Transition happened and I got no Canadian channel whatsoever. Now I have this urge to launch Burnaby Mountain into space and nuke it from orbit!

What is your nearest major intersection, tkcom? If you're at the south end down the hill it can be really brutal!

North @ Foster facing north with another apartment complex in my line of sight. I only have indoor antenna and no problem getting KVOS or KBCB. I bet SFU and Shaw must've been trying their best not to have a repeater up there.

That would be the landscape between you and Mt. Seymour. It drives people nuts in South Burnaby/Edmonds in the winter!.

Stampeder I respect your feedback, but just one last kick at this can.

1. The landsacpe between my location and Mt Seymour is very favorable, the OTA gods were generous. Not only TVFools wise but real world, I have extremely good sight lines both North and South, to such extent all Mt Seymour channels can be received on the ground floor and with speaker wire for an antenna. I only got into high gain antenns to pull in Seattle channels.

I mention this to demonstrate that it was not landscape that was causing my "intermittent" signal problems with RF33 CIVT last summer.

The reception problems with CIVT when on RF33 were limited to the following:

1. It ONLY happened during extereme summer heat conditions, typically at night, ie when ducting has a greater tendency, the kind of conditions when many members on this site report pulling in channels from great distances. I believe one fellow claimed a disatance of 700+ Km. Obviously South BC'ers do not have the kind of conditions to pull in channels from such great distances, but I believe Oregon channels from aprox 400 KM were recently reported on this board.

2. Under normal atmosperic conditions (Spring,Summer,Fall,Winter) with a 91XG outside at 25' AGL pointed towards Seattle, CIVT would come through the BACK of the antenna at aprox SNR29. It was only during these extreme ducting type nights, when CIVT would drop down to 16-17 and pixellate. It was the only Mt Seymour channel to drop in signal strength.

3. During ducting conditions the Seattle channels were absolutely booming in, at least four 113 mile channels pegged at 100% and SNR30, and with the 126 mile channels making a strong appearance. I suspect that if RF33 was vacant that RF33 KWPX from 126 miles would have also been picked up and locked onto. I also suspect that it was this co-channel interference that was causing CIVT to be the only Mt Seymour channel to crap out so badly during the extreme ducting conditions.

I understand this was extreme weather conditions only and will never effect the vast majority of Lower Mainlanders, but my comments were more pertaining to the "what if" KWPX doubles their power, which I believe they have apllied for, it has the "potential" to become a bigger issue for more people with local RF33 (now CKVU), at least in the summer.

Getting a good signal from CHNU-DT at about 80% here in Port Moody. The analogue signal was quite snowy.

Antenna is Clearstream 2 mounted on the outside of the railings of 17th floor apartment. Other antenna is Clearstream Convertible aimed at Mount Seymour. Both antennas go into a combiner.

CHNU-DT has a some old shows i wouldn't mind watching. Lower mainland DT scene is finally shaping up to be decent. I guess i should buy a tuner/capture card for my htpc ;)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antenna 1 UHF: M4 @20' AGL (modified DB4) 8" swept whiskers, 36" curved reflector, Regal T75 Balun
Antenna 2 UHF: 91XG @20' AGL (modified) 26"x20" corner reflectors, Regal T75 Balun
Antenna 3 VHF: YA1713 @26' AGL
Tuner: HVR-1250 (SNR30 max, SNR15.3 minimum for lock)
Preamp: Research Communication 9267 VHF-Hi (0.4db noise)

Antenna Setup: Outdoor pointed at Seattle (Mt Seymour through rear)
Victoria repeaters with direct aim

