How would that make sense?! If they've changed the contour to favour KW over the previous antenna, you'd think I'd see a stronger signal, and I don't. So perhaps the ERP has been reduced during the equipment transition until it goes digital?!

With the new antenna and PT power, coverage stays about the same in the K-W direction. There are also nulls toward Lake Erie and Chatham so those areas will get poorer reception. There could be other explanations for the difference here but the change coincides with installation of the new antenna. If you look in some of the transition threads, there are maps showing analog and digital coverage for CFPL TV. The new antenna is directional and has a higher ERP in the K-W direction. The analog antenna had a uniform ERP with no directionality.

How would that make sense?! If they've changed the contour to favour KW over the previous antenna, you'd think I'd see a stronger signal, and I don't. So perhaps the ERP has been reduced during the equipment transition until it goes digital?!
You don't see a stronger signal because since the gain on the new antenna in your direction exceeds the gain of the old omnidirectional antenna, they would have to reduce transmitter output so that the gain in the peak direction is still no more than 325 kW.

Doing that would, of course, reduce the power in some of the other directions below the 325 kW it is today. That is why KW sees no difference, while other areas do.

CFTO plays great movies here Monday mornings around 1am. Funny though, haven't ever managed to get one completely recorded. Seems like the signal strength on that channel conveniently drops at some point during the movie.

Don't know if it's intentional on CTV's part, or if that's just the time they're testing/maintaining the transmitter or something, but it was kinda weird last night when the signal disappeared EXACTLY half an hour before the movie ended, and returned at full strength when the next show began...too bad Bad Boys II looked awesome in full hd on my plasma.

Hope it becomes more reliable when the transition is over...:rolleyes:

Judging by CHCH-dt performance on 11,I think CKVR reception in the GTA will be difficult.

CKVR-DT will be worse for those near the lake, due to the sloping elevation.

^^^^
A friend of mine lives near Kingston Rd & Woodbine. I expect she'll have to wait for the repeaters before she can watch CTV Too.

I found this in CFTO's wikipedia site.

After the analogue television shutdown and digital conversion, which takes place on August 31, 2011 [3], CFTO-DT will move from its current pre-transition channel number, 40, to its post-transition and current analog channel number, 9. However, due to problems with VHF stations in the United States that caused VHF stations to move back to UHF (e.g. WHDH Boston, WVUE-DT New Orleans, KTVT Dallas/Fort Worth), CFTO-DT will remain on 40 despite the signoff of CKXT-TV. CKXT-DT would have been changing to channel 40 after August 31, 2011.

Is this true or just old (and contradictory) information?

I highly doubt that is true, but I'll bet CFTO is definitely monitoring the ongoing situation with CHCH. It would be great if they stayed on CH-40 with an increase in ERP

100% WRONG. There's lots of errors about Canadian digital stations on wikipedia (see CKXT, says it uses virtual channel 52.1, never has, never will).

It would be great if they stayed on CH-40 with an increase in ERP
+1 here brotha. Even though I made a CH9 cut Yagi, I'd still like to see them remain on 40. Then I could re-point/modify the Yagi for RF13.

Channel 40 is not allocated PT for Hamilton so it is not likely going to happen. Hamilton is in the unenviable (for broadcasters) position of being between Toronto and Buffalo, both large markets with lots of stations. That leaves Hamilton with very few available frequencies, all of which are currently allocated or in use. Some more isolated markets have half a dozen unused frequencies but Hamilton doesn't even have half a dozen frequencies in total.

100% WRONG. There's lots of errors about Canadian digital stations on wikipediaIndeed! Use the Industry Canada database for the absolute freshest info:

http://www.user.dccnet.com/jonleblanc/Canada_TV_Stations/

The IC allotment plan is really just a starting point. Going against the plan is not impossible, its just harder.

1. You need to do a complete short spacing analysis, and notify any licensees who may be affected. The hard part is that with vacant allotments, there is no one to give agreement.
2. I think going against the plan means you have to do a full application to the CRTC, and perhaps not be eligible for expedited or Part 1 Application status.

Both these issues means the application would be more work, cost more, and take longer.

Also, it's sometimes possible to "borrow" a neighbouring allocation, just as Bell tried with using a Welland allocation for Fonthill for their pending CKVR repeater app.

This also might mean that CHCH could apply to increase power on 11.

For example, Corus, which operates a channel 11 transmitter in Kingston, might agree to CHCH upping its power if CKWS does, too.
AFAIK, the nearest channel 11's on the American side are in Akron, Toledo, Pittsburgh, and New York City.

Has anyone with a signal meter in the reception area for CKVR, but of course outside of the reception area of CFPL analogue (also RF10), seen any signal (not necessarily lockable ATSC) on the RF10?

It would be nice to know if they were at least testing.

I was updating my Zap2it yesterday and I found CKVR-DT 3.1.

I found that interesting. I guess that means CKVR may be remapping to 3.1 as a virtual channel when they switch to rf10 at transition.

Most stations tend to re-map to their traditional channel numbers, even if they don't keep that allocation post-transition. Makes sense that CKVR-DT would do the same...

IC/CRTC regulations say that the broadacster must post on their website a notification of their planned transition including date & time.

CTV still has no time/date info, so I take it that they will not make any flashcuts until August 29th at midnight.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/corp/CTVShows/20110419/digital-switch-chart/20110419/

I read in another thread (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=114203&page=17) (post #251, dated July 2, 2011), that CKCO channel 13 (Kitchener) will flashcut to digital on August 31, 2011. Hopefully they will switch to digital before then.

They will be testing next week, but they won't flashcut until August 31.