Columbus, GA - HDTV - Page 2

For about a week now, I've been getting WLTZ after dark quite regular. Not bad considering I'm in Crawford County, about 4 miles from the Bibb County line. Too bad I'm not able to get it in daylight. Now if the rest would get there act together, including the Macon stations, everyone would be happier. I'm still getting WXTX and WTVM quite well in the wee hours of the morning. WXTX has been a hit and miss after dark, while WTVM and WRBL are only gotten on occassion. The last time I got the other channel, it was still WSWS. Don't know what ya'll call it now.

Al

Yes. We've been discussing WLTZ-DT over on the link I posted on my last post. I'm in the same boat that you are, as I can only pick up WLTZ-DT after dark (though I can get a signal in the day, just not enough to pick up any video).

However, I can't pick up any other station from Columbus yet... I'm looking forward to when WLGA-DT (what WSWS-DT is called now) goes full power since they will be a CW affiliate this Fall.

~Alan

My guess and I certainly hope, they've finally gone up on there power. I'm in Lizella, about 15 miles west of Macon, and channel 3 (15dt) is getting a 100 on my 622 receiver. Fantastic! Please keep it like this. Thanks WRBL!

Al

I'm looking to pick up CBS-HD with an antenna from a tailgate spot in Auburn. Any chance I will be able to get ch 3 (dt15) out of Columbus? What do you guys think? TIA.

I'm in Auburn, and I just put my CM 4228 with a 7777 amp in my attic. I'm able to get CBS out of Columbus with a pretty strong signal. My guess is you can do it if your tail gating, but your going to probably need a fairly decent antenna.

Does WRBL (CBS) "turn the power down" during the day? I can only seem to pick it up at night. I get a pretty good signal at night and nothing during the day.

I'd opine that atmospheric conditions during the day impact the signal strength. You may need to adjust the aim or raise your antenna, get a higher gain UHF antenna as WRBL broadcasts digitally on channel 15, or install a preamp. Good Luck!

I contacted David Williams, WTVM Engineering, regarding the status of their tower upgrade. Here is an excerpt from his response. ...."We are currently in the process of having our tall tower modified (new guy anchors and steel member replacements at strategic locations) in order to mount a new DTV antenna at the 1000' level on our tower. (Our current antenna is on an adjacent tower at the 280' level). We anticipate this work to be completed around the end of January of 2007...."

I'm in Columbus. Will CBS bump up the signal strength for the Superbowl. I was getting drop out right up to the Championship game last week but once the game came on clear crisp uninterrupted picture. So I hope they do the same for the superbowl.

I don't watch CBS much, but WRBL comes in good over here in Crawford County, close to the Bibb County line. I have no problems getting the much closer Macon station (WMAZ), but it doesn't have 5.1 sound, so if I watched CBS, I would watch WRBL. I think your problem was channel 9 (WTVM) was having tower work done, and the other stations had to cut power for safety reasons. I noticed a couple of days ago, WTVM is much stronger here where I'm at, so maybe the work is done? It's still not as strong of a signal as WRBL is. Although I don't watch CBS, I look at WRBL's 3.2 weather 4-5 times a day. It has Macon's 5 day forcast on it while WTVM's weather (9.2) doesn't. Hope your problems have been eliminated.

Al

I live in Columbus, Georgia.

I get CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. Pretty clear picture too. I live on Warm Springs Road.

Is there really much to be gained by buying an antenna?

Hey Gnimm, I can't really answer your question as I'm in Lizella (Macon). But, I have an outdoor deep fringe antenna about 35 feet in the air with an amplifier, it also has a rotor to turn towards different markets. I watch between Macon, Columbus, and Atlanta with this antenna. I'm able to watch WGTV-DT GPB and Peachtree TV (WPCH) formally WTBS and I'm quite happy with my arrangement. I know of no one close to me that can watch Geogia Public Broadcasting in HD, nor anyone who can watch Peachtree TV digital. This thread doesn't get much use from Columbus, they seem to prefer there own, found here:
http://columbusdtv.proboards45.com/index.cgi
You may get more help from it? Good Luck!

For anyone interested, the GPB channel in Warm Springs is now on. WJSP DT 23 is mapping as 28.1, 28.2, and 28.3.

I live in Sumter County and have not been able to pick up WLTZ for the past several weeks. Does anyone on the forum know if their digital transmission is down or has changed? I emailed the station but never got a reply. All other columbus digitals come in great. Thanks

I don't really watch it, as I live next to Macon (west side) and WMGT (NBC), 20 miles from the Macon Tower Farm (about 60-65 miles from the Columbus Towers) and usually watch Atlanta and WXIA (NBC) at 70-75 miles away. Although I do watch Macon when I get drop-outs from Atlanta. However, I was channel surfing (which I do often) on Thursday at around or after 6p.m. and noticed WLTZ (which I usually can't get until after dark) had the News in HD. A stunning picture, and glad Columbus now has a Local HD News source. Wish Macon had one with HD Local News? Anyway, I know it was "On The Air" Thursday. It's still on 35 DT and streams as 38.1 on my HDTV. I just looked and I'm not getting it or WXTX right now, both of which I get after dark usually. From my location in Crawford County, WLTZ is by far the lowest power of the 4 major networks. WXTX is the next weakest, while WTVM is usually fine day and night. WRBL seems stronger powered than my Macon locals are, I'm always able to get WRBL.
I can't get WLGA anytime digitally, only in analog..... It must be at an extremely low power..??

I am probably about 50 miles from the towers. I agree with you about the signal for each of these stations as that is what results i get. I may have to do some antenna adjusting to get wltz better. Thanks for your reply.

