Channel 58 HD

[StarvingForHDTV]

Jim Hall,

Are there plans to send out program guide information with your digital signal over the air?  I'm also curious if DD5.1 is in our future.  In addition, has the 'popping' audio problem been permanently solved?  I haven't noticed any audio problems lately.

Starving

[kkerley33]

Up here in West Bend.  Getting NBC and ABC at 100%, UPN and WB are around 77% and the PBS feeds are in the high 50% range.  Don't expect to get Fox but am hoping to get CBS in time for superbowl.

Using a Phillips amplified +45db set top antenna with the rotating disc.  Terk.com leads me to believe that if I am getting both the NMC and ABC stations, I should be getting CBS as well.

Using a Samsung TS160 DTV receiver.  Dish gets installed next weds but up to now I have not even been able to direct tune CBS by going to 46-1, 58-1 and the receiver wont allow me to tune into 1-1.

[Gregg Lengling]

With a settop antenna in West Bend I wouldn't expect to get CBS as they are running lower power than they are licensed for....only about 10kW instead of the 1000kW they are licensed for.  However with a rooftop antenna you shouldn't have a problem.

[JSH]

I live in Racine and also have a problem with receiving sufficient signal to pickup 58. I have a full size antenna mounted in my attic and am using a Samsung T160 receiver.  The antenna is a full sized Winegard mounted in the attic of a two-story home, which faces north and is directly across from a city park. The best signal I have been able to get is 36, but not for any length of time.

We just purchased the HDTV setup and was looking forward to watching the SuperBowl in HD, what a disappointment. Why is it that 58 is broadcasting at such low power, and do they any plans to increase that? Also does anyone have any suggestions that might help boost the signal?

Thanks
Jeff

[Gregg Lengling]

Right now stations like WDJT are broadcasting due to economic factors.  They are saving on Transmitter and amplifier costs and the big one is the Electric Bill to run a high-power transmitter.  Bean Counters will tell you not to spend money on something that isn't giving a return...and there is no way to judge the amount of viewership on the Digital Channels yet....Nielson and the ratings people just poll the analog yet.  So basically the only reason some of these stations are on the air isn't due to hoping to make a profit, but were put on the air to meet FCC rules...basically use it or lose it..and the licenses for the stations were basically free.  Which is something that really rankled the rest of the Wireless Industry as they all have to buy their frequencies at auctions for prices reaching into the billions of dollars for a nationwide license.

[Joseph S]

Right now stations like WDJT are broadcasting due to economic factors.

High power and no multicasting on Superbowl Sunday would likely lead to more tvs tuned to CBS-HD in the near future. Low power and poor quality will likely push that back at least another year or two as guests fail to see the benefit again.

[kkerley33]

Gregg,

I cant put a rooftop antenna up but we are allowed to have a dish.  Would one of those dish mounted antennas work well enough to get cbs up here in West Bend.  Dish is mounted on a pole at the end of an apt building about 3 feet up. Or would I be better of using something like a terk 55 that I could atleast hang outside off my overhang on the balcony.

Good thing for me is I am on the eastside of the building so I have an  unobstructed view to the southeast.

[Dan the Man]

kkerley33,

I am a big Channelmaster antenna fan. If you have a balcony, perhaps you could rig a CM 4221 out there somehow that wouldn't look too bad.

I installed a 4221 up at my cabin. I hung it from a tree with tie wraps and it works pretty well (and it's not even that high off the ground).

From everything I have heard those dish mounted OTA antennas don't work worth a darn.

[JSH]

Gregg,

As I mentioned in an earler post my setup consists of a Winegard HD7084P antenna mounted in the attic of a two story home, DirecTV Dual LNB oval dish, and a Samsung TS160 receiver. I just replaced a 75' RG6 mass produced feed cable with a cutom made high quality one used for my antenna, but it didn' seem to make much improvement. Using the receiver to measure I get about 77% signal for ABC & NBC, 69% UPN, and 36% for CBS (which at times is stable). Is there anything you can suggest that might help with the CBS signal, would a amp or preamp help and what would you recommend? We have people coming over to watch the SuperBowl and I would love to able to somehow salvage being able to watch it in HD.

Jim Hall,

Can you update the group as to whether your station plans to do anything differant for the SuperBowl ?

[digdugm]

JSH,
I to live in Racine, I use a RS vu-150(?), and a Channel Master 7778 Pre-amplifier and the Channel Master 9521 antenna rotor. I get 87% on CBS and 90 to 100% on the rest out of Milwaukee and good signals out of Chicago, all stations except CBS.

