The Official SatelliteGuys TV Repack Topic

[localclassictvfan]

Well looks like KLWB 50 in Lafayette moves to High VHF 14 and WGMB moves from 45 to 24.

 

[primestar31]

Well looks like KLWB 50 in Lafayette moves to High VHF 14 and WGMB moves from 45 to 24.

RF14 is a UHF channel...

 

[Justin Hill]

RF14 is a UHF channel...

VHF low band (2-6)
VHF high band (7-13)
UHF (14-36)

 

[raoul5788]

It isn't even up for debate I thought. I 100% know this from both the change to digital in Ct and Tampa. I can't even get channel 8 in Ct anymore. (Actual Channel 10) but get channel 59 from the same tower. (Actual channel 59) WTSP in Tampa had no problem when analog reaching it's market but after going digital they had to move to where most of the other towers are and get granted a power increase.

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/35850/digital-vhf-needs-a-power-boost

http://jackatcet.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-problem-is-not-in-your-set.html

I almost have los to the channel 10/59 tower. I get 10 very reliably, 59 not so much.

 

[ancient]

I don't understand one thing. Your listing shows WOTV in BATTLE CREEK, MI moving from channel 20 to channel 17. Its contour includes parts of the city of Muskegon and a good chunk of Muskegon County in Michigan, but there is already a translator for WXMI Grand Rapids operating on Channel 17 (W17DF-D) and even worse, WXMI also has a translator on Channel 17 IN BATTLE CREEK (according to Wikipedia, anyway)!!! So how on earth can WOTV move onto that frequency? And if they do, what happens to those translator stations? Both are very necessary to get a good signal from WXMI in the communities they serve.

WXMI also has a translator on channel 42 in Hesperia, and 42 is one of the channels that will be eliminated, right? So out of four translators, it looks like only the one in Kalamazoo on Channel 30 might not be affected.

Then there is WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, which has translators on channels 46 in Muskegon and 25 in Holland. 46 is another one that looks like it is not going to be around (for some reason it does not have its own callsign, see second record at http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=WOOD-TV but it definitely does exist and has been operational for a few years now). But nothing is shown on the chart regarding these translators at all. What will happen to them?

 

[Trip]

Translators and LPTV stations are not protected as part of the repacking process per the law requiring the repack to take place. Additionally, for as long as LPTV and translator stations have existed, they have been secondary to full-power TV stations. So WOTV moving to 17 will bump the WXMI translator, which will have to find a new channel. These stations will have an opportunity to file for new channels at a later time.

- Trip

 

[. Raine]

I almost have los to the channel 10/59 tower. I get 10 very reliably, 59 not so much.

It's the same here for me. 10 comes in fine always but 59 is usually not so good. I'm 61 miles from the tower.

 

[raoul5788]

It's the same here for me. 10 comes in fine always but 59 is usually not so good. I'm 61 miles from the tower.

I'm only about 10 miles away.

 

[navychop]

If I'm reading this right, Hagerstown MD stations are staying UHF. I watch MPT and WHAG when at our RV near Falling Waters WV. 25.x & 31.x

We use a DTVPal DVR there, and PSIP. In past years reception for 31.x has been quite acceptable. Last year it started going downhill, and judging from yesterday's reception, it is now unacceptable. I moved the UHF antenna up maybe 20' to the top of our RV shelter last season, but it did no good.

I notice our Sharp TV has a better tuner and we can watch programs that are unwatchable on the Pal. But the TV doesn't even get PSIP and of course does not record.

I see three options, and would appreciate input.

1. Replace current CM 4228 8 bay UHF only antenna with a yagi, perhaps one of the Televes models, and a rotor. Not sure I'd gain anything with this, signal wise.

2. Replace with huge VHF/UHF and rotor. I don't think I'd get better UHF reception, but MIGHT pull in more stations, which I don't particularly value out there. Plus, larger antenna = greater chance of damage in our wooded area.

3. Keep current antenna and buy new OTA DVR, perhaps a CM DVR+ with external HDD.

There is no Internet there, save via weak ATT cell signal. So PSIP will be the source for EPG, with the odd lash up to my cell.

Address is near
3247 Vineyard Road
Falling Waters WV 25419

 

[mdonnelly]

I checked Oklahoma City. No great impact. Still only one low-VHF station.

 

[localclassictvfan]

RF14 is a UHF channel...

thanks I forgot to correct it...That starts at 15....

 

[localclassictvfan]

VHF low band (2-6)
VHF high band (7-13)
UHF (14-36)

Thanks...

