METV is on Ch 9.2

METV is on Ch 9.2

'Tis up and I am digging it. For me, it's kicking RTV's tail.

yes, cool tv is on comcast cable clear-QAM, londonderry NH headend.

in frightening/tragic news, a worker fell from one of the transmitter towers today, not sure which one. 1000 feet.

in frightening/tragic news, a worker fell from one of the transmitter towers today, not sure which one. 1000 feet.

It was the tower on Chestnut St, mainly used for FM, but has two TV stations on it.

Anyone know what was going on last night (Dec 15th, early am) at 2/4/5/38 ? All of their transmitters went dark for about 3-4 hours, from around 12:45am until around 4:30am.

Was quite abrupt, obviously the tower did not fall over, and an electrical failure would have generator backup. Just curious as to what it was. Thought repair work, but during network programming?

Anyone know what was going on last night (Dec 15th, early am) at 2/4/5/38 ? All of their transmitters went dark for about 3-4 hours, from around 12:45am until around 4:30am.

Was quite abrupt, obviously the tower did not fall over, and an electrical failure would have generator backup. Just curious as to what it was. Thought repair work, but during network programming?
Planned, once-a-year maintenance to sweep (electronically) the combiners and antennas to make sure they are still in good working order. That can only be done without power from the transmitters.

Planned, once-a-year maintenance to sweep (electronically) the combiners and antennas to make sure they are still in good working order. That can only be done without power from the transmitters.

Thanks for the prompt reply and satisfying my curiosity! Since the stations now have 4:30 am newscasts, I can see why the maintenance started "early".

Over the last few months we have been having problems receiving channels 4 and 7. 5 seems OK. We live in newbury and have a high-gain UHF antenna, a VHF antenna (for 7) and a channelmaster preamp in the attic.

In general we have good reception until around 1 November except in extremely windy and rainy conditions. We would expect better performance now that the leaves have fallen, but instead it has gone the other way.

I am thinking that it is either a cable or an amplifier problem, but want to check to see if there were any other issues causing problems.

Any ideas?

There is no need for a VHF antenna for Boston stations, they're all UHF....

I thought that 7 was going to transition back to their VHF channel for their digital once the analog was discontinued. Did that never happen?

It went back to 7 for about 4 days before UHF 42 was lit up again. They made the move permanent shortly thereafter, and 7 is history.

You can aim your VHF antenna toward New Hampshire and try for WMUR-9 and WENH-11.

- Trip

They did, reception was reported by many viewers to be much worse or non-existant on VHF, and they abandoned that plan and went back to UHF. It all happened within a very short time frame, if I recall.

Other stations around the country went through the same thing. Apparently the projections by their consultants and engineers about having adequate coverage on VHF didn't jive with reality.

It went back to 7 for about 4 days before UHF 42 was lit up again.
The switch to UHF happened pretty quick. They simulcasted for a little while then shutdown RF 7.

I had no problem receiving WHDH on either RF 7 or 42 here in southern NH. Moving to UHF was great for us as all the MA stations are now on UHF and NH WMUR and WENH are on VHF. Offset the VHF antenna and now no longer need to use a rotor.

WGBH 44.1 HD continues to zoom non-16:9 ratio programs to fill the 16:9 TV frame resulting in cropped heads and half text loss on the bottom.

I have emailed them in the past (see my earlier posts), and have received a response that they retain the original artistic camera framing of the original program as a rule.

Someone is making the decision that the viewers want their widescreen HDTV filled ALL THE TIME. If the original program has not letterboxed their 4:3 ratio with custom side bars it will be butchered to fill the screen. Selecting a 1:1 pixel mapping confirms that this is the transmitted zoomed signal.

PBS OTA 44.1 has no clue. Possibly their merger with Comcast to add PBS HD to Comcast's programs required this absurd decision.

i just took a peek at 44.1 OTA and saw an ancient julia child "uprezzed" to HD and looking as OAR and as fuzzy as ever....

It appears the programs are hit or miss. Inside Washington was zoomed to fill the screen. Keeping Up Appearences has been zoomed. If Julia Child was given sidebars as a 16:9 1080i ratio there will be no zooming.

It seems when a program has an original 4:3 ratio without side bars included into a 16:9 frame it will be zoomed by default.

ah - yes, dent, that sounds annoying alright.
fwiw, if you have cable internet without video service, you would find lots of local TV channels on the cable, possibly including an SD version of 44.1 as wgbx or wgby. that version may have proper OAR and/or may be zoomable as you wish via your TV or tuner... (Many can zoom SD any which-way, but are stuck in "full" mode with an HD signal.)

WGBH 44.1 HD continues to zoom non-16:9 ratio programs to fill the 16:9 TV frame
Both WGBH and WENH maintain separate HD and SD feeds so they get to control and preserve the video image. I find it curious WGBH would take this tack on the WGBX HD feed.

I recently watched a couple of movies on 7.2 (This TV) and noticed that when I watch the signal with 1:1 pixel mapping, I can see the dotted lines at the top few pixels of the screen. I think this is digital data for closed captioning. Is this something that the network needs to fix? Is anyone else seeing this?

I have noticed recently, especially on Channel 4, WBZ-TV that most of the Avidia Bank commercials appear to have a much higher sound output level than other commercials. I have a Sony Dolby 5.1 sound system on my TV and after doing some interesting checks, came up with this observation:

Using my portable sound pressure level meter at a distance of 6 inches from each speaker, I put my sound volume at 25% on the stereo amplifier. I measured the output level in front of each of the 5 speakers at between 97 & 104 dB SPL.

I waited about another 30 minutes and sure enough, another Avidia Bank Commercial came on. This time I switched to 2 channel stereo only. When I measured the level at the same distance from the 2 speakers, I obtained between 98 & 103 dB SPL readings.

The interesting conclusion: It looks like a sneaky way to up the commercial volume for some folks surround sound systems, because you have 5 speakers to produce the louder appearing sound as opposed to folks with just 2 channel stereos. In reality it gives you a
2 ½ times louder volume by using all 5 speakers as opposed to just 2 speakers.

Anyone else notice this?

I recently watched a couple of movies on 7.2 (This TV) and noticed that when I watch the signal with 1:1 pixel mapping, I can see the dotted lines at the top few pixels of the screen. I think this is digital data for closed captioning. Is this something that the network needs to fix? Is anyone else seeing this?

I see it lots of places. Technically it is something the network should fix, but I see it on lots of SD programming on HD stations and all the .2 channels in this area.

