For those living close to the US border, Eastern Maine...

Here is some info about receiving DT channels over the air.

The website to the Maine PBS stations indicate that they will go full DT in mid-January. Here is a link to their website with contour maps for their coverage area...

http://www.mpbn.net/About/CoverageMaps/tabid/248/Default.aspx

As for WAGM-DT in Presque Isle, ME, here is a link to their website with info on their DT transition situation.

http://www.wagmtv.com/

And here is a contour map for them when they return to Channel 8 after their DT transition in mid-February. Their current DT transmitions are on Channel 16 as their website indicates.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT1249698.html

I know most of you in Atlantic Canada don't really have a great situation with OTA DT options, but those close to Maine can get some access of PBS, CBS & FOX over the air without having to go cable or Sat. services.

WMED a rebroadcast of ch 10 Maine public broadcasting(MPBN) is my american station.tv fool gives it a100 kw rating for analog broadcasts.Analog for MPBN ends Jan.12 09. The power rating for the digital broadcast (ch10 13.1) is 3.5 kw.Does this seem right?Will th digital channel appear very weak. Im only 15 mi.away but 3.5 kw?!

Digital OTA stations require much much less ERP (Effective Radiated Power) levels than analogue to cover the same area. Not only do we get better picture and audio quality, but digital OTA is better for the environment too. :)

As the digital transition goes forward there will be some stations requesting further power level changes as they gain more real world experience with their coverage areas. Another thing to consider is that many U.S. stations do not pay much attention to the needs of Canadian viewers, so it can be tough to complain to them about low power levels. In the case of PBS stations, if it can be shown that a substantial amount of funding comes from Canadian viewers in your area it makes sense that they should keep their ERP levels high enough for those donors.

Here are the contour maps from TV Query concerning WMED-DT & TV

WMED-DT
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=DT632411.html

WMED-TV
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=TV159105.html

They both seem the same. But, I think 3.5KW is rather low.
You can always contact Maine PBS, and let them know if their signal is rather low on DT. And yes, PBS stations do care about reaching their Canadian viewers. They'll listen. Especially if that station is suppose to reach Saint John, NB

thanks for those links blackburst.It does look like the coverage maps are the same.At this time I cant tell if WMED is broadcasting a digital signal,Im certainly not getting even a sniff on my panasonic tc32 lx85.Ill try and watch what happens during the next analog shutdown 12,17,08.Im confused about the channel designations.It appears they will be on ch10,192-198 mhz.But digital ch13-1?why the difference in numbers?

chamcooker...

WMED-DT is transmitting on Channel 10. But, it sends remap info to appear as 13.1, 13.2 etc. in order to associate with it's old analogue channel. WMED-TV is on Channel 13. Now after the analogue shutdown, Maine PBS may decide to abandon the re-mapping to their old analogue channels. I don't know.

If you're getting WMED-TV 13, then you should be getting something of WMED-DT 10. Unless the transmiiter for WMED-DT is not in the same place. Have you checked you TV signal meter. Punch up 10.1, then go to the signal meter in the TV, and see if you get any signal. It maybe just a question of rotating your antenna a few degress to get a picture lock. You can always e-mail or call Maine PBS to get further info on their Calais station. If people are having problems getting it, Maine PBS should be notified. If they need to increase power output on WMED-DT 10, then they can request this with the FCC. If they don't know, then nothing will happen. How much membership support does PBS Maine get from New Brunswick residents? How important is that stations signal reaching Saint John, NB?

Also, you should know that most if not all PBS stations are multi-casting on their DT channels. So, if you manage to get a lock on WMED-DT 10, you'll get it's HD feed, and one or more subchannels in DT. So that would a least double your PBS stations.

Also, for those in New Brunswick, WAGM-DT, & WMEM-DT in Presque isle, ME also have DT channels on air. I think that WAGM-DT will increase it's current output after the analogue shutdown. This according to a license application for WAGM-DT to increase to 10kw and return to Channel 8 on the TV Query site. WAGM-DT is currently transmitting on Channel 16 until the analogue shutdown happens.

Maine PBS
http://www.mpbn.net/

well I talked to the transmission manager from MPBN and he was of the opinion that if one could get analogue signal there should be digital too.My neighbour(1/2 mile) gets digital fine with a converter box.The service tech where I got the set tried an indoor antenna (another set in the store) and found watchable analogue but no digital and he was located closer than I am to the transmitter.So now I am making an antenna and am going to mount it rooftop to see what happens.Im wondering if the digital tuners in new sets are less than optimum for ota reception.

I got the antenna(yaggi design) up on the roof yesterday and its a good success! At first it only got analogue 13 but a few more feet of elavation above the roof and bingo tnere was MPBN-HD.Also get channel 9 decently off the back of the antenna and 21 global which is located I am not sure where.
Its interesting how there was no sign of digital signal at all until it was there perfectly.
The antenna was cut for 210mhz.ch 13 which may not be ideal if the digital signal is on ch10 . But it was worth the effort of putting it up.