[Gregg Lengling]

Originally posted by JSH
Gregg,

AsIs there anything you can suggest that might help with the CBS signal, would a amp or preamp help and what would you recommend? We have people coming over to watch the SuperBowl and I would love to able to somehow salvage being able to watch it in HD.

 

Part of the problem is yours and I think part of the problem is CBS's local affialiate.  You are not in a major lobe of their antenna pattern and they are running low power...these 2 things add up to weak signals.  If I wanted to be sure I have the signal I would install the antenna on the roof (inside the roof you have at least 10dB of signal loss and even more now with snow on the roof).  A good quality preamp would be in order if you can actually measure the signal with proper test equipment and determine that it is indeed weak signal and not another problem.

If you aren't able to roof mount the antenna, then I would try a preamp and see if you can improve the signal.  Also some fine tuning on the direction the antenna is facing should also help.

[rtlm]

I am looking for help and ideas on trying to receive an HDTV signal for CBS58.

I live in up in Mequon near Highland and I43.  I have a roof-top antenna (Radio Shack model VU-90 XR) and a Samung HDTV receiver (SIR-TS160).  The antenna is mounted on the roof of my ranch home and pointed toward the towers on Capitol Dr.

Currently I am able to get 4-1, 10-1-->5 and 12-1 at 100% signal strength.  I get 24-1 and 36-1 at 77% signal strength.  Finally, I get 55-1 at 95% signal strength.

I have not been able to get ch. 58 at 58-1, 46-1 or 1-1.  Why is this?  

From the reading I have done in previous posts it appears to be due to the sharing of a tower and a VERY low signal strength used to transmit the HDTV signal.  Is there anything that I can do to actually receive this signal in my area?  Is there a different style of antenna that should be used (I know others further out that can get this channel in - granted, at a much lower signal strength)?

The second half to my question is, assuming there is nothing more that can be done, short of passing a hat to help WDJT with their electric bill, has anyone had success in getting a waiver from CBS58 to receive CBS network HDTV programming via DirecTV?

[Gregg Lengling]

I wouldn't think you would have a problem receiving 58 from where you are at (Near the Highland House I presume).  I'm in Cedarburg and receive it without too many problems.  Sometimes it's just a minor amount of reaiming your antenna to improve their signal.  58's tower is just west of the main tower farm near Hampton and Green Bay (right next to channel 12's tower).  However the main lobe of their signal is mainly to the west putting you alittle off the side and back...if you peak on channel 12's digital signal you should be able to receive 58's digital.

As far as a waiver from Directv...first off they haven't started the HD feed from CBS in the O&O markets yet...but even if they had I don't think you'd get very far as CBS holds the reins to that..not Directv.

Good luck.

[GS kid]

I took electronics classes back in the day but never really got into RF as much as I would have liked to. Electronics is such a wide field that they give you just a taste of some fields.  You said their signals main lobe is aimed west and that back from that (I assume east) is weak. I always knew that a tower's signal is not always 100% in all 360 deg. as you move out from the tower. How can a round tower have such a westward bias? I have a Samsung SIR-ts160 and the Radio Shack indoor HD antenna. The antenna with the double-helix resonators. I live near 1st & Mitchell St. in an apartment, so indoor was the only way I could go. It's really weird. I can only get 1-1 in ONE spot in my whole apartment! I have these metal cabinets attached to my wall. I have a mini fridge under it. I have to put the antenna on the fridge with about a 1 foot gap from the top of the antenna and the bottom of the metal cabinets. I get no higher then 77% and as low as 36% with 46% being the average. If I move the antenna anywhere else I get NO SIGNAL! Even if I stick it outside on my window's ledge. I kinda wish Radio Shack had made this thing directional. I have to twist the whole thing by hand if I need to which is rare. I wanna bring my STB over to a friends house for Super Bowl on his 52 inch RCA cuz he has a much bigger living room. I fear I will get no signal. I'm gonna try tommorow but I'm not getting my hopes up. I may have to just watch it on my Sony 34xbr800 which ain't so bad except for the room for all the people.
Can 2 antennas be spliced on the same line to improve reception?!?

[StarvingForHDTV]

You could try using an outdoor antenna indoors.  Maybe that is what you are already doing.  I use the 4 bay "bowtie" type antenna from channel master.  The 4221 I think.  It's more powerful than the double bow tie from radio shack.  At least those are my results.  I have it in the attic, but I'm sure it would be fine in the living room too.  I just hang it from a hook.  It might be worth trying for the Super Bowl.  Or sign up with TWC...

Starving