SMK

I recently watched a couple of movies on 7.2 (This TV) and noticed that when I watch the signal with 1:1 pixel mapping, I can see the dotted lines at the top few pixels of the screen. I think this is digital data for closed captioning. Is this something that the network needs to fix? Is anyone else seeing this?

What you are seeing is signal within the "vertical blanking interval". The VBI signal is a data signal contained within the regions of Line 21 & 22 analog.
A lot of times, when a program is "upconverted" from an older analog tape, the device which does the upconversion, won't mask this, and with the higher resolution, it's much more obvious. Typically what i've seen isn't CC data (Line 21 field 1), but rather time code. Back in the ancient days of analog broadcasting, (wait that was only a couple years ago, right?), anyways, we used to stuff other things in the VBI too, including color bars, test pulses, etc., in the lines below 21.

Only Channel 42 & 30 are providing PSIP info to do mapping to the Analog equivalent (7 & 4, respectively) channels. ABC 20 & FOX 32 never have. If the Panasonic does mapping of non-PSIP channels (like the newer Hughes/Tosh/Mits does) then it sounds like something giot reset in the advanced programming guide.

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Only Channel 42 & 30 are providing PSIP info to do mapping to the Analog equivalent (7 & 4, respectively) channels. ABC 20 & FOX 32 never have. If the Panasonic does mapping of non-PSIP channels (like the newer Hughes/Tosh/Mits does) then it sounds like something giot reset in the advanced programming guide.

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Do you mean WCVB on channel 20 and WFXT on channel 31? (not 32)
I

Hi All,
Been looking at ditching Comcast and going with Antennas Direct DB4e antenna. I understand this is a UHF antenna only, but it appears there are not many VHF channels to really have to worry about it.
It comes highly recommended from some of the members over at the TVFool forum.

Here is my TVFool report and was wondering if anyone here might recommend something else or has any experience with this antenna.
Ill be trying to locate it inside the house in an unoccupied 3rd floor room with slanted ceilings. If the need requires, i may locate it outside.
TVFool Report (http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d0b86350037ddf8)

Im going to feed a Homerun HDHR3-US tuner that im itching to pull the trigger on.

too-loud-laugher, you have a good plan there. i am at similar azimuth plus 20 miles from the needham xmitters and use uhf antenna inside attic, plus a winegard uhf preamp. i'm looking for another sort of 8VSB & clear-QAM tuner too, like some sortof hd-homerun...

I have noticed recently, especially on Channel 4, WBZ-TV that most of the Avidia Bank commercials appear to have a much higher sound output level than other commercials. I have a Sony Dolby 5.1 sound system on my TV and after doing some interesting checks, came up with this observation:

Using my portable sound pressure level meter at a distance of 6 inches from each speaker, I put my sound volume at 25% on the stereo amplifier. I measured the output level in front of each of the 5 speakers at between 97 & 104 dB SPL.

I waited about another 30 minutes and sure enough, another Avidia Bank Commercial came on. This time I switched to 2 channel stereo only. When I measured the level at the same distance from the 2 speakers, I obtained between 98 & 103 dB SPL readings.

The interesting conclusion: It looks like a sneaky way to up the commercial volume for some folks surround sound systems, because you have 5 speakers to produce the louder appearing sound as opposed to folks with just 2 channel stereos. In reality it gives you a
2 ½ times louder volume by using all 5 speakers as opposed to just 2 speakers.

Anyone else notice this?

Well, someone at WBZ must be either watching here or they noticed the Avidia Bank commercials were running the surround sound at full bore! The last couple days, they sound normal and only using 2 channel sound for the Avidia Bank commercials, the same level as all others. The spots are the same ones that used to use all 5 surround channels.

I usually listen to the early morning newscast while preparing breakfast between 5:00 and 7:00am from the kitchen which is next to my living room where I have the TV running. When all 5 channels came on, you could easily hear the increase in volume form anywhere in the house, not just adjacent rooms.

Well, someone at WBZ must be either watching here or they noticed the Avidia Bank commercials were running the surround sound at full bore! The last couple days, they sound normal and only using 2 channel sound for the Avidia Bank commercials, the same level as all others. The spots are the same ones that used to use all 5 surround channels.

I usually listen to the early morning newscast while preparing breakfast between 5:00 and 7:00am from the kitchen which is next to my living room where I have the TV running. When all 5 channels came on, you could easily hear the increase in volume form anywhere in the house, not just adjacent rooms.

Well, I must have spoken too soon. This morning, the first Adidia Bank commercial was the loudest I've heard in some time. It actually caused a picture to vibrate on the wall in the next room. UNREAL!

Anybody know what's up with channel 56, the CW tonight? It appears to be out on both my FIOS feed and my antenna feed.

The Ch 56 OTA signal is down at 10 PM, however they are up on Comcast cable in Boston, which most likely has a direct feed.

The Ch 56 OTA signal is down at 10 PM, however they are up on Comcast cable in Boston, which most likely has a direct feed.

I just checked on my FIOS feed again. The SD version of 56 (channel 12 on Burlington / Billerica FIOS) is working, but the HD version (channel 512) still isn't working and the OTA signal still isn't working. Are you getting the SD or HD signal on Comcast? It looks to me as though their HD signal is down.

On Comcast, both the SD (Ch 10) and HD (Ch 808) feeds are working, as is the TCN subchannel (Ch 291). OTA is still down.

On Comcast, both the SD (Ch 10) and HD (Ch 808) feeds are working, as is the TCN subchannel (Ch 291). OTA is still down.

I wouldn't be surprised if Comcast doesn't have a direct fiber-optic feed the station. At the stations I worked at, the local cable companies all had direct fiber-optic feeds to us.

From WHDH-7NBC/CW56 Viewer Relations:

WLVI is experiencing some disruptions in service due to technical issues. We apologize for the inconvenience and expect to have the signal restored shortly.

I wouldn't be surprised if Comcast doesn't have a direct fiber-optic feed the station. At the stations I worked at, the local cable companies all had direct fiber-optic feeds to us.

They do have one.

It looks like starting April 17, WGBH World will move from channel 44.2 to channel 2.2. I saw the message on 2.2, which used to be the SD feed of the regular WGBH (2.1).

WGBH World will move from channel 44.2 to channel 2.2.

That is good news. WGBH is much stronger here in Southern NH then WGBX. Once the leaves come out we pretty much lose WGBX for the summer.

Is WBZ off the air?

Is WBZ off the air?

I'm getting nothing for them OTA. On FIOS, I can get their SD feed, but the HD feed is out. Just like WLVI was this past Wednesday evening.

