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MB/SK - Winnipeg, Brandon, Regina, Saskatoon, Prairies - OTA

482K views 1K replies 193 participants last post by  winnipeg305 
#1 ·
This thread is for OTA general discussion and results in Prairie and Northern Canada.

This includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut.
 
#3 ·
Estevan & SE Sask./Manitoba Extreme SSW Border Areas

This is a projection based on maps, databases, and some personal knowledge of the area's topography. It SHOULD work for people in Estevan all the way east to roughly Kilarney, Manitoba, and maybe about 20 to 30 km northwards along that same belt, but all this certainly requires testing.

The target broadcasters are in Minot, North Dakota so your gear would need to be a deep fringe setup such as a Channel Master 4228 bowtie reflector, or a very high gain yagi like a Winegard PR9032 or a CM 4248. Expert opinion is that the CM4228 performs best in fringe and deep fringe areas. No matter which antenna, you'll also need a CM7777 or Winegard AP8275 preamp.

If you have an elevator, grain bin, or silo on your property you have a great antenna tower already in place by putting the mast way up there provided that the run of cable into the house is less than about 30 meters or you'll suffer line loss.

Your antenna could be fixed into position at the correct azimuth towards Minot. However, if and when Canadian stations go digital in the area, you'll be better off if you put your antenna on a rotator in the first place and had a CM4228.

Here are the digital stations from Minot, ND:

KMCY-DT 15 (ABC)
KMOT-DT 58 (NBC)
KXMC-DT 45 (CBS)
KXND-DT 24 (FOX)
KSRE-DT 40 (PBS)

There will be plenty more analog stations available too, and the curfew for them from the FCC is for a 2006 switchover to digital.
 
#4 ·
Central South Manitoba (and maybe Winnipeg?)

This is a projection based on maps, databases, and some personal knowledge of the area's topography. Getting digital TV from the U.S. in this area is a real gamble for about a year. It SHOULD work for people in Central South Manitoba a bit north (as far as Winnipeg?) along that same belt, but all this certainly requires testing.

The target broadcasters are in Pembina and Grand Forks, North Dakota so obviously the closer you are to the U.S. border the greater your odds of getting them. Also, repeater stations dot the landscape all along the U.S. border so other reception opportunities need to be tested in your exact location.

Your gear would need to be a deep fringe setup such as a Channel Master 4228 bowtie reflector, or a very high gain yagi like a Winegard PR9032 or a CM 4248. Expert opinion is that the CM4228 performs best in fringe and deep fringe areas. No matter which antenna, you'll also need a CM7777 or Winegard AP8275 preamp.

If you are in a rural area and have an elevator, grain bin, or silo on your property you have a great antenna tower already in place by putting the mast way up there provided that the run of cable into the house is less than about 30 meters or you'll suffer line loss.

Your antenna should probably not be fixed into position at a specific azimuth unless Pembina is in a direct line with Grand Forks from where you are. For everyone else this is mandatory rotator country. Also, if and when Canadian stations go digital in the area, you'll be better off if you put your antenna on a rotator in the first place and had a CM4228.

Here are the digital stations from Pembina and Grand Forks, ND:

KNRR-DT 15.1 (FOX) Pembina
KGFE-DT 56 (PBS) Grand Forks

KCPM 27 (hasn't announced a DTV switchover from analog)


There will be plenty more analog stations available too, and the curfew for them from the FCC is for a 2006 switchover to digital.
 
#5 ·
Alberta and SW Saskatchewan

I've been making OTA reception projections for the southernmost parts of the Prairie provinces near the U.S. border based on maps, databases, and some personal knowledge of the area's topography, and its sad but true that the opportunities from Montana northwards into Alberta and Southwest Saskatchewan are mighty slim if non-existant. I'll keep checking, but if you've been in Montana its the same topography as Alberta: flat grasslands in the east becoming quite a rugged area as you go westwards with deep coulees and ravines, eventually leading to foothills and then the Rockies. Not the greatest properties for low power local U.S. repeater stations to do long distance TV broadcasting... :(

The only hope is that if anyone down towards Cardston, Milk River, Coutts, Magrath, Gull Lake SK, and the Cypress Hills can presently pick up signals from the U.S. they should keep in mind that the curfew for those stations from the FCC is for a 2006 switchover to digital. With some good antenna gear (as described in the SK and MB threads) you should be just fine.

For those in Alberta's major cities and surrounding areas, the cutover to digital in Canada will probably be a much longer process, but keep checking here.
 
#6 ·
Map of Possible OTA-From-U.S. Areas In Canada

I've added this map to the "Listings Of OTA Television Stations In Canada" website. The map provides a very general, non-specific guesstimate of possible U.S. OTA TV reception areas in Canada. It should only be used as a guide towards finding more specific information, such as that found in the stickied OTA threads here at DHC.



cheers,
stampeder
 
#7 ·
Map of Possible OTA-From-U.S. Areas In Canada

I've added this map to the "Listings Of OTA Television Stations In Canada" website. The map provides a very general, non-specific guesstimate of possible U.S. OTA TV reception areas in Canada. It should only be used as a guide towards finding more specific information, such as that found in the stickied OTA threads here at DHC.



cheers,
stampeder
 
#8 ·
Winnipeg DTV from North Dakota

When I was still into Ham Radio I used to do a lot of experimental Antenna building. The size and spacing of the elements determine the resonant frequency of the antenna. The number of elements generally determines the gain and front to back ratio of the antenna. There are a lot of good Amature Radio publications out there regarding antenna design. A good general reference to own is the ARRL amature radio handbook.

I hope the North Dakota Stations start transmitting an ATSC signal soon. I still have some aluminium tubing in the garage and I am itching to do some more experimenting.
 
