...to get global which is at the longest wavelength....
Global on Ch 8 is the shortest wavelength signal (highest frequency) compared with CBC on Ch 3 and CTV on Ch 5. With amplified rabbit ears on top of my TV, I receive perfectly CBC HD and CTV HD at 14 miles from their transmitters. Nothing received from Global with this. I'm sure I could use an outdoor antenna to receive Global.

Added: I take this back! I was considering the analog signals. Looks Like CBC HD is Ch 39 (Virtual 3.1) and CTV HD is Ch 48 (Virtual 5.1) while Global is still on Ch 8 (Virtual 8.1).

yeh, the virtual numbers don't mean much as far as i can tell. to design my antenna, i used this info about the channels:

ch 39 - cbc - 623 MHz (bowtie or loop uhf)
ch 48 - ctv - 677 MHz (bowtie or loop uhf)
ch 8 - glob - 183 MHz (this is the one that needs the 31" dipole antenna)

one advantage with 2 antennas is being able to aim them seperately for the different channels. i found the dipole to be sensitive, but not so much with the uhf one.

btw, the old analog french cbc is coming in pretty good too with this setup.

The virtual numbers are a convenience so people can still see the same channel numbers with a .1 suffix for the new digital channels as when they were analog. Last night I made the switch to stay on amplified rabbit ears for two local HD stations I can receive. I get perfect reception with rabbit ears almost fully collapsed. I thought maybe all 3 (CBC, CTV, Global) were all on the same tower on Citadel Hill? I can receive French CBHFT on Ch 13 with the ears but I would need an outdoor antenna for the 14 mile distance if I was going to actually watch it.

Is Global HD actually broadcasting now OTA in Halifax on Ch 8.1? I don't understand why if it's only 2dB lower in signal noise margin than CTV that I can't receive it. I see Global's pattern doesn't favour to the NE where I am. But both CBC and CTV are easy to receive with my amplified rabbit ears.

Is it a GOOD thing to see every pore and crack on people's faces? :)
Who's looking at faces....?

sounds pretty good so far... maybe try a bow-tie or loop antenna to receive cbc and ctv, and then use the rabbit ears in parallel as a 31" dipole antenna to get global which is at the longest wavelength.
Interestingly enough, the best configuration for Global I can get with my Rabbit Ears is to have them at about 40" at about 45 degrees vs. 31" flat. I'm now getting Global at around 49% solid as a rock even after a splitter. I achieved this by actually stacking two pairs of Rabbit Ears in the attic pointed in the same direction with the same configuration. It's okay for now, but at some point I'll probably opt for the Winegard so I can really lock in on Global. Now that Eastlink TV is no more, I want to make sure my signals are as steady as they can be.

Cheers,

Jim

Global Halifax is indeed on Channel 8.
Silly thing about DTV on VHF, is that (government) planners underestimated the power necessary to give good coverage.
With CIHF-DT's transmission plant putting out a piddling amount of power, I reckon the slightest bit of electrical noise would be enough to cause destructive interference.
The relative micro-power of CIHF-DT might also make it difficult for the signal to penetrate some buildings.
Also keep in mind that an amplified antenna can sometimes add noise to a signal, so that might not be helping you in your quest to get Channel 8.

I suspect it must be that Global is on VHF with unacceptably low power which is causing my lack of reception. I'm only 14 miles from the transmitter. Their so-called 37-mile footprint clearly includes my location. Here is my report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d403367b2324984

I am in a semi-rural residential area with no significant electrical noise and I tried last night with the amplified rabbit ears outside the house with absolutely no signal received. I can disable the amplifier, but even CBC and CTV disappear then. Although I have Shaw Direct satellite service, I prefer OTA due to the improved full-screen video quality. There is something wrong when a free signal is better quality than a paid-for signal.

Added: I tried again enabling and disabling the amplifier. Ch 13 CBHFT analog became much clearer with amplifier on. I think the amplifier is working as it should. At this point, the next step is to build or buy an outdoor antenna. Anybody have a VHF high band to donate to a good cause?

my final (current) setup, however in 10 years or so i expect to be completely surrounded by condos and will probably need something better :(

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=882&pictureid=4958

You've put out effort to get all that installed. After studying Global's transmitter further, I think they are probably running it just to meet the law. They have a 200 watt (!) transmitter with a 7dB gain antenna. No wonder nobody can receive them. I suspect they don't care about OTA. The vast majority of watchers are probably seeing them via Eastlink cable and Shaw/Bell satellite. I give up trying to receive them unless I can find an outdoor VHF antenna that nobody wants.

Boy is this thread quiet. Doesn't anybody in the Maritimes use OTA? Maybe it's working great for everybody and there's no reason to talk about it.

So it would seem!!!

My home made Gray-Hoverman has been a champ all winter. Made it out of hand stripped 10-ga copper wire and cpvc pipe. Nothing has fallen off so yay for that!!!

How many channels can you receive? There are only 3 channels available in Halifax (CBC, CTV, Global). I can get CBC and CTV on amplified rabbit ears 14 miles from transmitters. But Global is VHF high band and I can't catch it. I guess I need to make an antenna like you.

There are only really the 3 here too and I get them all and very strongly.

If you are west enough of Fredericton (Basically, Keswick Ridge), you stand a REALLY good chance of getting Fox, CBS and PBS out of Presque Isle. Theoretically, I can get it but the effort is past what would matter as CTV and Global carry most of the shows we want and Netflix fills in a huge pile of blanks.

It is very nice to not have a cable or sat bill. :cool::D

Global is showing program info, whereas CTV is still "CKCW Moncton" Will that ever change?
Anyone hear what the latest for CBC is on Mt Champlain?

US Networks out of Presque IsleÉ. Just checked TV Fool for my home town (Edmundston) and there is nothing listed for DTV in Northern Maine except for PBS.

Cheers, K

...It is very nice to not have a cable or sat bill.
Well I've reduced my bill down to Basic Shaw Direct satellite. By combining OTA and FTA satellite along with Netflix, I find Basic SD sat is more than enough. My goal this year is to drop Basic satellite so I have no monthly TV bills either.

Just checked TV Fool for my home town (Edmundston) and there is nothing listed for DTV in Northern Maine except for PBS.
There's WAGM (CBS & Fox) 69 miles from Fredericton in Presque Isle. That would be receivable unless the pattern is blocked.

Hey everyone, I've been snooping around these forums for a while but still very new to OTA TV. I recently canceled Eastlink and purchased a Terk indoor amplified antenna. So far so good with very little adjusting. My question is, i recently lost CBC. I mean completely. Global and CTV are clear and strong but nothing on CBC. Does the weather, wind and/or cloud cover affect the signal enough to lose the channel? I live in an apartment in Clayton Park along the 102 highway. I'm very close to 4 towers, say 1/4 km away.

I am watching CBC from Halifax now on an amplified set of rabbit ears. I am 14 miles from the transmitter. It is crystal clear. Since you are only 1/4 mile away from the towers, I don't think weather could be a factor. It sounds more like something local in your system is wrong. You are so close to the transmitter that you should be able to just put a random piece of wire on your antenna terminals and be able to receive CBC.

Added: Have you tried re-scanning your channels from your TV? Maybe the CBC channel got deleted, hidden, etc.