Indianapolis / Terre Haute / Lafayette, IN - HDTV - Page 3

I just noticed this evening that WTTV-DT, 53 is on the air. WTTV programming is currently on 53-2 and WXIN programming on 53-3. I've got a signal reading of 90 on my DTC100 here on the far northside of Indy.

Steve

A local TV engineer just e-mailed that WFYI-DT, 21 is on the air this afternoon testing. Apparently the station will be on and off the next few days conducting tests and if everything goes well could be on the air with programming this weekend.

Steve

Rick Poling reports that if you've experienced a problem receiving WTTV-DT, 4-1, via digital channel 53, you should be able to tune it in. He found the problem and says that it should be fine now.

If anyone receives WFYI-DT, 21 while it is on the air testing, please post here and let us know how the signal is.

Greg, I know what you mean about Univision on WIIH, ch. 17. I'm brushing up on my Spanish and trying to learn more!

Steve

Great lines, Tom. There does appear to be "some things to admire."

Your engineering responsibilities seem to be growing and growing. Will WAND, Decatur eventually be part of that list, too?

Let's hear it for Tom Weber, AVS Forum Members and HDTV Fans....Tom is in the process of ordering the last piece of equipment necessary to pass 5.1 audio from CBS!! Thanks for the good news, Tom, and thanks for your work in providing the upcoming service. Our ears thank you, too.

Steve

KBandy,

WTTV-DT, 53 signed on January 29 and as far as I know it's on 24/7. It is an STA with only 4kw. of power @ 900 feet on the WTTV-4 tower in Trafalgar. I live in Hamilton Co. just south of Carmel and with my outside antenna I'm getting a signal reading of 82-90 on my DTC100. I am 37 miles from the tower. According to Rick Poling, the stations will continue to simulcast both stations (WTTV and WXIN) via digital channels 45 and 53 for the time being. If you can't receive one of these channels you should be able to pick up the other one.

Steve

I just got home from work and turned on WFYI-DT to see it for the first time, too, andyO. AndyO, are you fairly close to the WFYI tower? It is now just after 5:30 and the signal at my house (6 miles away) with an outside antenna now pointed right at the tower is quite weak....(only about 42 on the signal meter). I'm also seeing some dropouts, but the PQ in HD on 21-1 does look very good.

Since WFYI shares space in the WRTV transmitter building, Paul Roehm at WRTV sent this earlier today......

"I talked to Mike Goode (WFYI Xmtr Supervisor) and he
said that they were trying to decide what to do. The DTV is ready to go,
but they are suppposed to maintain precise frequency separation between
analog and digital, and the precise frequency controller for the ntsc
transmitter is not here yet. Interference in the N+1 configuration can be
an issue. (WISH is in the same position) He didn't know exactly when they
were going to bring it on for real, but Harris Corp. was supposed to finish
up the installation on Thursday, and starting programming only requires a
call and letter to the FCC. Hopefully soon."

p:

Paul Roehm
WRTV, Indianapolis


After reading this and seeing the low signal strength I'm speculating that they are still testing and running the transmitter at very low power. We'll see what happens over the weekend.

Steve

Greg,

Comparing our signal readings of WFYI-DT on our DTC100's tonight seems rather strange to me. While the other local digitals for me are reading in the upper 80's to mid 90's, WFYI-DT is reading only 52. At the moment I'm even getting a reading of 92 from WTTV-DT, 53 (4kw. @ 37 miles) and a reading of 58 from WLFI-DT, 11, Lafayette (40 miles away and I don't have my preamp on the line tonight). At my close proximity to the antenna farm, maybe I've got some bad multipath problems with 21.

WFYI-DT is using a directional antenna and it appears that you and I are both in two of the weakest coverage directions. The antenna relative field values vary from a low of .284 @ 130 degrees, close to your direction, to a high of 1.000 @ 350 degrees.

KBandy,

The WXIN-59/WXIN-DT, 45 tower is just north of Westlane Road, near W.71st St. and Michigan Road.

Steve

A few weeks ago one of my company engineers and I had an opportunity to see the new WISH-TV master control center, thanks to Tom Weber. This center controls WISH/WISH-DT and WIIH-CA, 17, Indianapolis, WANE/eventually WANE-DT, Fort Wayne, and WLFI/WLFI-DT, Lafayette. Within a few months another control center, just like this one, will control three more LIN stations (WDTN, Dayton and WIVB/WNLO, Buffalo).

Steve

Director Boy,

As of a few weeks ago I heard from a LIN engineer that WLFI-DT was operating at full power (30 kw. @708 ft.). The station does use a directional antenna but the differences in the field values are very little, as opposed to the VERY directional antenna of analog WLFI-18. To receive this station at my location, just south of Carmel, I'm using a RS VU-160 (with the UHF portion cut off.....I'm using the CM 4228 for UHF) @ 26 ft. with a CM 7777 preamp. Depending on tropospheric conditions, sometimes it is just fine without the preamp but most of the time I need the preamp to insure a stronger and more stable signal. At 40 miles the signal is quite weak and I would think it would be very difficult to receive this station with an attic antenna.

Rick Poling, the transmitter engineer at WXIN/WTTV/WTTK mentioned recently that WTTK-DT would not be on the air until later in the year. Apparently when it does sign on it will be operating at full power as opposed to the STA for WTTV-DT, 53.

Steve

Here's an update and verification of power on WLFI-DT, thanks to Carl Booker, Engineering Supervisor. He says "we have been up and running our DTV signal at 100% power for several months now..." As for passing HD from CBS, their plan is to have it going by NCAA tournament time. Good luck with the new HD equipment, Carl, and thanks for the update.

Steve