Boston, MA - OTA - Page 346

Problem is, with a project like this, of this magnitude, there is no fixed timeline. Work can be delayed due to several factors, mainly being weather and the condition of the mechanical equipment on the tower. "Rigging" a tower for an antenna replacement is not a 3 day set in stone deal, and this is not a antenna goes down, two days later, a new one goes up, type of deal. The antenna is heavy, the rigging equipment is heavy, and you're doing a balancing act of manuvering such gear on a guyed tower with two different face sizes. (I say it's a balancing act, but really, its very calculated engineered project. There is a lot of math that gets checked, rechecked, then checked once more before any work is completed). This project could take three weeks, it could take two months. There isn't a single person who knows for certain. I know it stinks to have reduced reception, but unfortunatley what happened there is an ultimate "worst case" scenaro, that no one wants to happen. The tower crews and the engineers are working their ends off to get this done, but time and weather are not on their side.

Also, you noted 56 being off the air? 56 is on a different tower, and is not affected by this work.

I was in the Needham area at about 8 PM, and what appeared to be the upper section of the top-mounted antenna was suspended about 1/3 of the way up the tower. There was also a copter hovering about a half mile away, which may or may not have been related.

The tower riggers removed the damaged top antenna (see the attached photos) yesterday, an all-day affair. The antenna is being sent back to the manufacturer in Maine for repairs, which are estimated to take up to two months. As long as the gin pole (the yellow crane-like object at the top of the tower) is mounted at the top we cannot operate at full power, so the stations involved are currently at low power on an auxiliary antenna lower down. Because of rain the tower riggers are not able to work to get the gin pole lowered. We expect to get back to normal by Friday, weather permitting.

BTW, the antenna being lowered in the pictures is 50 feet long, four feet in diameter, and weighs over 12,000 pounds.

[quote=RYankowitz;21998069]The tower riggers removed the damaged top antenna (see the attached photos) yesterday, an all-day affair. As long as the gin pole (the yellow crane-like object at the top of the tower) is mounted at the top we cannot operate at full power, so the stations involved are currently at low power on an auxiliary antenna lower down.]


I assumed as much as I am still receiving all the channels on the tower, but noticed the signal levels a bit lower in strength. Thanks for the updates!

Hello All:
Appreciate the fact that most recent outages are result (we hope) of a technical failure. Cannot help but be concerned - that because of the variety of providers - whether it be Cable/Satellite/etc. - the voice for Free TV - Over The Air has been reduced. One does not have to be a historian to remember a time - when there would have been an uproar (regardless of the cause) - if 5/6/ or 7 stations would go off the air in one fell swoop. Fueling that uproar would be lack of a focused effort to keep viewers updated as to progress of efforts to restore service.
In Southern Rhode Island -as of yesterday evening -no signal for (2.1)(2.2)(4.1)(5.1)(38.1)(44.1.2.3.4). Is the intent still to fully restore service - with stations occupying their original positions / signal strength as before failure?
Don't mistake this note - as lacking in appreciation for all those doing difficult and dangerous work to restore service.
Barry

Based on the discussion over the last few pages, it seems obvious to me that they're doing everything in their power (get it? ) to get service restored to normal ASAP. I don't see how anyone can reasonably question that.

After all repairs are completed all stations will be back exactly as before.

We are now back to normal operation.

I had wondered what was going on with some usually rock solid channels from Boston not showing up down here in Portsmouth(RI), something made me think to check out the Boston OTA thread. Thanks for posting updates!

Just wanted to thank all the engineers who are posting updates. This forum is supplying a lot more information than the WGBH website. I'm in Fall River and can still get all the channels with my amplified antenna. The signal strength is much lower than before, but strong enough for reception. Please keep up the updates, it is very much appreciated. Thanks again.

Latest update on WGBH says the damaged part has been removed from the tower, but "given the scope of the repairs, the work may not be fully completed until the end of June."

Yikes.

Not surprising that I cannot get the temporary lower power signal ~50 miles out with a non-amplified indoor antenna, lol.

Luckily, I can still get all the Boston channels broadcast from this tower in Pawtucket.

SMK

Why must PBS 44.1 HD zoom their broadcasts of classic films that are 1.33/7 OAR as 1.78 with major cropping of heads. Last weekend I tried to watch Key Largo, a 1.37 OAR film, PBS had zoomed this film to fill the screen resulting in cropped heads and missing bodies.

There have been other films that received this treatment. They refuse to letterbox OAR material eventhrough this was their SOP before the HD 16:9 conversion.