Is there a problem with channel 44?

I'm seeing the various 44 channels drop on my OTA TV.

Signal seems very weak.

I see no RF for WBZ (RF 30), WSBK (RF 39), and WGBX (RF 43)

All three are on the Needham tower but so do other Boston stations that are sill on the air.

Nothing on the station's web sites that I noticed.

Is there a problem with channel 44?

I'm seeing the various 44 channels drop on my OTA TV.

Signal seems very weak.

I can't get any signals from 44 either!

Hi
I get nothing from wbz ,wcbv(5) and 44.1-4
It was right as bubba was hugging his mom it went out
I get 7,2 ,25 still

I see no RF for WBZ (RF 30), WSBK (RF 39), and WGBX (RF 43)

All three are on the Needham tower but so do other Boston stations that are sill on the air.

Nothing on the station's web sites that I noticed.

I have the same situation here in Weston. Kind of annoying that with all their websites, apps, twitter etc they can't put up a notice they're OTA.

BZ came back on at about 2116 for about 4 min, been off since.

Kind of annoying that with all their websites, apps, twitter etc they can't put up a notice they're OTA.
Agreed...

I have the same situation here in Weston. Kind of annoying that with all their websites, apps, twitter etc they can't put up a notice they're OTA.

BZ came back on at about 2116 for about 4 min, been off since.

I sent an email query to WBZ TV tech/broadcast. WCVB doesn't even have such contact information. What a joke.

WBZ, WSBK, and WGBX are located on the CBS tower, but so are WCVB and WGBH, which are both on. It could be some tower or other work that required a very long period to complete. WYDN has had a construction permit for some time, to move there from the FM 128 tower, it could possibly be that.

A couple of posts elsewhere indicate that WCVB's signal is weak in fringe areas tonight, so they are likely not at full power.

Is WBZ off the air?

I noticed last night prior to the 11:00pm news that WBZ was off the air as I don't have cable, but do have DishNetwork. I use an antenna for locals, but even Dish didn't have them on either.

This morning it is still off the air. I'm surprised because each TV station I worked at had backup transmitters (usually lower power) and each but one had backup antennas too. I remember more than once having my phone ring in the middle of the night to come in as they were off the air and usually the master control operator in the middle of the night didn't know how to switch over. The last station I was at, I lived only 1/2 mile from the transmitter, so I'd go there and manually switch over myself unless it was a quick fix I could do myself. Often it was just a system reboot to get back on.

Here is hoping that things are back on soon!

Per web site:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/

WBZ-TV Statement On Technical Difficulties
April 9, 2012 7:39 AM

BOSTON (CBS) – Due to technical difficulties at our transmitter site in Needham, WBZ-TV and My-TV-38′s over the air signals are not working at this time.

This problem is affecting other stations as well, Paul Pabis, the Director of Broadcast Operations & Engineering, said in a statement Monday.

Crews have been working at the tower site since Sunday evening to fix the problem.

“We apologize for the inconvenience. We hope to have service restored soon,” Pabis said.

“We are still available on cable and some satellite TV providers.”

I too was watching The Master's ending when the station went off the air. Fooling with the antenna then discovering that all four WGBX stations and WSBK were out also.

I searched the stations web sites and found nothing and had to search this thread in order to get information.

I agree with the earlier post regarding poor use of Twitter, Web and radio to inform viewers of the situation.

God help us if a true emergency happens and they are responsible for info.

I rely on this thread as I will not subscribe to cable. Also, this year ESPN will only carry Wimbledon on it's cable networks.

NO Wimbledon OTA from this year forward.

I too was watching The Master's ending when the station went off the air. Fooling with the antenna then discovering that all four WGBX stations and WSBK were out also.

I searched the stations web sites and found nothing and had to search this thread in order to get information.

I agree with the earlier post regarding poor use of Twitter, Web and radio to inform viewers of the situation.

God help us if a true emergency happens and they are responsible for info.

I rely on this thread as I will not subscribe to cable. Also, this year ESPN will only carry Wimbledon on it's cable networks.

NO Wimbledon OTA from this year forward.
Tennis does not have the reach it needs now. That is a sure way to kill the sport.

According to The Boston Business Journal, (http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2012/04/09/wbz-wcvb-boston-tv-stations.html) WBZ-TV states their Over The Air viewers are 7% of the audience.

So I think they aren't in such a hurry to repair the tower.

PBS WGBX has not commented on the problem. I believe the OTA holdouts like myself will be forced to order cable.

The link below is to a more current report of the situation.

A transmission line failure is the most probable cause of the problem

The line in question is a rigid, copper-sheathed coaxial cable that runs up the 1,200-foot-tall tower in Needham which hosts the antenna. A second line is in place, but must be connected to the antenna by workers who make the long climb up the tower. Pabis said that on their first trip up the tower -- about a half-hour climb -- repair workers discovered that they didn’t have the correct part to connect the auxiliary line to the antenna. “They had to come all the way back down, get that piece, and bring it up,” Pabis said.

Pabis said it’s unlikely that the antenna itself is malfunctioning. But if it is, repairs will take much longer, because an antenna must be custom-made to transmit the signals from all four stations. “That would take quite some time,” he said.

While WBZ, WSBK, and WGBX are still off the air, WCVB has resumed broadcasting at lower power through an auxiliary antenna.

http://bostonglobe.com/business/technology/2012/04/09/mystery-outage-plagues-boston-stations/Zm9dt4ZZ3GHMeBTzRLMAnI/story.html

i agree with what has been said. Just because we don't want/can't fork over obscene high prices for cable, we're meaningless fleas without rights. Once again, money has a loud voice. And if there's an emergency? Well, let them fry.

According to The Boston Business Journal, (http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2012/04/09/wbz-wcvb-boston-tv-stations.html) WBZ-TV states their Over The Air viewers are 7% of the audience.

So I think they aren't in such a hurry to repair the tower.


Then you would assume incorrectly.

Besides the 7%'ers. (Sorry couldn't resist), some cable companies (Charter) (who use the feeds as primary) and all the others use the off air feeds for backup, etc. (I am willing to bet that 7% is also awfully low too...)

As a Broadcast Engineer in TV, I can tell you, if we go off the air, it's a big deal, which takes top priority, and if needed we will pay whatever it costs to get it back on the air.
To think they "aren't in a hurry to repair the tower" is simply not true.

And I think the number of over the air viewers are growing. With the amount of content availble on Netflix, Hulu, etc., and the plethora of OTA subs now a days, I am even considering axing cable, and saving $60 a month.
What about sports? I can listen to baseball on the radio, hockey online.
Football is still mainly on the networks (over the air again). NASCAR, I can stream it online.

