[BCF]

Global / CTV / CBC

Basically, Londoners have 3 potential "problem" Canadian channels to contend with:

CIII-DT from Paris, ON on ch 6.1 @ 4kW ERP
CKCO-DT from Kitchener, ON on ch 13.1 @ 12kW ERP
and of course, the CBC fiasco
​

Londoners will have to wait and see about Global and CTV. Global on August 25 or 26... CTV/CKCO should be converting sometime soon, as well. I haven't seen an announcement date for conversion yet.

I believe Shaw committed to converting all of their transmitters to digital, so CIII-TV-29 on ch 29 should be converted to digital within the next 5 years. CIII-TV-29 is currently 2-edge... perhaps Shaw/Global can modify things to allow at least 1-edge or better when they convert to DTV. I don't believe CTV committed to converting the CKCO-TV-3 on ch 42.

The CBC will likely shutdown CBLN transmitter in London by August 31, 2012, after all the "noise" silences.

 

[Trip]

CIII-TV-29 is currently 2-edge... perhaps Shaw/Global can modify things to allow at least 1-edge or better when they convert to DTV.

2Edge refers to the fact that there are two terrain obstructions between you and the station. Unless the station plans to build a significantly taller tower, a possibility I find to be unlikely given the overall attitude of Canadian station owners toward the transition, then you're probably stuck with 2Edge.

- Trip

 

[micah]

I'm hoping CTV & Global do the right thing if reception is lost in London and put an actual broadcast in the city somewhere.

 

[ScaryBob]

you're probably stuck with 2Edge.

Not so. The Paris/K-W broadcasting towers are high enough to provide LOS to most of London. The problem is with local terrain and local antenna height. For example, entering different antenna heights into TV Fool, here, indicates that 13 and 6 become 1 edge at about 30' and 40' and and LOS at about 40' and 60'. Increasing antenna height from 25' to 35' provides a significant improvement in channel 13 reception. In the other direction, I need 250' in height to get LOS to Oil Springs due to the hill in Byron just 6km away.

 

[BCF]

Thanks Trip! Excellent suggestion for Shaw/Global! Increase the transmitter height to reach London.

As for CTV, since Bell Media now owns CFPL (which will be 'CTV Two' soon), CTV already have a tower in London.
Perhaps CTV can put up a transmitter/repeater on the CFPL tower ? (I think this is a great idea!)

 

[ScaryBob]

TV Fool Maps

I just noticed that all the London digital stations are now in TV Fool. Don't remember seeing that when I checked a few days ago. There are no real surprises. CFPL is now sporting a more user friendly signal level (no overload indicated) and the levels for 6 and 13 are unrealistically high. Everything else stays just about the same, except for CBC falling of the map, of course. I'll be interested to see what the new CBC low power allocations will indicate.

 

[ScaryBob]

CIII 29 Oil Springs

Has anyone lost CIII 29 Oil Springs or seen a drop in signal?

 

[Heyjohn]

It comes and goes for me north of London.

 

[PanaMark]

I just thought it was digital static from 30-1 WGTE RF29 form Toledo, but perhaps there is an issue over at Oil Springs.

 

[CharlesVincent]

Do I need a different antenna?

Hi,
Here in east end of London.
We're using a Zinwell zat 970a dac converter, and I have tried it with both an indoor RCA flat antenna CANT 1400, and an RCA cant 401 indoor powered UHF VHF ears and hoop type antenna that has been adequate for analog. There are no digital signals I can receive, although I see people discussing tvo on the forum. The scans keep saying check antenna. Are these types inadequate or should I be looking for other problems?
Thanks.

 

[ScaryBob]

I lost 42 some time ago as well. Didn't think that was unusual because it was always very weak. AFAIK, neither station has applied for or received a PT license, in analog or digital. CKCO is not licensed for 42 after Aug 31. They are scheduled to move to 27. The 42 assignment is supposed to go to a low power CBC station in Chatham but that hasn't been authorized either. CIII Global 29 should be OK and could even increase power, with approval. It could be the recent storms have affected it but I've got to wonder if they cut ERP or are making antenna adjustments to reduce cross border interference.

 

[ScaryBob]

CharlesVincent, welcome to DH and the London area OTA forum.

Indoor antennas are not going to do much good. The local digital stations will have much lower power than the current analog stations so the will be more difficult to receive. I've tried amplified rabbit ears and bow ties in the attic. The results were quite poor due to weak signals and multipath. For local stations, a Channel Master 4221HD pointed at Byron should do the trick but you will need to get it up in the open, preferably above the roof on a chimney mount or roof mount. You could also try making a DIY antenna. For 6 and 13, you will need a fairly good VHF antenna as high as possible. Wait until they go digital (Sept 1) before making any investment in VHF since reception conditions are as yet unknown. Then we should know how those channels are for people with existing setups.

If you can pick up TVO on 18 and SunTV on 19, the rest of the locals should be OK. However, you will need a TV with a digital tuner or another piece of equipment that is capable of receiving digital signals and sending them to the TV. If your TV is more than 2 years old, it likely is not capable of receiving digital TV stations.

 

[OTANUT]

I've been picking up CKCO 42 normally as folks have been reporting they have lost their signal. They are still on the air in analogue....

 

[ScaryBob]

It's 29 that's MIA.

 

[CharlesVincent]

Thanks

Thanks ScaryBob. The Zinwell is acting as my digital tuner. Sounds like I need an outdoor antenna of some sort. I'm a former rec.radio.shortwave contributor so I will have to see how much fun OTA looks like before I get going. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[BCF]

CIII & CKCO from Oil Springs/Sarnia reception in London

Global CIII 29 Oil Springs really seems to have gone MIA... for the past few days, its been just a snowy picture, as if it's no longer there. I usually get at least a ghost image in the snow.

CTV CKCO-3 42 Oil Springs/Sarnia is still coming in... a bit of a snow, so apparently no changes, at least for me.

 

[PanaMark]

CHCHDT2 up and running....

Good News: just got home (8:30PM) and CHCHDT2 RF51 is up and running. I am seeing 75% signal strength. Sorry to pass on it is only 480i 4:3.

Bad News: in my excitement I ignored weather conditions and did not unplug my (recently returned from repair) RC pre amp, and witnessed first hand the frying of the pre amp. Unbelievable, I just got it back like 4 days ago.

My wife was upstairs near the preamp, as I have it in the bedroom, and she heard "sizzling bacon sound". Good thing I have 4 more alternatives to chose from.

So peeed off about preamp and 480i crap CHCH is pumping.......

oh ya to boot, my Samsung cannot decode the picture, just the sound.......
Hey, I got an idea, Let's flash cut to digital on AUG 31, 2011, and not do any testing........
Canadian Digital transition = biggest disappointment since not getting a GIJOE for my 9 year old birthday. I got a crap a Cobra figure!

update: to clarify, my wife heard the sizzling bacon sound from outside though a bathroom window. Right where my ground wire goes down to a grounding rod, and not from the pre amp portion in the bedroom.

 

[micah]

hmm... maybe count your lucky stars that you had it grounded, no?

 

[PanaMark]

Oh its grounded.
From my experience the Research Communications preamp hates lightning/static. This is my third failure now.
I put my Kitz Tech KT-200 back in and I'm back in business.
I am currently getting 100 percent signal form 51-1 CHCHDT2.

 

[Jase88]

Panamark, sorry to hear about the RC amp. Your experience with it has prevented me--and probably others--from buying one.