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.

[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]

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]

This is a projection based on maps, databases, and some personal knowledge of the area's topography. Getting digital TV from the U.S. in this area is a real gamble for about a year. It SHOULD work for people in Central South Manitoba a bit north (as far as Winnipeg?) along that same belt, but all this certainly requires testing.

The target broadcasters are in Pembina and Grand Forks, North Dakota so obviously the closer you are to the U.S. border the greater your odds of getting them. Also, repeater stations dot the landscape all along the U.S. border so other reception opportunities need to be tested in your exact location.

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 are in a rural area and 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 should probably not be fixed into position at a specific azimuth unless Pembina is in a direct line with Grand Forks from where you are. For everyone else this is mandatory rotator country. Also, 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 Pembina and Grand Forks, ND:

KNRR-DT 15.1 (FOX) Pembina
KGFE-DT 56 (PBS) Grand Forks

KCPM 27 (hasn't announced a DTV switchover from analog)


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.

[stampeder]

I've added this map to the "Listings Of OTA Television Stations In Canada" website. The map provides a very general, non-specific guesstimate of possible U.S. OTA TV reception areas in Canada. It should only be used as a guide towards finding more specific information, such as that found in the stickied OTA threads here at DHC.



cheers,
stampeder

[stampeder]

I've added this map to the "Listings Of OTA Television Stations In Canada" website. The map provides a very general, non-specific guesstimate of possible U.S. OTA TV reception areas in Canada. It should only be used as a guide towards finding more specific information, such as that found in the stickied OTA threads here at DHC.



cheers,
stampeder

[Hairball]

When I was still into Ham Radio I used to do a lot of experimental Antenna building. The size and spacing of the elements determine the resonant frequency of the antenna. The number of elements generally determines the gain and front to back ratio of the antenna. There are a lot of good Amature Radio publications out there regarding antenna design. A good general reference to own is the ARRL amature radio handbook.

I hope the North Dakota Stations start transmitting an ATSC signal soon. I still have some aluminium tubing in the garage and I am itching to do some more experimenting.

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by genx

Sorry I am new here! About three hours.

Nice to have you here! Today was my first contact with Winnipeggers (Hairball in another thread and yourself) about DTV there so we're all learning about reception there together.

Originally Posted by genx

How can I determine if the broadcast is HD?

First of all you will require an ATSC tuner. Regular TVs have NTSC tuners, but if you take your time and go through some of the other threads here you'll get an idea of what is required for HD OTA. Here's a conversation I had with a fellow in Victoria that might be helpful to explain some things:
http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/for...8&postcount=17

Originally Posted by genx

Also if no output power is indicated, does that mean that the station is offline?

In Canada we have 2 government bodies that supervise broadcasting: Industry Canada handles the technical stuff, and the CRTC handles the political stuff (license approvals, etc.) while you and I are stuck trying to make sense of what they're saying. IC's database is accurate and trustworthy, so if you see a station in your area that shows zeroes its usually a sign that the CRTC has not yet approved the license or that the station has not applied yet. Something you could try is emailing the stations in question and ask them what their DTV plans are. If you get an informative response, please post it in the stickied thread for your area.

I hope this helps, and I hope we can get some good DTV info for the Winnipeg area.

[Hairball]

Thanks for that info. I can get KNRR's analog feed were I live no problem. I will have to check into the ATSC feed.
Just checked FCC data base:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=KNRR
It appears that KNRR is indeed transmitting but only at 3KW at this time. They do however have a construction permit for a 750KW transmitter at a hieght of 413 meters. Pembina is right on the US Canadian border about 65 miles from Winnipeg. When the 750KW transmitter goes up we will have no difficulty getting it. The 3kw would probably be a very long shot at this time.

[stampeder]

DHCer birdman says a CBC staff person has told him that CBC Winnipeg is now loading up on HD gear:

http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/for...&postcount=432

[birdman]

Originally Posted by stampeder

DHCer birdman says a CBC staff person has told him that CBC Winnipeg is now loading up on HD gear:

http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/for...&postcount=432

Marc the CBCster here at DHC disputes my info somewhat but my source is in transmissions so I believe it to be true. OTOH we all know how long all this will take so no breath holding by anyone OK?

Being a Shaw HD subscriber I know the anguish that ensues when hopes are raised unneccessarily. Nevertheless I take it as a good sign and good info, not rumour.

[57]

I always like to drag out this link when someone is trying to get DTV from a great distance. It's one of our members' setups...

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/View...p=63157582&f=0

Frankly, I don't think you'd do that for one station.

[kymics]

Any updates on digital reception here in Winnipeg (i.e. launch dates etc)? I was shown this website and it has all the details for the digital channels that will replace their analog equivilant, but all it indicates is that the channels are "new".

http://radiostationworld.com/locatio...tion.asp?m=win

I have a deactivated Bell 6100 that I could use for OTA reception if that day is coming any time soon.

[stampeder]

Sorry kymics but a BEV 6100 will not serve as an OTA tuner until you have activated it with a BEV account. Sad but true. Was that your plan?