Albany, NY - HDTV - Page 152

Does anyone know what physical channels that WRGB and WNYT are located in for clear QAM. Windows Media Center didn't pick them up in the scan despite picking everything else.

No guarantee on how recent the information is but according to the SiliconDust Lineup Server they're both on cable channel 110 in my area.

110-1 WRGBDT
110-2 WRGBDT2
110-7 WNYTDT
110-8 WNYTWX

Try your own zip code; it might be different where you are.

Edit: I just compared the thumbnail of WNYTWX (11:58 AM, no day given) against their current broadcast and the forecasts are identical. That tells me the scan was done about noon Sunday 9/19.

Flaw in your post! WNYA-CA is running 15kW ERP. That is the power AFTER the antenna gain! (Actually the analog license has them at 28kW). The antenna is a Andrew ALP16L2-HSWR. It is a 16 bay antenna.
The licensed transmitter power is ACTUALLY 730 watts. So the actual amount of power WNYA transmitter is pushing is 730W.

Only a fellow Ham could cut me off at the knees...
Yes, I did forget the reference to ERP, and your figures, considering your profession, are probably quite correct....
730W is no where near power consumption as I betrayed it, and I guess the is uncalled for....but I still don't understand mirror transmissions...
Thanks for setting me straight...

EDIT:
Question? The FCC Query page shows the latest app for a CP Mod, referencing 15 KW in 2009....does the original licence for 28 KW, dated 2004, superceed any more current applications? Or does the approval of the CP Mod negate the original license? And why would they ask for a construction permit mod with a reference to 15 KW? Might it have something to do with a digital transition on channel 15? I've been wondering about that for a while.....

I agree. What programming would suit that channel?

The Cool TV.....a niche clientele.
Spanish..........low demographic. (on paper)
.2 Network......never got off the ground.
An LPTV data network.

WNYA-CA is a class A and must have some local programming.

I don't remember seeing any local programming on 51-1, such as news or talk, except for local advertising, Fred...
It seems to be just a re-broadcast of the "My Channel" down-link...
I've always said it would be neat to have a 24 hour financial sub-channnel somewhere's...I'd bet that would get alot of attention with the way the money world is acting these days...
But that said, 51 should have sub channels available, they just aren't using them??

The last that I knew there was a locally produced show that runs on WNYA on Sunday mornings.

Subchannels on channel 51 would require some equipment, but really need a business plan.

Hello,
I recently dropped Time Warner and signed up for Direct TV (had it installed last week). Is our local CW (channel 45) supposed to be in HD? I'm not getting it in HD.

It is in HD, but not all programming is HD. Ch 6 news, Mets games and some shows are HD AFAIK. Can't get it on DISH Sat either and OTA is near impossible unless you are in a sweet spot.

No, CW and WNYA are not in HD on Directv unless you have an older receiver that has an antenna input.

Or you have one of the newer HDDVR's and add an AM21 as well.

The AM21 allows the newer HDDVR's to record OTA channels.

I might have to order one of these... thanks for the info.

I need to find out if I can get OTA signal via a simple window mount type antenna.

Go to http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?opti...pper&Itemid=29 and enter your address.
This will give you an idea of what to expect.

It appears to me, that they are happy with what they have....I wouldn't expect any expansion any time soon, IMHO...
I'll have to look on Sunday morning for a local...anytime I tune in mornings, it's usually wall to wall infomercials....

I hope you're up early. They have "Vermont Live" at 6:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday. At 6:30 on Sunday they have "Real Conversations" described simply as "Talk." No indication if it's local.

I'm usually "on the job" at 5 a.m., of course, days off, the eyes pop open early too...I'll check it out on 51-1 at 6 tomorrow morning...day off...

Question for you Time Warner subscribers there in Albany.

Does TW Albany offer Non DVR, HD Cable boxes?
or do they only offer DVR HD boxes?

I'm looking for someone to calibrate my Panny plasma, I'm in Latham. Any suggestions?

Try Hippo's in Stuyvesant Plaza.

If they can't do it themselves, they should be able to suggest someone who can.

You can reach them at 482-1862.

Towne Tv in Rotterdam has a calibrater on site.
I have dealt with them in the past and find them to be knowledgeable and cheaper then Hipo's.
You realize you can do almost as good a job yourself with the Avia disc for $30 dollars.
A pro calibration will run you $250 or more.