Channel / Max SNR (M4) / Max SNR (91XG) / Max SNR (YA1713) / Reception

2.1 CBUT / 28 / 28 / NA / Steady
4.1 KOMO / 30 / 30 / NA / Up & Down
4.2 KOMO / 30 / 30 / NA / Up & Down
5.1 KING / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
5.2 KING / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
6.1 CHEK / 30 / 29 / NA / Steady
7.1 KIRO / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
7.2 KIRO / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
8.1 CHAN / 28 / 28 / NA / Steady
9.1 KCTS / NA / NA / 17 / Sporadic
9.2 KCTS / NA / NA / 17 / Sporadic
9.3 KCTS / NA / NA / 17 / Sporadic
10.1 CKVU / 26 / 28 / NA / Steady
12.1 KVOS / 30 / 30 / NA / Steady
12.2 KVOS / 30 / 30 / NA / Steady
13.1 KCPQ / NA / NA / 24 / Dropoff
13.2 KCPQ / NA / NA / 24 / Dropoff
16.1 KONG / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
16.2 KONG / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
17.1 CIVI / 27 / 26 / NA / Steady
20.1 KTBW / 23 / 25 / NA / Sporadic
20.2 KTBW / 23 / 25 / NA / Sporadic
20.3 KTBW / 23 / 25 / NA / Sporadic
20.4 KTBW / 23 / 25 / NA / Sporadic
20.5 KTBW / 23 / 25 / NA / Sporadic
21.1 CHNU / 23 / 25 / NA Steady
22.1 KZJO / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
22.2 KCPQ / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
22.3 ANT / 30 / 30 / NA / Dropoff
23.1 CIVI / 20 / 22 / NA / Sporadic
24.1 KBCB / 24 / 25 / NA / Steady
24.2 KBCB / 24 / 25 / NA / Steady
26.1 CBUFT / 28 / 26 / NA / Steady
27.1 CKVU / 22 / 23 / NA / Dropoff
28.1 KBTC / 29 / 29 / NA / Steady
29.1 CHNM / 22 / 23 / NA / Steady
32.1 CIVT / 27 / 29 / NA / Steady
42.1 CHNM / 26 / 28 / NA / Steady
42.1 KWDK / 21 / 23 / NA / Sporadic
44.1 KFFV / 28 / 29 / NA / Sporadic
44.2 KFFV / 28 / 29 / NA / Sporadic
44.3 KFFV / 28 / 29 / NA / Sporadic
44.4 KFFV / 28 / 29 / NA / Sporadic
66.1 CHNU / 25 / 23 / NA / Steady

62 K62FS - KSTW Analog (subjective) ranges from good to barely watchable (much snow).

Most channels marked "Dropoff" are typically good year round (locked). Channels marked "Sporadic" are too weak for reliable reception (below digital cliff).

Tropo or skip creates huge signal fluctuations, fading and dropoff on Seattle channels. Cool or cloudy weather produces lower peak signal strengths (except KOMO which is typically SNR28-30 year round) but it also provides much more stable reception.

That is impressive results. I am in Victoria just working on ganging 2 antennas one aimed at Van and the other at Seattle, hopefully I will be able to achieve similar results, just waiting on a notch filter. I have a 3rd for vhf aimed at Seattle but only get 9.1 and 11.1 every now and again, better than pre-transition but still shotty.

I'm using this (http://www.tvantennaplans.com/) antenna without a reflector in my attic (I think it might be similar to an mclapp 4). I orient it to 345 degrees true (165 degrees true in the other direction). The signal runs through 50 feet of coax. I can get the following channels:

2-1 (43) CBUT-DT - CBC
8-1 (22) CHAN-HD - Global BC
10-1 (33) CKVU-DT - City TV
12-1 (35) KVOS-DT - MeTV
12-2 (35) KVOS-DT - The Cool TV
17-1 (17) CIVI-2 - CTV Two
24-1 (19) KBCB - ShopNBC
24-2 (19) KBCB-2 - Estrella TV
24-3 (19) KBCB-SD - ShopNBC
26-1 (26) CBUFT - Radio Canada
28-1 (24) KBTC-SD - PBS
32-1 (32) CIVT - CTV
42-1 (20) CHNM-DT - OMNI
66-1 (47) CHNU-DT - JoyTV

I've been running it for a few days, and I have only ever seen pixellation on JoyTV. The sound on PBS is weird, though. Any "S" sound is a little distorted into "SH". It almost seems like they're using audio compression, or over-driving an amplifier. It's enough to be distracting.

