[newsman]

I have started this thread, because the majority of the posts on the Philadelphia HDTV thread have been dealing w/ issues regarding Comcast, Verizon, and cable. I do not have cable, nor will I ever have cable. If you live in South Jersey, Delaware, or in and around Philadelphia and its suburbs, please feel free to post your Over-The-Air (OTA) issues, concerns, problems, comments, and discussions here. Let's try and help out one another on trying to resolve issues.


Philadelphia Area Digital Channel Listing


Call Letters (affiliation) Channel #s Transmitter Location

KYW-DT (CBS) 3.1 Roxborough

WPVI-DT (ABC) 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 Roxborough

WCAU-DT (NBC) 10.1, 10.2 Roxborough

WHYY-DT (PBS) 12.1, 12.2, 12.3 Roxborough

WPHL-DT (MNT) 17.1, 17.2 Roxborough

WYBE-DT (PBS) 35.1 Roxborough

WGTW-DT (TBN) 48.1 Roxborough

WPSG-DT (CW) 57.1 Roxborough


*Roxborough is a neighborhood in the city of Philadelphia.


Please help me edit this list and keep it up to date!

 

[JWhip]

The height of 29's antenna is the likely culprit. Their antenna is a lot lower than the others. That along with the fact that they are not at the power of most of the others either. Of the two, the lower height is the most significant.

 

[newsman]

I should have also stated, that I received Fox's signal during the summer. Perhaps weather also is a factor as to why I can't receive them as well? When I did get them, I was barely able to get them with upper 60s and low 70s as signal numbers.

 

[JWhip]

The signal can be effected by temperature, humidity or lack thereof and things such a whether the trees have leaves or not. OTA reception can be a real tricky proposition. I live in a very bad area for OTA due to real terrain issues. Beautiful area though. I can get only KYW with an antenna all year. A neighbor was able to get it only in the summer. Once the leaves fell off, that was it. I on the other hand, can get UPN57 only when the leaves are off the trees. That is why cable is so important to me. Without cable, all UHF is very problematic, whether digital or analog.

 

[newsman]

Has anyone seen NBC's HD picture lately? It seems to have gone down in quality. Any ideas? There's a new ER (which I have almost given up on, since all my favorite characters are gone), that I hope comes in with a good PQ tonight.

 

[sebenste]

From TBN:


Channel: 27

Station: WGTW-DT

City, State: Burlington, NJ/Philadelphia, PA


Today, January 4, 2006, station WGTW-DT, Burlington, NJ/Philadelphia, PA began broadcasting via crystal clear digital transmission.


WGTW-DT operates with an effective radiated power of 160,000 watts from


1,082 feet atop it's tower near downtown Philadelphia. This station blankets portions of three states; Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania with a strong signal broadcasting a multicast of all five TBN networks including TBN, JCTV, The Church Channel, Smile of a Child and TBN Enlace USA.

 

[newsposter]



Quote:
Originally Posted by newsman /forum/post/0


Has anyone seen NBC's HD picture lately? It seems to have gone down in quality. Any ideas? There's a new ER (which I have almost given up on, since all my favorite characters are gone), that I hope comes in with a good PQ tonight.

actually since i inched up my DB8 6 inches higher inside my attic, i'm getting low to mid 80s versus unreliable 70s dipping to 60s. 64 and 67 now both have the same readings. ER was flawless on my HDtivo last night. All I need is someone to mount it on the roof and i think the neighbors house and 40 miles wont be any match for me!

 

[QZ1]



Quote:
Originally Posted by newsman /forum/post/0


I have started this thread, because the majority of the posts on the Philadelphia HDTV thread have been dealing w/ issues regarding Comcast and Cable. I do not have cable, nor will I ever have cable.

Good move to separate the threads.


I posted a notice and a link to this OTA thread in the 'Philadelphia, PA - HDTV' thread.


As a courtesy, could you please notify a Moderator to change that thread to 'Philadelphia, PA - Comcast', if you haven't done so already.

