intravino and balm , what are you reading for fox and pbs (32.1) ?

No more lock on WFFF (Fox #43) and 30% with constant drop outs on WETK (#32).

Not sure I like this ALL OR NOTHING part of digital reception!:mad:

10h38, FOX is as strong as usual here so something changed around your location, not around FOX44 antenna

anyone else notice that channel 33 PBS has been really low for about a week or more. use to get about 100, now only get about 30

No more lock on WFFF (Fox #43) and 30% with constant drop outs on WETK (#32).

Not sure I like this ALL OR NOTHING part of digital reception!:mad:
44 is as strong as ever here, but channel 33 is really low and has been for a week or more.

No problems on my end.

All the channels I get seem to be coming in okay, at about the same signal strength as usual.

No picture lock lose from any of the following...

WPTZ, WCAX, WETK, WCFE, WFFF

Though, when the weather changes sometimes and there seems to be a change in atmospheric patterns, meaning coming from the west. I get a major increase in reception of WNPI. When this happens, WCAX, WETK, and WFFF have their signals drop by a good 10 %. But, I never lose a signal lock on them. WPTZ is the one though that seems to be effected the most when this happens. It can drop as much as 20%. But, I still have picture lock.

We have been having crazy weather (winds & rain). Can this be some of the problems.

intravino and balm , what are you reading for fox and pbs (32.1) ?

WFFF is 80 %

WETK is 93 %

Another observation on the impact of rain on reception of Mt. Mansfield channels:

Last night without rain:

WVNY 90-95%
WFFF 70-80%


Now with the rain just started:

WVNY 90-100%, but rare occasional drops to as low as 60%
WFFF 75-95%


The power houses WPTZ, WCAX, WETK and WCFE remain (not surprisingly) at full levels.

Of those who are able to receive ABC ch13 in the Montreal area: How is your reception this morning?

Bad weather is currently moving through Vermont. I wonder if this is the reason for occasional stuttering on ABC. Signal is at 90% during approx. 7 sec and then drops to 55% for half a sec. On my tuner, this results in a short freeze of the picture; sound is fine.

All UHF stations seem to be unaffected.

WPTZ Guide is Back But CBC guide is 1 hour behind

From FYBUSH.com:


On TV, WGMU-CA (Channel 39) in Burlington is back on the air after several months of darkness. Convergence Media Group, which owns WNMN (Channel 40) across the lake in Saranac Lake, N.Y., bought WGMU out of the Equity bankruptcy sale, and now WGMU/WNMN are relaunching with Retro TV programming, to be accompanied eventually by MyNetwork TV once WNMN-DT is fully built out.

Here is a press release about the WGMU return on the air:

http://www.prlog.org/10293174-heritage-television-station-to-return-to-champlain-valley-and-north-country-wgmu-channel-39.html

Basically that press release sounds like they will not do HD. Six channels will be offered. That sounds like six SD channels. With RetroTV & MyNetwork being the first two. This will all be really a waste for us in Montreal. Unless they get that transmitter of theirs on Mt. Mansfield, transmit on another UHF channel (TFO is on UHF 39 in Hawksbury), and transmit at least 50kw, we'll never see it.

Basically that press release sounds like they will not do HD. Six channels will be offered. That sounds like six SD channels. With RetroTV & MyNetwork being the first two. This will all be really a waste for us in Montreal. Unless they get that transmitter of theirs on Mt. Mansfield, transmit on another UHF channel (TFO is on UHF 39 in Hawksbury), and transmit at least 50kw, we'll never see it.

Our only chance is the repeater in St.Albans Ch 52. I used to get it here in Beloeil regularly. Saranac Lake is a long shot.


Update, I got the email response form the CEO:

I would like to know if the repeater of WGMU in St.Albans Ch52 will be in function soon?


We hope to have it on in a few weeks at the most. Bureaucracy...!

It took him 8 minutes to reply, I'm impressed.

Intravino

W52CD may not actually come back on Channel 52. They have a entry over at the FCC TV Query site about it moving to Channel 41. But that is an old entry. Before they were bought out.

Also, where did you find a contact e-mail for them?

On the Whois domain registration information.

I posted their domain name earlier on this thread.

This post might be in the wrong place (weather related), but becuase it is very specific to WCAX-DT 22 and CBOFT-DT 22, I figured most people would see it in this area.

Last night, I was getting some really crazy reception. It has got to be weather related. My DB8 antenna is pointing towards Mt. Mansfield for all the Burlington-Plattsburgh stations. I also do get WNPI-DT 23 in the evenings. Once in a while, due to weather, I get CBOT-DT 25 from Ottawa. When this happens, some of the other Ottawa area analog stations also start to come in. Snowy, but you can see what is on them. This includes, CBOFT-TV 9, CJOH-TV 13, CHCH-TV 11, CITY-TV 65, CICO-TV 24 etc. You get the picture. When this happens, it doesn't last for too long. A couple of hours, and then they are gone again. And it doesn't happen very often.

