scan again. This time
the scan will find available signals and program them into your tv;
hopefully along with channel 12.

Thank you for writing and we appreciate your patience.

Name Removed

Program and Marketing Director

WJRT-TV abc12

Sounds like the problem is simply their having switched from higher-powered UHF, to lower-powered VHF, and the only solution for me would be to upgrade to a roof-antenna (not gonna happen). I know they are not the only station to do this, so my question is, why are these stations switching to lower-powered VHF, when they've had very good UHF systems in place for years? ABC12 was one of my strongest stations, sometimes working with no antenna attached at all! So...what the hell?

They are operating at lower power until sometime in August.

WSMH is now operating at full power, 245kW.

In case anyone might be interested, I can report that WSMH's higher power is a significant improvement at my location. According to TVFool, I'm 62.7 miles southeast of WSMH's tower, and the station is rated at -3.1 dB NM, 2edge here. Before the recent power increase, I only received WSMH two or three times, late at night when conditions were very favorable. Now, WSMH is pretty much on par with WEYI for me, as I've received it with my attic antenna in the later part of the last two evenings. Signal strength is around 37-ish now on my meter, so I still get some dropouts, but it holds just fine for significant periods. I plan to upgrade to a better antenna outside at some point, and I think it will be pretty reliable then.

Noticed the same thing with WSMH after the power increase. I could always receive it pointing directly at their transmitter though with a few breakups. Now after the power increase, I can receive WSMH pointing the antenna at any direction at any time of the day with no breakups. WJRT was the same until they moved to ch 12. Now I have to aim the antenna directly to their location. I am 36 miles LOS to either transmitter. I use a Radio Shack VU90 antenna outdoors with Winegard preamp and rotor. Mounting location is about 35 ft above ground level.

Noticed the same thing with WSMH after the power increase. I could always receive it pointing directly at their transmitter though with a few breakups. Now after the power increase, I can receive WSMH pointing the antenna at any direction at any time of the day with no breakups. WJRT was the same until they moved to ch 12. Now I have to aim the antenna directly to their location. I am 36 miles LOS to either transmitter. I use a Radio Shack VU90 antenna outdoors with Winegard preamp and rotor. Mounting location is about 35 ft above ground level.

I know that this does not address your situation, but is a question:

Aren't WJRT and WSMH's towers located next to each other?

The towers are within a mile or two of each other NE of Chesaning. Really the big issue for me is the switch of WJRT from ch 36 to 12 for their digital signal. I 'think' my antenna may be a little more directional VHF vs UHF. However, the signal strength of the VHF signal is the larger issue, though WSMH does have an appox 250 ft advantage in tower height. The terrain between me and the towers is flat so it makes for a pretty fair side by side comparison when considering individual differences as well.

Finally went up in the attic this evening and pointed my Winegard YA-1713 toward WJRT. Did the manual 12.1 channel entry (which should be okay without doing a full channel scan, since that worked fine for other added channels). No signal, unfortunately. According to TVFool, I'm 62.3 miles southeast of WJRT, with a -8.7 dB NM and 2Edge from my location. WEYI and WSMH come in sometimes in the daytime and more reliably later in the evening with my UHF attic antenna at -0.8 and -3.1 dB NM, respectively, so WJRT is now the weakest of these three.

Before June 12, when WJRT was on 36, they were my best channel from that area, coming in earlier in the evening than WEYI (couldn't get WSMH much at all at that time, before they recently raised power).

Checked the FCC database, and didn't see any applications for higher power by WJRT. Perhaps we'll see a 30kW application at some point (or maybe a 45kW application like WWTV) if others have similar reception results. My guess is that WJRT would need at least 30kW, and maybe something closer to 45kW, to replicate its range from when it was on channel 36, and to match the current range of WEYI and WSMH. Unusually, the FCC maps for WJRT show about 10 miles more range on VHF 12 as compared to UHF 36, but that's not what I'm finding right now.

