I usually can get a routine lock on KCPQ DT and DT-1 weather channel from North Vancouver Lonsdale area, esepcially when its overcast or rainy (which is the norm in the Lower Mainland). However I've noticed when the weather is exceptionally clear, as it has been the past 2 weeks, unless there is a tropo going, I tend to lose the station. Some sort of cloud cover seems to help the radio waves travel just that extra bit for me to get a good lock on the signal. Has anyone got a technical explanation for this observation?

Check through this thread for lots of info about atmospheric effects on OTA:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=26789

nukdoc - I'm far south of you, in Marysville, WA, about 45 minutes north of Seattle. Like you, I experience signal drops whenever the weather gets nice. Channel 5, our local NBC, is usually unwatchable in clear hot weather. All other stations are unaffected by this. The more overcast it is, the better the signal.
I've never been able to figure out why, but now at least I see I'm not the only one who experiences this, even though it happens to you on a different channel.

This just in from northwest broadcasters website.

KVOS is moving towers from NW Broken islands east from bellingham to a tower between mount verton to everrit north of bellingham thus causing to lose signal to vancouver island and the lower mainland. :confused:

They've just applied for the move, so we have to wait and see what happens first with the FCC.

My initial reaction is that KVOS knows that much of their advertising revenue comes from the Lower Mainland, and their web site even caters to Canadians, so either they wish to make a wholesale change in their marketing strategy (U.S. only) or they will also be applying to change their broadcast contour to match what they have now.

This all might have something to do with the Orcas Island antenna farm site being privately owned - perhaps a rental/lease agreement wasn't suitable. Just a guess.

Well I know one thing for sure the power often goes out in that location.
I spoke with KVOS actually and am waiting on real details of the planned change all I can say is that it is not something that is in the near future to happen. :)

One of the knowledgeable guys on the local AVS forum says this about the location where KVOS plans to move it's transmitter:

"That tower location is near Dahlbero Mtn. north of Granite Falls. With the transmitter at 2540 feet they'd have clear shot at just about anywhere around the entire Puget Sound area."

I don't know if thats high enough to clear the hills between there and the Lower Mainland

Has anyone else noticed that 35.1 and 19.1 KVOS and KBCB are down?

659pm the generator kicked in for kvos after the wind storm kbcb will need a visit to the site to reset their equipment.

I noticed as well that KVOS was down last night. However, all seems to be fine today.

Well looks ike some good news after 2/17/09 for you folks.
kstw's parent company has filed an applictaion with them to convert K62FS to low power digital on channel 11.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=23421

Mike

Hi Mike, thanks for that info. I can barely pick up a hint of their Port Townsend UHF transmitter on 62 and I'm fairly close to the border, so here's hoping a VHF High signal will carry better as they usually do.

If KSTW activates an LP station on 11 I take it that the parent station's broadcast contour would be adjusted to cut off somewhere around Anacortes to prevent overlap?

One of the Bellingham LPTV stations was supposed to be live today.

K38JH was given a construction permit three years ago today.

August 2006 they were given a minor modification to their construction permit.

Just last week they were given another minor modification to their construction permit. This modification allowed them to temporarily change their power and antenna location to meet their live date.

Here is the application that was approved:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101274537&formid=346&fac_num=128176

Of note is their new power level: 0.1 kW ERP, and their translator input station: 24 - KBCB Bellingham

I can only hope that they are using channel 24 temporarily. There is no reason that channel 24 would need a translator.

Hopefully they get their final transmitter up soon and that they chose a worthwhile station to re-broadcast.

By chance is anyone able to see anything on analogue channel 38?

I can view KOMO digital on Channel 38 as always.

ardsa, the Industry Canada database shows this:

WA Bellingham UC 38 BELLINGHAM-4 484044 1225036 734.0 1000 614.00 -

The 1000 means 1kw. The UC means "Under Consideration" so it doesn't seem to be approved as far as IC knows.

that something's there. It's like viewing a vhf analog station a hundred miles away, very weak and snowy. Also, it appears to be duplicate programming of channel 24 so basically a waste of space.

RE: 22.2. Signal seems to be almost solid? Signal strength 56-59, but drops out to 41. It acts like the wind is blowing the antenna around, but there's no wind. So I can't be sure if the problem is on this end (I know my antenna, etc., needs updating) or if it is fluctuation in the signal being sent out, or atmospheric anomalies. Beautiful picture!

aardsa, the Industry Canada database shows this:


Code:
WA Bellingham UC 38 BELLINGHAM-4 484044 1225036 734.0 1000 614.00 -The 1000 means 1kw. The UC means "Under Consideration" so it doesn't seem to be approved as far as IC knows.


Stampeder, just the same as I wouldn't go to the FCC database for accurate information on Canadian stations, please don't use the IC database for accurate, up-to-date info on American stations.

K38JH was just granted approval to reduce their ERP from 150kW to 100 Watts.
You can see the difference in contours here:

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=695185

if the link doesn't work, do a TVQuery on Bellingham, WA,
Click on K38JH
Click on Application List
Click on the Application that was Granted October 30 2008
Open the attachments at the bottom of the application.

You misunderstood my post, tvlurker - ardsa frequently posts data here from the FCC database (see Post #851) so mine was just to show the comparison of what IC has in their system.

You misunderstood my post, tvlurker - ardsa frequently posts data here from the FCC database (see Post #851) so mine was just to show the comparison of what IC has in their system.

I understand. Bear in mind that cross border notification happen when necessary, not, AFAIK, automatically. Since this was a request to reduce power such that the contour doesn't even touch the Canadian border, I'm willing to bet that no notification to IC was done.

No notification = No IC database update

Actually, what you showed from the IC database was the Bellingham allotment for channel 38.
There is another entry for K38JH that has no power listed.


PROVINCE CITY CALL_SIGN CHANNEL FREQUENCY CLASS LATITUDE LONGITUDE BANNER LIMITE NETWORK ANT_MODE BC_MODE OFFSET OFF_PREC BRDR_LAT BRDR_LONG BORDER CAN_LAND USA_LAND FRE_LAND ST_CREAT ST_MOD OK_DUMP DOC_FILE DEC_NUMBER UNATTENDED CERT_NUMB CLOSE_CAP "ALLOC_
ZONE" "BEAM
_TILT" EHAATT ERPVAV ERPVPK ERPAAV ERPAPK ERPVTA ERPATA GROUND_LEV OVERALL_H RAD_CENTER CHANNEL

WA Bellingham K38JH 38 614.00 LP 484044 1225036 UC D M - F 0 0 18.7 21.2 18.7 4791.1 4/4/2006 7/20/2006 4/5/2006 0 N N 2 771.2 0 0.0 771.2 38


WA Bellingham K38JH 38 614.00 LP 484044 1225036 UC D M - F 0 0 18.7 21.2 18.7 4791.1 4/4/2006 7/20/2006 4/5/2006 0 N N 2 771.2 0 0.0 771.2 38

why the FCC would grant a low-power license to anyone to duplicate utter garbage shopping channel programming already offered on 24. What community service is that??? To me it would make better sense to support and back a PBS station via Western Washington University that would offer local content.

Of course I've never understood KVOS being licensed in the US, since most of their programming and advertising is more oriented towards the Vancouver market. No local newscasts. No local oriented programming. Gee must be $$$$$s.

Sorry in advance for the bitching :)

Actually I don't think KVOS has offered much of anything unique to the Vancouver TV market in quite a few years.

Sad to see but CHEK and KVOS really went downhill over the last decade, in my opinion.