[UncD2000]

If you have read any of our threads over the last year or so, you know what a terrible time we have had with WBBM-DT Ch 3 (CBS) in Chicago. It seems like our four cities may be FCC guinea-pigs in an experiment to determine if digital TV transmissions on the VHF low-band are worthwhile.

WBBM-DT will soon raise power from 2.5 to 3.7 KW, which still seems low.

Would some of our members in Cleveland tell us how you are receiving WKYC-DT Ch 2 (8 KW), and in Grand Rapids WWMT Ch 2 (6.9 KW). In Harrisburg WHP-DT Ch 4 has about the same ERP as WBBM-DT has now. Do you have problem areas where multipath and/or powerline and other electrical interference make reception difficult to impossible? Thanks for your input on this matter.

 

[ZManCartFan]

I live in Medina which is about 35 miles south of Cleveland. Using only a RS double bow-tie, I get 0 strength on 3.1 with a Sony HD200. I know it's not the right antenna, but that's my next project. Hard to justify anything else for one lousy channel.

 

[Shark73]

I live around 10 miles from the towers in Cleveland. Using an indoor RS VHF/UHF antenna, I can get channel 3 but it breaks up every few minutes. My UHF channels come in very strong with very few breakups.


Jim

 

[Lyle O]

I live in Willoughby, east of Cleveland and maybe 30-40 miles northeast of the transmitters in Parma. I pick up channel 3-01 just fine with a Rat Shack antenna (I think the 120) mounted on the roof. Most of the time my signal is in the 80-90 range on a Dish 6000 and 8VSB. I get pixelization on all of the digital stations occasionally, but not bad enough to be that bothersome. I haven't noticed any real differences in reception between channel 3 and the other 4 digital stations in Cleveland. Except that 3 never seems to broadcast anything in true hi-def and the upscaling or whatever they do looks worse to me than the analog picture.

 

[UncD2000]

ZMan, I am also using a DBT (in my attic) for UHF. For the single VHF digital I am getting good results with an old rabbit ears that will extend to 8' (these came with many TVs about 15 years ago). Ideally you would extend it to the half-wavelength of the desired channel, and for WKYC-DT Ch.2 that would be 103", but 8' would be pretty close. You would couple this to your DBT with a 75-Ohm VHF/UHF joiner. These isolate the two bands and have only 0.2 dB loss. I'm using the Blonder-Tongue MUVF, but RS & Winegard also make them.

Shark73, have you tried your antenna near the ceiling with the VHF elements extended to the max?

Lyle O, doesn't WKYC send out the NBC stuff like Crossing Jordan, ER, & the 3 Law & Order shows in HD?

 

[jaam]

Quote:

Originally posted by UncD2000 Lyle O, doesn't WKYC send out the NBC stuff like Crossing Jordan, ER, & the 3 Law & Order shows in HD?

I Live in Eastlake,OH right next to Willoughby. I receive Ch.2 better than any of the rest. Then 15, 31,28 and 10 in that order.

Ch 2 does broadcast all NBC HD shows. And they look great. I uses a AccessDTV card and a 17" monitor.


Joe

 

[Shark73]

UncD, I have the elements extended to the max, but I haven't tried picking up the antenna. Channel 3 is actually coming in good tonight.


Thanks for the info though.


Jim

 

[Jitterbug050]

Grand Rapids has two of them. WOOD-DT channel 7 is the NBC for the area. WWMT channel 2 is the CBS for the area but they are really from Kalamazoo which is fifty miles south of Grand Rapids. The transmitters are close to each other so they can serve both towns, about midway between the two.

I used to live there and used an antenna for locals as I had a Directv dish. The transmitters are about 30 miles from the city and it was not the best with analog.

 

[Lyle O]

UncD2000,

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I was talking about the non hi def material. I don't know whether it is unique to NBC in Cleveland, but all non hi def material I have seen on channel 2 has been upscaled or upconverted to 16:9, even the commercials. That is what I find to be nearly unwatchable. I don't know how to explain it, but on my TV the reds especially almost seem to glow and break up. Non hi def material on all of the other digital stations is left 4:3 with bars on the side and that looks fine. However, for that material I prefer to use the TW1 on my Toshiba than the stretch mode on the 6000. The sparse hi def material on NBC looks fine (although I haven't watched much of it). On the other hand, the local news looks the best on the digital channel for NBC. They may be broadcasting in digital.

Jeff

 

[LowDefinition]

I live in Brunswick (Cleveland suburb) which is about 20 miles from the transmitters with no obstructions. NBC on 2.1 is the only digital channel that I don't get 100% solid using a StealthTenna mounted at the one-story level of a two-story house. I get 80% signal strength (Dish 6000) but the signal drops to zero momentarily three to four times an hour, and always at the worse times. The other night during Crossing Jordan, when Jordan asked if anyone else came down the road, the nut-case said, "you mean besides ????????????" A couple minutes later it became obvious he said "the sheriff" but this is pretty typical of what always happens. Now if this is because it's low on the VHF band or due to some other atmospheric phenomena, I couldn't tell you.