Thanks for the info and updates.

No cable, and don't really miss the OTA that's gone out much. There's not much on.

Instead of cable, spend the money on an HTPC or a streaming device, and Amazon Prime and get the free video and shipping for $79 a year. Or just use the internet.

Thanks for the info and updates.

No cable, and don't really miss the OTA that's gone out much. There's not much on.

Instead of cable, spend the money on an HTPC or a streaming device, and Amazon Prime and get the free video and shipping for $79 a year. Or just use the internet.

Due to one of the local stations being out, I missed one of my favorite shows last week and was forced to stream it the next day. On an 82" display, the picture quality was HORRIBLE compared to cable TV / OTA, which is consistent with other streaming I've used. Watching the Bruins via a streaming feed versus watching them on cable is a huge difference. I'm sorry, but in most cases streaming just isn't an acceptable option at this time and Amazon obviously doesn't have every show available yet (and probably won't for the foreseeable future). Saving the money would be nice, but not at the expense of no longer seeing content I care about at an acceptable quality level. I didn't invest all the money in my system so I can save a few bucks a month and watch crappy low bitrate streaming content.

Then you would assume incorrectly.

Besides the 7%'ers. (Sorry couldn't resist), some cable companies (Charter) (who use the feeds as primary) and all the others use the off air feeds for backup, etc. (I am willing to bet that 7% is also awfully low too...)

As a Broadcast Engineer in TV, I can tell you, if we go off the air, it's a big deal, which takes top priority, and if needed we will pay whatever it costs to get it back on the air.
To think they "aren't in a hurry to repair the tower" is simply not true.

And I think the number of over the air viewers are growing. With the amount of content availble on Netflix, Hulu, etc., and the plethora of OTA subs now a days, I am even considering axing cable, and saving $60 a month.
What about sports? I can listen to baseball on the radio, hockey online.
Football is still mainly on the networks (over the air again). NASCAR, I can stream it online.

I'm with you Mike! I remember the frantic situations whenever any of the stations I worked at went off the air. Also, I agree, 7% is an awfully small number for over the air viewers. I have satellite (Dish Network) but like watching directly over the air with my TV.

I'm surprised that they don't have an elevator to go up the tower. We had one at the last station I worked at and heck, us engineers even strapped on our safety harnesses and changed light bulbs on the tower with the exception of the one on top. We carried a Narda RF monitor to play things safe.

If what they are saying that it is a coax (I'm assuming a Nitrogen filled line), I can't believe that all the stations use one line. Heck we had 4 antennas on our tower along with 4 lines traveling up the stick (approx 1,200'), 2 for us (Main and stand-by antennas and the same for the FM station). I'd love to see the plant there one day.

Aside from the rather subjective issue - of the value of programming - brought to us by the(for now) shut down of 4.1/38.1/44.1.2.3.4 or OTA digital (Free) tv -there is a question about transmission of what was referred to in past as 'VBI' data which allows the TV Guide On Screen system - to function. After going digital - CBS affiliate, WBZ(4.1) in Boston area -was the source of this data for many of us in Southern New England. Many high def Digital Video Recorders will not function properly without this 'Rovi' supplied data.
So lets put aside the trivialities of the coming Supreme Court decision, the dithering about
nuclear contretemps - North Korea and Iran - and concentrate on the important things. Will I be able to record Judge Judy?

Barry

WBZ, WSBK, and WGBX are all back on the air now.

WBZ, WSBK, and WGBX are all back on the air now.

.....and WCVB channel 5.1 is back to full power as I am now receiving it OTA in Fall River. I was not receiving it at all when they were transmitting with their backup transmitter/antenna at reduced power.

On another matter WGBH OTA channels 2.1 and 2.2 are now (as of 17:00 today) off the air. I wonder if this is related at all to the other recent outages or just coincidental. :confused:

Got my answer from the Boston Globe article (http://bostonglobe.com/business/2012/04/10/downed-boston-stations-back-air/vR9zCnoiC9Uee6av1E3y8L/story.html): "At 1 pm Tuesday, engineers at the affected stations briefly shut down WGBH, then moved its signal to the backup antenna being used by WCVB. Then WCVB, WSBK, WBZ and WGBX all began broadcasting from the WGBH antenna." Apparently I am too far away from the backup antenna to receive WGBH OTA.

Lisa Hughes on Channel 4 during the 5pm broadcast

"Tonight we're glad to report that WBZ and myTV38 are once again broadcasting over the air, we had a transmission problem on sunday night and crews have been working to fix it ever since. in the mean time we thank WGBH and WCVB for letting us use their antenna's temporarily while those repairs were underway. and we also want to thank you especially those of you who got cut off during the masters for your patience."

Apologies for the delayed reponse. a) We were a little busy, and b) inevitably when there’s a big story going on, my AVSForum notifications stop coming.

As you know, we suffered a failure in our shared antenna on Sunday evening. At the Needham site, we have a 100-foot top-mounted stick, housing two separate antennas. Channels 4, 5, 38, and 44 transmit from the upper antenna, and channel 2 from the lower. In earlier days, analog channels 38 and 44 also used the lower antenna, but since the analog shutdown in 2009 channel 2 has been the only station on it.

The failure occurred in the upper antenna and knocked off all of the stations using it. Channel 2 was unaffected. Shortly after, channel 5 switched to a low-power standby antenna. That left channels 4, 38, and 44 completely dark.

We have three 8” transmission lines running up the tower, one each for the upper and lower antennas, and one spare. We initially cut the spare line into use, in case the problem was with the top antenna’s line, but that turned out not to be the case. In the meantime, an RF consultant arrived on site and took measurements with a vector network analyzer, which revealed the problem to be at the base of the upper antenna.

This afternoon we switched channel 2 into channel 5’s standby antenna, which freed up the lower antenna, and we are now feeding other stations into it. Channel 2’s generosity in operating at low power while permanent repairs proceed should not be underappreciated, as it is only because of that generosity that we are on the air at all.

A word here about why it takes so long to effect repairs. The transmission lines consist of copper pipes, 20 feet long and 8-3/16” in diameter, each containing an inner copper pipe, 3" in diameter, with the inner and outer separated by Teflon insulators. The sections are joined with nuts and bolts at flanges at each end. Connecting, moving, and mounting of these lines is heavy, exacting work. Now think about doing it when the pipe is vertical and you are balanced on a tower 1,100 feet in the air. It’s slow. Real slow.