Its interesting how there was no sign of digital signal at all until it was there perfectly.Yes, that's called the cliff effect. You either get a digital station or you don't. :)

You can look up stations in New Brunswick and Maine at this site:

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

chamcooker...good to hear that you finally locked onto WMED-DT 10.

You might consider checking out the signal strength on WMED-DT 10. That will tell you how strong it's coming in.

Punch 10.1 on your TV. Then goto the TV menu, and locate signal strength. You should see a signal strength meter.

Alternatively, staying on the channels re-map of 13.1 will also lead you to the signal strength meter for Channel 10 since the re-map is just that, a re-map.

You can also check the signal meter on other DT channels in the area this way. This will let you know if you're getting a weak signal on any other stations but not enough for a picture lock. Then the question becomes, do you get a better antenna to pull those channels in?

The bad news is that WMED-DT Calias will be off the air for at least six months starting January 10th.

See: http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNews/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/1858/ItemId/8635/Default.aspx

Can you get any Presque Isle stations?

TVl

Ouch! That's not good.
Who says that it'll be back in 6 months if they continue with money problems.

I think all these stations making a transition to DT broadcasting have to re-think their OTA transmitters. Most of these stations and their re-transmitters where based on the analogue model. Now with DT transmittions, they need to re-think how many re-transmitters they really need to cover the same area. Since DT transmitions require less power output to reach the same area covered by the analogue signal, money can be saved that way. But, at the same time, increasing the power output of one transmitter may give them the ability to shutdown another transmitter.

In the case of Maine PBS, they can perhaps increase the power output of their Presque Isle, and Bangor transmitters to cover most if not all of the area currently covered by their Calais transmitter. That way, they save costs on operations for the Calais station.

As for the shutdown on the Fort Kent radio station, they can use their WMEM-TV 10 in Presque Isle, Maine by adding the radio station as one of it's sub-channels. People would just turn on their TV to get NPR. All this would require is an increase of power output (not much with DT) to cover that area in the north (if it's not already being covered) and this increase would also cover some of the area in the south with the shutdown of WMED-DT 10 in Calais.

I think people in the area should contact Maine PBS and propose something like this. They maybe so trapped up in their budget problems that they don't see that this new DT technology can help them.

I'm new to this OTA stuff, But it looks fairly interesting. I have a Bell 6100 Receiver here (just the receiver), and I was wondering if theres anyway to get OTA signals to it ?
I'm in Labrador City,NL. Just on the border on Quebec, I don't even know if I can get a signal.
I would like to find out if I can get OTA signals before I purchase any required equipment but I can't seem to find a map showing where OTA channels are accessable across Canada.

You can get analogue standard definition TV (so no HD) in your area, but only a couple stations. They are

11 CBFT (Radio-Canada Labrador City)
13 CBNLT (CBC Labrador City)

So unless you just want CBC, it wouldn't be much use.

Will Halifax ever get HD OTA , does any one know ?

I'm sure Halifax will get a HD OTA station. The question is when. Why not contact the local CBC station and ask them.

Hockey looks amazing in HD.

As for Labrador City OTA... small places like that will probably go Digital way after the major city markets do. It's a shame. because with DT, you can have multicasting.

As an exmaple...A single TV station can transmit more than one channel at a time. In a market such a Labrador City, an ideal situation would be a single transmitter could transmit...

x.1 - CBC
x.2 - SRC
x.3 - CTV or Global or whatever

All in standard definition. But, I don't think the CRTC is interested in allowing sub-channels in Canada, as the FCC allows US stations to do. In the US, small town markets are getting more channels due to sub-channels.

Will Halifax ever get HD OTA , does any one know ?

Global and CTV both plan for digital OTA in Halifax, I believe in 2011.
Global does NOT plan to build any other digital OTA stations in the maritimes, though. Not sure about CTV.

But, I don't think the CRTC is interested in allowing sub-channels in Canada, as the FCC allows US stations to do. In the US, small town markets are getting more channels due to sub-channels.

this may change. It's not that the CRTC is against subchannels, it's just that this was their misguided attempt to preserve HD quality for the consumer. They thought that if they preserved the pristine HD quality for the viewer, people would flock to digital OTA.

What they forgot was that, with no additional revenue stream to encourage the broadcaster to invest in OTA, OTA just didn't happen outside Toronto and Vancouver.

I'm in Labrador City,NL. Just on the border on Quebec, I don't even know if I can get a signal.

I'm guessing that Lab City may NEVER get digital OTA, as it would probably qualify for a Northern exemption from converting to digital.

What type of antenna and hard ware will I need to pick up Tv signals and what signals are a available in south east New Brunswick just north of Moncton.I am using a set of rabbit ears and a antenna that I put in the attic 20 years ago.We are just tired of paying bell expess view for poor over priced service.If you can heip plese do.