Yakima, WA - HDTV - Page 46

Hi Cee-Woo,

I thought about writing to the Tacoma Fox station too, but I figured because most of the locals for Ellensburg came from Yakima, that the Tacoma Fox station wouldn't do any conversion to digital for our area. But it never hurts to ask, right? I think that once the Kittitas Valley public sees that we don't get Fox in HD, there are going to be a lot of complaints. As far as I know, cable nor satellite do not broadcast locals in HD around here.

This brings up a question I have for you. How did you learn that locals were broadcasting in HD in Ellensburg? I used antennaeweb.org and saw that one of the channels (KNDO) was showing up as digital for our area and when I tried to tune it in, I saw that KIMA, KAPP and the PBS stations were too. However, many people around Ellensburg/Kittitas don't know this. I did mention to the representative for the Kittitas Co TV Improvement District that they should make a public announcement through the local newspaper or something.

Bill

I have notified zap2it that their listings still show the analog KCYU 41 instead of digital 41.1 and 41.2. Zap2it is the provider that feeds programming information to many different TV guides and such.

Funny you should ask...when I got my LCD HD tv a few weeks back I decided to hook up a pair of old rabbit ears that had been getting kicked around for a long time. 10 digital stations came in and to my surprise a few were in HD (also some analog stations came which I hardly look at-including the two fox feeds-I'd like to watch them more but the reception is bad). Of course that 10 includes 23-1, 23-2, 23-3, 29-1, 35-1, 35-2, and 4 in the 47 group.

Anyhow in exploring what type of indoor antennas (my signal on the rabbit ears wasn't fantastic) to get I came across several discussions of a homemade wire clothes hanger antenna.

I didn't have much faith, but last weekend decided "what the heck". Long story short, MUCH better reception than any of the indoor antennas I had tried, including some amplified ones. I couldn't find enough wire hangers though so only have half the number of 'ears' that they say to put up-still works fine for me...Problem is though---It's U-G-L-Y.

BTW-I got a reply today from the Jon (KCYU) basically saying we should contact the TV Improvement district folks to complain about the Fox signal still being analog. I got the impression that if the other stations paid for a conversion and fox won't give on that, we'll be out of luck.

here's a URL for the antenna if you're interested:


Nope, I can't post it so let me try again in a new post

OK this will be my 4th post and the system says I should be able to post a URL now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

AW SUCCESS!!!

Pretty nifty. Looks like reception would be worth the time it takes to make it.


Did you have a good hiding spot for it?

Bill

Actually, I'm still going with the original RCA rabbit ears in the living room--The homemade jobber is in the bedroom and sort of tucked in behind the TV. Like I said, I didn't have enough wire hangers so only have half the number of "ears" on it as the plans call for & it's still better than the antennas I bought. Now I've got to go on a hunt for wire hangers and see just how good I can get it (realizing full well that it won't improve the picture but "inquiring minds want to know")

BTW-I know it's all relative but the regular antennas I've had got a signal ranging from 50- 70 at best (one of em got around 20). This home made thing runs up to 85 on some channels.

Alright, that is sweet, it's my New Years Day project!!

Once again, KEPR is showing their complete incompetence. I just don't understand why anyone would continue in a job they obviously can't do. Who would want to go to work everyday and be a complete and utter failure at what you do? There are 4 other stations in this market that manage to provide HD relatively consistently. Why can't KEPR? Losers. Morons. Idiots.

Maybe the engineer's dad was really hard on him growing up...no positive reinforcement.

How did it go?

Awesome. Went over to a buddy's that has an HD set but never had an HD source and said "We're making these." Whipped up 2 of them in about an hour, the thing that took the most time was shaving the paint off the hangers (TIP: use eye protection if using a Dremel :P).

We're both near Columbia Center and he's able to pick up all the major ones: KFFX, KVEW, KEPR, KNDU, and KTNW. He was so pleased with it that the next day we rigged it to the side of his house in an inconspicuous spot and ran the cable under his house and up the wall to his set (this also satisfied his wife's decorating requirements!). Now he just needs to ground it since it's outside.

My reception is not as good because I'm on the northwest side of an apartment building with no unobstructed view southeast, but I can pick up enough that an amplifier may help bring everything in clearly.

The only money we spent was on the transformers ($2-3), screws ($4), and my buddy bought a spool of coax.

