Albuquerque, NM - HDTV - Page 12

You should use a UHF antenna connected without any coupler or spliters between the antenna and your HDTV receiver. I and others have had problems with splitters and surge protectors dropping the signal strength of the digital signal before it reached the receiver. Point the UHF antenna towards the Sandia Crest (to open V side towards the crest) and use the auto scan on your receiver if equipped. Hopefully if will work for you. You should always be getting the PBS signal (channel 35 I believe) and the KOB signal (not sure #). They are both always on. Good Luck.

OKay, I live Off of San Pedro and Hanes (Indian School)

I have tried the antenna on the roof, and I Have it pointing towards the peak. I have never even received the smallest amount of signal strength. I am begging to think that my HDTV receiver is malfunctioning. It's running at a very high temperature, so I contacted the Samsung tech support, and they suggested I contact a service center. I gave them a call and I am waiting to hear back from them!

Is it strange that I haven't received any signal strength at all? With 2 antennas?

Am I missing something? I will try an dcall pete later tonight!

thanks again for your help!

JQ

I'm at Haines and San Mateo. If you want to hook up to my antenna and projector, give me a ring.

Pete

I've read a lot of this thread and am excited to see that ya'll are pushing the programmers to pass through the HD shows.

I am setting up my OTA antenna tomorrow and I am anxious to see how the reception is.

I'll check in here often!

Welcome to the forum kalarson.

We're in great shape as far as HDTV goes here in Albuquerque. We owe a lot to Jim Gail of KNME for pushing things and keeping us informed.

Sometimes I think New Mexico might actually be emerging from the third world. Our new state-of-the-art freeway construction project couldn't have happened a few years ago. The highway department would have split it up into 20 ten million dollar contracts so they could spread them around their local buddies. Now they actually did something smart for the good of the public instead of lining pockets.
(political rant mode off)

Pete

If KRQE (CBS) comes through by mid-May with there digital transmitter forwarding the widescreen high-definition content from the network then we would be a step ahead of Phoenix which their local affiliate has no desire to invest in the high-definition equipment. Hopefully we will be seeing some tower crew action on the crest next week (as they indicated).

ABC has their digital transmitter off last night.

Bummer that KOB-DT probably won't carry it in its HD glory since they probably won't have another HDTV satellite receiver.

Give me a STL dish and I'll be happy to provide my HDTV output to them. 8^)

Robert

HDNet is producing it and it will be on ch199 DirecTV

What kind of antenna are you using? a TV antenna (VHF/UHF), a UHF TV Antenna, or an outdoor scanner antenna?

I've found scanner antennas mess up the received signal, while a UHF antenna seems to be the best. The signals really aren't strong enough for indoor rabbit ear antennas.


Do you also know your STB good enough to understand how it works? I have a felling some STB may require you to not only tell it the channel number but also the sub-channel number in order to lock a signal. my STB auto-searches the sub-channel info (the UM HDR-1000A)

Robert

I inquired about the current status of KOAT's digital transmitter (since they have had it off for the past week or so) and this is their response:

Dear Mr. Jerina:

There are some last-minute things being worked on, but KOAT is still planning to
begin digital transmissions on May 1st. As with anything in television, this is
subject to change with or without notice.

Feel free to check back again as we get closer to May 1st.

Thank you for your patience during our transition to digital broadcasting.

Sincerely,

John Trambley
Program Director

Just spoke with Jim Gale at KNME and he said they awarded a contract to Harris Corporation for 2 digital solid-state transmitters for around $1.5 million. He thinks they should have then delivered and installed by the July/August time frame.

I was wondering if anyone in the area is having the same problem as I am. I have rooftop VU-90 antenna from radio shack and I can pick up PBS in digital and also receive the analog channels with great reception, But I can't get channel 21 or 26...0% signal.

I live in north hills, Rio Rancho. When I first set up my antenna I could get about a 45-50% signal on 26 KOB, but it was cutting in and out and had no sound. I moved the antenna around some and now can't get any signal. I've tried an amplifier but saw no difference on any channel.