We expect the final repairs to take a while. Working on the antenna is especially difficult, as the panels that surround the problematic part must be removed and the part tested and brought to the ground, all while hanging from rigging almost ¼ mile up.

We do have an elevator on the tower, but it only goes up to the 850-foot level. At that point the tower reduces in width from 12 feet across to 7 feet, so tower workers have to climb the top 250 feet.

By the way, Mike Fitzpatrick is dead-on correct with his comments. We treat the over-the-air systems with as high a priority as everything else. Every transmitter engineer and his immediate superior (and I) reported to the site Easter Sunday evening as quickly as they could, and didn’t leave until late that night. Yesterday I was at the site from 6:30am until 11:00pm, and then back again early this morning. In addition, representatives from all of the stations, their parent companies, and our consultants and vendors have been intensely involved and working continuously to resolve this. This was a very big deal to every station involved.

For Bill Bibeau and others interested, see these two sites for some pictures of the installation: http://www.fybush.com/sites/2004/site-040723.html and http://www.necrat.us/bztower.html. The first site has quite a few pictures from back in the analog days; most of that stuff is gone.

I'll be happy to provide additional details for the geeks amongst us. Just ask...

R.Y.,

Thanks for posting the summary, and for the effective/safe repairs, as well as for an acrophobic Smith-Chart flashback.

R. Y.

Thanks for the update. Interesting description of the tower.

I did not realize broadcasters use wideband antennas. Not having though about it much I just assumed the antennas are cut to a particular channel and each transmitter feeds a dedicated antenna.

How do you patch in the spare coax? I assume this requires some kind of mechanical reconfiguration not just energizing a relay.

Thank you for the heads up on the situation there at the antenna/transmitter site. I didn't realize that all the stations were using the same antenna. Things have changed since I first got into broadcasting back in 1968 at the old WICE, 1290 kHz. in Providence, RI. The Chief engineer there eventually went over to WJAR TV in Providence. Unfortunately he died a few years later, and I left broadcasting for a time before returning years later.

The situation reminds me of the time Hurricane Isabel hit the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. I was at WVEC Channel 13 in Norfolk. We were on our generator for 6 days. The bulk of that time I spent at out transmitter site keeping the transmitters on the air....both our analog as well as our DT transmitter. This was before the transition to all DT. It meant some long days!

The pictures of the site and information were interesting to say the least. Thanks for the information as well congratulations for a job well done. I'm am sure as time goes on, the final work will only help things. Have a good day and enjoy some well deserved time off.

R. Y.

Thanks for the update. Interesting description of the tower.

I did not realize broadcasters use wideband antennas. Not having though about it much I just assumed the antennas are cut to a particular channel and each transmitter feeds a dedicated antenna.

How do you patch in the spare coax? I assume this requires some kind of mechanical reconfiguration not just energizing a relay.
At the base, it is just a push of a button to move a waveguide switch. At the top of the tower, the workers have to drag up a 3-1/2 foot piece of 8" transmission line (about 25 pounds) and an 8" elbow (about 35 pounds). Then they have to disconnect one line and connect the pieces to the other. Takes about two hours, not counting the trip to the top.

Channel 4, 5, 38, and 44 are back on the air. However, PBS' WGBH Channel 2 Boston (virtual channels 2-1 and 2-2) went off the air this afternoon and is still off. No announcement provided either. All these stations transmit from the same antenna tower in Needham, Mass. Presume it is related to the repairs?

Thanks for the details about the Sunday night transmission failure. None of the local radio or TV stations would report the story leaving viewers mystified in 4 states and 2 countries. There has been a news black-out. WBZ, and only WBZ, put a terse notice about 'technical difficulty' on their website a day later. Clearly, none of these stations have incorporated social media communication into their emergency plans. That is disheartening.

OMG !!! Are you kidding me!! These guys worked their butts off to restore pictures to you and me. I am lucky enough to receive Providence off air.WGBH didn't have to give them their antenna! I have Directv no locals.I rely on off air. Thank you VERY much to the engineers!

Channel 4, 5, 38, and 44 are back on the air. However, PBS' WGBH Channel 2 Boston (virtual channels 2-1 and 2-2) went off the air this afternoon and is still off. No announcement provided either. All these stations transmit from the same antenna tower in Needham, Mass. Presume it is related to the repairs?

Thanks for the details about the Sunday night transmission failure. None of the local radio or TV stations would report the story leaving viewers mystified in 4 states and 2 countries. There has been a news black-out. WBZ, and only WBZ, put a terse notice about 'technical difficulty' on their website a day later. Clearly, none of these stations have incorporated social media communication into their emergency plans. That is disheartening.

http://www.wgbh.org/articles/Work-May-Affect-WGBH-2-Signal-5979 WGBH's story about the outages

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/30859064/detail.html
WCVB's story about it.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/04/09/wbz-tv-statement-on-over-the-air-technical-difficulties/ WBZ's story about it.

http://www.boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2012/04/downed-boston-stations-back-the-air/7zbd3Z288EU6pmBpwgaHxM/index.html
The Boston Globe's story...

So they all have reported it, to the detail a standard viewer would need to know.

WGBH-TV is on the air, just at a very reduced signal from the auxiliary ant.
(Please read the above posts for more information...)

WGBH shifted to an aux. antenna with lesser coverage and allowed four off-the-air stations to use its main antenna to resume broadcasting after the failure of their combined main antenna. Why can't WGBH be added as a sub-channel onto one of those four stations to recoup lost coverage while this crisis is resolved? Obvioulsy the FCC would have to waive non-commercial restrictions, but that should be a slam dunk. There would also be resolution issues, and is that worth the trade off during this emergency??

The easy answer would be to accelerate the move of World from 44-2 to 2-2 and temporarily place WGBH on 44-2.

- Trip

Well into day 6 now and WGBH 2 is still off air and WGBH hasn't updated anything about the situation on their web site since Monday.

Do they even care at this point? And wouldn't it just be easier to build a new tower? That's only semi-sarcastic. Since the conversion to DTV I have lost count of the number of off-air incidents that have happened with the two local towers. But this one is certainly on record as being the longest.

Why is this equipment so much more prone to failure than the former analog transmission equipment?

Well into day 6 now and WGBH 2 is still off air and WGBH hasn't updated anything about the situation on their web site since Monday.
The low power WGBH signal is OK here in Southern NH.

I share your frustration with the lack of information. The first thing I did when this occurred was go to the various station web sites, then I came here. If if was not for this forum I doubt I would have ever figured out what was going on.