Glad it worked for you as well. (and I'm glad someone confirmed that I'm not crazy-but that's still up for discussion)

I played around a little with 'reflectors' behind mine and saw a bit of an increase in signal strength as well. In looking around I see some have used plywood with a metal covering. Also for indoors I see some used cardboard with aluminum foil wrapped on it. I think that's what I'll use.

But just to see if it was worthwhile, I simply held a cookie sheet behind the 'antenna' and saw the signal jump up.

(I just rubbed em with sandpaper to get the paint off the hangers, where needed, & that worked for me)

Oh cool, thanks for the tip, I'll try that!

OK I hooked up a 3rd set of ear's and the reflectors. It helped but not a lot

my signals are now running from 77 to 89 depending on the channel...no signal breakup

I'll probably go back to 2 sets of ears & leave it in the living room....find a couple more wire hangers and make a second antenna for the bedroom.

Just for fun I might send photo of this to my webshots site. It still surprises me that something this goofy works so well

I was checking antennaweb today and KFFX is no longer on there, the only Fox station listed is KBWU-LD on 36.1 with a "TBD" live date.

Interesting... I'm still getting KFFX 11.1 over-the-air.

Does anyone know what the story is there?

Does KBWU-LD map to 11-1?

The easy answer is to say "antennaweb sucks" which wouldn't be far from the truth. TVFool.com would give you a more accurate picture.

- Trip

The last I heard, KFFX HD is actually being broadcasted on 36.1 off Jump Off Joe, south of Kennewick and is mapped as 11.1. You might want to look at post #1204, 1212, and 1214 for additional information.

Thanks... I thought I remembered reading something a while ago, just couldn't remember if it was here!

According to TV Fool, KCWK-DT is broadcasting 8 miles from me and I can't pick that up. Does anyone pick it up (9.1)? Also, KFFX is broadcasting 65 miles from me and I can pick that one up. Their "real" channels are 9 and 8 respectively, would that make a difference?

KCWK is off the air due to bankruptcy of the parent company, and has been for some time.

- Trip

Interesting. They must be operating as a cable provider though because I still get that channel through Comcast, right?

You're probably getting a national feed or the Spokane CW affiliate. I believe the latter is the case in Yakima, but I'm not sure because I never watch it.

Looks like sometime yesterday or this morning they have FINALLY added KFFX-HD to channel 783.

Too bad they missed all the BCS games. Guess that's why you have OTA. But FWIW, its on Charter now.

Message sent to all the Charter cable boxes says 1/29/2009 the following stations will be added to Tri-City area Charter feeds in HD:

HGTV
Food Network
National Geographic
Bravo
USA
Outdoor Channel
FX
Sci-Fi
Hallmark Movie Channel

Not sure if these will be added in Yakima. Anyone in Yakima with Charter receive this message?

Yep, picking it up over clear QAM on 111-1 on my sets. Better late than never!

Re: KFFX off air signal after 2/19/08---

According to an email I received from the FCC (yeah, we're tight...) KFFX will longer be using channel 36 after 2/19/08. The text of the FCC email:


"You are receiving this email in response to your inquiry to the FCC.

Thank you for contacting the FCC Consumer Center.

We apologize for having sent the incorrect information.

According to our database,
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...ility_id=12729
KFFX-TV will not be operating on channel 36 after the February transition.

In the ongoing DTV transition period, issues such as the one you describe may appear from time to time. The FCC has provided measures for licensees of TV stations, including licensees of low power and translator stations, working these issues out.

Information for licensee appears at: http://www.fcc.gov/oet/faqs/dtv-tvtx.html

Should the station file a complaint of interference, the FCC would investigate.

Representative Number : TSR41"


What does that mean? Well, it likely means that many if not most of us will no longer receive KFFX, as the Jump Off Joe site will be shut off. The problem will be that KFFX will only be transmitting only from Sprout Springs in the Blue Mountains N.E. of Pendelton and will be either too weak (too distant) or in the wrong direction to be received by Tri-Cities of Hermiston (where I am located).

Not surprisingly, the KFFX web site is silent on this issue...

Has anyone else have any light to shed on this?

Re: KFFX Jump Off Joe shut off date---

2/19/09

proof reading....

Um, KFFX-DT will be moving from 8 to 11. Channel 36 is KBWU-LD. Their e-mail clearly states "KFFX-TV will not be operating on channel 36 after the February transition" which references the specific full-powered license in Pendleton OR, and their link backs that up. Nothing in that e-mail suggests that KBWU-LD will be shut off.

- Trip

Um... Hope you are right.