 

[jgorman]

I live in Mansfield about 60 SW of Cleveland. I receive all the Cleveland DT stations except WKYC. A few months ago everything was fine. Now nothing on 3-1, 3-2 or 3-3. All were perfect before. Anyone know what is going on? I really miss Jay Leno in HD.

 

[prevman]

I live about 30 miles west of cleveland. Using a Radioshack..Radio Shack VU-190 XR? I pull a 63 on my RCA F38130 (RCA DCT100)


I get a 70-74 on Channel 5,8,19 and 43


I really thought I'de get better signa strength, but I think the high tension lines in my neighborhood must screwing something up

 

[ammiller2]

I live about 12 miles from the towers in Cleveland, Ohio - I have an interesting problem... I started out with an indoor antenna to test my reception and was able to receive ABC, CBS, WUAB and FOX with decent signal strengths (about 80) but I couldn't grab any signal from NBC.


So I decided to upgrade to a rooftop antenna (Radio Shack 50") so I could finally get all of the OTA digital channels in their digital glory. Well, after installing the rooftop antenna, I now get NBC (signal 100) along with ABC, WUAB and FOX (100) but cannot get CBS!?!?


I'm somewhat new to this game but I understand the VHF/UHF difference. I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on why my indoor antenna could pull CBS (VHF ch. 10) and not NBC (VHF ch. 2), and now my "better" outdoor antenna pulls all the Cleveland stations at 100 signal strength except for CBS?!?


Any other Clevelanders having a problem with CBS?

 

[Jeffrey Schlak]

I use a radio shack powered indoor piece of junk and can get everything but NBC! I get so ticked off at it, WKYC is a piece of crap!!!!!!!!

 

[rbird]

I'm not in one of the markets named in the thread title, but I do receive WMAZ-DT (CBS) on channel 4 from Macon, Georgia. I haven't noticed any interference problems at my location. I get a steady 74-78 signal on my Dish 6000, about 12 miles out from the transmitter. This is enough signal to provide a clean picture, with only an occasional droput. I'm sure the signal would be much better if the station went to full power (I think they are at half-power right now).


Bob

 

[AntAltMike]

Quote:

Originally posted by UncD2000 Do you have problem areas where multipath and/or powerline and other electrical interference make reception difficult to impossible?

So far, the respondents have not furnished any information regarding suspected multipath or electrical interference. What would be most useful would be to have each person who reports on the performance of digital low band signals also report on the quality of adjacent analog reception. We would like to see if the places with speckles or ghost images on the adjacent low band analog channels are also experiencing break-ups on their digital lowband channels.



Quote:

Originally posted by ammiller2 I started out with an indoor antenna to test my reception and was able to receive ABC, CBS, WUAB and FOX with decent signal strengths (about 80) but I couldn't grab any signal from NBC. So I decided to upgrade to a rooftop antenna... I now get NBC (signal 100) along with ABC, WUAB and FOX (100) but cannot get CBS!?!? ...I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on why my indoor antenna could pull CBS (VHF ch. 10) and not NBC (VHF ch. 2), and now my "better" outdoor antenna pulls all the Cleveland stations at 100 signal strength except for CBS?!?

Most likely, when your antenna is on the roof, it is victimized by multipath on CBS. You may be best served by using two antennas.

 

[UncD2000]



Originally posted by rbird

I'm not in one of the markets named in the thread title, but I do receive WMAZ-DT (CBS) on channel 4 from Macon, Georgia. I haven't noticed any interference problems at my location. ... I'm sure the signal would be much better if the station went to full power (I think they are at half-power right now).


rbird, I think WMAZ-DT is currently at 14 KW, so if they increase to 28 KW you will have the highest-power VHF low band U.S. digital station. Las Vegas is close to starting up KVBC-DT Ch. 2 at 27.7 KW. The others now operating are: WKYC-DT2 Cleveland (8.0 KW), WWMT-DT2 Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek (6.9 KW), WBBM-DT3 Chicago (2.5 KW - soon to increase to 3.7 KW), & WHP-DT4 Harrisburg PA (2.3 KW). We have had many reception problems in Chicago with WBBM-DT (our CBS outlet).

 

[jdmcdonald]

jgorman:


a few months ago the temperature conditions in the atmosphere

tended to bend signals down, around the Earth's curvature. This effect is much weaker in the winter. I used to be able to get WRTV-25 from 108 miles away, but not any more. The last couple of days it has gotten a few flickers


Doug McDonald

on the green light, but no picture.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

I believe the 14 kw figure for WMAZ-DT is their full power, not their half power. They are listed as 7 kw with STA status.


I'm about 10 miles from the tower and I can receive a strong, almost full scale signal with cheap rabbit ears on a MyHD card.