San Francisco, CA - OTA - Page 160

Rat Shack quit carrying them in store. I picked one of theirs up off fleabay for 3 bucks shipped. Old number was 15-577C, IIRC.

If you search the Local HDTV Info and Reception forum for "FM trap", you will find over 400 posts. However, if you search this thread, there was only a single post from 2006 mentioning "FM trap" before my post last Friday. Since there has been little discussion of FM traps in this thread, I figured that perhaps an FM trap did not provide much benefit in the SF area. However, based on my experience and Larry's comments, it appears that an FM trap can help.

Of course, my CM7777 shipped from the factory with the FM trap enabled, so it is possible that many using a pre-amp are already also using an FM trap without giving it much thought.

-Dave

I plugged this address into antennaweb.org:

224 SAN FELIPE WAY
NOVATO, CA 94945

It says that location *might* get 11.1 and 7.1. Is that really it? Is anyone getting reception in that neck of the woods?

Am in Fremont and get the following digital with my roof antenna as of today. Is this all thats currently available my way? Does anybody have an update on when 28 and 40 are going digital? about this post that says retro television is coming to the area what channel and when? and does ksbw have any plans to redirect their signal back this way or are they gone for good?

2.1 FOX
2.2 LATV
4.1 MY NET
4.2 MY NET
5.1 CBS
7.1 ABC
7.2 LIVEWELL
7.3 ACCUWEATHER
9.1 KQED
9.2 KTEH
9.3 PBS WORLD
11 (ANALOG) DTV VIDEO
11.1 NBC
11.2 WEATHER PLUS
11.3 UNIVERSAL SPORTS
14.1 UNIVISION
20.1 KOFY
20.4 AZTECA
26.1 KTSF
26.2 MBC
28 (ANALOG) KFTL
32.1 KMTP
32.2 WORLD
32.4 NASA
32.5 NTD
36.1 KICU
36.2 ARIRANG
38.1 KCNS
38.2 SINO
40 (ANALOG) MTV3
44.1 CW
48.1 TELEMUNDO
48.2 TELEMUNDO
54.1 KTEH
54.2 KQED
54.3 PBS LIFE
54.4 PBS KIDS
54.5 V-ME
60.1 KCSM
60.2 MHZ
60.3 JAZZ
60.4 BLANK
65.1 ION
65.2 QUBO
65.3 ION LIFE
65.4 WORSHIP
66.1 TELEFUTURA
66.2 UNIVISION

Can someone help me on those 2 stations in my other reply here

K02OA Analog Ch 2
K15ET Analog Ch 11

Those look like what's on:
http://research.backchannelmedia.com...o-Oak-San_Jose
(the site seems to be down for maintenance at this very moment)

except I've never seen "MY NET" for 4.* before. I've seen "myKRON4" for 4.

(these names are from the TV Guide On Screen system, as far as I know)


As far as what's possible to be received http://tvfool.com/ is a good place to check.

update1(
I forgot to say that research site has been usable in the past.
It was usable last night.

And it seems to pretty accurately list what's available in the local SF Bay Area market over the air. Though where it lists 19.4 that should be 20.4.

I mainly use it to make sure my TVGOS listings are correct.

update2(
I presently see in the TVGOS chan editor:
KRON 4
KRONSD 4.1
KRONHD 4.2

The exact call sign names change from time to time. I think the only time they get updated in TVGOS is when you go through TVGOS setup and choose a new channel lineup. Or significantly change your configuration.

Anyway, mine were last updated on 6/19/09 when I changed my hardware configuration. So I know mine are pretty current.
)

update3(
pasting that research.backchannelmedia.com url above into http://www.archive.org/ shows that "Nov 25, 2007" was the last time they have an archived copy of the page listing the local OTA channels.

It only lists analog channels. Interestingly for "KRON 4" it has "MyNetworkTV" in its "Affiliation" column. This sort of matches the "MY NET" above.

(I've never heard of My Net anything before...)
)

update4(
google's cache has a copy of that page.
)

It's back again. KCSM 60.4 broadcasting in 1080i. The HDHomeRun refuses to see the channel in a scan but the Samsung box still has it memorized from last week.

I saw your other post but I don't know what you want to know about them. Here are the links to them in the FCC database:

K02OA

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state...&slon2=&size=9

K15ET

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state...&slon2=&size=9

Look at their Surface Contour Maps. The first is in Chico, the second is in Fresno. I don't think there's a chance in the world you can see those in Vallejo.

Chuck

I looked at the transmitter overlays in Google Earth for your address. True you're not in a good spot but not necessarily impossible. If you want to take a shot at it, get a CM4228 and get it high enough to clear all the local ground clutter and see what you get on UHF. It doesn't look as though 7 & 11 should be too hard with the AntennaCraft or Winegard hi VHF antennas. I wouldn't even bother with an indoor or attic antenna. You might be able to get the Sacramento stations too.

Too bad you're not just to the north across that major street. Signals are much less shadowed there.

Chuck

And gone again at 4:47 PM

The SE said he would tell us when it was worthwhile so perhaps we should give it a rest untill he posts something.

SHF

it seem like LP & CA station are poping up in SF

KDTS-LD 8 LD CP SAN FRANCISCO CA US

Thanks for the input.

Well, this is my parent's house (I'm in Davis with great LOS reception from Walnut Grove). They are quite unhappy with the DTV transition. They were content with their slightly fuzzy analog reception. I've been telling them for years that they will most likely need an outdoor antenna.

Luckily, I set them up with a CM4228 a while back, but they wouldn't allow it outside (it's in the attic). Now, they are considering it.

I was just wondering if anyone has had any luck in the area.

You probably already know this but just in case......

