Topeka, KS - HDTV - Page 5

No WIBW for me yet. I live in Lawrence though, so I may never see it.

I recieve the KC CBS station at almost 100%, but they don't pass the HD content.

No WIBW yet. Can't pick up KSNT, my antenna pointed at KC but
I can pick up WIBW with decent signal strength but breaks up
and pixels a lot. Hoping new line fixes that problem. I tried
putting up a small uhf antenna pointing towards ksnt and was able to
get WIBW and KSNT with strong signal but lost KC stations. Not sure what
I'm going to do so I can pick up signals from both directions? Might
end up running another cable and use a switcher for both directions.

We are receiving about the same signal strength from KSNT as we were from WIBW before that went down (same at our store as at home). I get high 70's at home on my Sony HD100 and high 80's at work on a DISH 6000. KSNT is still not passing any HDTV. I think I'll email Gary.

I just heard from KSNT and they are waiting the completion of installation of their switching equipment. They hope to have it completed this week.

Hi guys,
Here's where WIBW stands as of 3:30 today...we took the DTV off air so that we could run the main (analog) signal on the temporary line that was being used to feed the DTV. We have installed the channel combiner/splitter in the main line. As of now, we are running the interconnecting line from the DTV transmitter to the channel combiner and the line from the splitter (at the top of the tower) to the DTV antenna. The preliminary testing of the line for VSWR will be done this afternoon and assuming we find no problems on ch 13 we will cut the analog transmitter back to the main line late tonight and WIBW analog will be back at full power tomorrow AM. Tomorrow night we will take the system down again for full performance testing (VSWR, return loss, frequency response etc.) across both the analog and DTV channels. If all is well then, we will fire the DTV up into the main line and both stations will be at their final power operation by Friday morning.
Thanks for your continued interest in and feedback on our DTV operations and thanks for watching.

PS
I don't even want to THINK about how cold it is going to be tonight at the top of that 1000' tower while they are working!

I thought of that too. While I find the technical part of HD transmission fascinating, I am glad I am not joining you. Keep warm.

Thanks for the info.

I don't think I should need a combiner. I run a separate vhf and my
uhf has a input and output. The small uhf I added also has a input
and output. I should only have to take the lead from other antennas
into the small uhf and out from it to my tuner, that was what I was
told from the guy I bought my antennas from. I may have to talk to
him again and see what he says. I know he's been selling antennas
for Topeka area a long long time.

Doug Overla, Chief Engineer form KSNT-TV would like to encourage folks to contact him via email and let him know how the reception is and where they are located. His email address is DOverla@ksnt.com.

He would also like to know if MAX HD got a picture or video of the reception of analog 27 since he is 550 miles away.

I feel the same way Tim, I would love to e-mail him, but there is no way I am going to get 1 KW in Olathe. KC's NBC station won't even be on the air until next spring/summer/fall (you know how that goes). It's possible that they may not even do any HD.

I'm still waiting VERY patiently for WIBW at 95 KW. Fingers AND toes are crossed!!

-Other Tim

Hi Guys, if all goes according to plan, the DTV should be up at 95kW tomorrow morning.

Thanks for your support

Hi: I'm a new member to the forum and this thread. I live about half way between Topeka and Lawrence. I'm using a Samsung SIR T165. I can receive DT channels 44 and 28 from Topeka at about half strength on the sig meter. I receive DT chans 31,24,7, and 18 form KC. 31,24, and 7 register about a third on the sig scale. I'm using a deep fringe (uhf, vhf) ant for KC and a small uhf/vhf ant pointed back towards Topeka that are combined just below the antennas. At this time I'm not running a amplifier on the KC antenna. Reception form KC is good with channel 19 being weaker but very watchable. I've only been up about two weeks so I don't know how the weather will affect reception. From reading other posts I see chan 13 will up their power. Does anybody know if and or when any of the other stations will up their output. Also, what is DT chan 47? I cannot get it. Thanks

Timmy,

Just talked to Jeff from the transmitter site. WIBW-DT is now running at 95kW as of 8:05 PM. Good luck with your reception and let us know if you have any better luck now.

