Los Angeles, CA - OTA - Page 298

Nice pix!... Ant Farm!!!! hahahahaha

How's that bow-tie OTA antenna working for you?

Too bad you can't get some more height below it and get it above the roofline...

so far all I get is a Soy Sauce ad... IN ENGLISH!

Are you talking about DB2 bowtie antenna? It was not strong enough. CM-4228HD was better than RCA ANT751. Yeah, higher would have been better. We could have even more than 90/100 channels.

Obviously because the stream you selected is currently not working. For the past few days, none of the streams worked at all. Since some seem to work now, at least they are making progress.

Just for kicks and had OTA stuff in my head, I tried that unused RCA ANT751 antenna in my old house's upstair room to see how it was compared to my DB2 bowtie antenna. I got up to 109 channels according to my old computer's HDTV tuners, but it didn't give me KCBS2, KCOP13, and KCET28. This is facing the correct side of the giant hills/small mountains and under 20 miles. I had to adjust it a bit and got all the ones I care for and got about 85 channels (similiar to my old DB2 bowtie antenna) in the closet and with half of the antenna parts not deployed/expanded (too big/wide!). I am sure I can get way more channels and stability up on the roof and outside, and fully deployed/expanded and using a newer HDTV tuner (e.g., DTV Pal DVR). I was just curious as a nerd/geek!

Anyone recently start having issues getting channels 7 and 9? Say in the past week or so?

Not that I noticed on my sides (two cities). OTA feeds do change once in a while and force me to adjusting your antenna(e/s). Yes, it's annoying. Have you tried that yet?

I haven't seen any issues at all with either channel. As always, both are very strong and solid here.

Yeah, adjusting the antenna helped a little. Just seems strange since it had been working with no issues for the past two years and that was the optimal position when I initially set up the antenna. Signal strength seems to have gone back to normal since I last posted though and I had to move it back to its original position to get the best signal. ::shrugs::

Thanks for the replies.

Cool. Yeah, weird stuff happen. For me, they usually stay in that new setup for a while and then have to do it again. Lots of things can do that. Ugh!

Just noticed a story from a couple of days ago where the eccentric owner of FilmOn claims he signed a deal with KHIZ 64 to start a premium ota channel. Although it might not start until next year, I somehow doubt this will even happen. Reason I am skeptical is that this guy recently settled a lawsuit with the broadcast networks because he was retransmitting their networks over his online subscription network. Yet even with the settlement, he still plans to include broadcast stations for the online service anyway.

Just a follow up on my OTA issue on La Habra Hts., CA 90361, since December 2011. I'm back again, but with good and bad news... I went back this to the new place early morning. OTA was still good with an overcast cold weather (nice change from the crazy hot summer weather lately), it was about 90 to 100 channels (similiar like before). It was also when cable technicians came over to hook up cable stuff (yes that $89.99 bundled promotion for a year) in case OTA doesn't work in the future. We can always remove products and features if needed.

The bad news is my room and folks' master bedroom had to be sacrified for cable and lose OTA since my folks did not want to add another cable line. It would also be a lot of work (technician only had about 1.5 hours before the next appointment). I tried to argue that I still wanted OTA, but I lost the OTA battle. The other two rooms were not touched for its OTA. While setting up the cable line in my room from the attic (disconnected one from a splitter for OTA), the cable technician found another hidden dusty splitter in my room behind the cable outlet cover. Woah. We totally missed that during that OTA madness! It was splitted into my room and the master bedroom. That's crazy.

After he set it up, I went to test the OTA rooms and they even got more channels (120 and 122 each room! That was the highest ever!)!! Wow. Bummer I will be on cable TV. I am so spoiled by the free price and picture clarity with OTA. Cable digital isn't impressive on a new 22" HDTV. Or maybe it is the RGB cables that the technician used (didn't even give me HDMI cables!). Oh well, my folks will be paying for the crazy high cable prices and enjoying their OTA channels. At least Internet is still fast with its standard 10/1 from cable. That's all I care for.

--

8/23/2012 after 9:00 AM PDT: 103 found at first and then 119 channels found, but channel 18.x was soso and slow to pick up (first rescan failed to detect them, but the second time found them (seems OK, just slow to show them)). My old home can get about 106 channels with RCA antenna (hopefully found its sweet spot in the closet at an angle and most of its parts extended (won't fit if all extended). Crazy how new house's CM antenna (blocked by a giant hill/small mountain) detects more than the RCA one in the old house facing on the right side.

9/16/2012 at about 11 AM PM PDT: I saw 99 to 123 (a new record) channels. However, some channels are unstable like LA/KSCI 18.x again. Others seem stable. Oh well. I need to figure out how to make these new Samsung HDTVs not to delete the unstable/weak channels. Rescanning to get them back is annoying. Ugh.
Edited by phildaant - 9/23/12 at 10:15pm

I know a lot of you guys won't even go near the indoor antennas but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the Mohu Leaf antennas. Specifically in comparison to the Terk HDTVa (or HDTVi). I live in a condominium so mounting something is not an option. Also...I'm about 25 mi SW of Mt. Wilson near Culver City. Are the amplified versions a waste of money?

