Traverse City, MI - HDTV - Page 53

.5kW. What's the point. Then again, 47 and 29 from the same location broadcasting the same thing. Again, what's the point.

Anyway, I think I drive by your house when I go to play golf (cadillac to caberfae through boon, etc.).

My reception has been flawless since I moved my antenna out of the attic and onto the roof. A guy here at work claims with those frequencies it (the roof interference) shouldn't matter, but I've proven otherwise. I have one antenna with no rotor (important for my 3 DVRs) and get everything day in and day out. Lovin' it.

7 will be going off the air and be replaced by a 15 kW channel 50, in order to provide coverage to the southwest part of the coverage area that will lose it. The continuing transmission on 7 is just a stopgap until that is complete.

- Trip

I sent a note to WPBN this morning asking when they were firing up 50 in Harrietta. Here's their response:

We have a tower crew working on it as I type this and, baring any unforeseen issues, will have it up and running at the end of the month. Please keep checking the DTV page at www.upnorthlive.com for updates.



Thank you for your submission.

Agreed.

What's the point with 4 being a measly 78 kW. Max allowed by FCC is 1MW for most UHF stations. Better to just shut down 4 since 7 overlaps 4 and 8 overlaps 4 too. WTOM and WGTU are joke transmitters. Isn't WGTU something like 69 kW? I forget. I guess there is HD for the very limited coverage of both.

But in the case of WGTU, why not add CW+ to 29-2? Same thing for WTOM.

So tomorrow then. =)
Cracks me up they say to go to their website. I've *always* found better information here than on their website.

Depends on the person you talk to. I've talked with a few people that don't know anything about QAM, and I talked to one a couple weeks ago that knows quite a bit about QAM. Had a fairly lengthy conversation with him.

From http://upnorthlive.com:

UPDATE: APRIL 9, 2010

The engineering team at 7 & 4 and 29 & 8 continues to make adjustments to improve the digital telelvision signal for viewers across northern Michigan.

The newest adjustment will help improve signals in our southwestern viewing areas.

A Channel 50 signal has been added in Harrietta to help improve coverage in our southwestern viewing area.

Please note that for viewers in this area: The Channel 50 signal will replace the current Channel 7 signal.

Viewers will need to rescan their TV's or converter boxes to pick up this new signal or they can simply enter Channel 50 from their remote control.

Viewers may also need to check their antenna to make sure it is capable of receiving both UHF and VHF channels.

The transition from Channel 7 to Channel 50 is underway with adjustments throughout the next week.

Viewers may call the station's DTV Answer Line at 231-995-5919 with questions or concerns. When you call this number, leave your name, location, and phone number. An engineer will return your call promptly and try to help you with any problems.

WPBN better not screw things up with their adjustments. For the first time since the digital transition, I can get all full power local stations. I watched NBC digitally for the first time.

Are you watching NBC from 7, 29 or 47?

I would assume I am getting 50 from Harrietta. I am using an old DB2 style antenna.

"A Channel 50 signal has been added in Harrietta to help improve coverage in our southwestern viewing area.

Please note that for viewers in this area: The Channel 50 signal will replace the current Channel 7 signal."

As of this morning, 7 is still up and there is no signal from 50, yet.

Hey Mesickstan, can you double check if you have the WPBN RF7 or RF50.

Yesterday afternoon I checked and had RF50 running at 20-40% but not able to display any station ID. At the same time, RF7 was cold silent. (WPBN RF7 signal was rarely strong enough to display any station ID but did show a weak signal.)

This afternoon (Sunday) I checked and again had RF50 running at 20-40% but not able to display any station ID. At the same time, RF7 was cold silent.

I just assumed my RF50 signal was WPBN. The only other RF50 I know of would be WXFD Aurora IL, WPXD Ann Arbor, or WISC Madison. If you are not seeing RF50 then maybe I am seeing something other than WPBN.

Looks like the fired up ch 50 on Friday.
So far here in Wellston it's ok "if" I move the antenna from
ch 32 to 50, a difference of 19 deg. Can't get em both with
same antenna postion.
Reports from friend in Manistee, he's 5 mi south of town,
signal is 25% less on ch 50 in comparison to 7.
Not a surpise to me, I figured that to be the case, 50 can't
cut foliage as well as 7, even with more power,at those freq's
power doesn't mean much, it's the obstructions that do.


Will see how things progress with this change.

Jack
in Wellston

I was definitely getting 7 (174000 Hz according to Tivo HD), yesterday morning. I'll check again tonight for 50.