Well into day 6 now and WGBH 2 is still off air and WGBH hasn't updated anything about the situation on their web site since Monday.

Do they even care at this point? And wouldn't it just be easier to build a new tower? That's only semi-sarcastic. Since the conversion to DTV I have lost count of the number of off-air incidents that have happened with the two local towers. But this one is certainly on record as being the longest.

Why is this equipment so much more prone to failure than the former analog transmission equipment?

Rick, with all due respect, did you even read the other pages of this thread before posting? WGBH is NOT off the air, they are at reduced power for the time being. So if you live outside the coverage area , you won't see the signal.

And of course they care. They have been working on the issues with the transmission system since it failed. Why do you people assume that this is being passed off? I strongly suggest you go back and read Mr. Yankowitz's post about it. It will explain a lot to you.

As far as the failure rate, from what I know, this is the only large outage they have had since running at high power. The combined DTV room definitely has more going for it, because of the power level being used. With analog TV, the power levels were in the low 50kW range. With DTV, the power levels are closer to 500kW. With 10x the power level there is a greater risk of RF conditions like a "burn out" or other catastrophic failure, but the risk is small, and what happened with the antenna systems here, is unusual.

If you're seeing a constant "outage" rate, there may be a issue with your reception/receiver. Remember with DTV, there is no "weak fuzzy signal". Due to the Cliff Affect, your signal is there or it isn't. If you happen to be on the edge of the WGBH signal, which is lower than WBZ or WCVB, during normal conditions, you can have environmental conditions cause the signal to drop out,

In case you missed it, WGBH has posted the following update (http://www.wgbh.org/articles/WGBH-2-Signal-Update-5979)on their website:

Update, April 13, 8:30 p.m.

The over-the-air Channel 2 signal is continuing to experience reduced strength due to the mechanical situation at the Needham Tower. Unfortunately, the damage is significant and will require a multi-step repair process being performed by the tower owner and is out of our control as a tenant.

At this point, the signal is not expected to be restored to full strength through the coming week. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our viewers and will update this situation as more information becomes available.

I'd like to add my thanks to all the engineers who, I'm sure, are working as hard as they can to get WGBH back to full strength.

I'm just nortwest of Milford NH, and can't get WBGH at present. I feel lucky I can get both WGBX and WENH, so probably won't miss too much!

Paul

In case you missed it, WGBH has posted the following update (http://www.wgbh.org/articles/WGBH-2-Signal-Update-5979)
Paul
Glad they posted the info. How did you ever find it?

Even after you posted the link I tried to looking for the info their site rather then clicking the link and couldn't find it. Looked in news, regional, TV schedule, Reception problem FAQ, etc.

Anyone else not getting 2 4 5 44 today?
I tried at ~ 300PM and they are still off now at ~600PM
maybe they are transferring back to the regular tower?

Anyone else not getting 2 4 5 44 today?
I tried at ~ 300PM and they are still off now at ~600PM
maybe they are transferring back to the regular tower?

Ayup.

(Except for WCVB-5, as I'm in the FCC-created Venn diagram-like co-channel overlap where neither station can come in. :mad: )

All four of the affected stations (4, 5, 38, and 44) transferred to a temporary, lower power antenna today while climbers worked on the damaged equipment at the top of the tower. (Channel 2 remains at low power operation on a different antenna and did not change operation today). Everything is back to (semi)-normal now.

Work is ongoing, and we will be repeating this again in future days until all repairs are complete. Unfortunately, right now I cannot make any predictions on when that will be, as the full extent of the damage is not yet known.

Please bear in mind the workers are suspended almost 1/4 mile in the air, and while the view is terrific, conditions are not conducive to fast work.

All four of the affected stations (4, 5, 38, and 44) transferred to a temporary, lower power antenna today while climbers worked on the damaged equipment at the top of the tower. (Channel 2 remains at low power operation on a different antenna and did not change operation today). Everything is back to (semi)-normal now.

Work is ongoing, and we will be repeating this again in future days until all repairs are complete. Unfortunately, right now I cannot make any predictions on when that will be, as the full extent of the damage is not yet known.

Please bear in mind the workers are suspended almost 1/4 mile in the air, and while the view is terrific, conditions are not conducive to fast work.

Rob,

Those guys are made of steel. I get nervous going on an 8 ft ladder. I was finally over it 10 yrs ago until the ladder collapsed in the 8ft mode on me last year. I can see where this would take a few weeks, start to finish, weather permitting. Great job.

Dominic

Thank you for the inside update rob,

God bless those men, it must be even worse when its windy and or cold

Tower Guys are some of the most underappreciated workers in the business. The entire wireless industry would not exist without the work of tower riggers. Same with basically all communications syetems. These guys are worth their weight in gold, especially to us broadcasters. I have a very fine appreciation for the work they do.

As of today, WGBH world is now on 2.2.

Tower Guys are some of the most underappreciated workers in the business. The entire wireless industry would not exist without the work of tower riggers. Same with basically all communications syetems. These guys are worth their weight in gold, especially to us broadcasters. I have a very fine appreciation for the work they do.

I have to echo your statement Mike! We used to use our elevator to go up to the 900' point on our tower and often did the bulb replacements up to that point....one engineer in particular was more agile than I was or a couple of us older guys. I remember going up to the 900 foot platform where I stayed and watch one of the professional tower guys climb up to the top, in the dark (just moonlight) to replace the top bulb which had burned out. (We shut the transmitter down while he was up there which was why it was done at night) There was not enough money in the world that would have made me go do that! Those guys have nerves of steel!

As of today, WGBH world is now on 2.2.

I guess it is somehow related and not too off-topic:
I purchased a new HD car radio at the beginning of the antenna issues. I could not receive WGBH radio HD and sub-channels. I tried this AM and it is coming in crystal clear.
Was WGBH HD radio disabled to make way for the changes last week?

Mike C.

I guess it is somehow related and not too off-topic:
I purchased a new HD car radio at the beginning of the antenna issues. I could not receive WGBH radio HD and sub-channels. I tried this AM and it is coming in crystal clear.
Was WGBH HD radio disabled to make way for the changes last week?

Mike C.

That would be a no. WGBH-FM transmits from the top of Blue Hill in Canton. It is not on the tower affected by this work.

