Re: OTA Antenna Help

Here is an aerial map showing where I am and where the antennae on Mt.
Wilson are: http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7984/mapae8.jpg ...
http://xs222.xs.to/xs222/07500/GE3DaerialmapAndTx.jpg for Google Earth's
3D map and the TX overview map facing north.

According to both antennaweb
(http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/4229/antennawebdt8.gif ) and tvfool
(http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/237/radarallug0.png ) on 12/15/2007,
the stations' antennae are under 20 miles NW of me. The only station
that have issues is KTLA 5 (DTV: 31 for now and 2009) for me. I
sometimes I can't get anything (no signal lockages), weak, or so-so feed
(will cut out and back). I haven't wathced KTLA for a while due to WGA
strike (no new Smallville episodes yet) and Beauty and the Geeks' new
season is still being developed. Note this is for digital feeds.

KTLA-DT CW 5 on UHF 31 appears to be on their final digital channel
assignment at a licensed power of 1000 kW and 954 meters HAAT. I would
not expect any significant improvement for KTLA-DT reception in 2009.

Yeah, I was hoping to see a change. Oh well!


There is KPXN Ion 30 which will shut down it's analog signal on UHF 30
in February, 2009 as KPXN-DT is staying on UHF 38, but that is probably
not the source of your KTLA-DT reception problems.

I don't watch that station since it is more of a family channel. I
didn't see anything interesting when I checked it out. I am pretty sure
that station is not causing interfeerences to KTLA because KPXN didn't
exist when I first got DTV back in end of 2005. I have had KTLA problems
on and off until a few weeks ago (when I last watched KTLA 5).

I think you misunderstood my point on KPXN 30. I was writing about the
analog channel 30. Checking wikipedia, there has been a station on that
channel under different owners & call signs since 1969. KPXN-TV 30 is on
an adjacent channel to KTLA-DT on UHF 31, so there could be some
adjacent channel interference. The analog transmitter for KPXN 30 is

Ah. I can't remember what's on channel 30 (analog). I will check later
tonight. I know I never watch it. I do watch channel 28 (PBS) though. I
think I also get channel 34 (some Mexican channel IIRC).


located well east of the antenna farm on Mt. Wilson, so these are not
co-located signal sources. Adjacent channel interference can be a
problem when you have a strong signal from one, in this case, analog,
and a much weaker signal for the other. Anyway, in February, 2009, this
possible issue will go away when KPXN-TV shuts down it's analog broadcast.

So basically, I have to wait until the 2/17/2009 to confirm on buying a
new antenna or not. I was hoping the list would be enough. Aren't
all/most stations in L.A. already at max power now? Or are they going to
be even stronger after this date?

I suspect you will need to add rabbit ears and a VHF/UHF combiner in
February, 2009.

How do I add/combine those to my current bowtie antenna? Or should I
just get a completely powerful antenna (pain in the *** to have more
than one and takes up room) when I do need a new one in Feb. 17th, 2009?

You can easily combine a VHF and a UHF antenna with a VHF/UHF
combiner. here is an inexpensive one:
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=UVSJ. Another way to do
this is with a pre-amp that has separate inputs for VHF and UHF, but a
switch to use the UHF input for both bands.

Ah, looks like a splitter with a switch. Hmm, I wonder if it is just
easier to get a better antenna to avoid these extra components. I will
check out my options when the time arrives in over a year.


Looks like KNBC-DT 4 on UHF 36 will be boosting it's power to 711 kW.
KCBS-DT 2 is moving from UHF 60 to UHF 43, but dropping from 468 kW to
300 kw (taking over the current KCAL-DT digital transmitter?), so it may
get a little poorer coverage. If you want to look the station current
digital power & height and compare it to the ERP and HAAT in the
DTV_Analysis spread***, go to http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html.

Thanks. I can tell you that I watch most local TV stations except
KCOP/UPN 13 (used to watch Star Trek on this, but no more after
ST:Enterprise ended). I rarely watch KSCI and KCBS as well unless
football or college sports are on (when bored). I don't watch religion
channels and foreign ones. I do watch PBS and KOCE sometimes.

My folks (downstair) still use analog TV and rabbit ears. They watch a
lot of local news and Asian channels (e.g., KSCI/channel 18). They will
want those back for digital, so I will have to help them find a powerful
antennae. I doubt their rabbit ears if mine failed back in end of 2005
and early 2006 before I got a bowtie antenna.

If you are looking for an outdoor or attic antenna, the new line of
Winegard HD769xP upper VHF-UHF antennas will be suitable for the LA
market. These antennas are conventional VHF/UHF style antennas, but are
only 36" wide because they are designed for picking up VHF 7 to 13 and
UHF, not the long 5 meter wavelengths of VHF 2. See
http://www.winegard.com/offair/vhfuhf.htm for the list. In your
location, the HD7694P should be fine. There will no full power stations
on low VHF in LA after the analog shutdown.

Well, they are old folks so I highly doubt one of them will go up to the
roof/attic to do that. Probably have to pay someone to do that. I know I
can't since I am disabled. Currently, they use old fashion rabbit ear
antenna on top of their TVs. Obviously, these will suck for digital
feeds since I already tried them in my place.
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