Update: After a rescan in the house and getting nothing from 50, I took the laptop outside this afternoon. Hooked up the Hauppauge 950Q tuner to the Yagi antenna that I built a few years back to get ch. 50 from TC. At first I thought 50 wasn't there, but I finally found it, but very weak. I'm 10.5 miles from the tower in Harrietta and was expecting a much stronger signal. I also thought 7 was going dark, but it's still there.

Looks like I'll stick with 29 and 47 from Kalkaska as they are solid for me.


Attachment 172822

I was quite sure I was getting 50. It didn't find it in the scan, but I went to it manually and found it and getting a decent signal.

Looks like they are using a directional antenna pointed your way.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-serv...LD1324639.html

I will have to double check my signal strength, but I seem to remember it being okay. I am just barely in that circle.

RF 7 in Harrietta went dark yesterday. How long before Mr. Henderson gets approval to broadcast ch. 7 in TC?

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...fac_num=183883

Anybody still have a VHF-Lo antenna? Approval granted for ch. 4:

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...fac_num=181430

What are those channels going to be used for?

Independent stuff, I would guess. How about these from Mr. Donner:

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...fac_num=185195

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...fac_num=185196

Any one here experience the same problem with lip sync on
ABC primetime?
This has been a thorne since the DTV switch on WGTU sub
channels on ch7. then on 50.4. I get 50.3 and 50.4 as 7.1
and 7.2 are WOOD-DT.
This is on both Satellite and OTA.
Making a comparison with WOOD 13 (when I can get it)
there is no such problem with their signal on OTA.

Nice to have a near prisitine picture, now only if the audio
matched the video.

Jack
in Wellston

How are you getting WOOD this far north? Also, WOOD is broadcasted on 7, but is known and virtually listed as channel 8. Now WZZM is channel 13 and broadcasted on the same channel. You must have a good sized and high antenna to be getting WZZM up where you live. I don't watch OTA much, but I don't seem to have a problem. Our TV provider is Carr Telephone Company and for ABC we get WZZM. If you are getting channels showing up as 50.3 and 50.4, I would scan with no antenna attached to your TV / Converter box and then reattach the antenna and scan again. I have a TV with a converter box setup in my bedroom, I get 50 from Harrieta, that shows up as 7.1 and 7.2 for WPBN and WGTU.

Getting old I guess:

Correct WOOD to WZZM, double letters must get me
confused !

I do get WOOD 7 very seldom though, WZZM, when
conditions are good (ducting days) Mainly in the early
morning, though there have been some evening openings.

We can't get any PBS off air here, once in a blue moon
can get ch 14 but not for very long.

PBS from ch 21 in Freesoil is a total wash as the Udell
hills are perfectly in line with my site.

Have Dish satellite here, cheaper than Kaleva telephone
which feeds from Carr.

Jack
at Wellston

If I had the money and didn't rent, I would put up an external antenna. I would love to get more of the Grand Rapid stations. Since I was living in that area till 2008. I would like to get a weather sub channel. I really have to monkey with the rabbit ears to get WZZM. Right now I am using a old double bow tie. 9 comes in real good here so I can get it without a VHF antenna. Everything else is UHF. I can get 14 and 21, just have to move the antenna.

I live in Mt Pleasant area. There we get 5.1 , 12.1, 25.1, and 66.1 HD channels on expanded basic.

Am staying in Charlevoix and have a "digital" box. It does not do HD. I tried feeding cable direct to TV and did a channel scan. I did not get the local channels in the scan with a "point 1" after their regular channel numbers of 3, 4, 7, and 10 for the networks. Not sure if it is my TV (Vizio 37 inch HD)) or if it is the Charter channel line up here.
.
I would like to get HD when at least on the commercial network channels.

Tried a splitter to feed the TV and the box and then composite to the TV, but got lots of hum, so gave up on that

Any info/help/suggestions. As far as I know the major network channels are included in expanded basic and re-assigned to the "point 1" disignation. Further it is legal to do so as far as I know, right?

With the cable directly connected to the TV, try looking in the 105.1-108.5 channel range for local HD channels, That is where they are in TC and W. MI.

Thanks, found those, but was wondering if they were renumbering them like they do downstate. Apparently not.

I think it may have to do with the Television. Mine, I HAVE to enter the 10x.x channel number. In the same market at a local watering hole, they can enter. 105.1 or 8.1 to get WOOD-TV. They had no idea they had local HD and TBSHD until I showed them.

I hope they gave you a beer or three for showing them that!

Now that we are one year in, has the reception changed for the better? Moved to the SE end of Houghton Lake, and I can pick up both 29.x and 7.x with rabbit ears now. 27.x is VERY weak. Just thought I'd share.