Seattle, WA - OTA - Page 314

Does anyone have a update of the progress of putting up KCPQ 13 on 22 actual in Seattle? I and others I assume, that are either in the Gold Mountain shadow or wrong direction, do appreciate being able to see KCPQ content on 22.2 logical but the SD picture quality is starting to get old. It amazes me that KZJO sends mostly SD content on the 22.1 HD channel and transmits the Fox mostly HD content on the 22.2 SD channel. With the start of the NASCAR season I was hoping to watch it in HD.

IIRC, when they first put it up they ran 720p on both 22.1 and 22.2. In order to get enough bandwidth for 22.3 (Antenna TV), they cut 22.2 back to 480i. The downscaled picture quality looks a bit better to me than watching the 11 a.m. news on 4.2.

Two and a half years later, it's still just an application:

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tv...=0&facid=33894

Not sure why, but KBTC got a CP to run a translator on channel 16 from Capitol Hill in far less time.

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tv...=0&facid=62469

I think this is the year I will finally get an antenna on the roof. I asked a while ago about my location (Densmore Ave N at N 203rd in Shoreline) and Dan said it was in a not good spot. Any recommendation on a particular antenna/amp/rotator and how high above the chimney I should look at going? Is this within the range of a do-it-yourself job or does it make sense to hire someone to do it right, since antenna selection/install seems as much art as science?

98133
Well, the trees to the south haven't gotten any smaller in the last 4+ years!
If you want to try, get this one from RatShack, and a long 50ft cable
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=3740646
Carefully unfold it, set it on your roof pointed basically 5 or 10 degrees west of due south, run the cable through the window by your TV and see what you get. Going up high isn't going to help much. The signal, if there were no trees in that direction for 2+ miles, would still be a hundred feet over your head. You may be able to find something skirting under the tree canopy. Never hurts to try. If it doesn't work, you can return it.
Dan

If you haven't done so already read this:
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/siting.html

Don't be afraid to experiment a little, including pointing the antenna slightly upward.

Dan & leszek1, thanks for the help. I looked on TV Fool and saw that I am in the purple zone for most of the stations. The HBU 33 is not listed for blue or purple on the manufacturer's website, but the larger HBU 44 and 55 are (if using an amplifier). Do you think the HBU 33 will do the trick or will it be extra insurance to go with the 44 or 55? These may be new antennas, as I did not see any user reviews (vice lots for the HBU 33), so maybe unproven in real world performance? Also, should I go with an amplifier (and if so, which one?). Again, many thanks for the help.

You can never have too much antenna (except if you live very, very near a station) but you can always have too little. Go with the 55 unless cost is a factor. Remember that an antenna is the only thing in the entire receiving chain to actually improve signal quality. Everything else either tries to degrade it (long cable runs and splitters) or tries to preserve it (amps)

In my area (Kirkland) the only pre-amp I can use is the Winegard HDP-269. All others I tried (from the CM7777 to AD CPA19) would overload and I would loose channels and quality. I would strongly recommend that one as it is enough for about 150ft of RG6 + a 2 way splitter or about 50ft of RG6 + a 4 way splitter and that's conservative.

98133
TVFool doesn't take in to account hills, terrain, trees and some other important factors. It does give you an idea of what direction the various channels are. Not that good though for antenna selection around here.

Reviews on antennas by non professionals are not really valid. There are too many variables that aren't known about their location, the stations they're trying to receive, or their TV. They mean well, and they probably did perform for them as stated, but someone else can get a completely different result through no fault of the same antenna.

Either HBU 44 or 55 is okay, but the 55 will be a bit more directional, which may help trying to find the best path through the trees. Even with a preamplifier, you will not overload at your location. I prefer the CM7777 because of it's very low noise figure, and it's ability to pull in many weak stations along with some stronger ones, and not add more overall noise that will confuse the tuner. It's also very reliable, and has more gain and headroom than others I've tried. If I were going to test a tough location like yours, these items are what I would try.

Let us know what happens.
Dan

Dan,

You had originally suggested the HBU-33...was that because that was the only HBU at RatShack? They don't have the 44 or 55. I am willing to go all-in and just get the 55 from Solid Signal if that is the way to go. BTW, Solid Signal has an over 2 week wait for a CM7777 (not sure what is up with the CM supply chain). Any other reputable sources to order a CM7777? Many thanks!!!

