Anybody have any idea why I can consistently pick up KTBW through the back door when I can rarely get KCPQ with the antenna pointed straight at it?

cookie, is it KTBW analogue on Channel 11 or KTWB-DT digital on 14? With my CM4228 pointed at about 350 deg N I get traces of 11 analogue and I also pick up a digital carrier on 14 so there's your proof that it carries well up here. If I was to put up my VHF antenna pointed at SeaTac I'd absolutely get KCTS 9, KTWB 11, and KCPQ 13 in analogue.

Its KTBW digital I'm getting, 14 re-mapped to 20. I pick up 20-1 thru 20-5. It'd be great but I'm not much for religious programming.
From the information I have KTBW is only broadcasting at 90KW from 1500 feet compared to KCPQs 600KW at 1900 feet. They are almost at the same location so it doesn't make much sense to me.

I'm getting almost full power for CBC-HD 2.1 now, but still no sign from CTV (32.1)? Does anyone in downtown having problem getting CTV too?

As a plus, I'm getting Global HD /CHAN-DT now (22.1) but their picture quality seems upconverted instead of real HD.

I'm downtown and have no problems with CBUT or CIVT. They are both coming in smoothly with their usual strength.

CHAN is coming in with a strong signal too, and I've definitely seen some HD content, but currently it does not work with Vista Media Center due to their PSIP settings not being sorted out yet.

Yep, we're keeping tabs on the status of CHAN-DT (Global Vancouver) in this thread:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=84662

Its slow going, but they'll work out the problems. :)

Sticking to stampeder's format suggestion:
1) North Van, Lynn Valley, near Ross Rd & Hoskins. Clear line-of-site to Seymour, and ~300 m back from southern edge of plateau for view of MetroTown.
2) CM 4228 with about 50' of RG-6 directly into a Westinghouse LCD. No rotator, pre-amp, or anything fancy. Roof mounted (2 story), about 6' above the peak.
3) Last weekend with the skip/tropo working (ref http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_wam.html) I got almost everything from SeaTac, namely:

KOMO/ABC 4.1 (38)
KING/NBC 5.1 & 5.2 (48)
KIRO/CBS 7.1 & 7.2 (39)
KCTS/PBS 9.1, 9.2., 9.3, & 9.5 (41)
KSTW 11.1 (36)
KONG 16.1 & 16.2 (31)
KMYQ 22.1 (25)

Tuner will usually not lock on SeaTac digital stations, but does pause its scan for a very long time trying. Normally I can reguarly get the following in digital:

CBC 2.1 (58)
Global 8.1 (22)
KVOS 12.1 (35)
CTV 32.1 (33)

As far as analog goes:

CBC 2 - strong & clear over a UHF, but at 4 miles no surprise
CHEK 6 - steady & watchable, but not super clear
CTV 8 - fine
KCTS/PBS 9 - comes & goes, but snowy at best
City 10 - comes & goes, often multipath, more off than on.
KSTW 11 - comes & goes, best is pretty snowy
KVOS 12 - not as clear as 12.1 on 35, but OK
KCPQ 13 - comes & goes, best is pretty snowy
KONG 16 - always there, sometimes pretty clear
A-CH 17 - nice and clear
KBCB 24 (also 24.1 on 19) - who cares about shopping
CBUFT 26 - sometimes suffers multipath
CTV 32 - good & steady
M 42 - good & steady

I'm trying to find a mutually agreeable time to have Greg come by and do a site survey. I'm still hopeful that one or more of:

more height,
another CM4228 stacked, &/or
a preamp

will make at least some of SeaTac regular viewing in my home. I'll post again once I get some more results, but that might take a while.

Hi,
I am new to this and technologically challenged! We have had a 35 yr old tube tv and rabbit ears for years. It was fun watching each other try to get better reception but we thought we would grow up a bit and have purchased a new 32" panasonic hdtv. We also thought we would get a decent antenna. I have tried to sort through the info on the threads but it is too much for me to process. We don't have high ambitions. Ctv, global and cbc would do. We used to get channel 17 analog from victoria. If we could just get those well again that would do us. Any advice?
thanks

Hi Wales, from your location you should be able to get the HD stations from Mt. Seymour with no problems using a good indoor antenna such as a Silver Sensor or clone pointed a bit to the right of straight north. :) Turning it around to the south will probably get you the Bellingham stations too.

