Calgary, AB, Canada - HDTV - Page 2

TV Fool?

OK, here's the link.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...27eee4f7927445

Thanks Ken.

Sounds good. Let me know how it goes. I have mine on my main floor indoors and facing due west. There are multiple houses next to mine and it still works. Only took around an hour to build if all supplies on hand. Maybe ask your neighbors across the hall if you can mount a two by four and some coat hangers on their balcony..... And some coax through their appartment.

I spent about 5, 6 hours last weekend assembling the coat-hanger antenna. Still only getting Global Ch. 41 (2.1).

I've read up on the interweb that you have be in line of sight of the HDTV tower in order to pick up reception. As previously mentioned unfortunately we face East.

Also I was in the Calgary Public Library Crowfoot branch on Monday. They have the same flat-screen TV that I have Samsung, just a bit bigger (52 inch). The TV was dialed to the Olympics on CTV. I looked down and noticed a Phillips UHF antenna. The library was getting a great signal. The library is in the upper North West of Caglary.

Well I don't know what to tell ya. However, you have now built yourself an HD Antenna. I wouldn't count on the Phillips Antenna. As I said earlier, I don't have my antenna outside, I live in the far east of Calgary, my window faces south, I have my antenna leaning vertically against my west wall (as shown in youtube video, just hid a little better), and the coathanger side of the 2x4 facing west. Can't be more descriptive than that to try and help you. Other than you might just be S.O.L. for HD Olympics.

CICT-DT Channel 41 is about to go on the air at full power any time now! Please be vigilant with Channel 41 coming from the new Harvard site!
50,000 Watts of ATSC digital power! The increase in power is so much that it will cover 4 times the previous area from the new 378 Meter height HAAT of the antennas

For those who are not aware - CICT-DT Calgary is now transmitting at 50,000 Watts ERP from the new Harvard mast in Calgary and coverage is easily reaching Cochrane and well beyond. Reception reports are coming in from many different localities in Southern Alberta!

I recently heard that CBRT-DT will be coming to Calgary before Xmas and possibly on Channel 52 until the main switchover takes place which has been discussed that possibly the CBC English service will occupy Channel 16 replacing the French service on this channel! No news on the French service CBRFT-DT yet.

CKAL-DT has now received CRTC approval and the 100,000 Watt ERP transmitter is almost ready to be switched on! Channel 49 UHF. CityTV Calgary! From the Harvard mast!

Test transmissions have now begun from CityTV in Calgary on channel 49 from the Harvard mast and are being received in a number of locations inside and outside the City according to reception reports.

Normal service began over a week ago (posted Oct 7)

CBC has just applied to operate a DTV transmitter in Calgary on Channel 21 at a Max ERP of 23,500 Watts at EHAAT 276.3 Meters.

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-669.htm

Hi - I just moved to Calgary, don't own a tv (used laptop in University), and am considering buying an HD tv, if I can get OTA. I live at The Fortress (4944 Dalton Drive NW), on the 15th floor, view SE, S, SW (nose hill park to Canada Olympic Park). Am I in a good spot? Might an indoor antenna do, or will I likely need an outdoor antenna? thanks.....Mark

Mark4545 - My first reaction is that you are in an excellent spot for OTA reception. Can you see the 3 broadcast towers? You can check your precise location using TVfool.com and search your location with address and postal code and then you will see the direction and strength of each individual channel! I just checked and it looks very good for you! I am tempted to say go ahead with an indoor antenna but my only reservation is - do you have a clear line of site to the towers or are there obstructions? e.g. other buildings, trees etc.

Hi Billsmith1:
Thanks for responding!
Yes, I can see the 3 broadcast towers.
Thanks, I tried TV Fool, and the results look good!
I have a clear line to the towers, no obstructions, from my spare bedroom. From the living room, however, there are 3 or 4 drywall walls, and an exterior concrete wall.
Q: Do you think an indoor antenna, next to the tv in the living room, will suffice? Or, I could run some coax to the spare bedroom (storage), and point the antenna (on a stand) out the window.
Q: Which antenna should I buy? I see them starting at $25, running to $50 and $75-ish, at Future Shop.
Thanks.....Mark.

Third post, so I can post a URL on my fourth post.

Just posted pics of SW and S view to this website:
http://web.me.com/markhuff/OTA_Apt_V...ve/Photos.html
The freeway you see in the pics is Crowchild.

Mark4545 - I would buy a good quality indoor antenna and try it out next to your TV. I think that you are very well placed. I would be inclined to try out the RCA Indoor Antenna (CANT501) CANT501 WebID: 10049092. Because the towers are located in different directions from your home, it may be necessary to make small adjustments in order optimise the reception of some channels. You will need to experiment at this point. As a second option you could try to run a coaxial cable to your storage room and place the antenna there. After all if the reception isn't upto your expectations the store should allow you to return the antenna. It honestly looks very promising to me though! Good Luck!

For all of you that are interested, I have just mounted a CM 4221HD in the attic and am able to receive 6 (watchable) channels - 3 in HD and 3 in VHF.