You might want to try here:
http://www.columbusdtv.org/

if you haven't already?

On Monday, I thought it was somewhat indifferent of WRBL to have the SD MDA Telethon in upconverted SD on the 3.1 HD channel, while showing the HD Tennis match on the 3.2 SD channel....? That seemed backwards to me.....

I live in a Phenix City apartment com0plex. i can only get CBS with a Terk indoor amplified directional atenna. My TV is showing many other stations but at very low signal strengths. Any ideas on an antenna. Maybe a winegard omindirectional.

Has anyone tried to pick up HD OTA at an Auburn tailgate? With what antenna? Thanks!

Trip in VA surprisingly has not posted it here, but I have learned from the channel change page of his site that WTVM-DT will be on channel 11 instead of channel 9 post-transition. The change was requested by the station due to potential interference issues with other stations.

Whoops! Yes, I should have mentioned it, but I've been rather busy recently and it slipped my mind to come and post it here!

Yes, WTVM-DT got permission to put their post-transition digital on channel 11. On channel 9, WTVM was capped at 1 kW due to interference concerns with WACS-DT 8 in Americus and WJSU-DT 9 in Anniston. On channel 11, it will increase to 50 kW.

What I don't know is whether it will go to channel 11 right on 02/17/09, or if there'll be some period of time that WTVM operates on channel 9. I figure we'll know something for certain sometime in the near future when they make an FCC filing.

- Trip

Do you receive WTVM-DT now?

If so, you'll receive WLGA-DT 66-1 after the transition, assuming the FCC approves their application to buy the channel 47 equipment from WTVM and operate it exactly as-is.

- Trip

My reception of WTVM-DT here in Albany is very rare (dependent on weather conditions), so I would not expect any noticeable change on DT-47 if WLGA takes over.

Not that I am worried about it; WTXL in Tallahassee will broadcast on DT-27 post-transition at 1 mW, thus my ABC programs should eventually come from that station. Also, I get WTLH-DT reliably most of the time, so if I eventually want to watch a CW show, I can tune to their subchannel.

Well, WTVM-DT will be returning to channel 11 after the transition, from the top of their tower where the analog is. If you receive a decent picture on analog 9, you should receive WTVM-DT after the transition date.

Their old DT-47 equipment, however, is what's being sold to WLGA. No change in signal at all will occur, so if you don't see WLGA now, you won't start seeing it after the transition.

- Trip

Fox54 has added a New Network called ThisTV on their sub-channel 54.2. It is a Movie Channel for the most part, but nothing right out of the Theater. Still it should have some pretty descent movies, at times. Hopefully all the time...!!

Hello, new member here. Hope I've jumped to the right place. I live in Beauregard, AL, about 6 miles south of Opelika, and about 10 miles from the Auburn campus. Columbus is a short trip away down what you guys might still call Old Auburn Road from PC.
Just installed my first outdoor antenna and topped the mast with a Channelmaster disc.
We get a good selection of Columbus-area stations and our only problem is a high ridge east of our home. Strangely enough, I can still get Channel 28 PBS with electronic rabbit ears on the east side of the house and can't pull it in with the Channelmaster above the roof.
Our main problem is trying to pick up Montgomery stations. I grew up in Tuskegee and am used to WSFA. It still comes in OK on analog (60 miles away but few obstructions) but I can't get it digital with the rabbit ears. The big antenna mostly does much better, as expected.
I bought the Channelmaster based on a friend's recommendation but I wonder if you guys know of a better solution. I would like to stick with the omni because I intend to use a splitter to hook up all 3 TVs but wonder how badly that will degrade the signal and sorta wonder if I should experiment with more than one antenna on the mast. My brother uses some kind of RCA antenna with a bar design to supplement his satellite and it seems to work for him as well.
Any suggestions?

Greetings ...

North Phenix City resident. Apartment Dweller.

Digital TV Tuner: Channel Master CM-7000 Digital-to-Analog
Antenna-1: RCA ANT1050 Flat
Antenna-2: Radio Shack UHF Bow-Tie, modified for digital TV reception.

From my apartment, and using both antennas, I have picked up WRBL, WTVM, WJSP, WLTZ and WXTX. The RCA antenna does not get WGIQ (Alabama Public TV) so well if the antenna is indoors, but does a little better if the antenna is placed outside. The Radio Shack bow-tie seems to pick up WGIQ slightly better just indoors.

I have had the opportunity to test the Channel Master unit using the Radio Shack antenna in the Troy University-CVCC area in South Phenix City. With the antenna aimed generally to the west, I was able to pick up Montgomery stations WSFA, WAKA and WAIQ (also got WGIQ very well). With the antenna aimed generally to the north-northeast, I picked up two Atlanta stations, WSB and WUPA.

In the cases of the Atlanta and Montgomery channels, signal strength was understandably low, but the picture came in steady and clear. I was certainly impressed.

I will have another reception report in the days that follow the analog-digital switch on February 17th.

UPDATE: 02-05-2009

Just did a little late night surfing in my apartment with the RCA ANT1050 - WGIQ (Alabama Public TV) is coming in steady and clear, signal strength between 50% & 75%

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video

I'm impressed that you pick up Atlanta. Never have been able to do that here.
WSFA Montgomery states that they will hold the original Feb. 17th date to switch fully to digital. Are the Columbus stations doing that as well? I hope so. Enough already with the analog. My box doesnt want to bring in analog so I have to attach the antenna directly to my TV.

Greetings ....

Not sure what the Columbus Stations will do on Feb 17th, so you may wish to check their web-sites.

WTVM, WRBL, WLTZ, WXTX

Also, check out this site ... ColumbusDtv.org

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video