I did my usual (monthly drill) rescan tonight and I think KUNS is now transmitting from the KING tower on QA Hill.

It maps as 50.3 on my Sony Bravia BUT it maps as 51.1 on my CM-7000 Converter box.

Can anyone else confirm this change?

Jim

98133
I couldn't find a link for the HBU44 or 55. I mentioned thr Shack because they will take the antenna back if it doesn't work. Not sure what Solid's return policy is. For the preamp, did you try Fry's? You need to go there and check it out. They don't seem to be to good at checking inventory over the phone. If they have the Wingard, then get that. If you start to get some channels, then return it and find a CM7777. If not, you're not out the money.
And yes, Channelmaster is goofy about their production. Shame because they make some good products, go figure. As for where else to buy one, Amazon has a link to a company with the preamp.
Dan

KUNS has not moved. It is still on West Tiger. 50.3 is the physical channel that is remapped to 51.1 as the virtual channel.

on the defective Sony set is showing at 0.0 & 79.115. Also, Center Ice freebie at 68.1-.10 and 95.13 & .14.

Lee,

I asked because I have been receiving it on my Bravia mapped to 51.1 but upon doing a rescan, it was added as 50.3, as if it was a new transmitter being received.

It has never been received here on my CM-4221 and it now comes in when pointed at the KING tower "on" 50.3 as well as on 51.1 when I switch to my cut-to-48 Yagi aimed at Tiger (prior to the other night the only way to receive it).

My CM-7000 converter has never 'seen' 51.1 before, but the rescan found it and correctly mapped it: this was on my 4221 aimed at the KING tower.

Strange!

Jim

i've been interested in the progress of this and wrote KBTC the other day. got a reply back that the KBTC Capitol Hill translator station is slated to be finished late summer or fall, if all goes to plan.

It looks like channels 31 - 51 are going to be reassigned

http://www.dailywireless.org/2012/02...pace-autonomy/.

Somehow I doubt KUNS will be broadcasting from the KING tower. The KOMO tower one of these days? Yes, since KUNS is owned by Fisher-KOMO.

Yikes, if all those channels from RF 31 and up get re-assigned to lower UHF channels, I hope they don't conflict with the BC channel assignments (eg, RF 20, 22, 26 ).

I'm pretty sure there is already coordination going on, including antenna patterns. There are bound to be a lot of adjacent channels used eventually, but hopefully the selectivity of modern TV receivers is up to the challenge.

I wish that was true... Look at RF 33.. it's used by CityTV ... and by ION.

Well, I know that ION was using RF 33 first, so it was CRTC's role to not have allowed CityTV to use RF 33... oh well, I guess they didnt care.

The licensed coverage regions do not overlap. In each region the primary signal is strong enough not to be affected by the other. And even outside the coverage region you can use almost any antenna with good front-to-back ratio to tune one vs. the other as they are in opposite directions for most people. To put things in perspective, a quad bow-tie antenna with 18dB front-to-back ratio will make one signal 64 times stronger than the other even if they were equal to begin with. So in summary I don't think CRTC did anything wrong.

There are several other channels which are in the same boat: http://members.shaw.ca/nwbroadcasters/tvpage.htm. If channels 31 & up go away, it will be interesting to see how the FCC plans to fit everyone into the remaining bandwidth. I haven't heard anything about CRTC making a similar move.

A sad state of affairs for KVOS-12 Bellingham and all viewers in the Vancouver/Victoria/Bellingham area.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012...gnal-hard.html

As I recall, KVOS is being bought by Michael Dell, who I would assume is acting as a spectrum speculator.

- Trip

I noticed this afternoon that the FCC finally, last Friday, authorized KCPQ's translator on Ch. 22 from Capitol Hill.

KVOS went downhill when it trimmed local programming in favour of national shows (eg, MeTV).

Oh no, I was hoping it would not go thru... this'll make it that much harder to get CHAN RF 22.

Really.. okay, I'll keep that in mind.

Is CHAN reliable for you in Everett?