I am going to lodge a complaint to the CRTC concerning the CHCH signal here in the Upper Beaches of Toronto. To be honest judging by previous CRTC decisions I don't think they are there to protect my interests but at present it is the only venue. Perhaps I will write to my MP.

cheers

Hi TVlurker,

Thanks for the info. The CN Tower is pretty much right between me and Hamilton. I will check out the FM traps, of course all will depend on price.. I wish you could rent OTA equipment or do a try and buy before purchasing, my biggest worry is that I go get a CS5 or fm trap etc and there is no difference.....

We need more data from viewers with VHF antennas pointed at CHCH. Many of the posts seem to be from people experiencing poor or no reception using UHF antennas pointed at Buffalo. West of Toronto, the UHF antenna may be a big enough chunk of metal to get channel 11 but on the east side of Toronto it won't do the job. The Hamilton stations aren't much closer than the Buffalo stations on Grand Island so a VHF antenna pointed in the right direction will be required for reliable reception of CHCH.


I agree completely, if I know that by getting the vhf antenna I will be fine then I will do so but not knowing...

I might try my hand and building again (although I don't really have the materials and tools.)

Anyone out there East of Yonge with a VHF antenna getting CHCH

Last evening when I got home from work I had no Channel 11. (I have an Antennas Direct ClearStream 2 that I use indoors). I tried manually tuning it in on my TV. Nothing. I rescanned, still nothing. I was beginning to think the worst. I am able to adjust the direction of my CS2, so I moved the antenna back and then returned to its original position and BAM! It came in loud and clear and has stayed that way.

So if you are having trouble receiving, try what I did and see if that works.

(I really wish I could get ION and WBBZ where I am!)

Brampton is just on the end of the 60 dBu cutoff, so I am not surprised that a UHF antenna is working there and getting a marginal, but reliable signal.

Baring a major tweak by the engineers over at CHCH, I think it is rather clear though, as PrinceLH pointed out, that outside of that initial contour, those on the secondary contour (everyone north and/or east of the airport) will need a dedicated VHF-hi antenna to get a reliable signal.

My guestimate is we see the same when CFTO goes to VHF. A UHF antenna will work for some who are close to the CN Tower, but those not in the immediate range will need a properly designed antenna. The good news is, for those east of the airport who need a VHF-hi antenna for CHCH, CFTO will probably be strong enough that you can point directly at Hamilton and get both, and vice versa for those in Hamilton who are getting a strong CHCH signal and want CFTO.

The bad news is that I wanted my vhf-hi to be pointed at WNGS :( I would probably get CFTO but don't know about CHCH, a CS5 has wider coverage but will it have the gain to get CHCH and WNGS.. arg!!!!

I guess I could combine two yagis.... getting a bit silly now :(

cheers

Obe67,

Since we live near each other, I have no trouble recommending the following that would certainly work for your Buffalos, Torontos, and Hamiltons including CHCH HD on 11.

Rotator
pre-amp
4-bay or 8 bay antenna
five or ten element high-vhf yagi or C5
combine the antennas using the pre-amp.

The above setup will work. My combo antenna is working just fine for CHCH when it's aimed properly. CHCH is almost reliable even with the antenna aimed at WNGS (about 60 degrees off from CHCH).

The fact is, from east of Toronto, CHCH on its transitional frequency of 18 also required a bit of aim. Ignoring Toronto/Hamilton and aiming at Buffalo usually made CHCH and CTS a bit of a challenge.

The only big difference from yesterday is that people east of the Humber will probably need a high vhf antenna to keep getting CHCH.

This seems like a big deal now because it's a lot of effort to have to go through to get one extra CHCH channel -- re-aiming and high-vhf antenna.

I predict a lot of people in Scarborough and east are going to need the same high-vhf antenna in order to keep getting CTV CFTO from Toronto.

So there will probably be a lot of people looking into Antennas Direct C5 antennas and Winegard YA-1713 and Antennacraft y5-7-13 and y10-7-13 and pre-amps for easy combining.

Still pretty solid in North West Miss (attic install -- two tvs and two separate feeds). Through a splitter in reverse (one and built for UHF and one for VHF -- different lengths of RG6 cable to the splitter). 80% on both this morning -- had to add a reflector on one TV late yesterday to boost).

Anyone know where CHCH 67 is. Receiving it this morning never seen before (must be tropo).

26-1-2-3-4 been coming through pretty well since the elimination of analog 11

Tuner seems to be picking up analog 7 and 27 global affiliates 1(think that 7 is really 6 from Paris). But do not know for sure.

Here's a crazy thought: If I go out and get a directional VHF antenna and aim it dead centre between the CN Tower and Stoney Creek,:confused: should that get me CFTO and CHCH post transition? Is anyone in a position to test this?

Tested that theory and it works, so long as you have different lenghts of cable for UHF and VHF antennas (or as omeone suggested to me yesterday to get a UHF / VHF joiner.

In my area there are huge townhouses in front of me -- so I must point sideways (roughly at 180 degrees each for Hamilton and Toronto -- although not exactly 180 degrees). Imagine flippers for a PINBALL Game (in reverse).

