It looks closest to the Amateur radio interference.

Given that channel 5 will disappear in the near future I don't know if it is worth your time to follow it up, but you could submit an interference report with Industry Canada and let them track down the source. FM Radio second harmonics affect VHF-HI and not VHF-LO, so I suspect it is HF (amateur radio) too.

Thanks Stampeder: You're right that channel 5 won't be long for this world, and once I get on the digital feed it won't be a problem, it's still annoying though. Why is it only happening on channel 5? Channel 4and 2, while they still have interference, it's not the same type and not as severe. If I were to report it to Industry Canada, how is the best way to do that? There must be others affected as well.

Common interference from other RF sources happens on a harmonic frequency of whatever frequency the transmitter is using at the time. The most commonly seen are the second harmonics that happen at 2x the transmitting frequency. In your case, since it is happening on channel 5 (76-82 MHz) we just divide that in half to see where on the RF spectrum the second harmonic interference is coming from: (38-41MHz). Looking on RF Spectrum charts we can see that HF radio operators use that band. It might be an amateur operator, or it might be a commercial user. IC would look into it if you phoned them.

Frontpl8 - Channel 5 looks OK here in Banff Trail but I do also use an FM trap in my VHF antenna feed line. I do see the usual occasional very slight random interference dots on the screen so typical in VHF Lo band reception. Perhaps you may want to inform IC of your interference?

Hi all -- my first post. First of all, kudos to Stampeder and others on this great resource. I've read the FAQ's and spent days on the various thread branches.

Here's my TV Fool signal analysis:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dda320d2c28d92f

I'm located in Calgary SW, half way between Westhills Recreation center and Signal Hill shopping center, a stone's-throw (actually, not just literally) from 69 St.

Bought new Samsung LED LCD 5000 series recently and am discovering digital in HD. 2-1 and 5-1 are fantastic; CFCN 36-1 not so.

Today's question: Looking to upgrade the rabbit ears cum UHF loop with something indoor, but more exotic. Considering a Silver Sensor clone, but my wife doesn't like the fish skeleton look. Due to my proximity to Broadcast Hill, is it possible that if I go the build-it-myself route that I end up with something with TOO strong a signal, if not now, in 2011 ?

Can you go with an attic install that won't upset her? BTW having too much signal is usually a good problem to have, so when you buy or build an antenna (a StealthHawk would be fine) you should also pick up one or two attenuators to test with.

tanker - Don't forget that in a few months time CFCN 4.1 Channel 36 will be going to CFCN 4.1 Channel 29 at much higher power (220 Kw ERP) - your indoor rabbit ears will very likely work well with this improved big signal. CBC are also in the process of mounting their new UHF Channel 21 antenna on their mast. I expect their CBRT-DT signal to be available in the same time frame as the new CTV signal even though they have more work to do to get to this point. :)

tanker: Welcome to the forum!
Just FYI — in your TV Fool report, click on the "pending" button to see the theoretical reception for CFCN on Channel 29 with the expected power increase. You'll notice a significant improvement in predicted signal strength.

Hi all, this is my first post in the OTA forums. First off, thank you to all the previous informative posts. It’s been a big help and answered most of my questions.

Recently I upgraded from a CRT HDTV to a Plasma, which has an ATSC tuner. I had heard of OTA DTV before, so thought I’d give it a try. I didn’t want to invest too much upfront, so I just picked up a $12 antenna from Superstore (RCA ANT401). After a quick auto scan I was receiving CityTV and Global perfectly (not sure of strength, my TV doesn’t tell me), but no dice with CFCN. All the VHF channels, with the exception of CBC, were very poor. My antenna is located facing south, but in my basement, so not bad considering.

I’m currently located in Airdrie, so I suspected I may have issues. Here’s my TV Fool report:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dda3207a721fd29

So, here’s my question: If I upgrade to a Silver Sensor or Winegard Sharpshooter do you think I could pick up CFCN? I don’t think an outdoor antenna or attic antenna are realistic at this point. However, I have a conveniently placed heating duct that would allow me to place it on my first floor, right by a big bay window. Would that help?