I would appreciate any advice given. Thanks Kurt

If you get PBS ok, then you are fine. I get 6 bars with them and they are still on low power. Channels 4 & 7 are up one day and down the next. I saw 7 this afternoon, but it was a 4:3 signal, at least it looked like it. I use the same antenna as you. If I were doing it over though, I think I'd get the RS uhf only; it has twice as many elements and is half the cost. JR

KOB digital is currently down due to the new high-power antenna/transmitter being installed atop the crest.

Maybe the same tower crew that's doing the work for KOB will move over to KRQE next!

I just got this email from KRQE on their status:

Fred,

The tower crew is scheduled for May 6th. It should take one week to get the antenna installed. We will need another week to do testing and finish up the installation.

Franklin Lilley
Director of Engineering
KRQE-TV
505-767-9400

Hey I just wanted to let you guys know that I had a Bad OTA HDTV receiver! Sorry for not calling you Pete, but I have a buddy who has teh same setup as I do, and I took it over to his house, and sure enouggh it isn't working

Luckily, the company I bought it from is going to issue an RMA for the receiver and send me another one!

Just thought I would give you a heads up!

JQ

That's good news JQ. There sure is a lot of DOA equipment out there. I'm on my second DirectTV box, and I went through hell with the audio side of things. Everything's finally working well for me though. We still need to get together sometime since we're neighbors! And be sure to join us at the next NMDTV meeting on the 19th.

Pete

Yeah, I was planning on coming to the next meeting, but I heard it was really crowded?

I just need to register and take care fo everything! I'll be there on thursday though!

JQ

Hi everyone I live in Albuquerque and am glad to know that there are lot off people pushing for hdtv here. I have just got into it my self and am looking forward to seeing what it looks like (still need the receiver) now that koat is up are the primetime shows in HD?

Hey Goodwrench

Welcome to the forum
There's tons of good information here. Do you have a digital set already?

later
Pete

To answer your question...
KRQE and KOAT have said they'll run HD programming whenever it's available. KNME is running the network feed from PBS which is usually a demo loop that we're all fed up with. When they have HD programming it's great! KOB won't buy an encoder to do HD until NBC steps up to the plate with more programming. FOX does not do HD at this time, but KASA has HD equipment.

I have a Hitachi 61swx12b, Mitsubishi home theater set-up, Dish Network, got my antenna up just need the dish 6000 receiver. what's up with FOX and the shows in widescreen, are they not HD?

GW
Fox only does 480p widescreen, although all their affiliates are set up to do HD. Apparently the have a very nice facility here. But the network does not seem to believe in HD. My personal, unfounded opinion is that they will do HD someday. They're learning about it from Cuban with HDNet.

Pete

I wanted to clarify something. KOAT is going to pass through the high-definition but because of the time zone we will be seeing it 1 hour earlier. Unfortunately, they would have to start passing the network stuff at 6 pm and they are still showing the news and Entertainment Tonight until 7 pm (cutting an hour into the high-def network programming). If they get a file server then they could delay the programming by an hour and play it at the same time as the standard definition stuff. I would encourage ALL OF YOU to write to KOAT after May 1st if they are cutting ANY of the high-def network programming in the evening hours (which would be 6-9 pm). We should really encourage them to get a file server like KRQE is planning on using.

KRQE is going to pass the high-def programming via a file server which will delay the programming and play it during the standard 7-10 pm time period. Good for them.

Goodwrench, I also have a Dish 6000 with an OTA module. If you have any questions on this setup then let me know.

I wouldn't worry too much if KOAT cuts off national HDTV pass-thru from 6pm to 7pm. There are not many (or many good) shows during that hour so you aren't missing much. The good shows in HDTV on ABC air at 7pm or 8pm.

Alternately, KOAT could have taken the west HDTV feed and cut off the 10pm news which is a bigger deal as it would cut off some of the best HDTV-aired shows on the network.

KOAT using east-coast HDTV feed is the best scenario out there for now.

Robert

I see that D Day has come and gone and KOB is still in hiding! To bad they lost their lead engineer. JR

They're erecting their permenant antenna so the temporary stuff is off line for now.