 

[mrc54]

For the stations who choose to take the money and shut down, when will they have to quit broadcasting?

 

[osu1991]

For the stations who choose to take the money and shut down, when will they have to quit broadcasting?

http://www.commlawcenter.com/2017/04/fcc-announces-auction-results-and-sets-tv-repack-deadlines.html

• Stations Relinquishing Their License But Which Are Not Channel Sharing must:
  • Cease operating on their pre-auction channel within 90 days of receiving auction proceeds.
  • Notify MVPDs at least 30 days prior to discontinuing operations.
  • Air at least one public service announcement and at least one 60-second crawl in each quarter of every day (including one of each in prime time daily) for 30 days prior to the date operations are discontinued. A certification of compliance with the viewer notification requirements must be filed with the FCC at the time the station notifies the FCC that it will be discontinuing operations.
  • Notify the FCC at least two days prior to discontinuing operations.
  • Submit a request to the FCC to cancel the station license as soon as possible after discontinuing operations.

 

[primestar31]

Guys, you NEED to check your personal TVfool in cases where you can't seem to pick up co-located stations, that you feel you should be able to pick up. You NEED to understand what RF channel they REALLY broadcast on, (to select a proper antenna) AND especially how much ERP is aimed towards YOU. http://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=1

For instance in my case, I have a UHF flamethrower station 35 miles away South-East on RF22 (WNEM), that is 1 MEGA-watt, and throws 874kW's my way! It's located about 200 yards away from another tower broadcasting on RF46 (WBSF), that broadcasts a total power of 70kW's, yet only throws 31kW's my way. I have to use a Jointenna for 46 with a dedicated HDB91x (91xg clone) aimed right at it, to keep it from breaking up. If I don't, RF22 (WNEM) swamps it out.

Then at the opposite farthest end of my local station bearings, there's a station on RF16 (WSMH) pushing 29.9kW's my way, located right next to a station on RF48 (WAQP) pushing 841kW's!

So, I have one HDB91x dedicated and aimed at RF46 with a Jointenna, then I have a second HDB91x aimed at the RF16 station, which is my "all (UHF) channels EXCEPT channel RF46" antenna.

So, the two UHF HDB91x antenna's are aimed at the weakest stations, yet on the "all (UHF) channels EXCEPT RF46" HDB91x, it not only gets full signal on my other weak station in my receivable arc (RF16), BUT, the other stations are still powerful enough that they come in fine with the antenna aimed as it is.

By the way, I also have a third High band VHF only antenna (AC Y10-7-13) aimed at and picking up RF12 (WJRT) which is my only VHF station.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=e6a43980350957

TVfool isn't perfect, but it's a fantastic tool that makes things so much easier, once you take some time to understand what it's telling you.

 

[harshness]

For the stations who choose to take the money and shut down, when will they have to quit broadcasting?

One could logically assume that will happen when the station that was assigned their channel needs it. If the channel isn't reassigned (or negotiated for as part of the Second Window), they'll have to shut down at the end of the repack.

Let's not forget that the end of broadcasting may not be the end of the station. Some have expressed a willingness to give up their 14-19% broadcast viewership and go to non-broadcast mediums.

I think I read where the revised end of analog broadcast is measured from the auction as well; 51 months IIRC.

 

[harshness]

Guys, you NEED to check your personal TVfool in cases where you can't seem to pick up co-located stations, that you feel you should be able to pick up.

Perhaps more importantly, discussions of personal reception issues should take place in other threads.

 

[primestar31]

Perhaps more importantly, discussions of personal reception issues should take place in other threads.

I totally agree. That's why I pointed out Tvfool website, and how people can use it since many keep bringing up reception issues.

 

[Trip]

One could logically assume that will happen when the station that was assigned their channel needs it. If the channel isn't reassigned (or negotiated for as part of the Second Window), they'll have to shut down at the end of the repack.

osu1991 had the correct answer.

- Trip

 

[hancox]

Looks like Connecticut is losing 4 stations.

"Kind of" The New Haven CPTV affiliate is hyper-local. Still keeping the affiliates in Hartford, Bridgeport, and New London.

WCTX doesn't shock me - LIN are cheap #$@##$'s
I'm amazed that raoul5788 has trouble from his place - makes me feel better about spotty reception down near me!

What's amazingly annoying is that the FCC didn't fix their stupid mistake of putting adjacent market CBS's (WCBS and WFSB) on the same damn channel. Argh.