I visited my parents in Ithaca earlier this week and am relieved to find they are very satisfied with the post-digital conversion channel selection. They have an omnidirectional Winegard MS2000 antenna and a Channel Master CM-7000 tuner that I got for them. The antenna is about 35 feet from the ground and their house is near the highest point in town. I was apprehensive about them getting any digitial channels other than the Flint/Saginaw market. The only analog channels they got in clear with no ghosting was 12, 66, and 49. So I was astonished this weekend to see the wide-variety of channels they actually get:

Flint/Saginaw:
WJRT 12 (100% signal); WNEM 5(22) (100%); WDCQ 19(15) (98%); WEYI/WBSF 25(30) (100%); WBSF/WEYI 46 (95%); WAQP 49(48) (100%); WSMH 66(16) (100%)

Lansing/Jackson:
WLNS 6(36) (65%); WILX 10 (100%); WLAJ 53(51) (20%); WKAR 23(40) (20%)

Traverse City/Cadillac:
WWTV/WFQX 9 (100%); WCMU 14(26) (100%)

Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo:
WXMI 17(19) (20%); WZPX 43(44) (20%)

They typically lose WKAR daily around noon and get it back before prime time. WXMI, WZPX, and WLAJ will give a clear picture half the time, but there were times when I found them unviewable. I'm happy they were able to get at least two solid choices of every network!

HDNomad09:

I've read a few times that, even though the Winegard MS2000 is omnidirectional, the reception pattern is not perfectly circular, and that you can rotate the antenna to optimize weaker channels. If there's an interest, perhaps you could try that with your parents' MS2000 in Ithaca and improve those last few stations.

I've read a few times that, even though the Winegard MS2000 is omnidirectional, the reception pattern is not perfectly circular, and that you can rotate the antenna to optimize weaker channels. If there's an interest, perhaps you could try that with your parents' MS2000 in Ithaca and improve those last few stations.

I have read about that in this forum I believe. I think I even recall seeing the diagrams with an imperfect circle demonstrating the gain on certain channels. I might offer to turn it a bit; at least toward Lansing.

Comcast out of Port Austin has FINALLY added WDCQ to their HD available channels. The following can now be received via QAM tuners without the Comcast box.

59.1 WNEM; 59.2 WSMH; 60.1,.2&.3 WJRT; 60.4 WEYI; 61.1,.2&.3 WDCQ; 65.1 TNT HD;65.2 ESPN2HD

Comcast out of Pt Austin is "remapping" the HD line up. Until I get up there to check it out I am not sure what they may have added or eliminated. I do know that WNEM which did come through before on QAM tuners as either 59.1 or 59.2 is now coming through as 5.1

Charter subs, new channels coming December 1st:
Speed HD
FX
Fox News Channel
Nat Geo
MLB
USA

Charter subs, new channels coming December 1st:
Speed HD
FX
Fox News Channel
Nat Geo
MLB
USA

Wow, December 1st? By then It's Always Sunny will be done with season 5, and we will get to only see the final episode of Monk in HD. I wonder why Charter decided to wait so long to add these channels..

By the way, where did you find out this information?

By the way, where did you find out this information?
I contacted a sales rep via Twitter, who in turn contacted the marketing manager for this area.

Anyone getting a sound buzz on DirecTV FOX 66? It is really bad right now during the Bears/Lions game but isn't happening on the other channels (Sunday Ticket channels). My signal strength seems to be fine.

There seems to be a lack of Flint Comcast subscribers that visit this thread, but does anybody have a list of channels are that available with a clear QAM tuner? I'm moving to a Comcast area soon and deciding whether I should stick with limited basic.

Anybody experiencing a slight lack of sync between pic and sound on WEYI HD via cable? Do not seem to notice it on other channels. Charter in Mt Pleasant is my source.

Can anybody make a comment about AT&T U-verse in comparison to Comcast? AT&T's prices are more attractive, but it is also considered to have the worst PQ out of all the options for TV (OTA, DBS, cable, IPTV, etc).

Anybody experiencing a slight lack of sync between pic and sound on WEYI HD via cable? Do not seem to notice it on other channels. Charter in Mt Pleasant is my source.

It's WEYI themselves. I've noticed the same thing OTA for quite some time.

Does anyone have any list of the QAM channels in Fenton? I am currently running a line to my computer and only picking up wdiv, wjrt, and PBS.

Thanks

Does anyone have any list of the QAM channels in Fenton? I am currently running a line to my computer and only picking up wdiv, wjrt, and PBS.

