You are not missing anything with channel 45. The picture quality reminds me of the very first "color" TV sets. You know the ones that green tint was considered color. DREADFUL

so now they aren't showing the baseball game in HD even though they are supposed to be. is there a number i can call after business hours to let them know their screwup? all i get with the # from the website is an endless voicemail loop.

Is KTAL DTV off the air for anyone else?

KTAL has move to like channel 15-1.

Does the HD feeds choke for you guys during the football games?

Had to call KMSS and get them to hit the switch for the HD during the Cowboys game. Come on KMSS:-)
KTAL has been 15-1 mapped to 6-1 since they came on digital as far as i know. They dont have anything i watch though so i never check on them.

Does anyone have any info on when, or if, KTAL will get an HD channel up and running? I'm in shreveport and have time-warner cable. I know a lot of people want to have HD, especially in 2006 when NBC gets NFL football. If anyone else watches notre dame football, it's in HD and we're not getting it. I'm pissed, I want HD.

**EDIT**
KTAL is scheduled to have HD up and running by November 2006.

For those that have Cox cable in Bossier City, do you have any problems with the analog channels broadcasting in stereo? I've tried with or without the cable box on multiple TVs and there is no change. I've mainly noticed it on the FX, TNT, and SCI-FI channels. Some of the other ones seem fine.

I have noticed that also Pimp, not sure why but I dont watch too much other than football this time of year.

Thanks for the verification. Sorry for being off-topic. Bye-bye Cox, hello satellite.

Anybody know what's going on with KSLA? I show full signal strength but when I tune to the channel I get searching for signal. I really want to watch LSU in HD.

Houston...we have a problem!

I see "No Signal"

I called the news room and they are going to relay my message to Master Control. Hey...y'all need to fix this before the LSU game !!!!!!!!

I could be a JP problem too, although 12-2 is not coming in as well. KSLA is generally pretty good with their HD content.

It looks like KSLA is now showing on channel 17-3. The PQ is not looking to good either.

HD is back on 12.1

I get video on 12.1 and 12.2, but no audio on either.

is the colts/bengals game supposed to be hd?

This is sad. Channel 12.1 failed to switch to HD for the Colts game. This morning, Channel 3 forgot that Good Morning America is in HD. If I had telephone numbers for those 2 control rooms, I could call them like I do Channel 33.

Who's running these control rooms, anyway?

I called KSLA during the Colts game.You have to talk to whoever answers in the newsroom."Jeff" answered and I asked him to get the control room to turn on the HD.He was very nice ,said"You bet,I'll go talk to them"-----------nothing ever happened.The other night I was watching Criminal Minds and when they didn't switch it I called and was told that the chief engineer was advising them to tell people to turn their tv's off & back on to sort of "re-boot".Told him I didn't think that was it and he connected me to control.The party mainly wanted to know"Who is this?"A citizen I said & had to explain the problem twice.Finally she said that they were working on it but if they got through "I'll see can I turn it on"---her words.I hung up and about 2 minutes later had HD. SAAAAAAAD!

Yep they are dropping the ball a lot lately, hopefully there are a lot more of us in the area that are calling and b*tching, if they screw it up and nobody complains that tells them nobody cares or is watching. Friday afternoon somebody at KSLA better be on the switch...GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!!!!

Isn't the LSU game supposed to be in HD today?

I just called and they said they are not getting it in HD from network. I guess it's a less-than-stellar game for them and they didn't spend the extra bucks for HD.

I did get them to switch the cowboys game yesterday. It started out in SD until I called them.

I was on the phone with them yesterday just at the start of the Cowboy game too and they said "It hasn't started yet";hung up and flipped the switch.I did think the LSU game was HD but then again I thought the TEXAS-TEXAS A&M game was too.I wish the networks or local channels would run a crawl stating whether or not programs are in HD!

Usually CBS has a banner at the start that says available in HD. I got home with 3 minutes left in the 4th qtr today, glad some of you were able to call and complain though.

Anybody been having problems getting 12-1 lately?

A friend of mine had trouble whehn it came time to watch the LSU game. I think he reoriented his antenna and the signal got better.

I didn't know if it was the station or my system. I have been getting it fine with my samsung unit, but I just installed an HR10-250 and it keeps saying that it is searching for signal. All other channels are coming in fine.

Any suggestions about what might be the problem?

lackatrack,

I have an HR10-250 also. I live in a section of Southern Hills (Shreveport) across from the old AT&T plant. All of my HD locals via antenna are basically unwatchable.

I've wondered if a different antenna would make a difference. Don't know what model I have but it is the "bat-wing" style.

I'm in East Texas, about 63 miles from Shreveport. I'm using a booster to get my channels and have read that this unit is a bit finicky regarding OTA. But you would think that since my other stations are coming in good that 12-1 would also work (similar signal strength).

Can someone please post what digital channels are available from KLTS, and what programming is on each channel. I cannot get KLTS here in Longview.

TIA.

KLTS 24-1 PBS , 24-3 PBSKids, 24-5 PBSHD.

Now has anyone called KSLA and figured out why they cannot broadcast HD lately? Dallas game today and the HD ota is unwatchable and on cable it is breaking up and not in HD. These guys are a SAD excuse for a digital station.

Obviously they're having problems. I wish they would get it straightened out before the Dallas game, but I'm not optimistic.

You can call the news desk - they're the only ones listed who answer the phone on the weekend.

They are worthless, i have called them before and nothing ever happens. LOUSY service from them. I know its supposedly "free" tv but come on no other station here has this kind of trouble keeping their HD on the air, we are way too far along in the game to still be having issues constantly.

I did a rescan on my STB yesterday, and noticed that 33.1 is now showing up as KMSS 1, instead of KMSS-HD. Maybe they have a sub-channel in the works?

Also, why in the heck can I not put all caps in the title? KMSS keeps posting as Kmss. :confused:

Not sure about the all caps thing..33.1 never shows in my guide, i have to type it in manually every time, same with KSLA, and sometimes on KSLA i have to type in 17.1 to get it to come in.

Does anyone else have Cox and HD? I have been having trouble getting UHD to come in on my 6412. It is a black screen most of the time. I called Cox and he reset the box but that didnt help, just wondering if its a Cox issue or a box issue before i take my box and trade it in.

I took the box back and got a new series III with SATA port on it. UHD comes in fine now.

I have noticed that the audio on KPXJ-DT is much lower than any other channel. In particular, during the UPN21 News at Nine, I have to crank up the volume on my AV receiver to about 50, just to hear the dialog, then when a commercial comes on, it about blows out my speakers.

Do the operators at KPXJ/KTBS just not know that this is happening, or do they just not care?

In general, there seems to be a large degree of incompetence in both Shreveport and Tyler in regards to the running of these digital stations. It doesn't seem that it would take an advanced degree in engineering to keep these stations on the air, but we are constantly seeing problems on most of the channels.

gbranch, call channel 3, they run UPN21 and the engineer will more than likely be very receptive and helpful. They really do want things to work correctly. I would be surprised if they were unaware of the problem, due to so few of us actually watching the digital channels in this area. They have always been great with emails and calls.

I recently emailed the station manager at KTBS regarding their failure to switch over to HD during Good Morning America on the weekends. (I can't watch it during the week...)

He forwarded my email to the chief engineer who told me that ABC only transmitted HD to east and west coast feeds due to some timing problems which would be worked out early this year.

He was very friendly and forthcoming. His name is Dale Cassidy and his email is:

dcassidy@ktbs.com

Guys,

You are invited to read and comment on my blog. My first topic, OTA HDTV in S-B. Thanks for looking.

http://stevesmithtech.blogspot.com/

chirp.......chirp........chirp.........chirp................ ...........................................................


Cool....100 posts as of this cricket-chirping one.

We read you loud and clear...;)

Nice start on the Blog. :D

Thank you. I really just wanted to stimulate some discussion on how Shreveport Bossier is doing regarding HD over the air and how we're doing in receiving it.

KTBS is showing Road to Perdition (marked as HD) in pillar-box SDTV. I called the newsroom and alerted them to the problem. The guy at KTBS replied that there is something wrong with the high definition and it will be a couple of days before it is fixed.

8:40 PM, Sat night.

...and I just woke up to the fact that ABC is televising the Super Bowl in 7 days and one hour. I just emailed Dale Cassidy, Chief Engineer at KTBS, to express my concern regarding Super Bowl XL in HD.

Yikes.

Is ABC on cox cable thru QAM?

What channel?

Can only pick up the locals Fox, PBS, and CBS thru QAM along with a few other channels.

Not sure about cable. Anyone else?

Dale Cassidy replied to my email that he hopes to have a new HD receiver by Tuesday. His apparently died.

Any updates on the status of channel 3?

I'm startin' to get nervous! Only 4 days 'till the Superbowl!

Dale Cassidy, chief engineer at KTBS just emailed me that tonight's programs should be in HD. (The only HD tonight is Crumbs at 8:30.)

Thanks, Dale !

What is the deal with the Shreveport locals. I live over in SE Arkansas and occationally catch some of the S'Port locals with a decent tropo opening. With a three-channel mulitcast on KTBS and The Tube on KSLA, is it any wonder problems occur with PQ during sports. I briefly watched The Tube on KSLA 12-2 and was so shocked by the blocking on fast moving scenes on videos. Why is KSLA so hell-bent on showing this, i mean most HD viewers could care less for this stuff (especially when it could suck bandwidth away from HD streams).

H.

DXer and HD viewer
member WTFDA and ARRL

I totally agree. The stations are drunk with DTV power and anxious to show investors, or whoever, all the "channels" they can show. Of course, there are no ads on the subchannels so no revenue. Perhaps, as time goes on, they will come to learn that, during HDTV, multicasting degrades their product too much.

Looks like KSHV-DT is up and running.

Looks like KSHV-DT is up and running.
Not for me. It was up for awhile Wednesday afternoon & evening.
Thursday it was back to great signal strength but black screen.
Today it's off the air entirely

I think it got re-mapped. It looks like it's on 44-3 now.

Any more info on KSHV? I am in Longview, and am able to get a varying signal to report on my signal strength screen, but the receiver will not lock. Before, there was no signal at all.

I get great signal strength. In fact it pegs the meter but I can't get a signal lock. I would suspect some problem with my receiver but I get all other digital channels without problem. I would say they have something wrong with their signal.

I can pick up 44.01, but it takes a few seconds for the picture to show up. 92% signal strength. Picture is much improved than a couple of weeks ago and even looked like they were broadcasting HD last night. Not that they show anything that I watch.

Now if KTAL would get on the ball and maybe broadcast a signal further than north Shreveport.

Any more info on KSHV? I am in Longview, and am able to get a varying signal to report on my signal strength screen, but the receiver will not lock. Before, there was no signal at all.

It's showing up on 44-2 and 44-3 now. 44-2 seems to be the Hi-Def feed. The quality looked great, not really sure if there is anything on that channel I would watch though.

:rolleyes:

Yeah, I can confirm I've been picking up 44-2 & 44-3 without any problems...;)

Anybody else notice that KMSS is broadcasting at 27-05, as well as 33-01.

^^^

Hi folks and burgranger! Yeah, my Sony KD36S955 now tunes 27.5 as well from KMSS.

Now has anyone noticed that LPB has been broadcasting 24.1, 24.3, and 24.5 in addition to the usual 25.1, 25.3, and 25.5? My Sony added these channels when I added the 44.2 and 44.3 channels about a week ago when rozman and skypimp reported these channels broadcasting.

Maybe LPB and KMSS are experimenting with the PSIP thingy.

Yep, 27.5 coming in on my Accurian HTS-6000.

It's labeled as "East" and seems to be a duplicate of 33.1.

Is ABC on cox cable thru QAM?

What channel?

Can only pick up the locals Fox, PBS, and CBS thru QAM along with a few other channels.
No KTBS is not on COX in digital/HD.
I do believe they are on TW in Sport though. I called COX to ask when they would add more HD and the guy said no time soon...TNTHD and KTBS would be nice to have.

DTV now has TNT in HD as part of their HD tier...;)

DTV now has TNT in HD as part of their HD tier...;)

No thanks I had D* since 95 and canned them for Cox last year, glad i did now, new policies at D* make cable look GREAT.

Policies? Not sure what you mean...they have been going up on their pricing...just got a 3 buck bump notice this week...suck! :confused:

The new "lease" where you pay thru the nose up-front and from that point on. Cox has much better picture quality on all channles also.

Did anyone else see that KSLA announced a new General Manager the other day. He said he wanted to make the station a bigger part of the community,and wanted to increase the weather and news coverage. I could care less about all of the community stuff, just show the programming that CBS provides in the way that CBS provides it. Maybe the new guy will spend some money on their equipment and actually pass the 5.1 sound.

