Changes in DFW's LPTV market

[Megapsycle]

Anyone have a contact at K31GL-D? I'm missing being able to watch or record their programs on my PC since their SQ dropped so low. (The Pal DVRs have better tuners so I can still use those.)

I had positive results from this contact link:
http://www.channel31four.com/contact.html

 

[JHBrandt]

Thanks. I just sent them a note.

 

[Megapsycle]

I got a quick response to intermittent loss of RTV and local substitute programming in its place, and about adding PSIP to the channels HOT and RTV. I didn't get the answer I wanted to hear about program info though.

 

[JHBrandt]

Here's the message I sent:

Wanted you to know that K31GL's signal has been unusually weak for the last two weeks. I can no longer receive K31GL on my PC's tuner. Other viewers as well as myself have noticed also. See posts at the Radio Discussions Forum starting here: http://radiodiscussions.com/smf/index.php?topic=188107.msg2068277#msg2068277

I sent it to the general manager since I didn't see any technical or engineering options on the contact form.

Hopefully someone will investigate.

 

[Megapsycle]

I sent a message by way of replying to an email I got a while back, asking about the signal of K31GL and response was nothing has been changed on their end so no explanation, it's supposed to serve DeSoto, Garland is on the fringe and even more unlikely reception in Frisco. I'm certainly seeing the signal loss here from 80-85 to 60-70 now, but it's still stable from my location in FB.

 

[JHBrandt]

Sounds like they misunderstood. I hate when that happens!

I don't think any of us believed K31GL changed anything, at least not deliberately. We're trying to warn them that their transmitter may be about to fail.

At least for now, it's still OK here in Garland (except for my PC tuner). But hey, if they want fewer viewers, just let them go on ignoring our warnings :-X

 

[Megapsycle]

The person who responded is monitoring K31GL from Crowley in the west lobe of the signal which could help explain why he isn't seeing any problem.

 

[JHBrandt]

Amazing - I just checked and Crowley's actually closer to K31GL's contour than I am!

Of course, if he's looking at raw power, he wouldn't see any difference. Bob mentioned that K31GL's power hasn't dropped - but the error rate has gone way up.

 

[Megapsycle]

Amazing -... Bob mentioned that K31GL's power hasn't dropped - but the error rate has gone way up.

Looks like he turned off his reporting tuner last night.

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

Amazing -... Bob mentioned that K31GL's power hasn't dropped - but the error rate has gone way up.

Looks like he turned off his reporting tuner last night.

Nope...a Time-Warner outage last night led to the inability to reach the server in Michigan or anywhere else for that matter. It took 24 hours for a repair -- it was a cut cable. And I had to use all my persuasive powers to get it to happen even then. The original time scheduled was on Tuesday 19 MAR 2013. That would have been 5 days without access via TWC's RoadRunner service. It took talking to a very astute CSR in Irving to expedite things. The folks in the Philippines handling the frontline of trouble calls are all nice but their understanding of a sense of urgency doesn't compare to local folks here in the states.

Fortunately, the antenna setup kept me entertained and informed.

And finally, having a vast amount of time offline, I changed the preamp from the Kitz KT-200 COAX to the CPA-19 from Antennas Direct during visible gap. As I compose this, there's not been enough data posted to the site to draw any conclusions but, at least, the gap in the timeline makes it easy to see when the preamp changed.

 

[JHBrandt]

Sorry to hear about your Internet outage but glad it's been repaired.

First impression of the CPA-19: its signal strength is slightly lower. Probably not significant though. The signal quality seems similar (maybe slightly better in the case of K25FW) to the previous two preamps.

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

First impression of the CPA-19: its signal strength is slightly lower. Probably not significant though. The signal quality seems similar (maybe slightly better in the case of K25FW) to the previous two preamps.

I will probably switch back to the KItz KT-200 COAX within the next 48 hours. I have since learned about an easy hack that may improve its performance -- putting a HLSJ on the input. It could then match what the RC-9263 does since all the low VHF is filtered out. These timelines are great for comparisons of how equipment configurations change things.

 

[retrosmart]

I totally missed it, but last May the FCC gave the religious broadcaster operating KHFD/51 a construction permit to move to RF 26. Here's a statement from KHFD's displacement applicaton:

INASMUCH AS RECENT FCC POLICY PREVENTS DIGITAL LPTV FILINGS ON CHANNEL 51, ANY CHANGE IN THE FACILITY MUST SPECIFY DISPLACEMENT TO A DIFFERENT CHANNEL; HENCE, THIS APPLICATION SEEKS DISPLACEMENT RELIEF TO MOVE TO CHANNEL 26.

Will KHFD move to RF-39

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

Will KHFD move to RF-39

RF-39 is already occupied by full service station KAZD/55.

 

[julesism]

Anyone interested in a DB8? I finally got around to putting it in the attic and sadly it's performing worse than my Terk HDTVa. I'm sure it would work better outside but the Terk was doing a better job in the attic with UHF. The Terk is currently on the VHF side of a Pico Macom UVSJ and is pulling in WFAA/8, KFWD/9, and KXII/12 (barely) I've got a second HDTVa on the way from eBay.

 

[JHBrandt]

Will KHFD move to RF-39

RF-39 is already occupied by full service station KAZD/55.

KHFD has a construction permit to move to RF 26, but with significantly reduced coverage. I expect they'll hold onto RF 51 for as long as the FCC will let them.

 

[JHBrandt]

First impression of the CPA-19: its signal strength is slightly lower. Probably not significant though. The signal quality seems similar (maybe slightly better in the case of K25FW) to the previous two preamps.

I will probably switch back to the KItz KT-200 COAX within the next 48 hours. I have since learned about an easy hack that may improve its performance -- putting a HLSJ on the input. It could then match what the RC-9263 does since all the low VHF is filtered out. These timelines are great for comparisons of how equipment configurations change things.

That's what I do. I only have the KT-100 but with an HLSJ blocking KEOM, performance is as good as the (old) CM-7777. The KT-200 could perform even better and who cares about KSFW/2, KHFW/4, or KXDA/5 even if they do get on the air someday?

 

[retrosmart]

Will KHFD move to RF 39

RF 39 is already occupied by full service station KAZD.

KHFD has a construction permit to move to RF 26, but with significantly reduced coverage. I expect they'll hold onto RF 51 for as long as the FCC will let them.

KHFD would be fine on RF 39, if only KAZD can drop down to RF 29 or RF 30.

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

Sorry to hear about your Internet outage but glad it's been repaired.

For the most part, it's been working. Today there have been periodic instances of loss and just a bit ago, I saw a Time-Warner truck in the neighborhood so perhaps they're aware of the transient outages. That accounts for the periods of signal drops on all stations that you may see on the charts here before the data scrolls off the timelines:

http://kb8u.ham-radio-op.net/nelson

 

[JHBrandt]

KHFD would be fine on RF 39, if only KAZD can drop down to RF 29 or RF 30.

RF 29 and RF 30 are also occupied, by KTXA and KMPX respectively. Besides, KAZD has no reason to move anywhere, and RF 39 is no better for KHFD than any other UHF frequency.

IMO KHFD is fine on RF 51, but the FCC requires them to vacate RF 51 to make any other changes, and the easiest alternative in DFW is RF 26.