Is it the Comcast influence?

I have complained and contacted them about their zooming methods in the past, see my earlier posts, but this must be their intent. The broadcasts are frustrating to watch zoomed if you have seen the unbutchered films in the past.

People want their 16:9 screens filled all the time, so they must keep the people happy.

Any news on the Antenna? Latest post on the WGBH site is May.

I signed up for updates but have not heard anything, not even an acknowledgement that I signed up.

/tom

The antenna is still at the manufacturer's being rebuilt.  I'm afraid I do not have an ETA on its return yet.

Thanks for keeping us posted Rob, we appreciate it!

Anyone NORTH OF BOSTON getting ANY reception right now? I read the most recent above about the main antenna still being fixed. However, I've heard there is weaker signals going out from lower on the tower, that signal is somewhat increased at night, and that NBC and FOX are on a different tower altogether. Yet, I've gotten NOTHING to very little over the past several weeks. I'm in Beverly and got signal great up until the initial failure in April. We even would get all the channels sporadically on Sat/Sundays until about a month ago. Now it's mostly nothing, maybe getting in 1 channel once a week very scrambled briefly. Any comparison of signal from northerners would help determine if it's just bad right now or I have an equipment issue. Thanks!

Except for WGBX we are getting all the Boston channels and both 9 and 11 from NH.

The signals transmitted from the temporary reconfiguration on the tower are essentially the same as those transmitted from the damaged antenna.  There is also no difference between what we transmit during the day and at night.  And you are correct that NBC and FOX transmit from different towers (each on their own).

 

As I mentioned before, the damaged antenna is still undergoing repairs, and I still do not have an ETA on its re-installation.  But I would not hang my hat on seeing a significant difference once it is restored.  (Of course, if you do see an improvement, I'll be happy to claim the credit!)

Thank you for this information, it is very helpful, yet frustrating for me, as now it seems, where I once was able to get signal from the current set up, I am not currently, which means there is an issue on my end? So what, anyone, would you suggest could be my issue? I mean, it's obviously probably the unit or the cable, but idk, if anyone has any other suggestions I would much appreciate those too. And I will try to point toward the NH stations before I give up completely, but I have a lot of tree cover in that direction.

Thanks for the update. Nice having an insider participate in the forum.

Interestingly WSBK RF 39 seems to be much better on the temporary setup here in Southern NH. It was pretty much a no show until the main antenna failed, now is is pretty reliable. Tvfool models it at -1.3 dB NM for me. Doubt if atmospherics account for the change.

/tom

I'm in Marblehead (on Salem harbor) and with indoor antennas, still receiving all the Boston stations fine.

WBZ (and ch. 38) and all PBS signals are rock solid, with signal signal to noise readings of 30 - 35dB on the TV's signal quality metering (where 16dB is the drop out zone).

Channels 5, 7 and 56 are right behind, with channel 68 being the weakest.

That said, with summer foliage and on windy/stormy days I do occasionally have some breakup with the weaker stations in the group.

Hello Bob Y.

Is it still anticipated once repairs to tower are completed - that stations will assume their prior positions and broadcast power will approximate that which obtained - before ?

Not that I am worried or anything. It's just I can't think straight without WGBH.

Regards,

Barry Levy

Yes, we expect to return everything back to normal.

WGBH posted the following update on their website a couple of days ago:

Happy 4th!
Paul

thanks for the update.

Wondering if this experience can result in a marketable talent. Becoming adept at filling in the dialogue - during those dreaded "drop-outs". End up with oddly off kilter PBS Newshour - Twilight Zone amalgam.

Barry

FYI. WCVB-TV will be adding "ME-TV" to 5.2 in the not too distant future. (If they haven't all ready).

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/60965/metv-adds-five-more-hearst-stations

Great more wasted bandwidth

Isn't ME-TV already running on WMFP (or something like that) on Channel 62? And don't they also run RTV, another oldies channel, on one of their subs? And I think it's also running on WMUR (Manchester, but in the Boston market) on one of their subs (I can't pick that one up in Boston)?
Oh - and it's only wasted bandwidth if you don't like classic TV. I'm not a sports enthusiast, but look how many sports channels there are!

WMFP carries about 2/3 of the MeTV schedule, and infomercials the rest of the time. Most likely WCVB will carry it full time. WMFP can move RTV back to the main channel, or perhaps find something else, like AntennaTV.

I like many of the old shows, personally, but even for those who don't - at least this is free, unlike the high percentage of cable and satellite bills that covers only sports channels.