Which floor are you on?

Channel 17 analogue is a Mt. Seymour repeater of A Channel Victoria, so it is local and not from the Island.

Hi,

I am also new to this but I'm slightly tech savy. I live on 2nd and trutch (near McDonald St). . I have had my HDTV for about 6 months now and I really want to start watching some HD programming. The problem is I live in a basment suite and I'm renting. I don't think my land lord will let me put an antenna on the roof of our house. would it be possible to get a signal at my house with an indor antenna or am I hooped?

Thanks

Hi 4fingered, that's over by Jericho Beach, isn't it? Does your basement suite face north or hopefully northeast towards Mt. Seymour?

well kind of. unfortunatly there arn't many windows. there is one window facing north. I realise that the broadcast antennas are on Mt. Seymour and I remember reading that if you have line of site you should be fine. but I think most of downtown blocks my line of site and so does the house kitty corner of me.

If your TV already has an ATSC tuner, then you should just try it out. Build yourself a basic dipole antenna from a spare coat hanger or something and try it around a few locations. Put it by the window and move it left to right to see if you get anything. From where I am, I get CBC and Global around 4th and Dunbar facing west with a basic coat-hanger dipole with a aluminum foil reflector I built.

so I finaly got around to trying this out. I first tried a rgular pair of bunny ears antenna with no luck at all. but then I tried building this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw and I put it just out side my window. I was surprised at the difference. I can now pick up CBC (signal peaks at 70) global (peaks at 80) and CTV is a bit weaker peaking at like 60. am I missing any other channels or is that about all of them?

4fingered, if all 3 digital stations from Mt. Seymour are stable from where you are in Kits then you are doing fine, but if you need more ooomph from an antenna you should definitely build an SBGH and you will get a solid lock on all of them.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=81982

Hi All, great forum, lots of great info, very helpfull, Thanks :D

I am receiving:
CBC on 2.1 @ 50%
Global on 22.2 @ 60%

But i am not getting any signal from CTV.
Auto scan is not finding anything
0 signal on 32.1 to 32.10 or 33.1 to 33.10

It appears Global and CTV transmit off the same Rogers Tower on Seymour Should I be able to catch the CTV signal if I have the Global signal?

W 7th and Balsam

Tv: Sony KDL-52V4100
Antenna: NexxTech Amplified on full gain.

JayCarter, those numbers are too low and you should be getting CTV, so hopefully we can help.

Is your antenna pointed at Mt. Seymour? Any big buildings in the way? Is it an indoor antenna?

Hey everyone,

I just bought an Antennas Direct DB2 indoor/outdoor antenna and have it hooked up to my computer through a Hauppauge HVR-1800 tuner card. I am out at UBC and unfortunately do not face Seymour - does this mean I won't be able to pick up anything? I currently get 0 signals when facing out my window towards the airport - I thought that at least I should be able to pick up a weak signal from something. Did I possibly install it wrong? Or is it because it's not facing Seymour? I read that some people have put this antenna in their closet and still pick up good reception.

Thanks for your help.

Hi stampeder, thanks again on your great work here, awesome…

Unfortunately it is an indoor antenna. This is rented apartment, main floor of original house. I am pointed in the “general” direction of Seymour, but no direct line of site, plenty of buildings in the way, not tall buildings though. I consider it fortunate to even get a signal considering. I do have to have the powered gain control on full to get the 2 signals I am receiving, antenna from “The Source”, I have tried 3 and this is the best.

I was wondering if perhaps the TV decoder was having some trouble, I read somewhere way back that the CTV signal had some odd properties that meant some the TV decoders were having trouble with the signal, SIP or something along those lines?

TV: Sony KDL-52W4100 (not V4100 as previously stated)

K's Logic, sorry to have to say this but when I read that your window is facing the airport from UBC I shook my head and said "uh oh..."

That antenna would be fine for CBC and Global (maybe for CTV) so Is there any way you can point your DB2 with Line of Sight to Mt. Seymour? If not, I think you will be out of luck.

On the other hand, by pointing past the airport to Orcas Island you should be able to get KVOS-DT Bellingham on 35.1 remapping to 12.1, and probably you'd get that shopping channel on 19.1 as well.