You mean 11 from Hamilton?

Morning all. Server was too busy to get on here earlier. We have 2 new channels this morning. Both are CFTO, 9-1, 35-1 both in 1080i. 35 is 100% regardless of antenna position, 9 is fluctuating 80-90% while pointing west.
I am quite surprised that 9 is good based on my experience with others of similar ERP.(CHCH WBBZ) I thought for sure it would be a no show here. Stampeder was correct!

I am in Dunsford

CKWS-DT1 Brighton just flash cut from 66 to digital rf30 at approx. 12:05pm.

Would be interested to know how far out this signal reaches.
Anyone getting it?

Totally unexpected, but CKWS-DT Brighton is in crystal clear 1080i HD.
AWESOME!

I was delighted to be able to actually receive CTV Toronto and CTV2 Barrie this morning shortly after midnight - it is the first I have actually seen of digitial because the test transmitters were too weak to reach me in N/W of Uxbridge. Unfortunately I don't receive TVO (although the coverage maps show me in a good signal area) and I am hopeful when CBC & CIII go to full strength that I will finally receive a few more stations. I just wish each station made it clear on their websites the exact time they plan to transition!

Since asked, here is my TVFool info:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3d9e744870e61553

I have 2 antennas mounted on my tower:
- a 15 year-old Radio Shack deep-frindge UHF/VHF w/an old RS signal amp
- This has served me well and pulled in analog 3,5,7 (Global North), 9, 12, 19, 25
- it sometimes pulled in 41, 57 ... likely others but I didn't watch any others.
- Currently pulls in digital only 3.1 @90% and 9.1 @ 100%, but sees 10% signal on a "bunch" of others (19.1 in particular)
- a new CM 4228 w/CM 7777 pre-amp. Right now it does not receive anything :(
- I installed this one about 2 months ago. I had followed the DIY antenna forum for a long time and considered doing a self-built, but decided a 4228 was worth a try first.

The old antenna is mounted on a tower, ~35' off the ground, and the CM 4228 is below it, maybe 30' off the ground. The CM 4228 is pointing 209 Deg magnetic, while the old RS antenna is pointing at approx 200 Deg magnetic. The big problem would seem to be all of the tall trees I have to the South and West. I have the ability to mount the antennas approx another 10' up the tower, and maybe as much as 15' so long as I don't interfere with my high speed internet antenna that is approx 50' up, at the top of a 10' mast ... I'm just not all that crazy about climing much higher w/o proper safety equipment :). For a receiver, I currently use 2 different digital cards in my HTPC, and both show similar strenght indications
...should I have posted all of this in a new thread...?

Are you in a valley or maybe something is wrong with your set-up in Uxbridge? Or perhaps you are getting some funky interference?

You are only 35 miles from the CN Tower.... you should have no problems at all with the Toronto stations.

One more DTV to report. OMNI2 on 51 (69-1) is now available in the Kawarthas. Not much hope of CITY on 44 as we have a local French analogue station that will prevent reception. Watching 57 for the last time today. No sign of OMNI1 on 47 still analogue . No luck wiht CKVR Barrie, WHEC is booming as usual.

The old antenna is mounted on a tower, ~35' off the ground, and the CM 4228 is below it, maybe 30' off the ground. The CM 4228 is pointing 209 Deg magnetic, while the old RS antenna is pointing at approx 200 Deg magnetic. The big problem would seem to be all of the tall trees I have to the South and West. I have the ability to mount the antennas approx another 10' up the tower, and maybe as much as 15' so long as I don't interfere with my high speed internet antenna that is approx 50' up, at the top of a 10' mast ... I'm just not all that crazy about climing much higher w/o proper safety equipment :). For a receiver, I currently use 2 different digital cards in my HTPC, and both show similar strenght indications
...should I have posted all of this in a new thread...?
Saw your Fool report. Something is definitely wrong. How far from the tower are these trees and how much taller are they?

I have no luck with CKWS-DT from Brighton. Mind you I'm in Belleville with a home-made 4 bay antenna hanging in a window facing west, but with big buildings blocking me to the west. I have a good signal from TVO 26.1, but not a peep from CKWS. @#$%% !!

Well? RF27 in Brighton and RF2 Bancroft are still in analog. Screwed again, in Eastern Ontario. The only one to transition was CKWS, repeater on RF30. Their main channel 11 feed in Kingston is still analog, as is their RF36 in Smith Falls. CJOH on channels 6, in Deseronto and 8 down towards Cornwall stayed analog, as well. CBLFT, RF15 , in Belleville also stayed analog. Ridiculous. So much for their idiotic commercials about removing snow, here in this part of the country. All of the Ottawa stations, however, are coming in, thanks to tropo tonight. They all look good, even CHRO.