 

[newsman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by newsposter /forum/post/0


ER was flawless on my HDtivo last night. All I need is someone to mount it on the roof and i think the neighbors house and 40 miles wont be any match for me!

I'll have to say this, ER was flawless. There were no hiccups on going from 4:3 to 16:9 during commericals and back to the show. No pixelization, though that happens more often during sporting events. I was happy w/ the PQ of ER last night.

Let's hope WCAU-DT can keep this up during the Olympics.

 

[newsposter]

except now i get home and nbc is up to 89 but abc is down to 71...ugh...gotta get this thing mounted outside.

 

[BrentHD]



Quote:
Originally Posted by newsman /forum/post/0


I need to find out why I am not receiving 29.1. I get all the other channels just fine. Why not Fox 29.1? Their tower is in the same area as all the others in Roxborough. The signal is at 49, with a peak of 56. All the others are in the 80s and 90s. I am about 4 miles from Roxborough. Does anyone else have this problem?

I live 40 miles from Roxborough with a Winegard UHF antenna and pre-amp in my attic. I get 29.1 with reasonable signal strength but it is my weakest Philadelphia station. I have frequent dropouts and my old Samsung SIR-150 seems to have trouble locking on to the signal at times. Without the preamp I could only get intermittent reception on 29.1. However, during football games I often find the breakups and freeze-ups of the picture too much to bear. I suspect they must be at a lower power or transmit somehow differently as all the other Philly stations come in rock solid with about 75% strength, vs. 50% for 29.1.

 

[newsman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by BrentHD /forum/post/0


I live 40 miles from Roxborough with a Winegard UHF antenna and pre-amp in my attic. I get 29.1 with reasonable signal strength but it is my weakest Philadelphia station. I have frequent dropouts and my old Samsung SIR-150 seems to have trouble locking on to the signal at times. Without the preamp I could only get intermittent reception on 29.1. However, during football games I often find the breakups and freeze-ups of the picture too much to bear. I suspect they must be at a lower power or transmit somehow differently as all the other Philly stations come in rock solid with about 75% strength, vs. 50% for 29.1.

Glad to see it isn't only I who is getting a poor reception from WTXF-DT. 4.3 miles away and I can't even get my receiver to lock on. Yet, all the other channels with signals from Roxborough come in at 85 or higher.

 

[Signalseeker]

This is a great thread. I've been ignored when asking OTA questions on the previous thread. I have been trying to determine why I can not get WTXF-DT but when it first went live I received it around 60%. I called an engineering and they told me their height was the main culprit. They do plan on raising the tranmitter but when remains a question. FYI for all those wondering how far you can receive a signal I live in Long Valley, NJ 50-60 miles NE and get CBS at a minimum of 75%. My interest in FOX was to be able to get HD Eagles football, obviously no loss for me this year! I have CM 4228 with the CM 7775.

 

[johninbricknj]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Signalseeker /forum/post/0


This is a great thread. I've been ignored when asking OTA questions on the previous thread. I have been trying to determine why I can not get WTXF-DT but when it first went live I received it around 60%. I called an engineering and they told me their height was the main culprit. They do plan on raising the tranmitter but when remains a question. FYI for all those wondering how far you can receive a signal I live in Long Valley, NJ 50-60 miles NE and get CBS at a minimum of 75%. My interest in FOX was to be able to get HD Eagles football, obviously no loss for me this year! I have CM 4228 with the CM 7775.

Ditto on this thread. I'm 60 miles east in Brick NJ and locked WTXF-DT and if the weather gods are good I'd get it. CBS is always a good 75% and WCAU I can get at night. Usually I'm aimed at NY but I can't get NBC ota. I got a CM4228, CM7775 pre-amp CM rotator, hooked up to 2 dish 811's and 2 retired VOOM boxes.

