Atlanta, GA - OTA - Page 2

Hey guys, great to see this thread growing by the day.
Here's the question:
I'm curious what everyone's experience with TBS has been thus far?
If you could do a quick post of your signal strength and locale and overall experience with TBS, that would be great.
I'm in Fayetteville, Ga about 20 miles south of the city- and its been better lately, but is now back to spotty at best.
Thanks for the input.

jb

I get 90 to 100% just inside the perimeter NW.

I picking up at 100% signal. Great news to see PBS in DTV. I wish Titan.com had the schedule to see what is coming up in HD. Does anyone know right off hand what will be shown in HD this week?

I guess WPBA (PBS) was just a test today. Has been off (no signal) all evening.

Wakey -

I'm in Suwanee, also - 2 miles E of I-85, off Law'ville-Suwanee Rd. Saw your post & tried to PM you, but your mailbox is full.

Would love any advice on getting OTA HDTV (antenna model, mounting advice, amplifier, etc.) that you can give me.

Thanks!

Got PBS tonite, looks decent and no drop out yet.
Will be cool to see some HD programming from PBS.
Just an update.

Would like to hear everyone's experience with TBS???

thanks,

jb

I have already given mine but will add... What deference does it make now that the Braves are off TBS? Will TBS do any HD source programing?

I'm using DirecTV Samsung SIR-TS160 with a Philips 55" HD Monitor. I live in Smyrna (near 285 between S. Atlanta Rd. and S. Cobb Dr.). I've got a stealth master located in my attic above the tree line.

I've been having problems getting OTA signals. Tonight my signal strength is:

2-1 100%
2-2 100%
5-1 0% MLB Playoffs ;-(
5-2 0%
11-1 goes from 63% to 69%
11-2 goes from 63-69%
17-1 0%
17-2 0%
19-1 comes in and out (0% or 20%)
34-1 54%
43-1 100%
46-1 in and out (0% or 20%)
69-1 100%

So, If I want to watch Univision, WWF Raw or The Apprentice I'll be in good shape. CSI or MLB Playoffs I'm screwed.

I have tried going up to the attic to make small rotations on the Channel Master to no avail. I also purchased a 12 db booster coming into my HD Receiver.

Any suggestions? I wouldn't object to hiring a professional... but DirecTV installers were no help for my OTA issues.

Have you tried a nice HD (UHF) antenna on the roof facing the city?
I had no luck with an attic install. But have great results with my antenna on the roof on a 5' mast!
Some folks have good signal with an attic install- but I think those are far and few between.

jb

Ok, here goes... sorry for the length of this, I hope some of you in the area will respond with similar details.

I am a bit far up in the fringe for OTA- Northern Cherokee County between Canton and Jasper ( >35 miles from the Atlanta b'cast towers). Strangely, I seem to be getting better signals than some of you near 285? I suspect all receivers are not reporting signal strength the same?

Current setup is a Radio Shack #15-2185 antenna (the one that looks like a Frisbee with wings) with the included signal booster. It is mounted under my deck, upside down, 'temporary mount' ... Connected to a Di$h Network 811 receiver. The 811 seems to be reliable on anything above 65-70% signal, I have no experience with other receivers, so I don't know if this is *normal*.

I am considering moving to the largest of the ChannelMasters (prob. the 3671) either on a mast or in the attic to get more strength and consistency, and maybe CBS from Chattanooga.

Tonight's signals...

10 | WXIA | 71%
19 | WGCL | 61% ***
20 | WTBS | 83%
25 | WATL | --
27 | WAGA | 76%
39 | WSB | 81%
41 | WATC | --
42 | WTHC | --
43 | WUPA | 85%
44 | WHSG | 76%
48 | WUVG | 69%
51 | WPXA | 80%
03 | WRCB | 60% (Chattanooga NBC)
21 | WPBA | 80% (varies as noted in the thread)


***= WGCL varies greatly here, as noted in the thread. During the Dawgs game last weekend it was >65%, and completely watchable. Tonight it was around 55-63% during primetime, and was not watchable- this is the normal result here.

Who's next?

JW

You must have some problem(s). I live at 285 & 75 and get 75 to 100% on all stations using a 4-bay Channel Master that is only about 6' off the ground and a MyHD card. MyHD cards are notoriously bad about reception sensitivity.