Thanks
81-10 WEYI
82-11 WJRT
83-7 WNEM
84-7 WSMH
85-1 WDIV
85-2 WXYZ
85-3 WKAR
85-4 WBSF
85-5 WTVS
85-6 WFUM
85-7 WNEM-DT2
85-8 WAQP
85-12 WLNS
85-13 WILX
86-10 PEG-Fenton/Linden
86-12 WPXD
86-14 HUBTV-Livingston County
86-15 PEG-Durand
89-2 WJRT 720p (12.1)
89-4 WSMH 720p (66.1)
89-9 WJRT-DT2 (12.2)
89-10 WJRT-DT3 (12.3)
91-1 WDCQ-DT1
91-2 WDCQ-DT2
91-3 WDCQ-DT3
92-5 through 92-57 Music Choice
105-1 WFUM 1080i (28.1)
105-4 WDIV-DT2 (4.2)
105-9 WFUM-DT2 (28.2)
107-4 WEYI 720p (25.1)
107-5 WNEM 1080i (5.1)
107-6 WNEM-DT2 (5.2)

I put the HD channels in red. The rest are 480i. Some of the channels are remapped to a virtual channel (in parentheses), so you will probably find them on your TV as the remapped channel.

WJRT is now producing its newscasts in 16:9. I only caught a few minutes and it appears to be in SD 16:9, but it was a pleasant surprise.

Yep, Looks like 16:9 SD. They will be the first in the area go to HD newscasts becasue their owner is ABC/Disney.

81-10 WEYI
82-11 WJRT
83-7 WNEM
84-7 WSMH
85-1 WDIV
85-2 WXYZ
85-3 WKAR
85-4 WBSF
85-5 WTVS
85-6 WFUM
85-7 WNEM-DT2
85-8 WAQP
85-12 WLNS
85-13 WILX
86-10 PEG-Fenton/Linden
86-12 WPXD
86-14 HUBTV-Livingston County
86-15 PEG-Durand
89-2 WJRT 720p (12.1)
89-4 WSMH 720p (66.1)
89-9 WJRT-DT2 (12.2)
89-10 WJRT-DT3 (12.3)
91-1 WDCQ-DT1
91-2 WDCQ-DT2
91-3 WDCQ-DT3
92-5 through 92-57 Music Choice
105-1 WFUM 1080i (28.1)
105-4 WDIV-DT2 (4.2)
105-9 WFUM-DT2 (28.2)
107-4 WEYI 720p (25.1)
107-5 WNEM 1080i (5.1)
107-6 WNEM-DT2 (5.2)

I put the HD channels in red. The rest are 480i. Some of the channels are remapped to a virtual channel (in parentheses), so you will probably find them on your TV as the remapped channel.

Thanks. I had to go manually into Win 7 MC to add half of the channels. What are you using to get QAM?

Yep, Looks like 16:9 SD. They will be the first in the area go to HD newscasts becasue their owner is ABC/Disney.
Is it confirmed that they will be going HD?
Thanks. I had to go manually into Win 7 MC to add half of the channels. What are you using to get QAM?
I usually don't watch QAM, but I use a program called TSReader to analyze the channels.

Didn't see this posted here yet. WJRT applied with the FCC on 10/14/09 for a power increase from 18.2 kW up to 30 kW. Should help some of us having reception difficulties if approved.

Hi all,

I’m from the Saginaw area and was wondering if I can get a little help with some startup questions on OTA HD reception. Using the HDTV Labs GeoSelector the channels I am supposed to get are: WKAR-TV, WLNS-TV, WEYI-TV, WSMH, WBSF, WAQP, WNEM-TV, WJRT-TV. Do you guys agree? Can I get more/less? I plan on getting a Winegard antenna and a preamp and mount it on top of my 2 story house. Secondly are any of you guys able to get other FOX stations other than WSMH? Like WXMI (Lansing) or WFQX (Cadillac)? Thanks for any help in advance!

Anyone in the Bay City/Saginaw/Flint area? Fox stations other than WSMH? And the signal strength if you have it handy.