Dont count on it Burgranger, they are owned by Raycom so no matter what he wants "Corporate Suits" have the final say, and that usually equates to penny pinching. Gotta keep the stockholders happy who cares if the customers, who have no other choice, are screwed over.

Hi everyone...I'm new here, and I was wondering if anyone knew when KTVE 10 in EL Dorado/Monroe is going to upgrade their digital signal (27). Right now, the DTV station is a STA. Also, do any of you have any suggestions on received KTBS and KSLA Digital signals from El Dorado? I ordered a CM 7777 preamp for my LD outdoor Radio Shack antenna, right now I have it 15 feet off the ground attached to a tri-pod roof mount. I ordered another five foot of mast to supplement the five feet of mast I already have. I get a grade B analog from KTBS, and barely a grade B from KSLA...but depending on the weather, I can get it pretty decently. Any suggestions you may have will be helpful. Thanks!

Keith

I have 6-1 coming across my OTA. There is no picutre, but the channel is there.

Anyone else see any results?

The last time I checked, they were remapped to 15-3...I can pick up KTAL quite well in Longview.

Yesterday brought a nice (not great) tropo opening to my location from Shreveport/NE Texas. A couple of observations.

KSHV-DT came in, but were airing some religious programming, and KTAL-DT came in but was mapping as "15-3".

The usual suspects (KTBS-DT, KPXJ-DT, KSLA-DT) were there as well.

While I'm here, anyone lurking from the Monroe area have any news on KNOE, KTVE, KARD, and KAQY on their digital/HD upgrades. I live in the southern part of the Little Rock DMA and can receive (but seldom watch) KTVE analog 24/7.

H.
neighbor in the Little Rock DMA

Keith I live in Monroe and cannot pick up ktve 27 with a channelmaster 4228 and 7777 preamp. I believe they operate at a pathetic level. I have not heard when they will go higher power. Maybe someone could chime in on that?

hey dsims, yeah KTVE is kind of cheap apparently. I can get their digital signal well, but it's identical to their analog... not even stereo sound. Why even waste a frequency for that? I bet you can get KNOE, KARD, and KAQY pretty well though. Does KNOE broadcast any CBS shows in HD? And how about KLTM? Do they have a digital channel now? I can get them pretty good analog... Right now the only digital signals I've been able to get is KPXJ and KMSS out of Shreveport, and of course, KTVE's sorry excuse for digital.

Keith I get knoe cbs with no problems and they do a great job of broadcasting hd and 5.1 Kard Fox is just like ktve as they are owned by the same company. There broadcast look just like analog. KLTM I receive perfectly as well and they broadcast HD. Contrary to what antennaweb says KAQY must be broadcasting the same power as a lightbulb because I can only receive it if I turn the antenna just right and they look like analog also. All in all just CBS and PBS up to speed now in Monroe.

Hello! Does anyone have the phone number to the KMSS control room? I try to watch Prison Break and 24 every Monday and they are always forgetting to "flip the switch" after the commercial breaks---very frustrating! I talked to the station manager about this last week and he was very nice and understanding.Said he was going to talk to them as soon as we got off the phone.If he did it didn't work because it was the same thing last night.I called the station for him this morning but had to leave voice mail.If I could call the control room that would solve this.Thanks!

Dufus, check your Private Messages

With regard to contacting control rooms, when I could not get the actual number to MC, I would call the news line. They usually answer after hours and are fairly good about either transferring you to Master Control or relaying your message to please switch over to HD!!

Tonight on American Idol (Fox), instead of running the local commercials during breaks, they had the Fox Network background feed running instead. Clueless.

I actually preferred it that way (no commercials) at least then we know that when it comes back from commercial it will be HD. What makes me mad is when they forget to go to commercial, when the show comes back on they switch to crappy picture thinkning they forgot to switch back to HD. This whold problem would be fixed if they had a $700 HDTV with a internal tuner. Then they could see how crappy it looks, and that would remind them to flip the damn switch.

Keith I get knoe cbs with no problems and they do a great job of broadcasting hd and 5.1 Kard Fox is just like ktve as they are owned by the same company. There broadcast look just like analog. KLTM I receive perfectly as well and they broadcast HD. Contrary to what antennaweb says KAQY must be broadcasting the same power as a lightbulb because I can only receive it if I turn the antenna just right and they look like analog also. All in all just CBS and PBS up to speed now in Monroe.

I have yet to get ANYTHING digital from the Monroe/El Dorado market except for KTVE a couple of times. The PQ and SQ were pitiful from KTVE. Despite the "makeover", KTVE still has that anoying echo on their newscasts. Reminds me of a set of a western town that has pretty building's facades but shacks behind that. Nexstar owns KARD, as well as our local NBC station KARK here, and the NBC station in Fayetteville, AR. BTW the "local" sports is fed mostly from Fayetteville despite Little Rock being a larger market. KARK only got HD and full power here on March 17th after a long delay.

We continue to wait for the Shreveport NBC station to get HD.

Meanwhile, ABC Good Morning America Weekend was finally HD this past weekend.

We continue to wait for the Shreveport NBC station to get HD.

Meanwhile, ABC Good Morning America Weekend was finally HD this past weekend.

At least you guys down there get BOTH hours of GMA on weekends---we get just the first hour at 6am, and haven't checked since the change-over to see if the LR ABC station is airing the weekend show in HD.

H.

Despite the "makeover", KTVE still has that anoying echo on their newscasts. Reminds me of a set of a western town that has pretty building's facades but shacks behind that.

Haley, I know what you mean about KTVE. If anything, their newscast are worse now because they actually think they are SOMETHING now! It's like givng children a brand new car; it's not how good it looks, but how well it's "driven". KTVE, back 10 or 15 years ago, still weren't good, but they had good people at the anchor desk. Now they have terrible people working for them. Jenifer Andrews and Tom Pearson are the only ones there that have a clue of what their doing, and don't get me started on that weekend "weather-girl". She may call herself a meteorologist, but she's still in school, and that voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard! Their morning show is a big joke, and Steven Webster looks like Harry off of "Third Rock From The Sun". I'm ashamed to even have to watch them for NBC programming. I'll be honest, I don't care for the Monrore TV market. I don't like KNOE, KTVE is like a bunch of kids playing "tv studio", and all KAQY airs is low budget, trash-canned sitcoms. I guess out of all of them, KNOE would be the best, but that's still not any good. KTVE helps them out a lot, because 10 is so bad, it actually makes 8 look like a major market! I want *D, The only reason I have cable still is because I couldn't stand the thought of having the Monroe stations as my locals. At least with cable... I can get KTBS and KATV. Of course, KTVE and KNOE forbid the cable system to carry any other affilate except theirs. Im going to get *D, but I'm going to "move" to Camden, AR a few days after it's installed. At least that way I will be able to get Little Rock locals, and be eligible for HD out of NY. KTVE's digital signal is a big joke. Well anyway, that's my opinion. I don't have anything against the city, it's just the enitre TV market. I'm not going to be forced to watch a certain station if I don't want to. I do most of my spending in Little Rock or Shreveport anyway. And no amount of advertising is going to change that! I think the DMA system is a bit outdated...

On KMSS is Hell's Kitchen supposed to be HD and they forgot to flip the switch???

Just out at my moms and put up a rotator for her CM 3671 antenna and when I checked signal strengths I picked up a channel 12 digital at like 55 signal strengh but couldnt lock it. When I got home tonight I scanned my CM 4228 antenna and directv box and channel 12 digital was like 88 on signal strenth but I couldnt lock it either. Surely this has to be the Shreveport CBS station because at home I can pick up KTBS with about 55 on signal strenth. If not what channel could it be and I wonder why it wont lock with that high of strength? Oh and by the way I am in Monroe and my mom in Downsville about 13 miles north of Monroe.

I think I might can answer my own question. After a little research and going to antennaweb it shows a new PBS affiltiate out of El Dorado but live date says to be determined. So I think it is still in the testing phase but will be nice to have another option and seems to be coming in pretty strong.

I think I might can answer my own question. After a little research and going to antennaweb it shows a new PBS affiltiate out of El Dorado but live date says to be determined. So I think it is still in the testing phase but will be nice to have another option and seems to be coming in pretty strong.

BAD, BAD Choice for AETN to choose RF channel 12!!! One, it is directional to protect KSLA-12 to the SW, and Two it pretty much tears up the southern viewing area of KTHV-DT (which also uses digital channel 12).

When it goes live, programming will be // with KETG, KETS, etc. AETN originates from Conway, and as HD goes, its rather limited as its focus is on multicasting. However, when there is the rare HD program shown, the other three subchannels are switched off.

But, AETN should reconsider its choice of channel 12. There are plenty of good UHF channels to choose from (and the receiving antennas for home use are smaller).

I think that new AETN station is KETZ, and it was originally suppose to be on UHF channel 30... then they decided to change it for some reason. I agree Haley, a very stupid thing to do. I still havent been able to get KTBS or KSLA here....just the same ole KMSS and KPXJ...and thats only at night. Maybe because I live in the center of the city... makes me mad..

recently moved to south shreveport. receiving great HD signal strengths from all local channels except ABC (and of course NBC). any advice on locking in that signal would be great. too tired to adjust my antenna anymore.

One friend of mine was able to finally receive ABC using a large outdoor antenna on a mast while another friend failed using a similar antenna. My only suggestion is using a 4-bay bow tie antenna on a mast (mine works from the attic, but the attic does decrease signal strength a bit...)

I'm in north Bossier, which puts me many miles closer to the broadcast antennas.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?main_cat=03&CAT=&PROD=ANC3021

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx

Good luck.

thanks steve. i will give it a try.

On KMSS is Hell's Kitchen supposed to be HD and they forgot to flip the switch???

Hells Kitchen opens in HD but the body of the show is shot 4:3.
Annoying isn't it?

Just a heads up in case anyone is interested, HdNet and HDNet Movies just popped up on Suddenlink(Cox) in Bossier.

Just a heads up in case anyone is interested, HdNet and HDNet Movies just popped up on Suddenlink(Cox) in Bossier.


Really? I wonder if Suddenlink here in El Dorado has added that. If so, that would be great.

I just noticed that KETK (NBC) has drastically boosted their signal, apparently beating the July 1st, use it or lose it deadline. Still just SD at 22.1.

Same for Fox 51 , FULL power "SD" 480i- 4:3 at 31.2 .
Shelby County, TX.
I get KMSS Fox 33 in 720p, lol.
Full power HD channels
ABC
KTBS 3 dt28 720p
KTRE 9 dt11 720p
CBS
KSLA 12 dt17 1080i
KYTX 19 dt18 1080i
FOX
KMSS 33 dt34 720p
UPN
KPXJ 21 dt21 720p
WB
KSHV 45 dt44 1080i

PBS 24 dt25 is low power , good at night, 1080i on 24.5

FOX51 dt31 & NBC 56 dt22 both full power ONLY 480i SD, HD when? if ever?

KTAL 6 NBC low power 480i , heard nov 3rd 2006 full power 1080i, we'll see?

i live in south shreveport

do you think i will be able to pick up FOX HD on rabbit ears

i pick up the analogs great, but i didnt know if the HD was a weaker signal

i also have a camp in homer, la and i was wondering if i might get it there as well, i have a pretty decent antenna mounted on the roof

According to the predicted coverage area of KMSS's HD signal (http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT421284.html) , you should be able to pick it up in Homer, especially if you have an outdoor antenna. I can get their signal here in El Dorado in the late evenings, so you shouldn't have a problem.

You would think that KTAL would spare no expense to get HD up BEFORE NFL football starts, but wait, its KTAL so we will be VERY lucky to see any HD from them at all by fall 2007. NBC stepped up and got them some MUST SEE TV, now they need to take advantage of it. It will be a huge step back to not see all the games in HD this season if they dont get a move on.

Has anyone contacted them to see what they plan?

It's a shame they're still operating at a pathetic level, with horrible PQ. Much like KTVE is doing around here. I think Nexstar is just pinching every penny they can....KARK in Little Rock is currently the only Nexstar owned station to offer true HD programming, and operating at full power. KNWA in Fayetteville is due to come on the air full power on July 27. KTAL can't be that far down the line, can it?

And Nexstar wonders why their stations usually rank last in market ratings.....

Well KNOE just added a subchannel and for some reason they added a standard definition broadcast of CBS. I have no idea why they would do this when they already had a perfect digital signal and broadcast in HD. Also the El Dorado PBS went live.

Well KNOE just added a subchannel and for some reason they added a standard definition broadcast of CBS. I have no idea why they would do this when they already had a perfect digital signal and broadcast in HD. Also the El Dorado PBS went live.

The subchannel is the same as their regular broadcast?? I don't understand the logic in that.. I could maybe understand if they were going to add like CBS Up To The Minute News or something... but it's a total waste of bandwidth to just have two channels broadcasting the same thing. And I was looking forward to getting my new antenna system installed in hopes of seeing some pristine CBS HD. I hope they'll reconsider.