John

 

[newsman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by johninbricknj /forum/post/0


Ditto on this thread. I'm 60 miles east in Brick NJ and locked WTXF-DT and if the weather gods are good I'd get it. CBS is always a good 75% and WCAU I can get at night. Usually I'm aimed at NY but I can't get NBC ota. I got a CM4228, CM7775 pre-amp CM rotator, hooked up to 2 dish 811's and 2 retired VOOM boxes.

John

It is sad (for me) that you can get WTXF-DT when the weather is just right, and here I am about 4 miles away and cannot get WTXF-DT at all, except in the summer.

 

[newsposter]



Quote:
Originally Posted by newsman /forum/post/0


It is sad (for me) that you can get WTXF-DT when the weather is just right, and here I am about 4 miles away and cannot get WTXF-DT at all, except in the summer.

You probably have buildings/hills in your way. I only have 40 miles and one neighbors house in the way and if i only aim for fox, i can get it in around 60. Here are my most recent numbers the way it's set up now and as you can see fox's height/power sucks, plus being 2 degrees off doesn't help me:


Code:

uhf  station  signal  power  height
26 (cbs3)    90-92      770/375
31 (pax61)   90-91       
32 (upn 57)  75-80      250/400
34 (wbye35)  80-85      358/377
42 (fox 29)  25-45      305/161
54 (wb 17)   60ish      500/354
64 (abc 6)   85+      500/390
67 (nbc10)   85++      560/377

 

[davede]

I agree about the thread, its helpful to see some OTA discussion..


It sounds like many people have trouble with 29.1 and 12.1. Is this true of everyone? Is there any point in trying anything to improve on these?


I have a ~110" radio shack antenna with a 7777 pre-amp and a rotor. I'm using the built-in tuner in a samsung P2775H TV. I am in Delaware, rox towers are about 38 miles.


All the channels come in well except 42 (Fox) and 55 (whyy 12.1)


Interesting that I get all the Baltimore stations at about 56 miles, and I get the PBS annapolis station 42 at 64miles better than the Fox 42 from Philly at 37 miles! That surprises me since I thought PBS stations are usually lower power.


Here's the info on the Philly stations

uhf station signal power height

23 (PBS) 60 49 miles

26 (cbs3) 90

31 (pax61) 90

32 (upn 57) 80

34 (wbye35) 80

42 (fox 29) normally 0 sometimes 40

54 (wb 17) 70

64 (abc 6) 60

67 (nbc10) 90

57 ubn 90


Dave

 

[newsman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by davede /forum/post/0


It sounds like many people have trouble with 29.1 and 12.1. Is this true of everyone? Is there any point in trying anything to improve on these?

I am getting 12.1 just fine. I think you shouldn't worry about 29.1. If I can't receive it from 4 miles away, you probably have no shot. If you do, more power to you.

I wish I had that power to receive.

 

[newsposter]

What's the effect of fog on OTA? I'm 40 miles out with a DB8 and 125 ft run. Paid someone to put the antenna 10 ft up on the chimney this morning. Fox is 2 degrees off but all other stations are the same direction. However it appeared even though it was on the roof, I couldn't get in ch 64 and 67 in the high 80s like i did in the attic. My guess is the chimney was 5 ft to the right of the original spot inside and i guess that made the difference. But i didnt' want the hassle of a tripod.


Anyway, after over 1 hour of struggling aiming the antenna 1 millimeter at a time, and trying a pre amp from the guy (turns out my regular amp was better anyways), I've now gotten fox to be solid mid 60s and channel 67 and 64 seem to be solid 68ish or 72 ish. If everything stays as is, i'll be thrilled as I can record solid 60 signals. Even WB is 65 now. But I was wondering if the dense fog helped or hurt the aiming this morning? If all the channels die tonight after the fog is gone, i'll scream lol.

 

[newsman]

Fog can affect reception. Who knows how it is affected? At least you are getting something. I don't get FOX at all. I am not even watching them on analog. They should do something to boost their signal.