Anybody getting CBS? I'm coming up with nothing.

Crystal clear/no dropouts down here on the southside!
100% signal.

jb

Finally got it.

I'm only getting 45% up here in Cherokee Co.

SD for now

Hello, everyone.

I'm here in Suwanee, and I just found this thread (and the whole HDTV section of this Web site, for that matter). It's interesting to note that other metro areas have in some cases thousands of posts in their threads, but good ol' Atlanta has --what?-- only 44 posts? Is that a reflection on how generally trouble-free HDTV reception is here? That can't be it.

Anyway, I'm in Suwanee, and I get all the stations solid, except for WSB (ch 39). It's the weakest -- it often comes in well, but just as often has breakup and stuttering. I get CBS/WGCL ch 19 just as well as the rest of the good stations, so I guess I got lucky on that score.

My antenna is a large U/V Yagi, outside mounted on the chimney, up about 30 feet I'd guess. I'd further guess that it was installed in 1980, was bought at Radio Shack, and at that time was their largest model outdoor antenna. I just added a Channel Master 7777 preamp which made an improvement in signal strength and reliability.

One thing I noticed is that we have no PBS HD! This is amazing, especially in Atlanta, where we have two local PBS affiliates to begin with! I was very glad to read a few posts back that WPBA is coming live (or has already done so?). I'll try to tune them in later.

John

WGCL is the lamest CBS affiliate in the U.S. First they blame everyone but themselves for the last Superbowl debacle, only to finally admit it was their inferior 1980's equipment. Then it takes them a year to get "approval" to go out and get newer equipment so they can actually broadcast at full power - right now they're at about 60% power.

Reception of these folks is all over the map - mostly poor, and they won't grant ANY waivers to ANYONE to add insult to injury. They're afraid of losing "revenue" if they did that. I bet they lose revenue if no one tunes in to their station as well.

Keep those e-mails to WGCL coming...they "love" to hear form "the public".

AMEN!

It is amazing to me that in this day and age these dinosaurs can hang on to their monopolies with the full support of the FCC and uncle Sam.

Why? Because they have failed update their business model to something better than they have? Not my problem!

It kills me that I have invested in the right technology to receive this programming (even if it is not mainstream yet), and my gear can receive CBS-HD from Di$h just fine, except for WGCL's 1950's-era exclusivity agreements with the 'network'.

I am about to throw some money at this (as mentioned earlier in the thread) for a bigger, better, and taller antenna, but I don't expect it to help much with WGCL. I am already receiving the Digital signals of 2 Chattanooga affiliates better than I get WGCL, and I am not within their government-sponsored area of monopoly.

The real irony of this is that I don't even do business with any of their local advertisers (to my knowledge)- whom they are protecting with their current strategy.

Sorry to keep ranting on the ATL thread, but these guys are even behind PAX and the other UHF guys on the technology curve!

JW

In all fairness, before CPanther95 came along to re-organize the local threads, we Atlantans were using the all-encompassing "Atlanta AT&T Broadband" thread for every local issue. So, props to him for the hard work in helping the scores of local groups!

As far as WGCL goes, I have mixed feelings regarding our CBS affiliate. I greatly appreciate the continual work (and updates in the local archaic listserv) of Lou and the other engineers to keep WGCL-DT up and running with its digital feed. I also respect there are things that are far beyond their control-- state-of-the-art, updated, and redundant equipment come to mind.

It took some serious tweaking and additional antennae purchases for me to pull in WGCL-DT with any stable strength up in Marietta. I'm no idiot and I completely understand the bottom line merits its current low power status. I considered it a necessary expense to have a separate, WGCL-only antenna installed at my location.

However (and this is directed to the folks upstairs and *not* the engineers), we keep hearing that the WGCL-DT feed brings in absolutely no revenue as Neilsen doesn't measure digital television viewers. This point *always* leads into the "so why should we invest in more/better equipment?" argument by WGCL whenever things go awry (i.e.-- little events like the Superbowl fiasco).

My question to the folks in charge at WGCL is, "If your digital viewers a) don't matter, b) don't bring in any revenue, and c) aren't tracked anyway, then why don't you grant waivers for the national CBS-HD feed to us non-existant, thorn-in-your-side, fringe-only viewers?" I have yet to see anyone in the Atlanta area receive a waiver for the CBS-HD national feed, even though they are evidently dismissing their digital audience.