Yeah I noticed KETZ was live last Wednesday night while rescanning my receiver. How well are you receiving it? I was only getting 26% signal until I added a preamp. Now I get around 70%. I watched one of their HD broadcasts last Thursday, and I must say it looked amazing. I sent AETN an email thanking them for adding a digital transmitter in south Arkansas... it's good to know we havent been forgotten!

I also emailed KTVE, asking when they planned on getting up to speed with HD. Haven't heard anything back yet... Why are some stations so cheap?? They're only hurting the viewers!

Keith

Yes the subchannel is the same as there regular broadcast and it says 8-2SD. That is the dumbest thing to waste bandwith. I can pick KETZ up with about 85% if it turn my rotor toward El Dorado. I have a CM 4228 and CM 7777 preamp. KTVE is just horrible! I cannot even pick there digital signal up in Monroe, I emailed them about a year ago and they said they didnt have a timetable. Oh well there news sucks anyways. I swear they hire there people off the street and they also cannot keep anyone for over 6 months. At least KNOE has had the same people since I can remember. What kind of setup do you have Keith?

Currently I have a VU-190 (Not quite the exact model #) from Radio Shack and a 7777 Pre-amp about 20 feet off the ground. In the next week I'm going to order a rotor and the 4228, since I've heard nothing but excellent reviews about it. Currently, the only digital stations I've been able to receive is the big joke (KTVE)... I receive it at around 85% but they're just wasting airwaves IMO. KETZ @ 70%, and I've been able to get KMSS and KPXJ from Shreveport late at night. I really want to get KTBS and KNOE, and I'm thinking maybe the 4228 will help out with me getting KTBS. I'm going to mount the RS antenna a few feet higher when I get the rotor in, perhaps that'll help with KNOE. I imagine if I lived a couple miles south, outside the city limits, I wouldn't have trouble with KNOE. I think I may also be getting interference from KATV 7 out of Little Rock, b/c I can get their analog signal very weak from my location. Some precise aiming will also be in store I'd be willing to bet. What I would really like to do is get a tower, but that would be almost impossible where I live.

KTVE for years has been on the cheap side. I couldn't stand Steven Webster when he was on there. Jenifer Andrews is tolerable... and Tom Pearson is really the only talent they have there. The only reason they had a makeover was because the won some contest.... and what commercial tv station has the 700 Club on at 10:00 weekday mornings?? I would think the 700 Club would be for Religious networks. I remember when John Denison from KNOE was the main anchor at KTVE back in the 90's. When him, Jennifer Sneed, Tom Pearson, and Gene Pointe were on weeknights, that was 10 at their best. What I think they do is hire people right out of college.... I caught that horrible "meteorologist" Kim Vaughn one night... at least they were smart enough to get rid of her! KNOE will always beat 10...frankly because they aren't afraid to spend a little money. But I guess a station has to make money in order to spend it. Something 10 doesnt know anything about. I think it's fitting for KTVE to be affiliated with NBC.... a mediocre station affiliated with a now mediocre network. Most of my shows are on CBS anyway.

I wonder when KAQY will go full power?

I emailed KAQY and they never responded on the full power situation. In my opinion they are also a joke of a station. Horrible second run tv shows and I can barely pick them up in Monroe. I can pick KTBS up at night but only on certain nights. I hope you have luck with KNOE because they actually do a great job with HD programs. They usually always have the HD programs on and never forget to flip the switch. The picture is awesome, much better than my Directv NY CBS. I am sure you will have no problem when they finally do go full power. I dont remember exactly what KNOE is broadcasting at but it is nowhere near full power I dont believe but I could be wrong. Have you had any luck with the Little Rock locals? When I lived in Downsville by lake Darbonne at night I could pick some of them up with pretty good signal strength. I forgot I also can get the ABC affiliate out of Greenville MS most of the time.

I never watched KAQY on cable... I always watched KTBS or KATV for ABC programs.... I couldn't believe all the trash they were running. I haven't locked on to any of the Little Rock locals... I think it may have something to do with me living within the city. Which stations could you receive from LR? And you can receive WABG from Greenville? You must have that 4228 pretty high up, or it must be a better antenna than I thought! Have you been able to get anything from Jackson? I know WLBT's digital signal is predicted to reach to Rayville.

I'd love to be outside of town with a 4228 w/preamp on a tower, no telling what I would be able to get. My grandmother has a trailer on Hwy 167 a few miles south of town, I may go install a small antenna out there and see what I can get, just to see if my suspicions are true...that living in the city may be hurting my chances at getting things besides KTVE.

I could receive the fox and cbs sometimes from little rock. And yes I receive WABG from Greenville but it is mostly at night nothing too reliable. I have never really tried Jackson for locals but I wonder if I could that would be great to receive NBC for the upcoming football now that NBC has sunday night football. And that joke KTVE will not even have much of a digital signal muchless HD. Keith where are you finding how far the signal is projected?

the old http://www.checkhd.com allowed you to put in your zip code or address and it would tell you what network affiliates you could receive over the air. Just checking things at random, I typed in Rayville's zip, and it showed WLBT on the list. You can get info on all statons by going to http://radiostationworld.com/Locations/United_States_of_America/usastates.asp

You can find all the FCC info for the stations, including coverage area. Actually, according to the FCC, WLBT's analog signal reaches to Rayville, and their digital reaches to Delhi. Have you tried entering your address on antennaweb.com? I think it gives you a conservative estimate of what stations you can receive. I know that Mer Rouge, LA was showing WLBT and WABG.

I'm guessing it just depends on how high an antenna you have. But you could try one night aiming your rotor at Jackson... and see if you can get anything on RF Channel 9. That is the frequency WLBT (http://www.wlbt.com) uses for digital. I know the Jackson transmitters are located about 15 miles west of Jackson, which is a good thing. If you can get Shreveport and Little Rock sometimes, then you may have a chance. The only negative is they broadcast on Channel 9, and I'm not sure how well the 4228 works for VHF. From what I've heard, it works pretty good for VHF channels 7-13.

It's kinda sad when we have to resort to picking up out of market signals in order to watch NBC HD..because KTVE is too cheap and doesn't give a care about the viewers. I wish I could buy the station, just to shut it down!

For those locally (Shreveport area) , how has the Tube on 12-2 effected picture quaility on KSLA's HD programming. I picked up (via tropo) KSLA, KMSS, KTVE (El Dorado, AR), and of course KTBS and KPXJ yesterday morning. During a short period, I parked my receiver on 12-2 and noticed lots of pixelation on the music videos (especially on REM's "Whats The Frequency Kenneth"). I enjoyed the concept of the channel but obviously using a OTA subchannel is the wrong delivery vehicle for this.

Please, someone at KTVE: Get an OTA montior and monitor your OTA digital signal! Looks like someone fed the analog signal (received with rabbit ears?) from a VCR's composite outputs to the digital transmitter.

I agree that KTVE's digital looks worse than regular analog OTA. It has that horrible line going up and down through the screen...unwatchable.

Oh and I ordered my 4228 Friday...so I'll install it whenever I get it this week and *maybe*I'll get KTBS.....I'm hoping anyway. Haley, what else were you able to get digital wise yesterday morning?

KNOE announced last month that it would carry the new CW network on a subchannel. I think why they have added 8-2 is they are getting ready for the new CW network and testing the digital channel. Because right now they are just showing CBS sd stuff. That is my guess on this.

KNOE announced last month that it would carry the new CW network on a subchannel. I think why they have added 8-2 is they are getting ready for the new CW network and testing the digital channel. Because right now they are just showing CBS sd stuff. That is my guess on this.

That would make a heck of a lot more sense! I was beginning to think they were getting incompetent like our beloved NBC affiliate. I got my CM 4228 in today, installed it where the monster RS antenna was..but I dont think that location is very ideal. Quite a few trees have grown limbs around my roof mount, so will be buying a mount to use for the side of the house. A scan at 2:00 PM brought in these analog stations -

KMSS 33 (FOX) out of Shreveport, very weakly, along with KLTS 24 (PBS) very weakly. Both very weak.

When pointed toward the south-south east, I received KARD 14 pretty good, as well as KLTM 13...also KAQY very weakly, as well as the full powered KNOE transmitter in Columbia, and the low powered translator on Channel 18 here in El Dorado. KETG from Arkadelphia, and KTVE.

The only digital signal I have been able to get is KTVE-DT and KETZ...around a 58% signal for some reason...will have to move antenna away from trees. Hopefully this will yield better results.

Also... a copy of the email I sent to KTVE's Chief Engineer about HD and full power.

This is a comment about KTVE-DT RF Channel 27. The channel is pretty much unwatchable due to horrible audio, and picture quality. There is a line going up and down the screen, which makes the already below analog quality picture, worse. Can you please fix these problems? And also, when will you go full power, with NBC in HD? KARK in Little Rock looks pristine, as well as KYTV in Springfield, MO. I, and a lot of others in the area have been very disappointed in the quality of KTVE-DT. Would be great if KTVE could offer KNOE some serious competition when it comes to the digital age, and HDTV. I have received KNOE-DT, RF Channel 7 here a few times, and CBS-HD in primetime looks breathtaking. I have no problem receiving KTVE-DT, signal comes in at 85%, but why waste a frequency with below average sound and picture quality? Again, quite a few of us in the HD community here would love to see KTVE at full power.

Thanks!

Will see if I get a response. KTVE has been good about responding to comments.

Dsims, did you try for WLBT yet? I imagine it would be a stretch..but thought you might have got lucky!

Keith,

Your bandscan at that time of day will give you a worst-case scenario. During mornings and evenings things will improve. Was this with the preamp, and do you have a rotor. That antenna is a rifle and its very narrow beamwidth on UHF makes it useful.....Not as narrow on high (7-13) VHF though. You might be able to pull in WABG-DT from Greenwood/Greenville (rf ch 32) on occation

Haley, I have the 7777 preamp installed. I didnt get the chance to move the antenna location like I planned today. Will have to try another mount. Which direction is the 4228 suppose to be pointing when aiming for the transmitters? What I mean is that should the front of the "grill" be pointing toward them, or the 8-bays? Or sideways? May sound like a stupid question, but just want to be sure.

Keith

edit---nevermind...figured it out on my own :)

Update - After placing the 4228 back where I originally had the VU-190, for the night, I managed to pull in KMSS-DT (RF 34) from Shreveport... Watched the last 15 minutes of "So You Think You Can Dance?" in HD. Looked pretty good. Also was receiving KLAX 31 (ABC) and KLPA 25 (PBS) from Alexandria weakly on analog. Hopefully after I move the 4228 away from the trees it will perform much better.

I took some photos...the last one is what the analog signal of KMSS looks like at my location.

I just did a scan of my STB, and am receiving KALB, the NBC affiliate out of Alexandria, LA. Wow...I'm very impressed with the 4228! Granted, I'm sure it's tropo, but I never had such success with the RS antenna.... The signal is a killer....92%! Also am receiving KLAX out of Alexandria very good... must be some good tropo weather. Will watch Jay Leno in HD, to do a PQ test of KALB and KTVE.. no contest I'm sure...

Also took some eye candy pics for my friends here, as well as for my personal records.

Well I did a scan also and received KALB also Keith. I never really scanned for alexandria locals or pointed my antenna that way but I will check to see if I can get anything in the daytime so hopefully its not all tropo. I tried the NBC affiliate out of Jackson and didnt have much luck.

It was a pretty big surprise to me. I'm only getting a 20% signal now though. I was also receiving KNOE-DT from Monroe and WJTV-DT (http://www.wjtv.com) (RF 52) out of Jackson, MS. The receiver tried to lock on to KLFY (http://www.klfy.com) out of Lafyette (RF 56), but didn't quite make it. Overall things were very impressive. I hadn't seen WJTV (http://www.wjtv.com) since I lived in Jackson for a few months last year. I never was able to lock on to KTBS, though...

dsims, I kind of thought WLBT would of been a stretch for you, but you never know til you try! Maybe you'll have some luck with KALB. Would be great if it wasnt all tropo.

Included a couple photo shots of WJTV-DT.

KTBS is the only station out of shreveport I have ever been able to receive, kinda funny huh. I still can get KALB in the middle of the day but got plenty of breakups. I thought you would be pleased with the 4228 antenna.

I never received a reply from KTVE on their low power situation. Let me know if they respond to your email.

I figure the way KTVE works is, if you send them an email with something positive, then they will reply. But don't dare send anything negative, and the majority of their feedback, I'm sure, consists of negative.

Well if you are still getting KALB in the daytime, then maybe there's a chance I'll receive it again this evening. Right now I have the 4228 pointed toward Monroe.

Man I need a rotator!!