There are houses and evergreen trees (and maybe even a little earth?) between me and Mt. Seymour. To the south, though, I have a clear view. Using my TV's lame signal strength meter, all the stations are about the same in between "normal" and "good". CHNU (JoyTV) is the exception, it drops down to normal now and then. Probably below normal, even, given that it shows a little pixellation sometimes, though that's never happened while I was looking at the signal strength.

Here is my tvfool (http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d60b57fcdd1d18b).

mhamliton1927
Nice reception results with your DIY antenna.
I am near 8th and royal and I am getting the same results with a twist I aim at the new towers plaza 80 and get a bounce from that, and a direct aim at cross border stations.
How is CTV2 17.1 coming in for you on your TV?

So, it is over a month since all my local channels switched to digital. When are the networks going to bring their transmissions fully up to what digital TV is capable of?

Three areas that bug me: 1 - EPG. 2 - DID Channel number. 3 - Window boxing on some TV shows (showing a 16:9 format image with gaps all round).

Below are the channels I can receive and the status on the above points:

2-1 CBUT-DT Time correct, no EPG. DID should be 43-1. Rare window boxing.
8-1 CHAN-HD Time correct, no EPG. DID should be 22-1. Some shows window boxed.
10-1 CKVU-DT Time 25 minutes slow, no EPG. DID should be 33-1. Frequent window boxing.
17-1 CIVI-2 Time correct with EPG. DID correct. Some shows window boxed.
26-1 CBUFT-DT Time correct, no EPG. DID correct. Don't watch so window box status not known.
32-1 CIVT-DT Time correct with EPG. DID correct. Some shows window boxed.
42-1 CHNM-DT Time 25 minutes slow, no EPG. DID should be 20-1. Frequent window boxing.
66-1 CHNU-DT No time or EPG. DID should be 47-1. Frequent window boxing.

I thought that it was a requirement of the stations to provide EPG. I just wonder why this isn't in place yet. The channel won't be going back to the DID channel number shown. When the DID is changed, this will mean viewers having to remember a different channel number. No different to the cable company moving channels around. There is no excuse for window boxing other than attention to detail. If the programme is 16:9 format, then show it full screen, even if it isn't HD.

@ Rick Dude, I agree and have the same experience on all channels mentioned.

I disagree with your complaint about the Virtual Channel Number (which you refer as DID). The TV stations are doing that intentionally and it is being done throughout Canada and US.

As much as these PSIP issues are a pain, look at the bright side. Vancouver and Victoria are markets where all of the locally available channels are on UHF, so at least antenna selection is easier and at least OTA viewers are not suffering the VHF reception issues experienced elsewhere in Canada and the US. Kudos to CHEK for using channel 49 rather than their plan a year ago to use channel 6.

@danbcman: No problems with CTV2 on 17.1. I haven't ever seen pixellation or a drop-out. I've had experience with a good range of weather and time of day (though obviously not really hot weather).

Hi I live just south of Lougheed mall in Burnaby on Government St. I live in a 4 storey apt and i'm on the 3 level facing the inside complex but with partial view to Hwy 1 from my balcony (so I'm facing southeast). I just bought a Terk CHDTVa indoor antenna and I couldn't pick up any channels whatsoever. The only one that came close was chanel 6, I could only hear the dialogue but no pics just snow. I'm just about ready to return this antenna and can someone who live in my neighborhood point me to a better antenna? I live under strata so if I'm gonna put anything outdoor on my balcony, must be something small and inconspicuous. I hate paying cables and would love to go OTA all the way if I could. Here is the link to my location
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d4bbaf4f2aece72

Thank you for your help and inputs

Welcome to this forum,msuhendro.

As the Government St. in Loguheed Area is a little bit lower than the surrounding area. This is one of the biggest barriers why you cannot get the channels. Also most of the channel are from Mt. Seymore, which is North of North-West of your apartment as you might found it in the TVFool data. Unless there's another building in front of your balcony or you can find a windows which can see the Burnaby Mountain(a.k.a SFU), you might faced a big difficulty of getting OTA channels.