Thanks!

Try placing your current antenna in your first floor window using the heating duct . You might manage to pull in your missing station. If that window is facing southwest then you have a fair shot at locking in to that station.

If you're only attempting to get your existing digital channels, then you probably don't need to extend the "rabbit ears" part. It is the (channel 14-69) UHF loop pulling in the signal for those digital channels. The rabbit ears will help improve your main analog channels since many of them happen to be on VHF (2-13). If you need to run long cable to get to a southwest-exposed window your antenna has enough amplification to overcome any line-losses. The right window will probably make the most difference. That being said, try the easiest solution first.

If you subscribe to cable, then just use your antenna for HD only.

The Sharpshooter or Silver Sensor will work better but they might not be necessary. Even if you do need a different antenna, you might not need ones that are as costly as those.

Perhaps Albertans reading this forum who are familiar with your situation will know which is the most appropriate antenna for your location.

Good luck!

whitefinger - CFCN-DT will be boosting their power from 1Kw ERP on Channel 36 to 220 Kw ERP on Channel 29 during the next few months so you should be able to use your existing arrangement for CTV if you are prepared to wait a little.

TV and radio reception is typically improved when indoor antennas are placed nearer windows.

Please be aware that CBRT-DT will also be coming on the air here in the next couple of months on Channel 21 when an ERP of 23.5 Kw.

Just chipping in that an indoor antenna in Airdrie would not be my first choice, but if that is your situation then definitely a better one like a ZSS clone or Sharpshooter would help.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll tinker with a few things before getting a new antenna. I'll certainly wait for CFCN to boost their signal before trying anything too complicated.

Looking to see if anyone knows if I have OTA reception and how many channels, If so is it worth buying an antenna?

thanks

fire2240: Welcome to the forum!
First off, why don't take take a look at this link …
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=125161
… and following the instructions, especially point #7. That will help you get some information that will help all of us give you the best possible advice.
Cheers.

Looks like there are some channels in the area now the question is there anyone in the redcliff area with an antenna set up?
thanks;)

Please follow the link he gave so that we can see your TVFool report. :)

Hello,

Just wanted to give my own personal reception report. I live just off 130th Ave SE behind the Safeway on the top floor of a 4-storey condo, with my balcony facing South. This means that all TV signals from the NW have to travel through another condo unit across the hall before they can reach me.

After reading a lot on this site, I initially decided to order one of those TERK indoor antennas (i.e. the Zenith clone) from The Source. When I hooked it up, UHF reception was great... I got all three HD channels (i.e. Global, CityTV, and even CTV) along with CTS and OMNI. On the VHF side, CBC was strong, but Access was (to no surprise) practically non-existent.

Given the results, I was curious about how much of it was to do with the TERK antenna itself. So, I picked up a $16 Philips antenna from Wal-Mart and hooked it up. To my pleasant surprise, all 3 HD channels still appeared, including CTV. CBC still came in great on VHF, although I had to adjust the antenna's "fine tuning" knob for optimal signal. This, unfortunately, downgraded the picture quality for CTS and OMNI.

That said, given the fact that within ~8 months the rest of the channels will be going digital, I decided it wasn't worth keeping the $80 TERK antenna, as the $16 Philips proved it was more than capable of receiving UHF digital signals, even if they were low-powered (i.e. CTV). Plus the Phillips was small enough to tuck on top of my 7-foot Ikea DVD shelf. I can't wait for CBC to switch over (~March 31st?), and hopefully Access will jump to the UHF band as well, so that I can fold up those ugly-looking rabbit ears. :p

Regards,
Visor

visor - I'd be interested to hear what signal strengths you have displayed on the screen. Sounds good though if the pictures are not affected by folks walking accross the room!