No doubt I love my rotator!!

I'm sure it's worth the money...I've just got to figure out a better location for my setup.... I hate all the trees around...

One thing that baffles me is that I can get KMSS at almost 80%, but not a peep out of KTBS.... and being 80 miles away I'm surprised I can get anything, but I would have thought if I received anything, I would get KTBS, because it's coverage reaches near here. Ironic, don't you think? I suppose I should be happy I'm getting ONE station from Shreveport.

Keith,

You might be able to pull in WABG-DT from Greenwood/Greenville (rf ch 32) on occation

That's what Im hoping for....we'll see :D I was getting KMSS @ around 70% this afternoon...was watching the game... now it's breaking up. I'm about to install my rotor so I will let you know how that goes. I also bought a 30 foot telescoping mast from Lowe's...but I tihnk it's going to be more trouble than it's worth.

Last night I was receiving WAPT (http://www.wapt.com)-DT 21 (ABC), WJTV (http://www.wjtv.com)-DT 52 (CBS) out of Jackson... as well as KALB (http://www.kalb.com)-DT 35 and KMSS-DT 34. Last night was the third night in a row I've been able to lock on to KALB and WJTV, when pointed toward their respective transmitters. Ended up watching the 10:00 news on WAPT....it was good to see some old faces.

Intalled rotor.... having a difficult time keeping it in sync with the direction I tell it to point.

A question to anyone can answer... I bought a CM 3018 for the VHF digitals like KETZ and KNOE, but I am not too impressed with the overall performance as of right now. I had the 4228 plugged in to the combined input, and the 3018 into the VHF input. Is there another way Im suppose to be doing this? I havent been able to receive KETZ since I put up the 4228. If anyone can help me...please let me know!

Intalled rotor.... having a difficult time keeping it in sync with the direction I tell it to point.

A question to anyone can answer... I bought a CM 3018 for the VHF digitals like KETZ and KNOE, but I was too impressed with the overall performance. I had the 4228 plugged in to the combined input, and the 3018 into the VHF input. Is there another way Im suppose to be doing this? I havent been able to receive KETZ since I put up the 4228. If anyone can help me...please let me know!

Did you lose all your VHFs or just KETZ? Did you open the back of the 7777 and change the inside setting from combined(the factory setting)to separate(for separate VHF and UHF inputs)? You were or were not "too impressed" with the 3018?

KETZ is the only one I could receive reliably on the VHF band. The setting on the 7777 hasnt been changed. I can't say I am or am not impressed with the 3018 until I can make sure everything is in order. I have the 3018 mounted on the same mast, right under the rotor that the 4228 is on. Are they too close together?

KETZ is the only one I could receive reliably on the VHF band. The setting on the 7777 hasnt been changed. I can't say I am or am not impressed with the 3018 until I can make sure everything is in order. I have the 3018 mounted on the same mast, right under the rotor that the 4228 is on. Are they too close together?

You have to open the underside of the pre-amp with a Phillips screw driver and slide the little black switch to "Separate" inputs (it's labelled). That allows the pre-amp to accept separate VHF and UHF inputs;otherwise, it only reads the combined input side, which in your case is the 4228. That's why you lost the VHF channels.

Oh okay...now I understand.... the preamp will totally ignore the VHF side if the setting is set to combined.... hence it's called "VHF or Separate Input". I'll go try that now and see how that works. Thanks!

well my signal strength on UHF has increaded, but still nothing from KETZ.... maybe they've reduced power...

well my signal strength on UHF has increaded, but still nothing from KETZ.... maybe they've reduced power...

KETZ is essentially a local station for you. It likely does not need any amplification. In fact, the pre-amp may be overloading on the VHF side. Take the VHF antenna out of the amplifier and run it straight into the receiver(unamplified)and see if you can get KETZ. IF you can, overload was the problem. If you can't see it, are you sure it's on the air? You were getting it before you installed the pre-amp?

Before I got the 4228, I had the RS VU-190. Before I connected the preamp, I noticed I was getting the station for the first time a couple weeks ago at around 22%. I then connected the preamp to the 190, I was receiving at around 70%. I really haven't been able to lock on to it since I installed the 4228. I bought the 3018 to receive KETZ-DT 12 and KNOE-DT 7, 28 and 65 miles away, respectively. I may email AETN (http://www.aetn.org), and ask if they have reduced power to the transmitter.. I know it's not running very powerful.

Before I got the 4228, I had the RS VU-190. Before I connected the preamp, I noticed I was getting the station for the first time a couple weeks ago at around 22%. I then connected the preamp to the 190, I was receiving at around 70%. I really haven't been able to lock on to it since I installed the 4228. I bought the 3018 to receive KETZ-DT 12 and KNOE-DT 7, 28 and 65 miles away, respectively. I may email AETN (http://www.aetn.org), and ask if they have reduced power to the transmitter.. I know it's not running very powerful.

The 190 has 57 elements; the 3018 has 30 elements. That may be a big problem for you. You need to take the 3018 out of the amplified line and see what you can get with it by itself. The pre-amp will not generate a signal out of nothing; it overcomes coax line run loss and presents the signal to the receiver that was present at the antenna, hopefully.
You could also turn the 4228 toward the KETZ transmitter and see if you can get it as the 4228 can occasionally get the hi VHFs (remember to first change the pre-amp back to "Combined" input if you are going to try with only the 4228). Did the 190 get DTV 7?
I think pre-amp overload is causing some of your trouble. That's why you need to try it without the pre-amp and see what you can get on the 3018.

I'll try that, I got the 3018 because Channel Master makes great antennas..I never received 7 with the 190...I have only received 7 with the 4228...and that's late at night. I've only received KETZ once since I got the 4228, and it was full of break-ups. With the 190, I received KETZ @ around 62% during the daytime....I'm afraid if I hook the 190 back up I'll have the same problem....I never could lock on to KNOE-DT, because KATV (http://www.katv.com) analog 7 would cause interference most of the time. And I assumed I would need the preamp with the 3018, since I needed it with the 190.

I'll try that, I got the 3018 because Channel Master makes great antennas..I never received 7 with the 190...I have only received 7 with the 4228...and that's late at night. I've only received KETZ once since I got the 4228, and it was full of break-ups. With the 190, I received KETZ @ around 62% during the daytime....I'm afraid if I hook the 190 back up I'll have the same problem....I never could lock on to KNOE-DT, because KATV (http://www.katv.com) analog 7 would cause interference most of the time. And I assumed I would need the preamp with the 3018, since I needed it with the 190.

I re-read some of your prior posts. With the 190 plus pre-amp you got it at 70%. You may need to have a face-off between the 190 and the 3018, both amplified. The 3018 may not be as good as the 190. It looks more comparable to a VU 90/110/120. Could you just lie the 190 on the roof for comparisons with the 3018 until you sort this out?
On the FCC coverage map for KETZ you look local or surburban. I'm surprised it is so weak for you when un-amplified. This may not be pre-amp overload.
Your tuner is a dual analog/digital.I've got one similar and the digital never overrides even a weak analog. I've got two STBs for digital only that don't have that problem. You may never get DTV 7 to override the analog 7 on that dual tuner until the analogs shut down. If you have access to a digital only tuner, turn the VHF antenna to Monroe and try it.

Now this is odd.... Im getting KETZ at around 65% right now... and just about an hour ago it was between 10-20%....I'll be willing to bet tomorrow afternoon it'll be gone, though.

The only time I ever managed to get KNOE-DT was with the 4228, perhaps because it's more directional? What kind of tuner would you reccommend so I wouldn't have to worry about analog interference?

Well first off I'm getting KETZ @ around 60% signal today.... with plenty of sound dropouts. Since the 3018 I purchased is "Near Fringe" rated, perhaps I should return it to Lowes and get the 3020, which is "Deep Fringe" rated? Would that be a good idea? I'm really wanting KNOE-DT more than anything, and since the transmitter is 83 miles away, would the 3020 be a good deal? I still have the VU-190, but the elements are a little messed up. Also, what is a good reccomendation for an HD tuner? I have the Digital Stream Plus, and it's OK, but it starts dropping out when a signal gets below 60%. I have read on here where some tuners will work even when signals are in the 30% and 40% range. Where could I get one of those?

Also, this tuner sometimes sticks on 49% on channels I can get, for instance, KETZ will drop to 49% and just stay there, with no picture or anything. It's really annoying, because it's not giving me an accurate singal strength.

Well first off I'm getting KETZ @ around 60% signal today.... with plenty of sound dropouts. Since the 3018 I purchased is "Near Fringe" rated, perhaps I should return it to Lowes and get the 3020, which is "Deep Fringe" rated? Would that be a good idea? I'm really wanting KNOE-DT more than anything, and since the transmitter is 83 miles away, would the 3020 be a good deal? I still have the VU-190, but the elements are a little messed up. Also, what is a good reccomendation for an HD tuner? I have the Digital Stream Plus, and it's OK, but it starts dropping out when a signal gets below 60%. I have read on here where some tuners will work even when signals are in the 30% and 40% range. Where could I get one of those?

Also, this tuner sometimes sticks on 49% on channels I can get, for instance, KETZ will drop to 49% and just stay there, with no picture or anything. It's really annoying, because it's not giving me an accurate singal strength.

I assume the pre-amp is being used with the "Separate" setting. Is the 3018 pointed to KETZ transmitter? The 3018/20 is a combo VHF-UHF, but you are only interested in the VHF channels (DTV 7 and DTV 12). Have you thought about a high VHF only antenna Wade ch 7-13 Yagi (http://www.wade-antenna.com/Wade/cutchannel.pdf) ? And that would free you to use the 4228 for UHF only.
I think you will have trouble getting KNOE dt7 from looking at the FCC coverage map. Do you ever get analog 8 KNOE? That's a good marker for getting DTV7. Is the antenna pointing to KNOE? Remember, you tuner is detecting analog 7 from Little Rock, which is interfering with picking DTV 7. You need something that detects only DTV, not analogs. That would get rid of Little Rock interference.You may have to wait a couple more hours to really evaluate things tonite.
For antennas look at AVS antenna, pre-amp thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=546066) and for digital tuners look at AVS Set Top Box thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=179095).
Those signal strength meters don't do exactly what you think and don't necessarily indicate signal strength, but more like adequacy of digital packet information for decoding by you tuner.

I have been looking at VHF only antennas...preferably one that is *very* directional. One thing I havent understood is, even when I had the 190 up on the roof, I would still receive, at least, a very weak signal from KATV, even when pointed toward Monroe. I just got the 4228 Wednesday, and every night until yesterday, I was getting KNOE-DT, and that's when I connected up the 3018. Yes I do have the setting on the preamp to separate. I'll be starting to look for a VHF-only antenna it looks like! :rolleyes:

Its a shame, the FCC caved in to the NAB and allowed the VHF channels to continue to the digital era. With UHF, the antennas on the receiving end could be high gain and still be resonably sized for the home viewer.

After the transition, KETS up here will go to RF ch 7 (currently RF ch 5). WMC in Memphis plans on using their current analog allocation Ch 5!

At least Keith, you don't have issues with low-band VHF reception which we here in the LR DMA suffer with.

BTW, more Sunday morning tropo from Shreveport up here, and noticed KSLA-DT added *another* subchannel: 12-3 with a "Storm Tracker 12" radar loop, no audio.

Keith are you still having trouble with KETZ? I just checked my signal and I am getting a 90 here in Monroe. I am still picking up the PBS affiliate in Alexandria but the NBC there must be having problems cause I get no signal. I just dont know why you should be having problems with KETZ cause I am much further away with just my 4228 and get it perfect.

haley,

I still haven't been able to lock on to KSLA, or KTBS for that matter. Late in the evenings my box acts like it's trying to lock on to their respective channel numbers, but always skips it. I saw that KNOE-DT will switch to Channel 8 when analog shuts down.... and you're right, I'm glad I don't have to deal with channels 2-6! Why would they want to use those frequencies, anyway? Also, as you have read in earlier posts of mine, I purchased the CM 3018 (the RS 190 had some bent elements), but even when the antenna is pointed toward Monroe, I still get a very weak signal from KATV at night. Do they make a VHF antenna that is as directional as the 4228? I was getting KNOE at night with the 4228 until I connected up the 3018 for VHF.

dsims,

I've been getting KETZ with about a 60% signal today. Right now I'm getting KMSS out af Shreveport as well. I too was receiving KALB every night since I got the 4228, up until yesterday. I read on the Lafyette board that it went down for other people around there as well, possibly due to lightning. I sent an email to the KALB engineering department, asking what exactly the problem was. I haven't been able to lock on to the PBS affiliate down there yet, though. Were you receiving KALB very well? And not just at night? Also, what kind of receiver do you have dsims? I have the ProBrand 3150 Plus, thinking about getting one that will decode a signal at a lower strength. As of now, the 3150 won't decode a signal unless it's 60% or better. And with that being the case, KETZ drops in and out for me. I'm thinking it may be the box that's not decoding the signal as well as it should....in actuality, a signal of 90% may actually be there. I've been looking at a Humax, but I'm not too sure as of yet.