I lived in an apartment at Bell ave. on the 5th floor and know how difficult to grab some channel is. I put my antenna with the pre-amp out of my balcony and point it toward the Mountain but still No good from CTV 1 and 2, neither OMNI nor CBC French.

I'm only 10km as the crow flies from Mt. Seymour but in a small dip behind a small ridge covered in 100' plus trees (cedars, douglas firs etc.)

Initially I tried a single Channelmaster CM4228HD, with a pre-amp and distribution amp. Results where OK but ONLY on sunny days. As soon as the trees got wet and especially if there was any wind then I'd start to get dropouts (clutter or multi-path problems). Depending on the exact positioning I could usually get 2 out of the 5 good channels with dropouts on the others.

Measuring through the Hauppauge Tuner application (PVR 2250) generally the good channels where about 27-29 SNR and the bad ones 20-23. But with occasional drops down to 0.

Next was just doubling up. Another CM4228HD, combined with a 2-1 splitter. This cleaned things up immensely (supposed to be a 6db improvement!)

Currently I'm getting the following reasonably well. Most of the SNR are between 26 and 30. This is with the two CM4228HD's pointing directly at Seymour (310 Azimuth). The other channels are coming in through the back on an angle (180 Azimuth).

CBUT-DT
CHAN-HD
CKVU-DT
KVOS-DT (occasionally poor)
CIVI-2
KBCB
CBUFT
KBTC-SD (very poor)
CIVT
CHNM-DT
CHNU-DT

We are too low on Heritage Mtn to see any signals from Seattle (blocked by Coquitlam.)

Another interesting observation. The tuner in our LG 55" TV is far better at this than the Tivo or Hauppauge 2250 card. When the Tivo and Hauppauge where dropping the signal all over the place the LG would be solid as a rock!

But that doesn't help too much of you want set up a PVR.

Sounds like you are in a difficult reception location. For others to appreciate your problem, please post a TV Fool link for a report on your location. http://tvfool.com/

One other thought might be to try to point your antenna at Coquitlam Ridge and see if the reflected signal is good enough to use and doesn't have too much multipath. This might be your only hope and could work, but could well behave differently between the channels. There might also be seasonal variations. But I would give it a shot.

My location is an apartment building in Newport Village and can get all the Mount Seymour channels fine and CHNU-DT from Abbotsford. I tried for the Bellingham stations with a CM4228HD modified plus amplifier, but the shopping channel is the only one to come in consistently. The signal strength is good on all channels but the multipath makes the quality too bad to be usable most of the time on the other channels.

I'd like to eliminate my cable and am looking at OTA as an option. In order for me to do this, I'd prefer to get the US network feeds (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox)

I'm new to this subject, but I went to TV Fool to pull my profile which is available at:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d4033db0668fedc

Is there any hope in getting the US network feeds from these results or are the transmitters just to far south to be accessible from Burnaby?

Thank you

The reception you are hoping for is a real crap shoot. There is a few things to think over ....are you able to be happy getting a reception then to have it fade away during a program and have this fade out be a min an hour or three or four weeks at a time. Even with good reception there will be signal loss often enough to make veiwing or recording a pile- a hugh pile of fustration. As for our local stations you are in good range to get reliable recption from them but that in itself can be occastionaly disrupted by weather or other unknown issues. You can read through the thread and see how others have done how ever do be prepared to spend on equipment and have that cost be a right off it it fails to meet your reliability level.

I'd like to eliminate my cable and am looking at OTA as an option. In order for me to do this, I'd prefer to get the US network feeds (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox)

I'm new to this subject, but I went to TV Fool to pull my profile which is available at:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d4033db0668fedc

Is there any hope in getting the US network feeds from these results or are the transmitters just to far south to be accessible from Burnaby?

Thank you
Wow, those Seattle stations have such big negative NM values. It's gonna tough to get, and that would be on the correct tropo weather conditions to bounce signal off the atmosphere or other locations...

I'm almost in your opposite directions trying to get your BC stations and tonight is a good tropo night as I can get your channels RF 20, 22, 26 and 43. Good local shows you have.