[timmy1376]

My local ABC is going to be powered on at a Effective Radiated Power (ERP): 25.0 kW ERP according to a FCC website. How far would that range? I am exactly 38 miles from the tower in the flint hills of Kansas(not big hills, but rolling.


Thanks!

 

[Bradtothebone]

Hello in Manhattan (I went to school there a long time ago)!


I wouldn't get your hopes too high unless you have a great antenna setup. I'm about 21 miles from KCPT channel 18, which is broadcasting with 48 kW ERP now, and I can barely lock it in (my Dish 6000 shows about 65 signal level). The higher the frequency, the more power required, so you may be in trouble, especially if you have multipath off the hills. Most UHF digitals are going with 500-1000 kW ERP. Good Luck!

 

[timmy1376]

Thanks for the real world experience. You talk about higher frequency, their digital channel(actually KTKA out of Topeka) is 48, so it is up there. I am hoping that Cox in Topeka, Manhattan, JC will jump on the Powell plan and offer the 5 HDTV channels, and I am hoping they will do CBS and ABC out of Topeka. It should be doable since we will be connected with Topeka with fiber.


Is KCTV any closer to going live?? I heard they were done, but won't turn it on. That is what KTKA is doing.

 

[Bradtothebone]

KCTV applied for a six-month extension in order to get their antenna mounted on the tower after high wind season. I believe they said July was the most probable time. How long after that they'll be on the air, I don't know, but their website (last time I checked, under "Engineering") said they planned to go digital in the fall of 2002.


If you're interested, you can go to the "KMBC-07" thread in the "Local Channels" forum and read all about the state of DTV in Kansas City.

 

[Glimmie]

Quote:

Originally posted by timmy1376 My local ABC is going to be powered on at a Effective Radiated Power (ERP): 25.0 kW ERP according to a FCC website. How far would that range? I am exactly 38 miles from the tower in the flint hills of Kansas(not big hills, but rolling. Thanks!

Very complex issue. ERP is affected by numerous factors the main one being terrain. There is complied data for these issues at www.dataworld.com

 

[rolinirn]

My mother lives in Ozawkie, which is about 20 miles NE of Topeka

and we cannot get KCET using a RS 190Vu ant. or the CM equiv.

She gets ABC, NBC & CBS from KC or Topeka and FOX from KC.

 

[NightowlKY]

Quote:

Originally posted by Glimmie Very complex issue. ERP is affected by numerous factors the main one being terrain. There is complied data for these issues at www.dataworld.com

heh...got a login id for that site?

Would love to get ahold of that software but I don't have a spare $2500 laying around.

 

[Lee Wood]

We operated with 19kw for four months while our tower was being completed in winter of 1999-2000. The antenna was about 1500 feet above sea level and viewers on hills (~500 feet above sea level) 45 miles away were able to pick it up reliably. In fact, to prove the point about how ERP isn't the only factor, once we went full power (840 kw) at full height (2000 above sea level) many had to change their antenna aiming. Digital goes a lot farther reliably than analog.

 

[timmy1376]

Lee,

That's great to hear. Here is the info I plucked from the FCC site:

Effective Radiated Power (ERP): 25.0 kW ERP

Ant. Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT): 447.3 meters HAAT

Ant. Radiation Center Above Mean Sea Level: 767.5 meters RCAMSL

Ant. Radiation Center Above Ground Level: 429. meters RCAGL


So they are a bit over 1300 feet above terrain, but I have no clue what I am. I guess I am just going to have to wait, and wait, and wait, as the paper the other day had an article with a quote from their cheif engineer said on air May, 2003. No MNF for me if they do it.

 

[jhe]

You're lucky to have so much power.


Around here we started out with one station at 4 KW, and their antenna was very low, like a couple hundred feet I think, and some people got that out to 20 miles or so at least.

 

[Akenyon]

Timmy1376


Here's more than you wanted to know about the KTKA-DT signal in Manhattan. This signal map takes terrain into consideration and shows projected signal levels at 10m above ground level for rooftop mounted antennas. Unless you are located in a dark blue to gray area (

 

[quarque]

great map Akenyon - where can one get others?

 

[Akenyon]

Ah,,, I generate them using software called ComStudy from RadioSoft ( www.radiosoft.com ) which I have for work. Most people won't want to rush out and order ComStudy - the package I have costs more than my Mits. Each run (one transmitter, one target area) takes from 5 to 15 minutes of processing time depending on the distance from the transmitter to the receiving area. I have been using 3 second USGS terrain data - roughly 100m square data blocks.


I have been producing a couple of maps a week for various forum members when I thought they would find them helpful. I can take requests but make no promises regarding my ability to fulfil them. Send me a private message including the station and the specific reception area to study (coordinates, generic street address w/zip) and an email address to send the resulting file (120-250K). I'm running out of space on my pesonal web page to link these things to - my family and friends would rather see family photos for some strange reason.