With me receiving analog 67 this morning (CHCH) wherever that is) could be stopping some from receiving 67 digital out of Buffalo).

Still have 26 this morning (but no 54 or 66 out of Erie). 1 Again attic installs about 35 ft in the air.

icniagara,
u won't know for sure until CFTO switches back to vhf 9. How's CFTO look now in analog? May be ur best judge till then.
But, ur a lot closer than me to both CHCH and CFTO, so it should be easier there than here.

here's an update on CHCH locally, using the worst of my 4 tuners this AM,,, probably just gonna have to live with occassional interruptions from a noisy VHF environment around here. I am way outside of CHCH's service contour (http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=1282749&map=Y) which doesn't even cross the US Border, spotty red blotches nearby if I look at it's coverage map (from rabbittears.info). So, I guess I should be happy with what I got.

CHCH-DT VHF 11
~ $ femon -a1
FE: Samsung S5H1409 QAM/8VSB Frontend (ATSC)
status SCVYL | signal -758 | snr 230 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status SCVYL | signal -763 | snr 230 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status SCVYL | signal -758 | snr 230 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status SCVYL | signal -758 | snr 230 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status SCVYL | signal -758 | snr 230 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK


CBLT-DT UHF 20
~ $ femon -a1
FE: Samsung S5H1409 QAM/8VSB Frontend (ATSC)
status SCVYL | signal -778 | snr 210 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status SCVYL | signal -783 | snr 205 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status SCVYL | signal -783 | snr 205 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status SCVYL | signal -783 | snr 205 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK
status SCVYL | signal -783 | snr 205 | ber 0 | unc 0 | FE_HAS_LOCK

I'm in Mount Hope and only have a blue screen for the new CHCH Channel 11. On my 11.1 I now get some NBC (?) station and 11.2 pulls in a MeTV - looks like retro shows.

Edit - This looks like WPXI from outside Pittsburgh - must be a tropo event.

HWP,

Thanks you might be right. I worry about overload on the preamp. I am going to wait until Sept 1 until I make any final decisions :)

cheers

Agreed. I'll add a rotor and once the analogs are shut off, we'll see how directly a pre-amped antenna can be aimed at Hamilton and Toronto without overload. I might need to swap out for a less powerful amp. Anyway, the best way to find out is to try it out real-world. I'll report here and in the Toronto Outdoor Thread in early September my results of using a combo antenna plus pre-amp plus rotor directly aimed at the CN Tower. Once we've tried that, then my results will help others determine what the best antenna / pre-amp / rotor combination might be.

I'd buy a VHF high antenna today if someone was actually selling them.
I can't find anywhere in Ontario you can buy the y10-7-13.

Tested that theory and it works, so long as you have different lenghts of cable for UHF and VHF antennas (or as omeone suggested to me yesterday to get a UHF / VHF joiner.

In my area there are huge townhouses in front of me -- so I must point sideways (roughly at 180 degrees each for Hamilton and Toronto -- although not exactly 180 degrees). Imagine flippers for a PINBALL Game (in reverse).

With me receiving analog 67 this morning (CHCH) wherever that is) could be stopping some from receiving 67 digital out of Buffalo).

Still have 26 this morning (but no 54 or 66 out of Erie). 1 Again attic installs about 35 ft in the air.
CHCH analog 67 is from Muskoka (near Gravenhurst IIR). WBBZ 67.1 is on RF 7 so no interference between the two. More likely to interfere is Global in Midland - it is also on RF 7.

As for CHCH 11.1, a little stronger for me this morning - not sure if this is due to better atmospheric conditions or that the transmitter is "settling in".

Thank you for the update on Ch. 67 and Ch 7. Gravenhurst? Interesting 1-- must be catching it from the side (somwhow) -- a tropo event? My antennas either point toward the CN tower or to Buffalo or to the mid-point between Buffalo and Hamilton.

Midland -- that's puzzling too (off the back of one that does not have a reflector maybe -- or maybe it is bouncing off of something else in the attic).

Both Channels still there.

Obe67, HWP

I'm nearish to you as well, at Broadview and Danforth.
I am seriously thinking about adding a hi-VHF antenna to the DB8 on the chimney, along with a pre-amp, likely the 7778 to avoid overload. Since I won't be doing this myself, maybe I can get the installer to test the 7777 as well before making the final decision?
I am on a quest to get CHCH and WNGS/WBBZ, and ION, reliably, and that means re-aiming the DB8 more toward ION, and adding the VHF. Going to wait on this though, want to see what Sept 1 brings.

Hi BeckEller,

I am aiming my UHF 4221HD (hacked) at Grand Island and now in the summer ION is coming in about 80 percent of the time. I have a home made very rough Mclap type 2 bay with long long whiskers for VHF which was getting me WNGS once in a while, I now pointed that directly at Hamilton and... nothing :(

If BeckEller is willing to go with the right antennas, pre-amp (the right one), and a rotor, then I believe he will be able to get all the channels he is after.

I just ordered an antennacraft Y-5-7-13 from solid signal to put in my attic.

Hopefully that'll snatch CHCH and avoid any problems with CTV post-transition.

It's too bad the industry had to turn OTA into a circus by putting VHF back into the mix.