Re: Channels after the 09 change
- From: Alan F <afiggatt1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 16:14:49 GMT
phil-news-nospam@xxxxxxxx wrote:
On Wed, 28 May 2008 21:19:16 GMT Alan F <afiggatt1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
| If you want to look at a station with a possible signal strength issue
| after Feb 17, 2009, check WABC-DT 7 in New York City or WBAL-DT 11 in
| Baltimore. WABC 7 is currently 123 kW analog, but has been alloted a
| digital signal of 3.2 kW on VHF 7 next year. Should be 8 to 10 kW to
| replicate the analog coverage. WBAL NBC 11 in Baltimore is running at
| the maximum allowed 316 kW in analog, but opted for reduced coverage
| with a 5 kW digital signal on VHF 11 next year so they can use their
| current analog antenna. But stations can request increased power
| assignments this August, WBAL-DT may be planning to ask for higher power
| then.
How is wanting to use the current analog antenna going to mean no more than
5 kW in digital mode if it can already do 316 kW in analog mode?
The FCC implemented new tighter requirements on minimizing allowable
interference between stations. As a result of UHF 52 to 69 being taken
away from TV broadcasting, the stations will in effect be packed much
closer together. Also, most low VHF (2 to 6) stations have opted to move
to UHF or in a few cases upper VHF. So you have almost all full power
stations fitting in from channels 7 to 51 (with 37 reserved for radio
astronomy).
In the case of WBAL, there are "new" digital stations on VHF 12 and
VHF 11 that they have to contend with. WWPX-DT Ion 60 to the west in
Martinsburg, WV is digitally broadcasting on VHF 12 and will stay there.
This has resulted in headaches for WBAL-DT NBC 11 and WJZ-DT CBS 13 in
Baltimore as they have to not interfere with it for their far
western fringe. Even with digital which allows stations to be packed
much closer together, adjacent channel interference is a concern when
one channel is so many dB stronger than the adjacent channel signal.
WBRE-DT NBC 28 in Scranton, PA to the north managed to get themselves
a digital allotment on VHF 11 (at 30 kW!) and will stay on VHF 11. To
the southwest, there is WVPT-DT PBS 51 in Staunton, VA which is also on
VHF 11. So WBAL-DT had the choice of putting up a new directional
antenna which allow them to broadcast 6.91 kW in some directions, but
they opted to stick with their current omni-directional analog antenna.
For WBAL recent engineering justification, see
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=624629.
But the FCC will allow stations to apply for greater power later this
year (after the dust settles on the current allotment changes), so
WBAL-DT may be planning to re-apply for a higher power then.
CBS owned WJZ 13 will take a different tack. They have opted to put up
a new directional antenna next spring with a base power of 28.8 kW. They
will still lose OTA viewers in their western fringe however. Their FCC
filing Form 301 is at
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101237603&formid=301&fac_num=25455.
There will be winners and losers in OTA reception next year after the
digital switchover. Most people with a decent antenna setup will gain in
the number of stations with a good quality picture, but some will lose
stations they have been long able to get.
Alan F
.
- References:
- Re: Channels after the 09 change
- From: Alan F
- Re: Channels after the 09 change
- From: phil-news-nospam
- Re: Channels after the 09 change
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