You are allowed to put an antenna on your house if you own it regardless of what HOAs say. If you're renting an apartment, condo, or house, then you're stuck with whatever the owners will allow.

Chuck

While the FCC rules provide relief from HOA rules, I don't think they help with Rackerby's parents' rules .

-Dave

That is exactly right!

I see. I don't understand this antenna-phobic mindset that has developed over the last 40 years.

As I've mentioned before, the analog vs digital tradeoff was mostly skipped in all the PSAs leading up to the transition; a pretty good analog picture for a perfect digital picture vs a not-so-good analog picture for nothing at all in the digital world.

I can have some sympathy for those who didn't realize that's what we were getting but in the post transition world if you want to continue to get free TV, you have to do what is necessary.

Chuck

I was wondering what would happen when KGO went to the Aux antenna at this great distance. I have Mt. Diablo directly in line with Mt. Sutro. Looks like I'm seeing a weaker signal and I'm able to receive it less often overall. Not a huge difference but enough to notice.

Chuck

For kicks I did a scan last night using my VIP722 and came up with a few more channels that I wasn't getting a few days ago including KPIX ch5 and KBCW ch44. Some are still coming in OK or barely today with the exception of KPIX and KQED which were pretty strong last night.
Must have been good weather conditions and maybe does bode well for when they all move to the top of Sutro.
Still nothing on KGO ch7.

I'm still running my old UHF/VHF antenna in the attic. Maybe it's time to try my CM4228 which is till up there but laying on the floor.

I'll probably buy a HighbandVHF/UHF antenna some day to try up there if needed after the work is done on Sutro.

That's interesting that you don't get KGO(7). I can see signal for all the Sutro stations, but only get KGO(7) watchable. But, it wouldn't be if I hadn't locked it on June 13th; the signal is pretty weak now. The others aren't even close to being lockable for me, at this time.

I'm going to wait until Sutro's finished (and Sac.) before I do any more antenna work.
I'm starting to think about putting up dual 91XG's like Calaveras has - just for the extra 2-3 db's.

I think if you put the 4228 outside, on the roof, with a 5 foot mast and a CM7777 pre-amp, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised at what you'll get from Sutro, even now...

By the way, KBCW is 45 now and it's KTVU that's on 44 now.

Also, at the risk of starting a big argument on this forum; I think it's likely that someday these stations will actually switch over to call themselves by their actual channel numbers... "KTVU44", "KPIX29." What do you think?

Since the transition, KGO has been rock-solid for me at 84 miles from Sutro. When I heard that they would be moving to the aux antenna at the bottom of the tower, I resigned myself to losing KGO until they returned to the top. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the signal remained strong (usually in the mid 70s' on my VIP622).

KRON has not fared as well for me--coming in only sporadically. I know they were at half power last week; did they go to full power yet?

Using a 91XG with CM7777 preamp.

You've got KGO(7) on a 91XG at 84 miles out? I didn't think it was possible to get KGO(7) on that antenna unless you were right next to Sutro... That's a UHF-only antenna; That's very surprising...

From what I'm reading on other threads from people more in the know than me, the chances of that are next to zero.

I can tell you that I've had a very hard time explaining channel mapping to anyone. The idea that KTVU 2 was on channel 56 and is now on channel 44 is very confusing.

I know the whole idea is that they shouldn't have to know any of this stuff but I keep running into situations where someone just wants to check to see if they can receive a station by tuning directly to it. That's when they really get confused, especially if a station has taken over another channel's old analog number.

Chuck

I live in Sunnyvale and also have a roof-mounted CM4228. I reported earlier that I had marginal KGO reception on my LCD TV in the day time (40% or so) right after the DTV transition. I checked today, and now get 80%. Also, I found a glitch with my MCE2005 PC and now get full signal strength on channel 7-1 on that tuner as well.

I was considering adding a Y10-7-13 for ch7, but now it looks like I don't have to.

I got a good chuckle out that... That's exactly why I have trouble believing the posts that you mention. It just doesn't make sense to keep on with the funky mapping! At some point, someone's going to put it right.

It may be advertised as a UHF only antenna but the active element is a folded dipole which seems to pull in high VHF channels just fine. I get four high VHF channels with the 91XG: KGO 7, KSBW 8, KNTV 12 and KCBA 13. Before the analog shutoff, I also got KQED 9.

For some reason I'm now able to tune in and receive quite well KRCB Cotati. There are actually three digital channels:

22-1 KRCB-DT @1080i
22-2 KRCB-C @480i
22.3 KRCB-FM @ 480i

all broadcast on channel 23. The signal strength is about 65% with a symbol quality of 100%, displays real nice. The FCC map somebody posted earlier shows the signal doesn't even go into Santa Clara county, but it's seems to now

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/H.../message/27874

We found the typo in the KCSM PSIP tables that was keeping 60-2 from
working on some ATSC tuners. Try rescanning if you were having
problems.

Amazing. That's not well known; but, then again, the 91XG is a relatively new antenna.

I wonder if I should take down my VHF-hi and just use the 91XG for everything?

Let us know what you get after the Sutro work is finished, will you?

I see that your earlier post was on 6/16. Your improved reception is probably the result of KGO moving to an auxiliary antenna and tripling the power. Most likely the benefit is only temporary, and you will go back to the reception you had on June 13 within a few weeks.

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/H.../message/27811

-Dave

the mercury's latest update on life in the post-transition world.

seemed to be fairly accurate and helpful.

it explicitly mentioned a couple issues affecting KGO in the south bay.

(i'm amazed that a CECB could make it through the government's testing program (they *did* test these, right?) without anyone noticing the bug where new digital channels that occupied their old analog frequencies were not detected during a simple re-scan.)