3 HD channels - CTV, Global, City TV
3 VHF channels - Omni, CTS, CBC - for some reason CBC is of much worse quality than the other VHF channels. I guess that I could "adjust" the antenna a bit but I could potentially lose one of the HD channels as they are very tricky to "catch".

FYI, I live in Coventry Hills (Calgary North) so my location is less than ideal as Nose Hill park is smack in the middle between me and the towers. Antenna is pointing South West and it is in the attic. Lucky for me there are no houses immediately in front of the direction that my antenna is pointed (I have good few hundred meters of open space).

What is interesting is that all of the HD channels range in signal strength between 49-55% which is plenty to have a clear picture and sound without any drop outs. Also, to me, this would mean that CTV is transmitting their channel on a signal strength of equal power as Global (??).


Question: Can anyone recommend a non-powered preamp? I don't have any power outlets in the attic but would possibly like to boost the signal if it drops dramatically during snow storms.

The way powered preamps work, you don't need power at the antenna; you only need power at the TV / tuner location. It sends power to the antenna location via the coax cable.

But I thought that the preamp has to be connected as close to the antenna as possible. Incorrect? I can just place it behind my TV and connect the antenna to the preamp, and then use a second cable and connect the preamp to the TV?

EDIT: After reading your reply again, I think I know how it works. Thanks Ken H.

toxic_rage - No actually the 3 HD signals are not transmitted with the same power at all! They are as follows:-

CTV - CFCN-DT - 1 Kwatt ERP - Channel 36
Global CICT-DT - 50 Kwatts - Channel 41
CityTV CKAL-DT - 100Kwatts - Channel 49

Your signal strengths are probably quite different one to another. CityTV will probably be the highest followed by Global and likely CTV the lowest unless due to the local terrain your antenna has a better signal path from the CFCN tower.

The masthead preamps usually come in the form of a power supply (possibly mounted near the TV) and an amplifier module (mounted at or closest to the antenna). Using DC coupling/decoupling the power supply feeds the amplifier module via the signal Coaxial cable thus dispensing with the need for separate power cabling. Hope this assists you with your reception. Good luck!

I built the "cloths hanger" antennae, but used 14 gauge wire twisted and a slightly different spacing than some (based on engineering information). Placed outside, and attached directly to the TV (no splitters, no preamp), I was getting 70 - 100% signal strength on the three OTA digital channels (CTV, Global and CityTV). Cost to build was basically $0 as I had everything laying around already.

I placed the antennae in the attic and it now goes through a 3 way splitter and I get 40 - 60% signal strength. It really was more trial and error where to put in the attic as some locations seemed to be counterintuitive. Basically as BillSimth1 noted, with CTV being the least powerful, I had to position the antennae to pick up that signal at the (minor) detriment to the other signals. Still no need to have a preamp, though I do live in Glendale, but am blocked by some rather large trees.

I also bring in channels 9, 13, 16, 32 and 38, but am dearly waiting for CBC to finally bring digital OTA.

Hey folks, I'm located in Airdrie and decided to give it a go. I didn't want to invest in anything too much up-front, so I bought an $12 antenna from Superstore, the RCA CANT401. I'm able to get Global and CityTV, in my basement no less. All the VHF channels are fuzzy, but I don't care too much about those. I would love CTV too, but l'm not sure I'd be able to get that here without a rooftop antenna.

Here's my TV Fool info:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dda3207a721fd29

whitefinger - Don't worry! In the next few months CTV is boosting it's CFCN-DT signal from 1 Kw ERP on Channel 36 to 220 Kw on Channel 29. Then I'm am certain that you will receive it as you receive the other two channels. An extra bit of good news - CBC will be turning on it's CBRT-DT transmitter in approx. 2 months time on Channel 21 with a power of 23.5 Kw from their Bowness transmission site! I am sure that you will receive this also!

Im very excited about CBC going OTAHD! Is there an exact date I can get excited about or is it just sometime in March?

swandive76 - Yes - well there is an approximate schedule for it as follows:-

The HD microwave lnk STL is now commissioned and so CBC now has HD pictures at the Calgary Bowness transmission site. They are just missing the 1.5 Kw UHF transmitter - I am told that this will arrive on Friday of this week. Giving time for installation and commissioning - I am estimating that you should start scanning for channel 21 around the 18th or 21st of this month looking for test signals. The full service date is still the end of the month ready for the playoffs as far as I understand it!

Dang i wanted to watch the battle of Alberta this weekend... :s

Ive started scanning but nothing yet. Please post any of you manage to find something!

Thanks

Swandive

Do you know if CTV has boosted their signal yet?

Looking forward to CBC in HD as well! Scanned over the weekend but nothing. Is it the end of the month yet?

CTV Calgary has not gone to full power yet. CBRT-DT and CBXT-DT are expected to be on the air any day now. We know that CBC English service Calgary and Edmonton digital transmitters are operating into RF dummy loads and should be ready to switch to antenna operation any time now!