Again, thanks for your feedback. It helps more than you know.

Thanks,
Keith Bland
VP/Engineering

Dang, I get absolutely no WIBW reception here in Lawrence, but there is a big building just West of my antenna (about 30 feet west and 40 feet higher). That is probably a big problem. May I'll try running an antenna to the roof of my building.

Just checked and I have WIBW DT coming in with a signal strength of 74 here in Paola. The highest I ever saw it before was 60.

To bad Letterman isn't High Def, that would make him almost worth watching.

Thanks Guys, your hard work is much appreciated.

Tim, have you got any HD signals at all? It's a shame you can't get 44 now that the power is up.

Glenn

Just checked my signal strength on WIBW and it is exactly the
same as it was before. CH. number 47 is 62 analog(KSMO) in KC.
I used to be able to get it about half the time but I usually can't
pick it up anymore. I always get ch 7, 31 and sometimes get
24. The other day when playing around with antenna I put
amp on and my signal strength went way up on ch 24 and I
thought cool, but I couldn't't get a picture and then finally I
got a picture and I was getting ch 27 analog on ch 24 digital , but
I guess it could of been the digital signal I don't know for sure
but I know it was ch 27 because it had the ch 27 logo in the corner.
I thought that was very strange so I took it back off. I think it almost had to be the analog signal because I usually cant even get anything
on KSNT 28 digital.

SNM66

Where did you get your Samsung T165? Been thinking about
getting one. How do you like it, had any problems with it? I
haven't decided weather to get the 165 or the Mitsubishi
promise module thats will be out in the near future. Need
something so I can record HD over the air on my JVC HD VCR.

Bought my Samsung from J&R in New York for $599. If you check the HDTV Hardware forum there is a thread on the 165. Some members found 165s a little cheaper. I like it so far. I also have the JVC HD recorder and the Samsung analog tuner is better than the JVC or the Mitsu wide screen I feed into. I checked chan 13/44 this morning and had the same sig reading as before. I also looked at 27/28 and had the same sig level as 13 (half way up the scale) but I had quite a bit of "tiling". So I don't know whether to believe the sig level or not. I checked these chans about 7:30 am. Also have you had any problems with your JVC HD recorder. Thanks.

Here in Olathe I am getting an unstable 44 out of 100 on WIBW. I still have much tweaking to do. WEEKEND PROJECT!!

I think I also need to get a channel trap to get rid of analog channel 41 in KC. Their tower is only 15 miles away and with my preamp it is bleeding into 42, 43, 44, and 45.

With a little tweaking and that trap, I hope to kiss KCTV and Meredith Corp. GOODBYE!!

No I haven't had any problems with JVC vcr. I noticed that I have
had audio drop outs a few times when watching the Motley Crue
video for a split second but thats about it. Besides the 2 free concert
videos I have U-571, End of Days and The Peacemaker. U-571 has
the best picture of the three and I think that Peacemaker looks
like crap. Been a little dissapointed in the picture quality so far. The
Motley Crew looks pretty good, the best of all 5 videos. Been thinking
of trying some new ones but can't decide which one of the ones available
would have a sharp picture .

WIBW-DT was coming in for most of this evening in Columbia, MO. There was some atmospheric assistance, as I was also pulling in 49 and 27 analog. The HD football was fantastic. I think that this is around 180-190 air miles, but I don't expect this kind of reception every night. By the way, the closed captioning was working well, and I also show a 5.1 audio signal here. The line replacement must have went VERY well!

hey timmy,

I have a MyHD card as well. I get the KC channels just fine, but don't get the Topeka channels. Anway, i am going to purchase an outdoor antenna and try that on top of my apartment complex soon. That should help.