Chicago, IL - OTA - Page 382

According to the FCC, it's "W-R-J-K" - "L-P" . I'm not going to argue with them even if they're wrong.

http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=68061&Callsign=WRJK-LP

Also, https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101541348&formid=910&fac_num=68061
Edited by ADTech - 2/15/13 at 12:32pm

Doesn't -LP indicate an analog station, the digital counterpart being -LD?  That seems to have been their *current* call sign at the time of the application, when they were still analog.

As to KJ vs. JK, I don't know.  Their channels’ PSIP names all are WRKJ-LD.  That's what they're getting away with calling themselves now, and I'm not going to argue with them, even if they're wrong.

It's WRJK-LP. (It's operating digitally under STA on an analog license.)

- Trip

my DTVPAL cecb converter found it today on its own....no channel search initiated by me....but its on the extreme ragged edge of tuner threshold.....i'm surprised it found it all....most of the time its at zero signal level...

does anyone know where the transmitter/tower is, its power level and antenna height?

is the rf transmit channel actually ch 24? it shows up in the ch list as WRKJ-LD on ch 22.1, 22.2, etc...

i looked on page 1 of this thread and did not see it there among all the great info for all our other chicago locals....i found something on the fcc site but it seems to be all mixed up with previous and/or analog/digital station history and lots of hard to decipher fcc-speak....

Yes, RF24.

Turns out I run a website that's really helpful for this sort of thing.

http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=wrjk

Transmitter is on Sears Tower at 5.9 kW.

- Trip

Check it, buycleartv.com, as seen on tv will bring an ota revolution. The video shows the guy in the middle of the ocean getting ota, "just imagine what you will get..." Hilarious!

wow....sears tower!?! ok, thanks for the reply, trip....their power is a little low but it should be coming in here much better than it is, especially since they are coming from the impressive height of sears tower......i am only only about 10 miles southwest of sears tower and most of the other chicago area low power stations come in here very well....so maybe some major tx improvements are yet to come for this station?

and your rabbitears.info site is great .....lots of useful info and its laid out much better than the fcc site....much more readable by the average person.... thanks for a great source of info!

The station holds a permit for a slightly different (I think) antenna and 15 kW, but has not yet constructed it.

- Trip

OK; well, here's how I feel about what to call what we're getting on RF24:

As a viewer expected to experience them from their broadcast signal rather than from their FCC filings, to me they are WRKJ-LD.  Insisting on using the FCC name is like calling a K-Mart retail location by the corporate name Sears, or addressng another AVS Forum member in a post here by his/her legal name instead of his/her forum handle.

If they're sending an ATSC signal, even under an analog license, I can understand their labeling the channels -LD instead of -LP.  The transposition of J and K remains unexplained.  If "WRKJ" is a mistake in their PSIP coding and they correct their channels’ PSIP names to WRJK-something, I'll go along at that time.
 
Edited by dattier - 2/18/13 at 9:06am

For those of you who can get WYIN's signal, I forgot how long WYIN has only been running 56.1 & 56.3. I only noticed it yesterday, that 56.1 went from 720p to 1080i. I wonder if this is only temporary, or they've given up on running dual 720p HD (I hope so), & going with 1080i permanently. I still wonder if additional subchannels are in their future. If so, & if their CODEC's aren't up to date, then they might want to downgrade back to 720p, but only run 1 HD channel instead of 2.

I'm about 40 miles out near the I-55 & I-80 interchange (also southwest) and RF-24 has been around 70% here most of the time using a Winegard 7082 antenna up 23 feet. Looks like you have an issue other than a weak signal from the station.

Is there something up with W25DW the past few days?  When the TV connected to our roof antenna can't pull in a station well enough, it spends a few seconds trying before it gives up; but for several days now attempts to tune in RF25 have immediately gone to blue screen and "No Signal" just like frequencies that actually don't have an ATSC signal at all (or WWTO and WESV, which don't come in here even weakly).

I've been wondering the same thing. I haven't gotten their signal in Gary, IN for the last several days. Since getting an Antennas Direct DB8, I started getting W25DW-D again. The last few days, nothing. I even used TS Reader for the first time in a year, & that couldn't even detect a signal. It detected a faint signal of WRJK-LP, but couldn't decode it, due to it being weak, but also, it got a lot of interference from WHVI-LP Valparaiso, IN, which is still broadcasting in analog.

I no longer have a signal for W25DW here either. I never can get a signal on WESV out here which I believe is due to the local college's station on the same rf.


I also noticed that sometime last week.

Hey guys! I just installed an antenna in my attic. I am about 55 miles outside of chicago. I recieve about 45 channels. I am having trouble with 24..... My tv fool report says it's only 1.8 nm in my area is there any hope there or no. I also can't pickup 13 25 or 61 but i am not worried about those. I did get 24 for two days but now it is blank. I have an adjustable amp but if i turn it up all the way it starts distorting 2,5,and 38. I just thought i would ask i know it's probably a long shot but i'm new to all of this.

