MB/SK - Winnipeg, Brandon, Regina, Saskatoon, Prairies - OTA

[jdh79]

This thread is for OTA general discussion and results in Prairie and Northern Canada.

This includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut.

[stampeder]

This is a projection based on maps, databases, and some personal knowledge of the area's topography. It SHOULD work for people in Estevan all the way east to roughly Kilarney, Manitoba, and maybe about 20 to 30 km northwards along that same belt, but all this certainly requires testing.

The target broadcasters are in Minot, North Dakota so your gear would need to be a deep fringe setup such as a Channel Master 4228 bowtie reflector, or a very high gain yagi like a Winegard PR9032 or a CM 4248. Expert opinion is that the CM4228 performs best in fringe and deep fringe areas. No matter which antenna, you'll also need a CM7777 or Winegard AP8275 preamp.

If you have an elevator, grain bin, or silo on your property you have a great antenna tower already in place by putting the mast way up there provided that the run of cable into the house is less than about 30 meters or you'll suffer line loss.

Your antenna could be fixed into position at the correct azimuth towards Minot. However, if and when Canadian stations go digital in the area, you'll be better off if you put your antenna on a rotator in the first place and had a CM4228.

Here are the digital stations from Minot, ND:

KMCY-DT 15 (ABC)
KMOT-DT 58 (NBC)
KXMC-DT 45 (CBS)
KXND-DT 24 (FOX)
KSRE-DT 40 (PBS)

There will be plenty more analog stations available too, and the curfew for them from the FCC is for a 2006 switchover to digital.

[stampeder]

I've been making OTA reception projections for the southernmost parts of the Prairie provinces near the U.S. border based on maps, databases, and some personal knowledge of the area's topography, and its sad but true that the opportunities from Montana northwards into Alberta and Southwest Saskatchewan are mighty slim if non-existant. I'll keep checking, but if you've been in Montana its the same topography as Alberta: flat grasslands in the east becoming quite a rugged area as you go westwards with deep coulees and ravines, eventually leading to foothills and then the Rockies. Not the greatest properties for low power local U.S. repeater stations to do long distance TV broadcasting...

The only hope is that if anyone down towards Cardston, Milk River, Coutts, Magrath, Gull Lake SK, and the Cypress Hills can presently pick up signals from the U.S. they should keep in mind that the curfew for those stations from the FCC is for a 2006 switchover to digital. With some good antenna gear (as described in the SK and MB threads) you should be just fine.

For those in Alberta's major cities and surrounding areas, the cutover to digital in Canada will probably be a much longer process, but keep checking here.

[cosmic_kid]

Originally Posted by stampeder

Here are the digital stations from Minot, ND:

KMCY-DT 15 (ABC)
KMOT-DT 58 (NBC)
KXMC-DT 45 (CBS)
KXND-DT 24 (FOX)
KSRE-DT 40 (PBS)

I live about 60 miles NE of Minot, and currently only PBS and CBS are digital. Both are HD if you can get them, and PBS even has a couple subchannels including HD.

[stampeder]

Thanks for that cosmic_kid, that means that parts of SE Saskatchewan and SW Manitoba might be able to get KXMC-DT 45 (CBS) and KSRE-DT 40 (PBS) from Minot.

Is the PBS channel also showing "Think TV" in SD?

[Bernie]

Is there any chance I can get an OTA signal from Fargo ND to canadian channels?
Specifically, I would like to get CBC.

[tvlurker]

Is there any chance I can get an OTA signal from Fargo ND to canadian channels?

There is no digital CBC OTA between Toronto and Vancouver, at least not until probably 2011.

Don't know if you could get CBWT Winnipeg analog down in Fargo -- I doubt it. According to TVFool at http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...bwt%26type%3dA , CBWT doesn't even cover Grand Forks, let alone Fargo. TVFool is not always accurate with Canadian stations, but I think in this case you could trust it.

[heikki02003]

Hey folks,
Brand new here, first post. I am very familiar with forums and have done lots of reading prior to this post. I have not been able to find the answer to my question and have read through the Prairies/Western Canada forum.

I found this:

Here are the digital stations from Minot, ND:

KMCY-DT 15 (ABC)
KMOT-DT 58 (NBC)
KXMC-DT 45 (CBS)
KXND-DT 24 (FOX)
KSRE-DT 40 (PBS)

I have read lots about OTA. I have a HDTV with built in ATSC tuner and know that I will need an outdoor antenna.
I have also read about people in SK and MB getting OTA from Minot ND, as above. I am moving to Regina SK and I'm wondering about the availability of OTA HDTV in Regina.
If it is possible to get the programming from North Dakota in Regina, what antenna would I require.

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by heikki02003

I have also read about people in SK and MB getting OTA from Minot ND, as above.

Hi and welcome here. Unfortunately the only part of SK that reliably gets the Minot signals is the Southeast (Estevan and areas down there). I've heard no word from CBC or CTV about any move to start up DT transmissions in Regina.

[heikki02003]

Thanks Stampeder. So Estevan and the extreme south east corner of SK would "reliably get the Minot signal". I guess that Regina would be an extreme deep fringe area, or is it beyonf the extreme deep fringe area.
Taking into consideration the very flat land in south east SK, might it be posssible to attempt it in Regina, or is it simply out of the question?
Has anyone tried?
Thanks

[jdh79]

This thread is for OTA general discussion and results in Winnipeg and Southern Manitoba.

There is a separate thread that covers Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut.

[stampeder]

Just the Analogues for now.

[008]

Anyone know? Any guess?

[stampeder]

Hi 008, I've moved your post into this thread so have a look from the first post onwards and let us know if you need further info.

[ohmagic]

I hope CBC Winnipeg starts sending out a digital hd feed soon. Any word on that?

And would I be able to get the "future" CBC HD feed with an indoor rabbit ear antenna? Or would the signal strength be too degraded?