WGBH has posted a further update (http://www.wgbh.org/articles/WGBH-2-Signal-Update-April-18-5979) on their website.. it reads:

April 18, 2012

On April 8 there was a major failure in the combined transmission antenna at the Needham tower site that affected WGBH 2, WGBX 44—our multicast services World, Create, and Kids—as well as WBZ, WCVB, and WSBK, which all share the transmitter. Crews were immediately dispatched to the tower and they made emergency repairs, which allowed these stations to return to the air, though at a diminished broadcast coverage area for both Channel 44 and Channel 2 and for some cable subscribers.

As of Wednesday, April 18, the upper antenna must be removed due to the extensive damage to the components. The parts needed must be manufactured, installed, and then tested for a complete repair to be accomplished, which may take up to a month.

The repair effort requires careful coordination between all affected stations, the tower owner, and the tower crew. And because the tower is 1,200 feet high, the work is dangerous and complex.

We understand how frustrating it is to be without the WGBH service, but we are doing everything possible to see that repairs are made as quickly as possible, with consideration for the safety of the work crews.

If you are not currently able to receive one or more of the stations, please try rescanning your channels, which may allow you to reacquire the signal if you are within the broadcast range. We'll update our website as soon as more details come in from the tower site.

We sincerely appreciate your patience and support.

Viewers who have any questions or concerns can contact us here (http://www.wgbh.org/about/contact.cfm).

Looks like it could be upwards of a month before things are back to normal!
The link to this update is on their homepage in the section labeled "Featured"

Paul.

Looks like it could be upwards of a month before things are back to normal!
Thanks for the update.

There may be a silver lining for me once the antenna is repaired. 44 has always been spotty and 38 is an almost constant no show. Hopefully the repaired antenna will improve reception in Southern NH. TVfool models signal strength for 38 and 44 higher than other Boston stations we experience much better reception. Perhaps the antenna has been out of spec for a long time.

Much to my surprise low power WGBH has been is pretty stable.

Wow look at some of the vile comments in the comment section. Must be nice to have such a faithful and understanding audience. :rolleyes:

Looks like GBH 2 is coming back up to power in that I can now get it. Any confirmation or is it atmospherics? I also notice WGBH world (44.2) is now being mirrored on 2.2.

WOW! I can't believe how brutal the folks have been on the WGBH web site due to the Channel 2 outage. I know that whatever station I was at, we were never totally off the air unintentionally for more than a couple hours. We were a commercial station and got much more favorable comments than WGBH has gotten.

I feel bad for the guys at WGBH!

I think they're mostly upset at the lack of information from WGBH. It took them quite a while to even put anything about the outage on their website.

WOW! I can't believe how brutal the folks have been on the WGBH web site due to the Channel 2 outage.

I feel bad for the guys at WGBH!

I agree. The silliest one was the comment by one guy asking why don't they just order an off the shelf part.

I guess the days of reliable terrestrial broadcast infrastructure are history now. :(

I guess the days of reliable terrestrial broadcast infrastructure are history now. :(

I wouldn't say that at all. As long as there have been has been high level UHF (and heck even with VHF and FM), there have been RF burn-outs. It's a phenomenon of RF, and its happened for as long as such, and will happen too.

If anything, the technology has improved quite tremendously over the years.

Another update from WGBH (http://www.wgbh.org/articles/WGBH-2-Signal-Update-April-25-5979):


April 25, 2012

Tower work was delayed this week due to rain and windy conditions, but it should continue on Thursday, April 26, with the installation of a second auxiliary antenna to prepare for the removal of the damaged upper antenna.

Weather permitting, we expect that the tower crew will be working daily from 8:00am to 3:00pm, during which time WGBH 2 will need to further reduce its power output to maintain safe RF radiation levels for the crew working close to the transmitting antennas. And periodically WGBH may be switched between auxiliary antennas, requiring a full shutdown of Channel 2 lasting about 20 minutes for each operation. At approximately 3:00pm daily, WGBH 2 will go back to 70% of full power until 8:00am the next morning. This schedule may continue until the upper antenna is removed from the tower during the week of April 30.

The WGBX 44 signal should not be affected during the auxiliary antenna installation.

We're grateful for your continued patience as we work towards a permanent fix. And please check back for further updates.

I wouldn't say that at all. As long as there have been has been high level UHF (and heck even with VHF and FM), there have been RF burn-outs. It's a phenomenon of RF, and its happened for as long as such, and will happen too.

If anything, the technology has improved quite tremendously over the years.

Heck, I can remember back in the good old AM days when I was at WICE-AM in Providence on AM 1290 kHz., (Late 1960's) we had one at the base of one of our sticks! (Towers) And we were only at 5,000 watts and much lower in frequency than our UHF TV is now.

I'm late to the topic about the antenna outage.
I just wanted to say I think it would be SCARY climbing to the top of a 1200 foot tower.
Step one is probably: Don't look down.

There are even SCARIER towers to climb; this one in North Dakota comes to mind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KVLY-TV_mast

About half-way down on this link, you see the TOP section of the WBZ tower with ladder rails just sticking out from the side for the last 50-100 feet.
http://www.necrat.us/bztower.html

If I tried to climb that, I'd get about 1/4 of the way up and then I'd panic and FREEZE, holding onto the rail I was on for dear life.
They'd have to send a HELICOPTER up to pry me off the antenna so they could start broadcasting again.
:(

Anyone else not getting channels 4, 38, 44, and 56 today? Rescanned, but didn't acquire them. I started receiving channel 4 (WBZ) just a few minutes ago. After last month's antenna failure, I no longer presume the fault lies on my end when stations go missing. This will be a lengthy repair process. Wish one of the affected stations would publish a projected timeline or progress reports.

Anyone else not getting channels 4, 38, 44, and 56 today? Rescanned, but didn't acquire them. I started receiving channel 4 (WBZ) just a few minutes ago. After last month's antenna failure, I no longer presume the fault lies on my end when stations go missing. This will be a lengthy repair process. Wish one of the affected stations would publish a projected timeline or progress reports.

Problem is, with a project like this, of this magnitude, there is no fixed timeline. Work can be delayed due to several factors, mainly being weather and the condition of the mechanical equipment on the tower. "Rigging" a tower for an antenna replacement is not a 3 day set in stone deal, and this is not a antenna goes down, two days later, a new one goes up, type of deal. The antenna is heavy, the rigging equipment is heavy, and you're doing a balancing act of manuvering such gear on a guyed tower with two different face sizes. (I say it's a balancing act, but really, its very calculated engineered project. There is a lot of math that gets checked, rechecked, then checked once more before any work is completed). This project could take three weeks, it could take two months. There isn't a single person who knows for certain. I know it stinks to have reduced reception, but unfortunatley what happened there is an ultimate "worst case" scenaro, that no one wants to happen. The tower crews and the engineers are working their ends off to get this done, but time and weather are not on their side.