I found this in the Lafayette, LA board regarding KALB :

I talked to the Engineer at KALB. He said they should be back up sometime Monday. The storm did something to their transmitter in Forest Hill.

I have a hd tivo from Directv as my box. KALB would break up pretty bad in the daytime but was great every evening. The PBS affiliate is coming in great with about 85 strenght.

Same for me...except I wouldn't get them at all in the daytime. Usually after 9:30 or so I would start receiving it reliably. I have a Directv HD box, and am subscribed to HD Directv, but the box hasnt worked since I got it, and I connected it up today... and said I needed a subscription! I had the access card in there, as well.

Also, what kind of receiver do you have dsims? I have the ProBrand 3150 Plus, thinking about getting one that will decode a signal at a lower strength. As of now, the 3150 won't decode a signal unless it's 60% or better. And with that being the case, KETZ drops in and out for me. I'm thinking it may be the box that's not decoding the signal as well as it should....in actuality, a signal of 90% may actually be there. I've been looking at a Humax, but I'm not too sure as of yet.

The Pro-Band and the Radio Shack Accurian are very similar units. Some posters on another thread in this Forum 3150 AVS thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=649617) are very happy with the 3150. I have an Accurian and I know exactly what you are talking about with 60s and 30s, but I'm not about to get rid of it. I've got a Samsung 351 whose "signal strengths" don't exactly correspond to the Accurian's, but remember you are not comparing "signal strength". Read these posts especially the 7-19-06 at 3:30pm post AVS Official Antenna Topic (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8061573#post8061573) .The "signal strengths" on these two are never the same, despite the same antenna input. The "signal strengths" on these two receivers never matches my third which is an integrated analog/DTV unit (that's how I understand exactly your analog7- DTV 7 conflict because here there are low power analogs setting on top of analog/DTVs from 80-100 miles away and the LP analog seems to always win even with the antenna pointed toward the distant channel. Your analog 7 is hitting the side of your antenna and getting read by the tuner). All three of mine equally split an OTA antenna and none of their readings correlate.

I have noticed that signal meters vary greatly.... I have a USD box I havent used for a while...I hooked it up to the tv, and with the ProBrand, I get a 75% signal with KMSS out of Shreveport...with the USD I get almost a full bar.

With KNOE-DTas I said earlier, I was surprised I even received it at all with the 4228, I looked at the gain comparison for it on http://www.hdtvprimer.com, and Channel 7 barely has any. That is what puzzles me, I figured the 3018 would work better. Although the 3018's VHF range is only 60 miles, and KNOE's transmitter in Columbia, LA is around 81 miles. Would the 3020 help with it being a range of 100 miles? I learned quickly that Radio Shack greatly exagerrates their ranges...190 miles wasn't correct at all..more like 90. With the 190, as well as the 4228, I could get a snowy picture from KNOE analog, of course significantly better in the evening.

How much better would a VHF only antenna be in terms of gain, directionality, etc.?

I have noticed that signal meters vary greatly.... I have a USD box I havent used for a while...I hooked it up to the tv, and with the ProBrand, I get a 75% signal with KMSS out of Shreveport...with the USD I get almost a full bar.

With KNOE-DTas I said earlier, I was surprised I even received it at all with the 4228, I looked at the gain comparison for it on http://www.hdtvprimer.com, and Channel 7 barely has any. That is what puzzles me, I figured the 3018 would work better. Although the 3018's VHF range is only 60 miles, and KNOE's transmitter in Columbia, LA is around 81 miles. Would the 3020 help with it being a range of 100 miles? I learned quickly that Radio Shack greatly exagerrates their ranges...190 miles wasn't correct at all..more like 90. With the 190, as well as the 4228, I could get a snowy picture from KNOE analog, of course significantly better in the evening.

How much better would a VHF only antenna be in terms of gain, directionality, etc.?

A 3020 has 50 elements, but it is a VHF-UHF combo like the 3018, which has only 30 elements. It should be better, but first look at this 3020 vs 3018 gain (http://starkelectronic.com/cmg4.htm) because it might be less on 7 and 8.

Here are some other excellent and some expensive VHF only antennas:

Wade Yagis (http://www.wade-antenna.com/Wade/cutchannel.pdf)
Blonder Tongue Yagis (http://www.blondertongue.com/reception/bty.pdf)
Antennacraft Yagis (http://antennacraft-tdp.com/Yagi.htm)
Winegard Yagis (http://www.winegard.com/offair/pdf/ya-1713.pdf)

and the comparison of some of them HDTV Primer (http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html)

Sometimes you may just never know until you try it though.

I noticed on the gain report that quite a few channels went down in gain as the antenna got larger. So maybe the 3020 isnt a good idea... I'm about on the verge of just connecting back the 4228 up by itself and taking down the 3018..and maybe getting a VHF yagi...at least with the 4228 I got KNOE-DT in the late evenings. And now, since I have the rotator, Maybe I can pinpoint KETZ with the 4228. It's frustrating to get stations that arent even close to being predicted to reaching here, but I cant even get the ones that are within the area or on the fringe. Believe me, Im not complaining about getting KMSS or KALB... I suppose Im lucky to be getting anything really...according to antennaweb, I should only be getting KETZ and KTVE...KTVE is nothing...so really just KETZ.

Perhaps I should just start getting interested in the FOX lineup...lol...and watching Leno in HD..which is great to me. Im not ready to give up yet, though.

I took the time this afternoon to take a couple of photos on my antenna setup, just to give you an idea of what obstructions, etc. are in the way.

The first photo is of the 3018 pointed toward Monroe...well actually I got my compass out and it's probably off by about 45 degrees, which probably would make a BIG difference in reception of KNOE. I may end up putting the 190 back in the place of the 3018 (though a few of the elements are bent, I can bend them back in place) And see if aiming it more in the direction of Columbia will null out the very weak KATV signal.

As you can see in the photos, there are quite a few trees nearby, esspecially when looking toward Shreveport. I figure the only way I'm getting KMSS is because, as you can see, there is a slight clearing between the trees when looking towrds the south west. I could probably raise the system up a few feet higher, but it would require the trimming of some limbs above. Take a look at the photos, and tell me what you all think.

Thanks again
Keith

Last night I managed, by some miracle, to lock on to KSLA-DT for literally a few seconds. For the few seconds I saw a pixelated CSI in HD, I noticed that the subchannels weren't there. Does KSLA turn them off during HD programs?

Greetings,

My name is Joe Holland and I am the Director of Engineering and Operations with KTVE El-Dorado/West Monroe. I would like to first of all say Hello and that I have had the opportunity to read the feedback in this thread concerning the LPDTV transmitter that we have currently located in El Dorado. I will be the first to admit it SUCKS, but when it was installed it was to be only a VERY short term situation that has now been spread out over a couple of years. I could bore you with all of the details, but I will just cut to the nitty gritty.

KTVE-DT LP is a Harris 250w Ranger transmitter that was purchased to be the "emergency" backup transmitter. Harris had these, at the time, just sitting around so we could move quickly in getting one. The tower in El-Dorado could hold the antenna for this solution easily (along with the Christmas lights) but even that turned in to a nightmare. KTVE does not own the tower in El-Dorado, so when we decided to put up the DTV antenna, the company that owns the tower decided that the tower is under rated for the weight and wind load (a 70 lb antenna) It took them over a year to hammer out the contract, perform the tower modification to bring it to current revision, and to hang the antenna. (The transmitter sat on the ground for this year btw)

KTVE-DT Full power HD however has been another Ride. Tower analysis and mods have just come in as well as the lead time for all of the equipment... Encoder racks, HD Sat Receiver, Antenna, Feed line, microwave, building, and tower installers will end up being a multi-million dollar project, as well as the infrastructure of the Master control facility. Our project plans is to have KTVE-DT HD on air by the end of this year.

KTVE-NEWS The new set- Yes KTVE did win a contest called the Ultimate News Makeover. Yes it did include a huge cost savings, but it wasn't free. All of the technology that you see on air had to be bought (plasmas, DLP, 2 new studio cameras (and those aren’t cheap. Even the most inexpensive studio camera will set you back 15K)

Talent-- Yes... a lot of our talent comes straight out of college and it is hit and misses. It is always a challenge to get experienced talent to step down to the 135th market even with what is considered market average pay. (News folks want to move up not down) Our competition has been blessed with the ability to hold on to their talent. (Local ownership is a big plus)

Anyhow... There is the nut shell!

Joe Holland
Director of Engineering and Operations
KTVE
318-323-1972

Last night I managed, by some miracle, to lock on to KSLA-DT for literally a few seconds. For the few seconds I saw a pixelated CSI in HD, I noticed that the subchannels weren't there. Does KSLA turn them off during HD programs?

Keith, KSLA-DT only has one sub-channel - 12.2 The Tube. I've never seen them turn off 12.2 during CBS-HD programming, although I have noticed a blank screen on a few occasions.

The picture quality on 12.2 is absolutely horrendous, so it can't be using much bandwidth. The Tube shows some good old videos that you don't see anywhere else except maybe VH1 Classic, but it's like watching them on a PC from a low-bandwidth Quicktime stream.

Joe,

Thanks for the update on KTVE. It's good to know someone there is reading our opinions. I imagine it does cost a small fortune to get HD on the air. I'm assuming the full power transmitter will be located in Bolding? In any case, I'm looking forward to the day when KTVE is full power :)

gbranch,

My receiver didnt add a subchannel on KSLA, bu then again I didnt keep a lock on them but for about 50-60 seconds, so maybe it just didnt add 12-2. Someone posted on here earlier that KSLA added a radar loop on 12-3. Is that the case?

Well thank you Joe for being honest enough to come on here and tell use the truth. Too bad no sunday night football in HD. Well I am now picking up KALB in Alexandria pretty good at night so I should be ok there. Any word on KARD? I live in West Monroe and pick digital signal good but any word on when we can expect HD there? I tried to send some emails to you guys but never got anwers, maybe got lost in the mix.

You must live outside the city limits of Monore, which may be why you don't have trouble getting KETZ, KALB, etc. It's not fun living in the interference ridden city....and member of the family lives just south of town out of the city, and antennaweb said that location would receive KNOE-DT, KSLA-DT, KTBS-DT, KMSS-DT, KPXJ-DT, and KETZ-DT.... makes me mad...but what can you do?

Well thank you Joe for being honest enough to come on here and tell use the truth. Too bad no sunday night football in HD. Well I am now picking up KALB in Alexandria pretty good at night so I should be ok there. Any word on KARD? I live in West Monroe and pick digital signal good but any word on when we can expect HD there? I tried to send some emails to you guys but never got anwers, maybe got lost in the mix.


Don't count it out just yet...depending on the time it takes for everything to arrive... well lets just say it is possable...

KARD is owned by Nexstar.. I have been told they currently don't have a firm date yet... KTVE is owned by Piedmont Television, we just operate KARD but don't have any control of the capital having to do with KARD.

Oh ok I had no idea on KARD. I thought you guys ran them as well. When you go full power will I have any trouble picking signal up in West Monroe? I dont think I should as I pick up Alexandria and some Shreveport channels ok now. How much power is it gonna be at? Just remember there are lots of people that love watching football and I have been so spoiled to watching all the games on Sunday Ticket in HD and ESPN HD. Thanks again

You must live outside the city limits of Monore, which may be why you don't have trouble getting KETZ, KALB, etc. It's not fun living in the interference ridden city....and member of the family lives just south of town out of the city, and antennaweb said that location would receive KNOE-DT, KSLA-DT, KTBS-DT, KMSS-DT, KPXJ-DT, and KETZ-DT.... makes me mad...but what can you do?

Antenna web is a good source for estimation... however; they still use what is called the Longley Rice method of determining the signal strength of RF signals depending on surface contour. This system works great for Analog... however Digital is another thing... According to my Engineering Report for the new digital transmitter, I will cover most of Bossier Parish from the transmitter location in Huttig Arkansas in what should be a grade "b" signal (41-48 dbu signals). That is based on RF only though. Digital is not analog and depending on the bit rate and error rate, I could blast a signal there, but no one could see me.

When I lived in Bossier City I was very impressed that I could receive KTVE from there...it was pretty snowy but watchable. You've got a powerful analog transmitter, thats for sure.

I have always wondered how signal propagation works... for instance I receive the FOX affiliate out of Shreveport DT signal pretty good at my location usually, and I never get anything from KTBS, and KTBS clearly has the more powerful transmitter. But I guess it just depends on where exactly someone is located.