Again, this is pointed only towards the management of WGCL and *not* the hard-working engineers of the station. Guys, you are appreciated!

Best regards,
~~Nathan

Sorry, my cable has been down Will clear out the inbox..

Hello Folks...Ive been a lurker for almost a year and this is my first post i think...
I live in Riverdale,Ga... Just north of Fayetteville less than 10 from the airport...I have the old Disnetwork HD receiver (6000) with the OTA add-in module..The only problems i have with it is it doesnt provide PSIP programming info for my local digital channels. My signal strengths are as follows... (I can get the others but i dont care to watch them)

WSB-82%
WAGA-70-75%
WXIA-89%
WTBS-81%
WGCL-73-79%
WPBA-82%
WATL-87-89%
WUPA-87-89%
ALL of my stations are completly watchable with very very little to no drop outs CBS is the only station that gives me any drop outs so the very little to no drop out is really CBS every other station is solid..Im not sure what YAGI antenna i have but i bought it from Home Depot along with a radio shack pre-amp ("attic located" not really mounted,I have it sitting on a swivel chair to aid in tuning with initial setup I made marks on wall beams to help out aiming so if it moves all i have to do is line it up with the sweet spot mark i made on the beam)

Ok, I rescanned the locals and I am getting 69% off of my Samsung SIR-TS160 receiver. First impression shouldn't count considering its a movie in SDTV and not very sharp at that. Maybe I should bring them the DVD?

EDIT: Would help if I say for which station that percentage was for, huh? WPBA 30 (WPBADT21)

Here are the stations I receive trouble-free here in Alpharetta, using Terk TV-55 antenna in my attic:

WSB/ABC
WAGA/FOX
WXIA/NBC
WPXA/PAX
WTBS/TBS
WGCL/CBS
WATL/WB
WPBA/PBS
WUVG/UNI
WUPA/UPN

Hello,
I'll join in also... Suwanee resident (PIB and Suwanee Dam Rd) using an RS double bow tie in my 2nd floor attic with less than stellar results. I lived in Lawrenceville 10 months ago and had much better reception in a Ranch house! Might be time to upgrade and looking for suggestions.

Scott

I'd agree that the engineers are master duct tape gurus in holding together this dinosaur of a TV station. Their marketing folks are also very nice and friendly. Kudos to all of them. Unfortunately, they are powerless to solve the real problem.

The narrow-minded putzes at the top clearly are out of touch with the Atlanta viewing audience. With 4+ Million residents, and at least 40% of them located outside their unstable viewing area because of power - it boggles the mind that this station doesn't have a clue how they are bungling their position in the marketplace.

So here's the solution - grant 1 year waivers until 21st century equipment is installed and stable. That's how long it will be until WGCL is operating on the same playing field with their competition. I, for one, plan to reduce my CBS viewing as much as possible for the next 9 months or so (with NFL Ticket that eases the pain a bit).

Here you go - you can send the Marketing Director an e-mail letting her know how unhappy you are...maybe if they get enough of these complain e-mails, they may change their minds... SEND YOUR E-MAILS TO: Sue.Schwartz@cbs46.com

To get better reception, you'll need some combination of the following:
- Bigger antenna
- Outdoor antenna
- Preamp

I have all three, and despite a somewhat poor location (there's a ridge between me and Atlanta -- my antenna is actually looking into solid earth) I get solid reception on all the stations (except occasional problems on WSB).

We're both fortunate in that we probably don't need an antenna rotor -- we're so far from Atlanta that all the transmitters are in the same "southwest" direction.

P.S. That's Suwanee Dam (not Damn) Road!

No, it is Damn!

Not anymore.... sorry!

Thanks for the reply.

I have been watching with much interest the news of the recent testing of the PBA 30 digital channel. Only problem is I am unable to receive the signal for this channel with my Radioshack Double Bowtie antenna and Sammy SIR-T150 STB with my FP setup. I am in the Lawrenceville area and I can consistently receive the major local digital channels OTA with little problem but cannot even get a blip on picking up this channel on either 21 or 30.

Does anyone here have success with the Sammy STB and PBA 30? If so, what type of signal strength reading are you seeing for this channel?

I am getting about 7 lines on my Samsung SIRT351, using Terk TV-55 antenna in my attic, which gives me a clear picture on channel 21.