My HDTVa is working ok for the most part but there is the occasional signal drop-outs that have been an annoyance and required re-adjustment. Just wondering if there are better alternatives released since I bought the Terk in 2007.
Edited by henhowc - 8/28/12 at 3:22pm

First I've not heard of this brand, so I can't help with comparison.
If you have line of sight with the antennas on Mt.Wilson, it might work... as good a terk, only side by side test will tell for your situation.


The condo cannot prevent you from installing an outside antenna, by FCC mandate.
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule

I would look into the roof mount antenna.

Anyone having trouble staying locked on KOCE? If I tune to any of their channels 50.x, I get picture and sound for 10 seconds, then it's gone saying there is no signal. If I tune elsewhere and return, same thing.

I tried the signal strength meter and it shows good, about 30%, same as it always does. I think it's a decoding issue and not RF, and not a multi path issue either. It isn't happening with any other channels.

This just started yesterday. I confirmed with my brother who reports same. He lives in Westminster and I live in Van Nuys. One thing in common, we are both using RCA DTA800 converter boxes, bought at the same time in January 2009. I admit it's possible they could both be failing. Unfortunately I have no other box to check it with.


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It looks fine on my side, but 30% is pretty low. Even 50% can have problems for me. I am under 20 miles from this transmitter.

That's surprising. I have not noticed any particular problems with KOCE in Granada Hills. It has always been quite steady. Right now it is coming in at about 55%.

I am seeing the same thing in Sherman Oaks (near Van Nuys). It is happening with both a Pioneer TV and my TiVo Premiere XL, both on a roof antenna. Channels 50.x are the only channels affected. I have Line-of-Sight to Mt. Wilson.

I don't lose the KOCE signal here in Anaheim Hills, but when I check the signal diagnostic, I see more signal errors detected but not enough to disrupt the picture/sound. This usually means there is a problem at the transmitter. Could be one of their older power tube is failing resulting in more noise.

I'd think though if there's more noise it would just cause pixelation for a moment or two. This is different. Glad I'm not the only one experiencing it, hopefully KOCE will fix it soon.


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Well, my issues with KOCE are different. Since I am totally blind, I can only
comment on audio or signal strength. On a Vizio 20inch, I do notice some quite short
blips where audio is broken, but so quickly, you wouldn't miss anything.
Not really noticing this on a 2005 Samsong tuner.
On 50.2 the stereo is lopsided, 1 channel seems much loer, maybe also a hollow
affect. I have a friend near Chatsworth, his set shows up another 50.x channel, but I
think its actually KVCR, which he gets directly. I cannot get any actual KVCR OTA
here in Sherman Oaks. And lastly, I sure wish KOCE would include a SAP for PBS DVS.
I have phoned-and-e-mailed, but `never any response. Thanks in advance for listening
from Sherman Oaks.

Yes, over the past couple of weeks, I too have noticed very brief audio dropouts on KOCE. These are just long enough to take out two or three words; the picture is not affected. I had been assuming that this was simply caused by weather related effects associated with the high temperatures. But myabe this is not the case after all, but rather is happening at the transmitter.

KOCE has a total of four subchannels. The additional channels are: 50.3 which carries Daystar, and 50.4 which carries WORLD which rebroadcasts many PBS programs. KVCR shouldn't be showing up here, since it is transmitting on channel 26 and mapped to channel 24.

Hey, just curious;

But can anyone who can receive the new KILM-64 OTA (formally KHIZ) out of Barstow, CA. confirm if its a 16:9 SD signal or not? Have it as a local SD channel on DIRECTV, but it appears to be a 16:9 image squeezed into a 4:3 frame.

Just wanted to find out if its DIRECTV's fault or not since they always (to my knowledge) transmit their SD MPEG 2 signals in 4:3 format. They would normally crop or letterbox the original feed if it was in 16:9, but for some reason its 16:9 squeezed into 4:3.

Thanks;
Edited by HoTatII - 9/17/12 at 4:59pm

If they are broadcasting on RF44, I'm not picking it up.

Yeah... I can't receive it OTA either, or much anything else here in So. L.A. if its not from Mt. Wilson.

And sorry I meant to say "Barstow, CA" earlier and not "Bishop."

Specifically from their transmitter site on Quartzite Mtn.

I was hoping Trip's website rabbitears.info would have the technical data for it, but only the former KHIZ's technical info. is listed.

KILM has an active construction permit to transmit a DTS from Mt. Harvard aimed towards the south. They are currently not licensed to transmit. The CP expires Nov 2014.

I only get data from KHIZ when people I know visit that area. I don't have anyone in Barstow or the surrounding areas to send me data!

- Trip

There's no implied criticism Trip, when I saw the new "KILM" call letters for this market posted on RabbitEars, I was simply hoping someone had sent you the latest technical info. on it as well.

No offense taken, but I see how my message could have been taken that way. I'm sure someone will get me data from KILM eventually.

- Trip

My last time in Barstow (Jul 1957) the El Rancho Motel there had a huge/high antenna system to feed KNXT 2 (et al ?) from L.A. into their MATV system.