Can someone please help me? I'm a new guy to the Ruston area (actually, I lived here all the way to college and moved to Bossier for a few years).

I am set up about five miles north of Ruston close to Vienna.

What antenna, amp, rotator, etc. do I need to buy in order to receive channels in sweet HD from Shreveport?

Will I be able to receive any HD channels from Shreveport?

I'm lost as to what I need and don't even know what I need to buy. I can do all the wiring but I have to know what to get first!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Well MWoodard you are right on the fringe in my opinion of realiable reception from shreveport. I think the most powerful uhf antenna is the channelmaster 4228 antenna and a channelmaster 7777 pre-amplifier. If that wont get it than not much else will. The antenna and setup should run prolly around 150 dollars for everything. Try solidsignal or stark electronic websites for ordering info. You can go to lowes or radio shack for the rotator. There is no guarantees that far from shreveport but this will give you your best option for digital channels and HD.

I have found antennaweb to be fairly unreliable. It always shows KAQY at full power but I know they are operating about as much power as a light bulb outside. Joe do you have experience and personal opinions about residential antennas and preamps? Just curious if you had any personal favorites.

I'd love to get a 40 foot tower installed here.... now everytime I see a house with a tower I get jealous...lol. And the old rusty ones are the ones that make me mad b/c those people dont even use them!

What antenna, amp, rotator, etc. do I need to buy in order to receive channels in sweet HD from Shreveport?

Will I be able to receive any HD channels from Shreveport?


I'm able to receive KMSS-DT on *most* nights....quite a few break-ups during the day... as well as KPXJ, though not as frequent. Vienna is kind of a rural area, so you may have a chance...if not 24/7 digital from Shreveport, then during the primetime line-up. As least you dont live in the city of Ruston and have all the city interference to deal with. I agree with dsims...go with the CM 4228 and a 7777 preamp... I'd recommend a tri-pod mount, because they are easiest in my opinion. I have my setup about 25 feet off the ground, and live right in the center of town. Good luck! I'm sure you'll have better luck than me, and you should at least be able to get a reliable signal from KNOE-DT for CBS, if anything.

It looks like KSLA has added another subchannel. 12-3 is the number and it just shows a weather map. Maybe this channel won't take up too much space. They do not turn off the subchannels during the HD primetime shows. My main complaint about KSLA is that they do not pass 5.1 sound.

It looks like KSLA has added another subchannel. 12-3 is the number and it just shows a weather map. Maybe this channel won't take up too much space. They do not turn off the subchannels during the HD primetime shows. My main complaint about KSLA is that they do not pass 5.1 sound.

I did a channel update this evening and am now seeing 12-3 Weather. Video is KSLA doppler radar image and audio is The Tube. Static images and non 5.1 audio don't use much bandwidth. I have never seen KSLA-DT turn off their sub-channels during CBS-HD programming.

BTW, the CBS affiliate over here in Tyler, KYTX-DT, doesn't pass DD 5.1 either.

I'm glad to see a rep from KTVE on this board. Getting the station full power/HD would boost the prestige and viewership. I hope that the right move is made and its done correctly unlike the situation at KATV-DT in my market.

Also any word about KEJB-43 (no digital assigned). I get them up here (way out of the grade b, watchable but snowy) pretty much 24/7 if i point toward Huttig, AR. Are they going to flash cut prior to 2009 or stay analog until then. I understand they are going MYN instead of the CW network (KASN-DT Little Rock and KPXJ are future CW stations). Will another Monroe area station carry CW either as a part time affliate (no HD unless west Coast feed is used) or a digital subchannel (also no HD)?

Will another Monroe area station carry CW either as a part time affliate (no HD unless west Coast feed is used) or a digital subchannel (also no HD)?

KNOE is going to carry the CW on subchannel 8-2 when it comes on the air, so I guess that means no HD for it :confused:

KNOE is going to carry the CW on subchannel 8-2 when it comes on the air, so I guess that means no HD for it :confused:

Keith, you can always point the 4228 toward Shreveport for KPXJ-DT 21 (your best bet in El Dorado), or on a good nigiht Redfield, AR for Little Rock's KASN-DT ch 39 if you crave the CW in HD this fall. Unlike KATV-DT ch 22, KASN-DT *does* have a full power digital transmitter. And there will probally be a few programs maybe worth watching since the merger will weed out some junk from the old WB/UPN networks.

The tropo must be excellent today...I've been getting KMSS, KSLA, and KPXJ more or less continously since I got home today.

Keith, you can always point the 4228 toward Shreveport for KPXJ-DT 21 (your best bet in El Dorado), or on a good nigiht Redfield, AR for Little Rock's KASN-DT ch 39 if you crave the CW in HD this fall. Unlike KATV-DT ch 22, KASN-DT *does* have a full power digital transmitter. And there will probally be a few programs maybe worth watching since the merger will weed out some junk from the old WB/UPN networks.

The only one of those my STB has locked on to is KPXJ, and on normal evenings that's not even until pretty late. I never watched UPN or the WB, but I think the CW will be a higher quality network.

Gee, I wonder how long My Network TV will last? Looks like a big joke if you ask me.

The tropo was great, off and on last night. I managed to receive most of the Jackson, MS locals... except for two.

KALB (http://www.kalb.com) (RF 35) Alexandria NBC
KNOE (http://www.knoe.com) (RF 7)
KSLA (http://www.ksla.com) (RF 17)
WAPT (http://www.wapt.com) (RF 21) Jackson ABC
WJTV (http://www.wjtv.com) (RF 52) Jackson CBS
WMPN (http://www.mpbonline.org) (RF 20) Jackson MPB
KMSS (http://www.kmsstv.com) (RF 34)
KPXJ (http://www.kpxj21.com) (RF 21)



Although they didnt last but maybe an hour or so, I noticed WMPN has two channels, 29-1 is their regular broadcast, and 29-2 was PBS HD 24/7. WJTV has something similar to NBC's WeatherPlus on 12-2, and WAPT has a radar loop on 16-2.

Hey guys, I'm new to the forums, and trying to figure out what type of equipment i would need to get all the oTA HD channels in shreveport. I live at University Court Apts in Shreveport , it is off the corner of Youree and Burt Kouns. Do I just need and antenna or would i need some type of amp too? I stay on the 1st floor of a two story apartment so I have to take that into account.

I was looking at getting an anteena for under $50 from ebay or Walmart
would that be engouh or to much? what i was planning on doing was getting a 4 gallon bucket and cementing a 6-10ft pole into the bucket for my antenna. Would that work?
Thanks in Advance.
Keith

Oh yeah my tv is a Panasonic tc-32lx60

I'm not too big of an expert with indoor antennas, but if you live in the city, then you may try a pair of rabbit ears to see what you can get... and if you can't get everything you want, then you could return it, and try the Silver Sensor... or the CM 4221. The 4221 is an outdoor antenna, but could probably be set up indoors easily. But I'm reasonably confident you could get everything with just rabbit ears, since you arent too far away from the transmitters. I know I have to have an outdoor antenna pretty high in order to receive anything digital from Shreveport, but then again I live 80 miles away from the transmitters. I hope this helps!

Hey guys, I'm new to the forums, and trying to figure out what type of equipment i would need to get all the oTA HD channels in shreveport. I live at University Court Apts in Shreveport , it is off the corner of Youree and Burt Kouns. Do I just need and antenna or would i need some type of amp too? I stay on the 1st floor of a two story apartment so I have to take that into account.

I was looking at getting an anteena for under $50 from ebay or Walmart
would that be engouh or to much? what i was planning on doing was getting a 4 gallon bucket and cementing a 6-10ft pole into the bucket for my antenna. Would that work?
Thanks in Advance.
Keith

Oh yeah my tv is a Panasonic tc-32lx60

Welcome,

I don't live in the Shreveport market (i'm in western Lincoln County, Arkansas, in the SE part of the Little Rock DMA), but get some SHV area stations via tropo enhancement (http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo) . I'd get the Channel Master 4221 and its small enough for indoor use and large enough for gain in a suburban area. The problem station for you will likely be KTAL-DT ( ch 15, aka "6-1") since its low power and has passes no HDTV from NBC at present. I would try that antenna with some high quality coax. The local stores likely will not carry that antenna so the best sources are online retailersWarren Electronics (http://www.warrenelectronics.com) and Solid Signal (http://www.solidsignal.com). I've purchased from both, although I do like Warren due to somewhat quicker shipping. The transmitters are generally north of Shreveport.

Good Luck :D

And speaking of tropo from Shreveport......

KSLA has added music to their 12-3 Radar feed, via the audio of The Tube (located on 12-2).

I can see putting NOAA WX radio audio on that feed, but from music videos? :confused:

Morning Haley....what visitors have the excellent tropo this morning brought you? Ive been pleased :D

edit - I also noticed they have the music from The Tube playing on the background of the radar. They could at least do what KALB 5.2 is doing... playing a loop of the NOAA weather radio.

Morning Haley....what visitors have the excellent tropo this morning brought you? Ive been pleased :D

edit - I also noticed they have the music from The Tube playing on the background of the radar. They could at least do what KALB 5.2 is doing... playing a loop of the NOAA weather radio.


KETK-DT 22 Jacksonville, TX (NBC)
KFXK-DT 31 Longview, TX (CBS)

Not bad for 2 markets away :D

It's been an excellent morning down here:

KSLA DT 17
KPXJ DT 21
KETK DT 22
KFXK DT 31
KYTX DT 18

I've even managed to pull in KLFY DT 56.. the CBS affiliate out of Lafayette, LA!

And the usual suspects are here as well.... KMSS and KALB...

Have you tried turning your antenna south southwest? perhaps you could find KALB-DT..it's RF 35 :)

Thanks for the help guys, but i have a few more questions. First , would i need to purchase a stand to use the CM 4221 indoors? and second , on antenna web they show channel 21.1 as TBD , does anyone know when this channel will be turned on?
thanks
keith

Yes you would need a mount...I would use a tri-pod mount, you can get one at Radio Shack for 30 bucks...It's meant for the roof, but will work excellent to set up an antenna like the 4221 indoors.

21-1 is KPXJ, used to be a pax affiliate but KTBS bought it and turned it into a UPN. They do transmit HD and the picture is good, KTBS does an excellent job with the technical side of things.

21-1 is KPXJ, used to be a pax affiliate but KTBS bought it and turned it into a UPN. They do transmit HD and the picture is good, KTBS does an excellent job with the technical side of things.

I was just curious, why does KPXJ have two channels? Because 21-1 and 21-2 always seem to be broadcasting the exact same thing. Is there a reason for this?

I've never been able to get KTBS here...would love to see how well HD looks on there.

I was just curious, why does KPXJ have two channels? Because 21-1 and 21-2 always seem to be broadcasting the exact same thing. Is there a reason for this.

Since KPXJ no longer has an analog channel, they use 21-2 as the SD feed for cable companies, Dish and Directv. 21-2 is always 480i and has a constant 4:3 aspect ratio, while 21-1 is constantly switching between SD and HD, and 4:3 and 16:9, depending upon the program.

Oh okay...well that would make sense. What made them decide to flash cut to digital? I realize they didnt have a second channel for digital, so is that the reason?

I think it was due to the analog stuff being outdated and in a cpl years being useless.

Well, in any case, it's good they were rewarded the CW affiliation. The CW affiliate in Monroe/El Dorado is going to be a subchannel on KNOE-DT, 8-2. No HD, no nothing. And from what Ive seen of KPXJ, even an infomercial looks pristine!

Well KNOE has quit copying its analog feed on 8-2 and now just using a testing screen. I think the CW network officially kicks off in September so not too much longer it looks like.

I noticed they had the testing screen up... it would be nice if the FCC would allow them another channel to broadcast the CW in full HD... but I dont count on that happening. Are you still getting KALB relilably, dims?

I have not gotten it as well as I did last week. I can still receive it after sunset reliably. I didnt get to check reception the other morning when you were having good tropo weather.

I was certainly getting KALB well in to the 90's yesterday morning. I havent checked tonight though. Getting KSLA and KMSS out of Shreveport... Although the lock on KSLA is right on the border of the 60% it needs to maintain a lock.

I think the reason I have so much trouble receiving KETZ is due to the fact that they're using a directional antenna, which is facing towards the east. Probably due to keeping KSLA analog 12 protected. And I guess this is probably the reason you're receiving it so well...they're transmitter is pointing more or less in your direction. Oh well..