#9 ·
Winnipeg

genx said:
Sorry I am new here! About three hours.
Nice to have you here! Today was my first contact with Winnipeggers (Hairball in another thread and yourself) about DTV there so we're all learning about reception there together. :)
genx said:
How can I determine if the broadcast is HD?
First of all you will require an ATSC tuner. Regular TVs have NTSC tuners, but if you take your time and go through some of the other threads here you'll get an idea of what is required for HD OTA. Here's a conversation I had with a fellow in Victoria that might be helpful to explain some things:
http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showpost.php?p=204598&postcount=17

genx said:
Also if no output power is indicated, does that mean that the station is offline?
In Canada we have 2 government bodies that supervise broadcasting: Industry Canada handles the technical stuff, and the CRTC handles the political stuff (license approvals, etc.) while you and I are stuck trying to make sense of what they're saying. IC's database is accurate and trustworthy, so if you see a station in your area that shows zeroes its usually a sign that the CRTC has not yet approved the license or that the station has not applied yet. Something you could try is emailing the stations in question and ask them what their DTV plans are. If you get an informative response, please post it in the stickied thread for your area.

I hope this helps, and I hope we can get some good DTV info for the Winnipeg area.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for that info. I can get KNRR's analog feed were I live no problem. I will have to check into the ATSC feed.
Just checked FCC data base:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=KNRR
It appears that KNRR is indeed transmitting but only at 3KW at this time. They do however have a construction permit for a 750KW transmitter at a hieght of 413 meters. Pembina is right on the US Canadian border about 65 miles from Winnipeg. When the 750KW transmitter goes up we will have no difficulty getting it. The 3kw would probably be a very long shot at this time.
 
#12 ·
stampeder said:
DHCer birdman says a CBC staff person has told him that CBC Winnipeg is now loading up on HD gear:

http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showpost.php?p=225260&postcount=432
Marc the CBCster here at DHC disputes my info somewhat but my source is in transmissions so I believe it to be true. OTOH we all know how long all this will take so no breath holding by anyone OK?

Being a Shaw HD subscriber I know the anguish that ensues when hopes are raised unneccessarily. Nevertheless I take it as a good sign and good info, not rumour.
 
#14 ·
Updates on Winnipeg OTA

Any updates on digital reception here in Winnipeg (i.e. launch dates etc)? I was shown this website and it has all the details for the digital channels that will replace their analog equivilant, but all it indicates is that the channels are "new".

http://radiostationworld.com/locations/canada/Manitoba/tv_information.asp?m=win

I have a deactivated Bell 6100 that I could use for OTA reception if that day is coming any time soon.
 
#20 ·
OTA in Regina, SK?

Hey folks,
Brand new here, first post. I am very familiar with forums and have done lots of reading prior to this post. I have not been able to find the answer to my question and have read through the Prairies/Western Canada forum.

I found this:

Here are the digital stations from Minot, ND:

KMCY-DT 15 (ABC)
KMOT-DT 58 (NBC)
KXMC-DT 45 (CBS)
KXND-DT 24 (FOX)
KSRE-DT 40 (PBS)
I have read lots about OTA. I have a HDTV with built in ATSC tuner and know that I will need an outdoor antenna.
I have also read about people in SK and MB getting OTA from Minot ND, as above. I am moving to Regina SK and I'm wondering about the availability of OTA HDTV in Regina.
If it is possible to get the programming from North Dakota in Regina, what antenna would I require.
 
#22 ·
Thanks Stampeder. So Estevan and the extreme south east corner of SK would "reliably get the Minot signal". I guess that Regina would be an extreme deep fringe area, or is it beyonf the extreme deep fringe area.
Taking into consideration the very flat land in south east SK, might it be posssible to attempt it in Regina, or is it simply out of the question?
Has anyone tried?
Thanks
 
#23 ·
Stations received in Regina, Saskatchewan.

My wife grew up in Regina. She told me that all the American stations were from Minot on Cable until they switched over to the ones on Satellite later on. So, in theory, if you had a good enough attenna, you should get stations from Minot. She said this was about 26 years ago in Regina. If the cable companies before could provide this signals, I think the possibility exists with an amazing attenna setup.
 
#24 ·
... in theory, if you had a good enough attenna, you should get stations from Minot.
I worked in the cable tv business in the 1970s and generally in the '60s through '80s many Canadian cable companies got their U.S. channel feeds from border reception sites with pro OTA gear on dedicated microwave links run the by telephone companies. In the case of Regina, I would guess that the local cable company in Estevan received the Minot signals and sent them over SaskTel microwave to other cable companies. Calgary and Edmonton got Spokane stations in a similar fashion.
 
#25 ·
PBS Soon Might Be in Digital OTA in Winnipeg

I was looking through the FCC database and saw that PBS Grand Forks, North Dakota has received a Construction Permit to build-out an ATSC station on Channel 56 UHF. If someone emails Prairie Public Broadcasting Inc. and gets a go-live date, please share it with us.

Here is the Service Area Map at 41 dBu, which means that Winnipeg might have enough signal strength to get it with high quality UHF gear:

 
#26 ·
KNRR-DT Fox Digital OTA Will Reach Winnipeg

KNRR-DT Pembina, North Dakota has an FCC Construction Permit for a whopping strong Digital OTA station to be located directly on the U.S. side of the Canadian border with an ERP of 750kW! This will BOOM into Winnipeg and across the province's prairie terrain :) Here is the Service Area Map at 41dBu, indictating to me that wide areas of Southern Manitoba will get it with proper outdoor OTA gear. If someone emails KNRR and gets a go-live date, please share it with us.

 
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