GLE3:

I'm not in your area, but from the signal maps for the surrounding Fox stations, I'm guessing it would be tough to receive any of them from Saginaw:

WSYM - Lansing:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DS616787.html
(tower is SW of Lansing)

WJBK - Detroit:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1275839.html
(maybe the best chance, since they're on VHF 7)

WFQX - Cadillac:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1312727.html

WXMI - Grand Rapids:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1331105.html

Some of these maps are for CP Mods, so they may not be up to the shown power just yet...

GLE3:

I'm not in your area, but from the signal maps for the surrounding Fox stations, I'm guessing it would be tough to receive any of them from Saginaw:

WSYM - Lansing:
(tower is SW of Lansing)

WJBK - Detroit:

(maybe the best chance, since they're on VHF 7)

WFQX - Cadillac:


WXMI - Grand Rapids:


Some of these maps are for CP Mods, so they may not be up to the shown power just yet...


Thanks for the Maps! I actually looked at a couple of these maps before but didn't know exactly how accurate they were. Doing searches on the site all I have found was a guy from Ithaca that could get WFQX in on a strong signal. He looks to be almost as far as I am way from the tower.... Wouldn't be suprised if your right though. I guess I just buy the hardware and hope I get lucky!

GLE3:

Depending on where you are, what kind of elevation you have, and how high you can mount an antenna, maybe you could get WJBK-7. Here are some VHF possibilities:

Winegard YA-1713 (for VHF-high only; 9.1 dB gain on ch. 7):
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=YA1713&d=Winegard-YA-1713-Prostar-1000-10-El.-HiBand-VHF-Antenna-(YA1713)&c=TV%20Antennas&sku=615798304867

Antennacraft Y10-7-13 (for VHF-high only; 9.4 average VHF-high gain, but don't know about ch. 7 specifically):
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=Y10-7-13&d=Antennacraft-Y10713-HighbandBroadband-VHF-Antenna-(Y10713)&c=TV%20Antennas&sku=716079000994

Winegard 7698 (a VHF-high plus UHF antenna; 10.4 dB gain on ch. 7, but rather long, more expensive)
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=HD7698P&d=Winegard-HD-7698P-High-Definition-VHFUHF-HD769-Series-Antenna-(HD7698P)&c=TV%20Antennas&sku=615798398606

In my area, when I tested my YA-1713 outside recently (at chimney height), it received channels 11 and 13 at 65 miles distance, with a signal strength of 64 for both stations on my tv's meter (my tv tuner needs about 35-ish or above to lock a signal, so I had plenty of signal with the YA-1713 at that distance). I think it's a nice antenna, not too huge and not too expensive (good to pair up with a UHF antenna above it, like a DB8, for good reception without being too huge on the roof). Maybe that would be a relatively inexpensive first choice to try out. For best VHF-high gain, though, I suppose the 7698 would be tough to beat (too bad it's not as good on UHF as some others, though). Of course, besides your local WJRT-12, a good VHF-high antenna in your area (if mounted on a rotor) might even be able to catch 9 from Cadillac and 10 from Lansing as well:

WWTV-9: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1324609.html
WILX-10: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1327713.html

Good luck!

GLE3:

Depending on where you are, what kind of elevation you have, and how high you can mount an antenna, maybe you could get WJBK-7. Here are some VHF possibilities:

Winegard YA-1713 (for VHF-high only; 9.1 dB gain on ch. 7):
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=YA1713&d=Winegard-YA-1713-Prostar-1000-10-El.-HiBand-VHF-Antenna-(YA1713)&c=TV%20Antennas&sku=615798304867

Antennacraft Y10-7-13 (for VHF-high only; 9.4 average VHF-high gain, but don't know about ch. 7 specifically):
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=Y10-7-13&d=Antennacraft-Y10713-HighbandBroadband-VHF-Antenna-(Y10713)&c=TV%20Antennas&sku=716079000994

Winegard 7698 (a VHF-high plus UHF antenna; 10.4 dB gain on ch. 7, but rather long, more expensive)
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=HD7698P&d=Winegard-HD-7698P-High-Definition-VHFUHF-HD769-Series-Antenna-(HD7698P)&c=TV%20Antennas&sku=615798398606

In my area, when I tested my YA-1713 outside recently (at chimney height), it received channels 11 and 13 at 65 miles distance, with a signal strength of 64 for both stations on my tv's meter (my tv tuner needs about 35-ish or above to lock a signal, so I had plenty of signal with the YA-1713 at that distance). I think it's a nice antenna, not too huge and not too expensive (good to pair up with a UHF antenna above it, like a DB8, for good reception without being too huge on the roof). Maybe that would be a relatively inexpensive first choice to try out. For best VHF-high gain, though, I suppose the 7698 would be tough to beat (too bad it's not as good on UHF as some others, though). Of course, besides your local WJRT-12, a good VHF-high antenna in your area (if mounted on a rotor) might even be able to catch 9 from Cadillac and 10 from Lansing as well:

WWTV-9: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1324609.html
WILX-10: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1327713.html

Good luck!