Last night, I had the strongest possible signal strength come my way from the Ottawa area. CBOT-DT 25 was at 78% on the TV signal meter. Picture lock on my TV is at 34%. At that point, I decide to see if any of the other DT stations in Ottawa where also coming in. I had about 25% on SUN TV channel 20, and whatever is on channel 66. I think it's one of the OMNI stations. This lasted for hours, and hours.

Now when this all happened, all of the Burlington-Plattsburgh stations droped by about 10% on the signal meter. All except WCAX-DT 22. It was at 0%. Now, I know that CBOFT-DT is also on channel 22. What I think was happening was a cancelation between the two. CBOFT-DT 22 was coming in, and WCAX-DT 22 was also coming in. End result 0%. Now, I'm no expert in this. I'm sure one of you guys with a lot more experience will be able to explain this. My concern though is the placement of CBOFT-DT on the same channel as WCAX-DT. I think the use of channel 22 is too close for the distance of the two markets. Something that the FCC & Industry Canada should look at. There are plenty of other channels that CBOFT-DT can use.

BTW, I do not get CBMT-DT 20 because I'm blocked by the mountain. So, the signal I receive on channel 20 as being SUN TV from Ottawa is just an assumption since I didn't get a picture lock.

What I think was happening was a cancelation between the two.

True. You need at least 15 dB better signal on one of the channels in order to decode it.
If CBOFT-DT came in within 15 dB of the WCAX signal, it's possible.

Note that all the Mt Mansfield stations broadcast on Ottawa frequencies -- 14, 32, and 43 are analog stations on the Herberts Corners tower, and 22 is, as you know, SRC from Camp Fortune. Herberts Corners is closer to Montreal, but Camp Fortune is much taller. (If I recall correctly, even the base of the Camp Fortune tower is taller than the top of the Herberts Corners tower.) However, the nature of NTSC in ATSC co-channe interference is different. Normally, I would think that analog would have a worse effect, but perhaps 22 Ottawa was exceptionally strong.

Note that in 2011, CBOFT-DT reverts to 9 (co-channel with CBC-owned CKSH-DT on Mont Orford, but the plan is only for 3.5 kW), and CHCH-DT-1 will be on 22, presumably from Herberts Corners. More importantly, there will no longer be an Ottawa station on 14, so there will be less interference for WPTZ-DT. I think 32 is freed up, too.

By then, WNYF-LD on channel 18 from the WNPI tower in South Colton should be up and running with 4 kW. On a good tropo day, you should be able to get WWNY CBS in HD on 28.1 and WNYF Fox in SD on 28.2. This could replace your CBS should WCAX be affected again.

With respect to your comment about the close spacing -- note that under the international agreements, TV stations are only protected within their official contours and within their own nation's borders. IOW, neither WCAX nor CBOT are protected at your location in Montreal. WCAX is not protected because, although parts of its official contour extend onto the Island of Montreal, it is not protected outside the US. And CBOT-DT is not protected because you are outside the 89-km contour limit.

Any reception outside the contours is 'gravy' and there are no grounds for complaint about interference.

However, should you find that SunTV on 20 interferes with reception of CBMT once it moves to Mount Royal, that would be grounds for a complaint.

CBMT will be moving to channel 21, so there won't be a conflict with 20 in Ottawa and Quebec City post-transition.

CBOFT will be reverting to 9 as you mentioned and CHCH's repeater was set to go on 22, but I think it might go dark now that Canwest is disbanding "E" and the new owners of CHCH will turn it into a local-news station for Hamilton. It will have no use for Ottawa. Global only lit up the Ottawa repeater for simsub rights with CH/E programming.

My point is not on who is being protected or not. Why point is that, by using the same channels as a nearby market does, interferance will occur and neither station will benefit. And neither will viewers. If CBOFT-DT was on channel 21, I and others would be able to get both WCAX-DT and CBOFT-DT. Everybody wins when such a situation arises. Why go looking for potential trouble when there are enough other channels to use.

When CBOFT-DT moves to VHF 9, that shouldn't effect me. But, the CHCH-DT on channel 22 may. It's still unclear as to what the new owners will do with all the re-transmitters of CHCH-DT Hamilton.

I doubt very much that I will be able to pick up WNYF-LD 18 once it goes on air. I currently receive WNPI-DT 23 in the evenings and overnight, and it's transmiiting at 40kw. WNYF-LD will be at an even lower power.