Saw your Fool report. Something is definitely wrong. How far from the tower are these trees and how much taller are they?

The trees are maybe 45' tall, and around 100' from the tower. I also checked Google Earth heading at 209 Deg from where my antenna is - there is a ridge approximately 100' higher then I am (my elevation is 952 ft, the ridge is 1050 ft) approx 3.2km from me - so I guess I'm in the shadow of that, or in a bit of a valley - but then the CN Tower antenas are at 1600+' ... so they are above that ridge...? Maybe I need to point up slightly?

I think my first try will be to see about getting the antenna mounted higher - 10' higher is fairly easy ... maybe as much as 15'. Amy more then that will require extending the tower. The other alternative would be to put up a 2nd tower, or guyed pole tower, approximately 100' East of the house - it would then be pointing just south of the tallest trees on the perimeter of the forest. Unfortunately to complete get past the trees, I would have to put the tower 500' - 600' from the house - but I suspect that would cause problems with coax loss ... and that is a lot of coax to dig into a trench!

I know when they installed my wireless internet 3 years ago, they had to put up the 50' tower to clear the trees to have line-of-sight to their tower - but it is only 1km SE of me.

Oh also, after the switch over at midnight, CBC 5.1 is now varying between 40% - 70% now, and CBC 25.1 is 90% ... but TVO 19.1 is still only 10%, as is Global 41.1

I don't think your terrain is an issue. I am in a similar situation (2edge) and do better. Let’s talk about your equipment. Describe in detail the type/brand of equipment and how it is deployed, cable runs connections etc. My gut reaction is one of your components in not digital ready, maybe the amp/cabling.

RF27 is not Brighton, it is 30 miles west of here.
North of Cobourg near Rice Lake.

How is your reception of CKWSHD RF30 Brighton?

After years of enjoying Citytv in HD, we can no longer get it and I blame the CBC. Citytv has moved to RF44 and is being drowned out by the still analogue CBLFT 44 which is 37 km from me. Very disappointed. They should move to their post-transition Ch42 now!

Agreed... it is very disappointing about City on 44.

If you look at the contours of CBLFT-12 RF44 they encompass Oshawa.

How can the CRTC allow two channels to co exist when their service contours completely overlap??

City-DT should demand they vacate that frequency, as now it is impeding their coverage.

YARGH!!!

AFAIK, analog stations operating after the deadline no longer receive protection, and must protect digital stations. If you are within CITY-DT's protected contours, you definetely have grounds for a complaint. You could call the Industry Canada Spectrum Mangement Regional office, but you should probably talk to CITY/Rogers first.

I don't think your terrain is an issue. I am in a similar situation (2edge) and do better. Let’s talk about your equipment. Describe in detail the type/brand of equipment and how it is deployed, cable runs connections etc. My gut reaction is one of your components in not digital ready, maybe the amp/cabling.

It looks like you are on to the source of the problem ... I keep way more stuff then I should ... including the original recept for the antenna equipment circa July 1997:
Antenna: 15-8655 Radio Shack "Hi Gain VHF Antenna"
Preamp: 15-1108 Radio Shack 25dB Antenna Amp
Coax: 15-1549 Radio Shack 100' Outdoor Coax (RG6/U)

I searched the preamp ... it looks like it is potentially the main source of the problem with a gain of 6.8dB and noise of 7.0dB and reports of oscillations on hdtvprimer and a number of other sites.

I don't know much more about the antenna - it is "flat" with no extra 45deg up/down yag-like "wings" as is typical of current deep-fringe UHF/VHF antennas.

So looks like I should first try switching out the RS pre-amp for my new CM 7777 and see what happens.

You said you had a 4428 and it doesn't receive anything?
That is very odd. It should be preforming much better on UHF than what sounds like a VHF only antenna.

That would explain why you are not getting good reception on the UHF channels but doing quite well with the VHF ones.

Try your CM4228 again with your CM7777 preamp.
Make sure the internal switch on the preamp is in the correct position for combined UHF/VHF.
Make sure your coax is connected to combined input not the VHF only input.
Also check your coax cable and ensure its in good shape.
Make sure there is no splitter between the preamp and power supply.

Note: I use the same set-up CM4428HD and CM7777. It works very well.

=ux_fta_tv;1So looks like I should first try switching out the RS pre-amp for my new CM 7777 and see what happens.


I agree, also if possible try without an amp first, see what you have to work with. Sounds like the RS antenna is VHF, combine it with your 4228 using the 7777amp.