Hey guys, I back with some more questions. First off i got all 5 hdtv channels in my area at about 80% with a $25 rabbit ear antenna from walmart :D . All the channels worked great except for FOX ....IT wAS HORRIBLE. But anyway i not here to talk about that I see that that has been well documented. What I wanted to know was , are all the HD channels cut off at a certian time?, as you can see i am typing away pretty late and as of now i cant get but one channel (ABC). Do the other channels shutdown at a certian time? If so what time is it off and on?
thanks
keith

No, all the digital channels are on the air 24/7. That may be a problem.... you maybe have been getting everything else due to the conditions of the atmosphere... which means that you'll only get the other channels when the conditions are right. Which means you will probably need to invest in the CM 4221 (http://www.warrenelectronics.com/antennas/4221.htm)...or I would say you could go to Lowes, and get the smallest outdoor antenna they carry, which is the CM 3016 (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=159752-000000693-3016&lpage=none)... it's only about 35.00. Or, you may want to get a pre amplifier... like the CM 7777 (http://www.warrenelectronics.com/antennas/7777.htm) . Before I do all of that, though, I would try moving the rabbit ears a little, maybe placing it close to a window in the middle of the day (around noon). This will give you an accurate signal strength you can expect under normal conditions. If you still prove unsuccessful, Then it's time to move on to bigger and better antennas :)

Oh yes, also, I would take back that $25 rabbit ear antenna, and get a cheap one with NO tuning knobs. Yes, just one with the UHF loop and rabbit ears. I have found in the past that the cheaper rabbit ears work BETTER than those expensive $25-30.00 ones. And if those don't work, then rabbit ears may not be a good solution.

Well folks... Just FYI... My new ATSC-HD transmitter was ordered today. It should be here within 60-90 days. Now just depending on tower, antenna, and the rest of the fun gear... Sunday night football in HD just might happen on KTVE-DT

Cheers

Well folks... Just FYI... My new ATSC-HD transmitter was ordered today. It should be here within 60-90 days. Now just depending on tower, antenna, and the rest of the fun gear... Sunday night football in HD just might happen on KTVE-DT

Cheers

Joe,

That is EXCELLENT news!! Let's hope everything goes along smoothly. I should be able to get close to a 100% signal from my location... which is an even bigger plus. After KTVE-DT goes full power, I won't have to attempt to get KALB out of Alexandria to watch Leno and Conan in HD :) Thanks for the update!

Wow that is excellent news. Maybe we will be able to see the last half of the season in HD. Great news indeed!!!!

KETK-DT 22 Jacksonville, TX (NBC)
KFXK-DT 31 Longview, TX (CBS)

Not bad for 2 markets away :D

KFXK is FOX.

The CBS station there is KYTX 19/DT 18.

Do I need an Amp, if the cable from the antenna to the tv is only 10feet? Is an amp for cable length or signal strenght?

thanks guys
keith

Do I need an Amp, if the cable from the antenna to the tv is only 10feet? Is an amp for cable length or signal strenght?

thanks guys
keith

No, you definitely dont need an amp if its only 10 feet... I think if its more than 25 feet is when an amp is recommended. An amp is suppose to help overcome signal loss due to long cable length, so in your case one is not needed :)

How are your channels coming in now? Are they still going in and out?

KFXK is FOX.

The CBS station there is KYTX 19/DT 18.

I thought KYTX was CBS, but I wasnt going to say anything :) I was receiving their signal, along with KETK..both Saturday and this morning. This morning was great -

WJTV - Jackson, MS
*Almost locked on to WABG*

And of course, KMSS, KSLA, KPXJ, and KALB were there as well. Still have yet to receive anything from KTBS. It's always 0 on signal strength. Its weird that Ive managed to get every major network, except ABC.. and I'd love to see GMA in HD..

No, you definitely dont need an amp if its only 10 feet... I think if its more than 25 feet is when an amp is recommended. An amp is suppose to help overcome signal loss due to long cable length, so in your case one is not needed :)

How are your channels coming in now? Are they still going in and out?

They are coming in great, all 5 channels are in the same general directions except for KSLA CBS 12.1 it's spotty coming in at about 30%. I figured out why my channels werent coming in before, I had to reset the channels since I was going back and forth from cable.

I still think that i am going to get one of those CM antennas and a mount, I need something that works flawless, cause football season is soon upon us..

Question, I have my antenna placed by a window, how much signal gain would i theoretically achieve by getting one of those CM antennas and mount and having it outside on my first floor patio. Yeah i know there are alot of factors that play into this but as of now i am getting signals at 70%.

Also , is there any common channel that I could go to to see what programs are HD?

thanks
Keith

Crap!! just realized that football is moving to NBC on Sunday nights :rolleyes: , guess i am going to have to get started on this whole setup so that i can get it up and running by 2 weeks. Crap!!

Oh yeah , what is a preamp?

A CM 4228 or 4221 would be a good choice, but you can only order them online. You could go to Lowe's and get a CM 3016 or CM 3018, for $35 and $56, respectively. That would almost eliminate all problems you would have :)

And true, many factors come in to play when trying to obtain a signal, but you live within 15 miles of the transmitters, so you will not have much of a problem at all. If you put a CM out on your back patio, regardless of height (although a little bit would help) will probably even get you digitals out of E Texas, at least on occasions! So a CM would be a good investment. The CM 3016 does not require any assembly. I think the only Lowes in the area that carries the CM 3016 is the Lowes on Airline Drive in Bossier City.... The only one they have out is the 3020...which is too big for your location, and it's $100.... so you need to ask an associate for it. Go to Lowes.com... and type "antenna" in the search... then choose the store on Airline Drive as your preferred store. That will give you a list of what they have in stock, etc. And it may help to print out the page of the item you want, so the associate knows what you are talking about.

A preamp is like an amp, except it is mounted outside on the antenna mast. They are pretty much only used in weak signal areas (Like my location) or to help overcome a long cable run (+25-50 feet). You wont need one, I believe :-D

And yes NBC is carrying Sunday night football in HD, but KTAL doesnt broadcast in HD at the moment...it wont be, according to them, until November....which we'll see. You may want to try for KALB, the NBC affiliate out of Alexandria. They do an excellent job of broadcasting in HD, and I receive them on most late evenings @ 150 miles away. Although you would probably require a preamp for the stretch... and I wouldnt advise one, as it would overload all your other HD signals, due to them being so close. Hope this helps!

You can go to titantv.com.... enter your zip, and it will give you a listing of all your locals... and will display an HD icon next to programs that are HD. As far as a channel to turn to, you cant turn to just one channel to see what is in HD...all you will have is the Electronic guide. As far as I know, all channels in Shreveport broadcast in HD...usually in Primetime (between 7 and 10PM) during network programming...with the exception of KTAL ( due to their cheapskate owners ) But then again you should go to titantv.com, and that'll give you a list of what programs are actually broadcast in true HD.

Thanks for all your help Keith (This is my name also...feels weird to type to myself!!), but I have one question before i purchase the CM 3016, could I get the CM 3010 and have still be just effective as the 3016? I want it over the 3016 purely for cosmetic reasons seeing as it will be on my patio rather that rooftop.

I'm sure you already know what the CM3010 looks like but here's a picture anyway...
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=154077-000000693-3010&lpage=none

Thanks,
Keith

No problem... I'm glad I can help! I know how it is when you're no familiar with any of this new stuff. :)

You could try the 3010... as it is rated the same as the 3016, although there have been mixed reviews about it. If it was me, I would get the 3016, but if you want to have something low profile, then you could try it.... and if you dont get acceptable results, then you can return it. I've never tried the 3010.... but it may work... so there's no harm in trying! :D

Simmons you could try the 3010 as Keith said but I wouldnt pay much attention to those ratings. I havent heard alot of good things about it. I have experience with the 3016 and know it is a good antenna. I dont know if you have looked into online ordering but the DB2 from antennas direct is know to be an excellent small outdoor antenna and I think would be perfect for your situation. I know sometimes it pays to just go with a good antenna the first time so you dont have to go back through the trouble of getting the old one down and putting up another new one. Anyways just my two cents but I envy your situation being so close to the towers lol.

Keith have you ever tried any antennas direct products? I had a xg 91 a few years ago but really didnt get to fool with it much due to time issues. Ended up moving and left it at the place I was living foolishly. It is supposed to be more directional than a 4228 and have a little more gain. I am thinking about getting one just to play around with.

I was thinking of ordering one myself. I have heard good things about it. I just unsuccessfully tried to mount my 4228 five feet higher...lol.... I dont think I can do it myself as it's too heavy for me to lift over my head.... oh well it was worth a shot!

Simmons you could try the 3010 as Keith said but I wouldnt pay much attention to those ratings. I havent heard alot of good things about it. I have experience with the 3016 and know it is a good antenna. I dont know if you have looked into online ordering but the DB2 from antennas direct is know to be an excellent small outdoor antenna and I think would be perfect for your situation. I know sometimes it pays to just go with a good antenna the first time so you dont have to go back through the trouble of getting the old one down and putting up another new one. Anyways just my two cents but I envy your situation being so close to the towers lol.

Thanks Dsims, thats the exact situation that i am trying to avoid . I want to pick something that I can stick with and dont have to worry about returning it. I'll look into the DB2

Thanks
Simmons (In an effort for less confusion)

Well Im having problems with the 7777, now... I think it may be the cable run... or the 4228... I took it off the mast this evening and I'll see what the problem is tomorrow. It still works... as I hooked it up to rabbit ears and it worked perfectly. So it has to be either the coax Im using, or the 4228. I'll be crossing my fingers tomorrow when Im working on it!

Well I was up late last night and checked to see how good tropo was and turned out to be pretty good. I received WMPN out of Jackson, WABG of Greenville, WUFX of Jackson, WNTZ of Natchez, WJTV of Jackson, and WAPT of Jackson. Pretty good night all in all.

Sounds like you did good! I didnt get anything from Jackson last night, mostly everything from Shreveport....heck I even locked on to KTBS-DT last night...a first! I replaced the coax running from the antenna to the power supply (moved tv into another room) so maybe the coax I had before just wasnt high quality. I was getting KTBS this morning as well, along with KALB, KSLA, KMSS, KPXJ, and the digitals from East Texas. Very good tropo in deed...and it's suppose to be good tonight and tomorrow morning also :D

To anyone who watches KSLA for CBS programming, I noticed last night while watching CSI and Letterman, that the lip sync was off..not by much, maybe half a second, but it was noticable, none the less. Is this an everyday occurance for KSLA?

Looks like Nexstar is trying to get away from upgrading their low power stations, indefinitely.

Nexstar Letter to FCC (http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=415284)

It lists the stations that are low power, and approximate time until full power as of NOW... some stations of interest..

KTAL - December 2006
KARD - December 2008

I think we need to all write a letter to the FCC, and urge them to decline Nexstar's request. If this is approved, then who knows when KTAL or KARD will come on line. I for one am going to email the DTV task force chair. Their email can be found on th FCC website.

To anyone who watches KSLA for CBS programming, I noticed last night while watching CSI and Letterman, that the lip sync was off..not by much, maybe half a second, but it was noticable, none the less. Is this an everyday occurance for KSLA?

KSLA-hmmm,,
Sync, FREQUENT failure to "switch", jerk and hang in hd, lack of 5.1 sound, compatibility issues with certain tuners,,,,, I get CBS 19 KYTX, much better!

KSLA is still better than KTAL, "Better to try & fail than never try,,,"
Plus CBS network is better than NBC

Bet KETK56 get's 1080i up before KTAL, "newschannel6"- try "losechannel6"

I, too, noticed that KSLA isnt compatible with some tuners. I have the LG 32LC2D.. and with the built in tuner, KSLA will go from a "normal" rating down to Bad... then a couple minutes later, it'll be back up to normal.. then back to bad after a minute or two. While my STB does a little better.

Unfortunately, I cant get KYTX here :( Im lucky to get KSLA most of the time. I do get KYTX in the mornings, though. When UPN goes off the air, will the CW be on 19-2?

And about KTAL... as Ive said always... its fitting for a mediocre station to be affiliated with a mediocre network!

KTAL is junk. I wonder what NBC thinks of how crappy that station is operated. Don't forget, they pulled two cable companies' re-broadcast rights. I wouldn't be surprised if they did it again right before football season starts. Secondly, I am not counting on any HD broadcast from them. They don't even broadcast in stereo! I'm shocked that they are in color.

If I was Nexstar, I would feel pretty uncomfortable being the ONLY station in a market not at full power/broadcasting HD. But they don't care.. too many cheapskates in that company. Maybe the management at KTAL should "mutiny" against Nexstar...lol. Notice that most Nexstar owned stations run very low cost, low rated, low quality talk/court shows on their daytime lineup..for example, Divorce Court...and their lead in to their 5:00 news is Maury!! Thats almost as bad as Jerry Springer. The only gem they have is Wheel of Fortune, and they should give up the rights to that, and let KTBS or KSLA have it. Why waste a highly rated show on a station like that? Perhaps they should carry "Extra" or "Entertainment Tonight" at 6:30.

Yay, now I know KARD prolly wont do anything until 08. It really sucks to be in a small market.