Yeah, I've been eyeing the 7698. Seems like my best option if I want both UHF and VHF. In your opinion what is better, two seperate antennas for UHF/VHF or can one antenna do the job? Also, it's funny you mention WWTV, cause it looks like it is brodcasted from the same antenna as WFQX. So how does that work? One station is brodcasted at a different height and strength than the other?

I prefer separate antennas. The UHF sections on even the largest combo antennas tend to not be quite as good as a DB8 or 91XG, and many of the digital channels are now on UHF. The combo antennas also tend to be very large-looking up on the roof because of using a single long boom for both UHF and VHF sections. You would probably get a few more UHF stations using a good separate UHF antenna.

In your situation, though, if you're primarily interested in long-range VHF, the combo antennas do seem to provide a bit more gain. I'm kind of surprised that nobody has made a little bit larger VHF-high-only version of the YA-1713 (maybe something two or three feet longer, that would bump up the gain to 12-13 dB or so).

Have you checked your TVFool report yet for your specific address? Based on my recent test of my antennas outside at chimney height (20-25 feet above ground), my rough estimate is that a YA-1713 and either a DB8 or 91XG should be able to pull in most stations on that report with a NM above about -9.0 dB (at least in my area, with some exceptions above and below that level). When I plugged a generic 48601 zip code for Saginaw into TVFool, it looks like you won't get Fox on WJBK (too low of a dB NM value), but you might get WSYM or WFQX. On VHF-high, you'd get WJRT of course, most likely WWTV, and maybe even WILX. That would suggest that the YA-1713 plus DB8 or 91XG would be best for you.

The reason that WWTV has more range than WFQX is because WWTV broadcasts at 45 kW at 497 meters (which is a monster signal for VHF-high), while WFQX broadcasts at 200 kW at 422 meters (which is relatively tame for UHF). Most VHF-highs only go up to 30 kW, although the FCC is just starting to allow some higher than that, while UHFs (which require more power for the same distance) go up to 1000 kW (like WNEM), I believe.

Flint-area DirecTV customers:

The local channel lookup tool is listing a new WDCQ subchannel. I noticed the DirecTV guide shows the regular WDCQ is actually 19.2. Is the new channel you are getting 19.1 (MHz Worldview) or one of the other subchannels?

In your opinion what is better, two seperate antennas for UHF/VHF or can one antenna do the job?

Their are cases where we would recommend seperate antennas, but for the most part a single antenna is preferred. I would be very surprised if you bought the proper combo antenna for your area if you could pick up more UHF channels by going with seperate antennas. Does it happen? Yes, but not often.

Here's my tv fool:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dbc275c3a6df2c8

It does imply I can get WQFX... Thanks for the knowledge!

That's quite a bit different than the generic report for Saginaw that I checked before. Based on your location, you should get WWTV with a YA-1713 or Y10-7-13, and you'd probably also get WILX (my YA-1713 outside test seemed to show reception down to about -9.0 dB NM). Neither antenna would probably get anything more than that (besides WJRT of course) on VHF-high, and a 7698 probably wouldn't either, since the next VHF-high down the list is actually WOOD from Grand Rapids (at -13.5, tough to get with any antenna).

At -2.2 dB, you should get WFQX on 32, as long as you have an antenna with high mid-UHF gain. The 7698 would probably be pretty good for that, but the purists on the boards seem to prefer separates (as do I). For the UHF, some think the DB8 is best, but there are a lot of fans of the 91XG as well. You'd probably be happy with either one (maybe the DB8 has a smaller appearance but would be more forgiving on pointing, while the 91XG requires more precise pointing because of its design).