Also, you noted 56 being off the air? 56 is on a different tower, and is not affected by this work.

I was in the Needham area at about 8 PM, and what appeared to be the upper section of the top-mounted antenna was suspended about 1/3 of the way up the tower. There was also a copter hovering about a half mile away, which may or may not have been related.

I was in the Needham area at about 8 PM, and what appeared to be the upper section of the top-mounted antenna was suspended about 1/3 of the way up the tower. There was also a copter hovering about a half mile away, which may or may not have been related.
The tower riggers removed the damaged top antenna (see the attached photos) yesterday, an all-day affair. The antenna is being sent back to the manufacturer in Maine for repairs, which are estimated to take up to two months. As long as the gin pole (the yellow crane-like object at the top of the tower) is mounted at the top we cannot operate at full power, so the stations involved are currently at low power on an auxiliary antenna lower down. Because of rain the tower riggers are not able to work to get the gin pole lowered. We expect to get back to normal by Friday, weather permitting.

BTW, the antenna being lowered in the pictures is 50 feet long, four feet in diameter, and weighs over 12,000 pounds.

[QUOTE=RYankowitz;21998069]The tower riggers removed the damaged top antenna (see the attached photos) yesterday, an all-day affair. As long as the gin pole (the yellow crane-like object at the top of the tower) is mounted at the top we cannot operate at full power, so the stations involved are currently at low power on an auxiliary antenna lower down.]


I assumed as much as I am still receiving all the channels on the tower, but noticed the signal levels a bit lower in strength. Thanks for the updates!

Hello All:
Appreciate the fact that most recent outages are result (we hope) of a technical failure. Cannot help but be concerned - that because of the variety of providers - whether it be Cable/Satellite/etc. - the voice for Free TV - Over The Air has been reduced. One does not have to be a historian to remember a time - when there would have been an uproar (regardless of the cause) - if 5/6/ or 7 stations would go off the air in one fell swoop. Fueling that uproar would be lack of a focused effort to keep viewers updated as to progress of efforts to restore service.
In Southern Rhode Island -as of yesterday evening -no signal for (2.1)(2.2)(4.1)(5.1)(38.1)(44.1.2.3.4). Is the intent still to fully restore service - with stations occupying their original positions / signal strength as before failure?
Don't mistake this note - as lacking in appreciation for all those doing difficult and dangerous work to restore service.
Barry

Hello All:
Appreciate the fact that most recent outages are result (we hope) of a technical failure. Cannot help but be concerned - that because of the variety of providers - whether it be Cable/Satellite/etc. - the voice for Free TV - Over The Air has been reduced. One does not have to be a historian to remember a time - when there would have been an uproar (regardless of the cause) - if 5/6/ or 7 stations would go off the air in one fell swoop. Fueling that uproar would be lack of a focused effort to keep viewers updated as to progress of efforts to restore service.
In Southern Rhode Island -as of yesterday evening -no signal for (2.1)(2.2)(4.1)(5.1)(38.1)(44.1.2.3.4). Is the intent still to fully restore service - with stations occupying their original positions / signal strength as before failure?
Don't mistake this note - as lacking in appreciation for all those doing difficult and dangerous work to restore service.
Barry

Based on the discussion over the last few pages, it seems obvious to me that they're doing everything in their power (get it? :D) to get service restored to normal ASAP. I don't see how anyone can reasonably question that.

Hello All:
Appreciate the fact that most recent outages are result (we hope) of a technical failure. Cannot help but be concerned - that because of the variety of providers - whether it be Cable/Satellite/etc. - the voice for Free TV - Over The Air has been reduced. One does not have to be a historian to remember a time - when there would have been an uproar (regardless of the cause) - if 5/6/ or 7 stations would go off the air in one fell swoop. Fueling that uproar would be lack of a focused effort to keep viewers updated as to progress of efforts to restore service.
In Southern Rhode Island -as of yesterday evening -no signal for (2.1)(2.2)(4.1)(5.1)(38.1)(44.1.2.3.4). Is the intent still to fully restore service - with stations occupying their original positions / signal strength as before failure?
Don't mistake this note - as lacking in appreciation for all those doing difficult and dangerous work to restore service.
Barry
After all repairs are completed all stations will be back exactly as before.

The tower riggers removed the damaged top antenna (see the attached photos) yesterday, an all-day affair. The antenna is being sent back to the manufacturer in Maine for repairs, which are estimated to take up to two months. As long as the gin pole (the yellow crane-like object at the top of the tower) is mounted at the top we cannot operate at full power, so the stations involved are currently at low power on an auxiliary antenna lower down. Because of rain the tower riggers are not able to work to get the gin pole lowered. We expect to get back to normal by Friday, weather permitting.

BTW, the antenna being lowered in the pictures is 50 feet long, four feet in diameter, and weighs over 12,000 pounds.
We are now back to normal operation.

I had wondered what was going on with some usually rock solid channels from Boston not showing up down here in Portsmouth(RI), something made me think to check out the Boston OTA thread. Thanks for posting updates!

Just wanted to thank all the engineers who are posting updates. This forum is supplying a lot more information than the WGBH website. I'm in Fall River and can still get all the channels with my amplified antenna. The signal strength is much lower than before, but strong enough for reception. Please keep up the updates, it is very much appreciated. Thanks again.

Latest update on WGBH says the damaged part has been removed from the tower, but "given the scope of the repairs, the work may not be fully completed until the end of June."

Yikes.

Not surprising that I cannot get the temporary lower power signal ~50 miles out with a non-amplified indoor antenna, lol.

Not surprising that I cannot get the temporary lower power signal ~50 miles out with a non-amplified indoor antenna, lol.

Luckily, I can still get all the Boston channels broadcast from this tower in Pawtucket.

SMK

Why must PBS 44.1 HD zoom their broadcasts of classic films that are 1.33/7 OAR as 1.78 with major cropping of heads. Last weekend I tried to watch Key Largo, a 1.37 OAR film, PBS had zoomed this film to fill the screen resulting in cropped heads and missing bodies.

There have been other films that received this treatment. They refuse to letterbox OAR material eventhrough this was their SOP before the HD 16:9 conversion.

Is it the Comcast influence?

I have complained and contacted them about their zooming methods in the past, see my earlier posts, but this must be their intent. The broadcasts are frustrating to watch zoomed if you have seen the unbutchered films in the past.

People want their 16:9 screens filled all the time, so they must keep the people happy.