W25DW is coming in again.

The TVFool report for you (I found in a prior post) shows it to be a very weak signal. You may be able to get it after the sun goes down. I hope you have that antenna pointed at about 45 degrees.

That's when i picked it up before was night time. I've been going between 47 degrees and 52 degrees. I seem to pick up channel 56.1 easier at 52 degrees. Thanks for your help.

They have added a 25.7 with something called WIZEBUY but there is no programming, just a color bar pattern from what I have seen so far.

Yes, that started coming in after the station returned.

They, or another channel, used to have a subchannel named Wisebuy with an S, which likewise often showed nothing but color bars.

Meanwhile, WMAQ (and COZI-TV) with it had no PSIP guide info for a couple of days there.  It came back yesterday.

I have been talking about doing an antenna for years, but I never get to it as I have most channels on comcast.

I would like to install an antenna finally. it will be in my Attic. I need to get WBBM if possible..

Suggested antennas in the past were:
7694P
4228HD

What is the best to go with.. I have limited space in the attic and I will install it on the east side of my house which is over the garage. the Coax is there I just need the antenna.

What is the best one to install to get most the major channels along with WBBM?

Edit.. I forgot to add, I am in Bartlett, about 28 miles from the Towers
Edited by jdebuhr - 2/25/13 at 8:18pm

Should I get an Amp too? or start with just the antenna?

Also how do I read/understand this:
TVFool-Bartlett.jpg 307k .jpg file

To test I will use the Tuner on the HDTV. If it gets the channels I want, I would have up to 6 HD tuners connected ( all will be together int he same location) I use SageTV and HDHomerun Tuners, I will put them near the COAX Outlet I have. The COAX run I believe is 25 ft up the wall into the attic. from what I remember.. I installed that run a while back but have not used it yet.

I just ordered both the Amp and antenna, and start with the Antenna only first
Edited by jdebuhr - 2/26/13 at 7:31am

Does anyone know when of if 24.1, etc will have a program guide up on the tv? It would be easier than looking up the listings on the computer.

They haven't ever had one. You'll have to contact them ( http://wpvn24.com/ ) and hope they reply to that question.

I have a reception question that hopefully someone can answer. I live 20 miles or so straight west of Chicago (around Lombard). I have two antennas in the attic, one UHF, the other VHF that feed into a combiner. The signal strength and quality of the stations broadcasting from the Willis Tower had always been very strong, but over time the reception for some of the stations started to deteriorate, especially WMAQ. So today I went back up in the attic and was able to adjust the UHF antenna to a point where the reception of WMAQ improved to the point where it is watchable again. However, I'm not getting the kind of signal strength and quality that I used to. Seeing how my antennas have not moved, and I believe the Willis tower hasn't moved, I was wondering what might cause this. The only thing that has changed is they have built a very large water tower about 1/4 mile west of me. Could that giant chunk of metal be causing reception problems even though it is west of me rather than between me and downtown? Thanks.

It is a possibility that you're getting multipath from the watertower. You may have to move your antenna around a bit to see if reception improves for all stations that come from Chicago. I'm sure the only John Hancock station that you might like is WYCC (WGBO-DT is the only other full power on the John Hancock), & if that isn't affected now, it might be when you move the antenna around to improve reception for the other stations that broadcast from the Sears Tower. Is WBBM-TV on RF 12 or WLS-TV on RF 7 or 44 affected as well? I know for me in Gary, IN, WLS-TV on RF 7 has a higher signal strength than on RF 44 (even after installing a new antenna on the Sears Tower's east tower. When on the John Hancock, RF 44 is stronger, & RF 7 on the John Hancock is about the same (currently, RF 7 is broadcasting from the west tower of the Sears Tower, their original VHF antenna from the 1970's). For myself, I've had to change antennas twice to improve UHF reception. I originally used a Philips deep fringe all channel VHF/UHF/FM antenna, & UHF was horrible on that antenna. I switched to separate VHF & UHF antennas & got the Antennacraft CS600 for VHF & Winegard HD9032 for UHF. The Antennacraft works fine, but the Winegard antenna has given me problems with stations that broadcast on channels in the 40's (especially RF's 43 & 44). This past December, I switched to the Antennas Direct DB8 for UHF, & not only did RF 43 & 44 improve, but RF 39 also came in better, & on all UHF channels, higher signal strength. I also use a pre-amp on my antennas (RCA TVPRAMP1R), & that helps a lot for RF 25, 39, & 40 (though only RF 39 is the only important one), & RF 4 (only cared about RF 4 when America One was carried on VC 13.4)