+1 on Towne TV.

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into them.

I'm about 70 miles south of the tower (Hyde Park / Poughkeepsie). I've been using a CM4228 with a rotor and a CM Titan II 7778 preamp for a dozen or so years.

Like many others, my reception changed with the channel movement for the change to digital. I lost WRGB & WXXA when they moved to low VHF. The other broadcast networks continue to come in quite well.

I do get the 480 feed for CBS on 45-3 which is better than nothing but is no way to watch the out of market NFL games.

I cannot get anything at all for WXXA. Well, I get up to 46% signal strength but no hint of a picture. Now, I have no way to watch any Fox sports broadcasts.

With the bickering going on between Fox (NewsCorp) and Cablevison I thought it might be time to check Albany again.

Has there been any new/recent talk about either of those channels moving to UHF?

Is my best chance for a signal going to be to add a VHF antenna away from the UHF one and connect it to the amp mounted on the mast for the UHF?

As always, thanks for any help/suggestions.

Is that your only antenna? I have that same antenna for UHF and mix it with a Blonder Tounge High band and a Ch 6 Yagi. I am at least 70 miles away and would have to say WRGB RF6, and WXXA (RF 7) are among my strongest channels. The 4228 is UHF only antenna and will do you no good for the VHF band. There are a number of Broadband antennas (UHF/VHF) available at a very reasonable. price. Your preamp is good for both bands however.
I do not know how you were ever getting WRGB on that antenna, as they are broadcasting on the same low band frequency now, and have a lot of power. Maybe you are in a real good spot, if so, a different antenna might work good for you

Good luck,

F

Opps. I just noticed your last sentence. I am not sure if that preamp has separate U/V inputs or not. If it does you could add a separate antenna and input it on the VHF connector of the preamp. if not, there are UHF/VHF mixing devises available for only a few dollars, and you could mix them before the preamp.

Cheapest solution CS-600 antenna
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp...0Antennas&sku=

Best solution HD 5030 antenna
http://www.summitsource.com/winegard...le-p-4550.html

In either case the 7778 preamp has an internal switch that allows it to combine VHF and UHF antennas.

jeffbrad, I'd go with Tower Guy's best solution (HD 5030 antenna). I'm located 10 miles south of you and I know WXXA (Fox) is hard to get on VHF. WNYT (NBC) has the best signal into the Mid Hudson Valley on VHF Hi. SemiChemE is in the same vicinity as me so he might chime in with his two cents, but guessing that you are probably about 55 miles away from the antenna farm in the Helderbergs, the Winegard HD 5030 would have no trouble pulling in WRGB and is probably good enough for WXXA. The terrain is favorable for signals traveling down the Hudson River since you are on the East side of the river.

Also if you get a VHF only antenna, make sure the FM trap on the CM 7778 preamp is switched on. I believe there is 50,000 watts of power coming from 101.5 FM WPDH on the big tower they use on Illinois Mountain (across the river in Highland).

Summit source indicates antenna is no longer available for purchase, try here instead.

Thanks folks for the antenna help. I believe I picked the HD 5030 antenna a while ago when I first lost those two channels. Glad to see it's recommended. If this contract war between Cablevision and Fox goes on much longer I may be climbing up on the roof again (gave my only ladder to one of the kids)

No one offered any hope/rumor that those two stations might be planning a move to to the UHF frequency. That's disappointing but I really didn't expect any based on the response after the initial move to VHF for the digital transition.

Thanks again for the antenna help. I'll post the results when it's up.

Jeff

There was a discussion a while ago on this thread about WRGB filing an application for a digital replacement translator to fill-in some of the coverage-loss south of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge (Catskill-Hudson). I remember the location for this low power digital translator was going to be in Kingston (someone on this forum pointed out it was near the NYS Thruway exit) and the channel was UHF 24.

As one former president used to say, I feel your pain. We have Cablevision too and lost WNYW and WWOR. Two months ago our UHF and VHF antennas were smashed by half of the maple tree that fell down in a storm. Tree branches broke the boom on each antenna and weakened the eve mounting brackets on the side of the house. So we ended up with two smashed antennas on a mast that was leaning like the Tower of Pisa. The tree removal people knocked the mast down. And this was supposed to be our backup when cable goes out. Now I need a backup for my backup. ;-)