I've been reading the nexstar posts recently. Our nexstar outpost here KARK only went full power on March 17, almost 3 weeks past their projected date. One could literally count the number of nexstar stations with full power digitals on one hand perhaps.

That company specializes in purchasing "distressed" stations. Much of the syndicated programming is "second tier" (court shows, long running also-ran talk shows, Entertainment Tonight, etc). There is also a big use of informericals.....KARK here airs an infomerical following the 3rd hour of Today. Plus the station no longer has a full time sports department---its outsourced to its Faytetteville, AR affliate, KNWA (as the Razorback Nation segment) as a cost cutting measure. A couple of young (part time?) reporters are retained to cover Little Rock area sports.

Things will improve.....the problem will be convincing Duane Lammers and his bosses that the public at large is more interested in HDTV, than some second-tier syndicated programming. That could be a hard sell with the general public fat, dumb and happy with their 27" analog tv's on Tivo's and "digital" cable. I feel for you long-suffering KTAL viewers.

BTW Keith, you missed a *great* opening on Wednsday morning. As i'm typing, KTBS-DT and KPXJ-DT are in strong now.

IWhen UPN goes off the air, will the CW be on 19-2?

No, the CW affiliation was awarded to analog-only KCEB-54 in Longview. At this time KCEB has no CP for a digital station, although they have a CP for move to analog channel 38. I suspect that at some point they will flash cut to digital, although I believe the station operators, White Knight, recently filed for bankruptcy and they are trying to sell KCEB and KFXK.

Supposedly, 19.2 will stay on the air as an indepedent. They have some pretty good sports programming - Rangers and Astros baseball, and Mavericks basketball.

The MNTV affiliation in Tyler-Longview was awarded to low power stations KLPN-58 and KTPN-48. These are the previous UPN stations that are now operating as independents.

On Jan 1, 2006, UPN moved from a trimulcast on 54/58/48 to UPN-18. 54 became WB. 58/48 became independent.

Bet KETK56 get's 1080i up before KTAL, "newschannel6"- try "losechannel6"?

Agreed. The KETK station engineer told someone on the Tyler board that his HD equipment has been ordered. He is just waiting to receive it and install. Expect KETK to have HD by the end of the year, hopefully before the end of football season.

KSLA-hmmm,,
Sync, FREQUENT failure to "switch", jerk and hang in hd, lack of 5.1 sound, compatibility issues with certain tuners,,,,, I get CBS 19 KYTX, much better!

KSLA is still better than KTAL, "Better to try & fail than never try,,,"
Plus CBS network is better than NBC

Bet KETK56 get's 1080i up before KTAL, "newschannel6"- try "losechannel6"

KETK will be on 1080i HD by the fall season.

BTW Keith, you missed a *great* opening on Wednsday morning. As i'm typing, KTBS-DT and KPXJ-DT are in strong now.

I had a problem with the preamp on Tuesday... well actually it was a bad coax, so I went out and bought a new 100 ft. run... and things are working fine now. The tropo was good Wednesday evening, yesterday morning, and this morning though. I finally managed to receieve KTBS Wednesday night, Thursday morning and evening, as well as this morning. I got to see a little of GMA in HD, which was a treat :) Perhaps replacing the coax made that big of a difference, because I couldn't get KTBS at all until I replaced it.

KSLA is starting to become a regular, like KMSS. I'm receving them, more or less, every evening after 7 or 8 PM. Now if I could just get a 50 foot tower, I'd have it made.

This morning's tropo was especially good... I was getting all the Shreveport locals (including KLTS)

KETK and KYTX from the Tyler area.

KALB, KLFY (CBS), and KADN (FOX) from Alexandria/Southern Louisiana. KALB's signal was between 95-98% most of the time, up until around 9:45 this morning. KLFY was around 65%, and KADN was around 70%. Too bad we can't have 24/7 tropo weather :rolleyes:

gbranch, I'm just curious, but since KYTX has only been a CBS affiliate for two or three years, what did local cable companies/OTA viewers, etc. do for CBS programming? I imagine the cable companies carried either KSLA or KTVT out of Dallas, depending where you lived. And it was a big surprise to me that East Texas doesn't have a PBS affiliate, save for KLTS out of Shreveport. Do you get KLTS-DT pretty good where you live?

gbranch, I'm just curious, but since KYTX has only been a CBS affiliate for two or three years, what did local cable companies/OTA viewers, etc. do for CBS programming? I imagine the cable companies carried either KSLA or KTVT out of Dallas, depending where you lived. And it was a big surprise to me that East Texas doesn't have a PBS affiliate, save for KLTS out of Shreveport. Do you get KLTS-DT pretty good where you live?

From 1984 to 1993, Tyler-Longview did have a CBS affiliate, KLMG-51 was CBS before they switched to FOX. KSLA has a good grade B signal into Longview, so OTA was never a problem here. Tyler pretty much had no CBS OTA coverage before and after KLMG unless you had a monster antenna. Most of the cable companies carried both KSLA and KTVT, and most have since dropped KTVT after KYTX went on. Longview cable continues to carry both KYTX and KSLA, as KSLA is considered a significantly viewed station here.

We have never had a PBS station, and KLTS analog is very spotty in Longview. KLTS-DT only transmits with 57kW, and barely makes it to Marshall. I don't know of anyone here who can get KLTS-DT. Most people here get PBS via cable with KERA Dallas. Dish carries KERA and Direct carries a PBS national feed. I was always surprised that KERA never put a translator in Tyler, but with cable penetration so high there I guess they didn't see the need for it. I don't forsee east texas ever getting their own standalone PBS. I think that the most that we can expect is maybe a PBS on a digital subchannel, or a low power digital station.

.... Do you get KLTS-DT pretty good where you live?

I've never logged KLTS-DT since this religious station (http://www.vtntv.com) has a strong local analog signal on ch 25. I do manage to pull out the analog signal from KLTS (as well as Monroe's KLTM-13 analog) at times quite well. BTW how is the programming arranged on LPB and picture quality on HD?

The state of Texas doesn't have a statewide PBS network like LA, OK, AR, and MS, so basically each market had to develop their own station, and east Texas never had an educational institution or arts community that was willing to do it.

It's been 30+ years, but I remember growing up in Longview when KSLA carried Sesame Street and maybe The Electric Company in the mornings. This was before KLTS went on the air.

Unfortunately, with the state budget the way it is in Louisiana, I don't see LPB upgrading KLTS-DT for a long time. I'm sure that it would be hard to justify spending tax dollars to provide programming to people in Texas.

I read somewhere that a significant number of East Texas residents donate money to LPB due to the fact that they're the only PBS station whose OTA signal reaches into the area. I notcied that all the LPB DT stations are low power.... but, LA is a poor state, so I guess that is one reason. Why didn't Texas enact a statewide PBS network? Is it because Texas is such a large state?

I've never logged KLTS-DT since this religious station (http://www.vtntv.com) has a strong local analog signal on ch 25. I do manage to pull out the analog signal from KLTS (as well as Monroe's KLTM-13 analog) at times quite well. BTW how is the programming arranged on LPB and picture quality on HD?


I've only logged KLTS once, which was today, for only a few minutes, but they had two subchannels. I didnt get to take a look at the 24 hour HD feed. I think they have 24-1, 24-3, and 24-5...24-3 is PBS kids and 24-5 is HD. Is this correct, gbranch?

I read somewhere that a significant number of East Texas residents donate money to LPB due to the fact that they're the only PBS station whose OTA signal reaches into the area. I notcied that all the LPB DT stations are low power.... but, LA is a poor state, so I guess that is one reason. Why didn't Texas enact a statewide PBS network? Is it because Texas is such a large state?


Many states don't operate statewide PBS networks. Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas use local PBS stations. Arkansas and Lousiana have public television networks only and Mississippi has both statewide public radio and public TV. Interesting side note on Seseme Street and Electric Company: those were the two shows i remember watching right after we got color TV in the early 70's (my parents were not well off and very working class). Mississippi's public TV network orginally banned Seseme Street due to seggish paranoia at the time (1970).

I'm sure the upcoming football season will bring up more HDTV topics on this board...... :D

I'm sure the upcoming football season will bring up more HDTV topics on this board...... :D


You can bet so! At least you have KARK HD (finally). I should be able to get KTAL-DT here pretty well after they go full-power. At least, I hope so :)

KTVE is still progressing forard with the KTVE-DT Full power HD project.. I will hope that when it goes online, that I can count on several of you from around the DMA to give objective feedback :-) as I have read, that seems to be an easy task...hehe.

Just a time line note... HDTV Transmitter Ordered ----- 60-90 days
Antenna and Feedline ----------- Pending (hopefully ordering monday)
HD and SD encoder rack -------- 30 days
Building for new xmitter -------- Pending (also to monday)

Baralak

Joe Holland
Director of Engineering and Operations
KTVE/ KTVE-DT

Joe as you can tell I dont think you will have any problem with feedback lol. Joe how many kw when the station goes full power and how high is the antenna going to be? Thanks for keeping us informed and hopefully you will in the future also.

I've only logged KLTS once, which was today, for only a few minutes, but they had two subchannels. I didnt get to take a look at the 24 hour HD feed. I think they have 24-1, 24-3, and 24-5...24-3 is PBS kids and 24-5 is HD. Is this correct, gbranch?

Don't know, Keith. I have never been able to receive KLTS-DT, only snowy analog KLTS. But I think that I have seen posts earlier on this board that confirms those channels.

I read somewhere that a significant number of East Texas residents donate money to LPB due to the fact that they're the only PBS station whose OTA signal reaches into the area.

Quite a few East Texas counties along the TX/LA border are part of the Shreveport DMA, so all of those people get KLTS on their cable and satellite systems.

Longview, for instance, is mostly in Gregg County, which is in the Tyler DMA. The far eastern parts of the city are in Harrison County, which is in the Shreveport DMA. Directv recently switched from a zip code based system to qualify local channels to a county based system, so a bunch of people that live on the Harrison County side of Longview got switched from Tyler locals to Shreveport locals, and they are not happy.

the antenna will be up 1850' located at our current tower in Bolding Arkansas.. the transmitter will have a TPO of 49.5kw with an EIRP of over 1 megawatt digital... You can look at the footprint on my Geocaching website just follow this link: http://www.nelageo.net/KTVE-DT.pdf

Joe

Joe, you may be interested in a bit of history on the original KTVE that was located in Longview.

http://www.chalkhillmedia.org/Museum/KTVE.htm

Excellent! Thanks Joe for the map.

Thanks for keeping us up to date, Joe.. this is excellent news :) By the look of the coverage map, I won't have to worry about dropouts from KTVE, at least! I'm curious, I read that KETZ, a new AETN digital station, is renting part of KTVE's tower.. and they're broadcasting on RF 12. I received them well, up until recently. Now I don't get a lock on them at all. Could it be due to the fact that their transmitter is directional, aimed towards the south and east? Or, do you know if they've just been having problems?

Quite a few East Texas counties along the TX/LA border are part of the Shreveport DMA, so all of those people get KLTS on their cable and satellite systems.

Longview, for instance, is mostly in Gregg County, which is in the Tyler DMA. The far eastern parts of the city are in Harrison County, which is in the Shreveport DMA. Directv recently switched from a zip code based system to qualify local channels to a county based system, so a bunch of people that live on the Harrison County side of Longview got switched from Tyler locals to Shreveport locals, and they are not happy.

How long were those people in Longview, in the Tyler DMA? I would think Directv would let them qualify for both... just to keep customers happy. Something similar happened in Arkansas... When Nevada county got switched from the Little Rock to Shreveport DMA... so many people complained, that Directv finally "grandfathered" the customers that had LR locals... and allowed them to choose.

BTW, I read the story about the old KTVE a while back... I found it on Wikipedia. Were you the one that added it?

Keith are you still having problems with KETZ? I just checked my signal strengh and and receiving it with about 80 signal strengh and coming in perfect. Maybe you should dry to reboot your box or clear locals and rescan if you havent already.

I am still having problems with them... I even re-installed the old antenna below the 4228, since I was getting good results with it... but still nothing. The receiver doesn't even hesitate when passing over Channel 12. I'm at a loss... although as I said, their transmitter is directional... and El Dorado is actually on the back end of the way the transmitter is pointing. Oh wel.... one days I'll figure something out.

I am still having problems with them... I even re-installed the old antenna below the 4228, since I was getting good results with it... but still nothing. The receiver doesn't even hesitate when passing over Channel 12. I'm at a loss... although as I said, their transmitter is directional... and El Dorado is actually on the back end of the way the transmitter is pointing. Oh wel.... one days I'll figure something out.

There's always the option of a seperate feedline (coax cable). Just use an A/B switch. A preamp would not be neccessary for KETZ at your location. Point the old antenna toward Huttig.