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HD recieption in the OC
- Thread starter ocer
- Start date
I live in the OC close to Long Beach. I have an HD in the car and an HD in the house. The house is stucco (with chicken wire) so I have to work at it in the house. As far as the car goes some of the stations are rock solid and some of them are fringe (with dropouts on HD-2). I have noticed some areas aound OC have major issues (Orange Crush for example, but that may be because it is an RF rich environment there). Brea Canyon is another area with issues (thanks to the hills). I don't get down to south county very much but it looks like the LA signals start to drop along the 405 somewhere in Irvine.
But some are better than others and the pattern follows the FM signal (as it should). KRTH-HD2 and KKGO-KD2 are solid. KOST-HD2 starts to drop somewhere around the city of Orange.
Basically if you are on the flat and level portion of Orange County, you should be good. Go around hills or stay under the overpasses for too long and you will get dropouts. BTW, there are no OC stations doing HD on FM (no surprise there) so it is all LA listening from Mt Wilson on HD. SO a good rule is if you have an issue with normal FM, you will have major issues with HD.
But some are better than others and the pattern follows the FM signal (as it should). KRTH-HD2 and KKGO-KD2 are solid. KOST-HD2 starts to drop somewhere around the city of Orange.
Basically if you are on the flat and level portion of Orange County, you should be good. Go around hills or stay under the overpasses for too long and you will get dropouts. BTW, there are no OC stations doing HD on FM (no surprise there) so it is all LA listening from Mt Wilson on HD. SO a good rule is if you have an issue with normal FM, you will have major issues with HD.
Another poster was of the opinion that there are only seven HD listeners in LA. Now all we have to do is find the other five 
KRTH definetely has the most solid HD signal in LA. And there HD-2 program isn't too bad either except that they have never heard of the segue.
One of these days I will have to spend longer listening to each of the HD-2 signals to see about lock. I would suspect that 104.3 HD-2 would be a good solid lock but I can't take dance music that long to find out.
KRTH definetely has the most solid HD signal in LA. And there HD-2 program isn't too bad either except that they have never heard of the segue.
One of these days I will have to spend longer listening to each of the HD-2 signals to see about lock. I would suspect that 104.3 HD-2 would be a good solid lock but I can't take dance music that long to find out.
I can get a somewhat usable signal from KRTH here in El Cajon (actually about a couple miles south of there). No trace of their HD-2, though. KIIS is blocked by KLQV's IBOC, though. KBIG can also be heard here.
Oh.... you mean the HD versions of those stations! Well... I can't comment on those, as I don't have a HD radio..... but.... I will say that in my opinion, if you can get even a slight, 0.000001% chance of getting the carrier of a signal transmitting ultra-narrowband QRSS CW, even if you have to use a spectrum analyzer, computer, recording of the signal, etc, to be able to tell that anything's even there at all... in my opinion the same field strength should be able to provide a 100% usable, full-quality digital signal, assuming you're using the same receive antenna in both cases. I do realize, though, that HD's performance is nowhere near that good, unfortunately. What would it take (including switching to a completely different digital system) to be able to do that? (Also I'd want to be able to have multiple streams on the same frequency (the stations could transmit control codes that a radio could use to switch from one to another, maybe), and not interfere with analog transmissions on the same frequency. You would be able to stand almost right next to the tower of a 100kW digital signal with an analog radio, and it would not interfere at all with a weak analog signal that's 1.5dB above the atmospheric noise level on the same frequency. That same digital signal, when using an analog radio, would have a 100% full quality signal all the way out to where the above-mentioned QRSS CW analog signal would be... well... probably pretty far below the noise. (I've heard 3kHz sine-wave tones buried 30-36dB or so below audio white noise, and I suspect QRSS CW can be detected by professionals/hams at much worse signal levels.)
I can't comment on the actual HD quality of those stations where I am, but at this time I have no plans to purchase a HD radio in its current incarnation, as I know I'll be sorely disappointed. (I'd almost like to go so far with my expectations as to require a signal that could be briefly received via e-skip for like 5 seconds in your lifetime on analog... to be received 100% of the time in digital... but that's probably taking it too far. )
Oh.... you mean the HD versions of those stations! Well... I can't comment on those, as I don't have a HD radio..... but.... I will say that in my opinion, if you can get even a slight, 0.000001% chance of getting the carrier of a signal transmitting ultra-narrowband QRSS CW, even if you have to use a spectrum analyzer, computer, recording of the signal, etc, to be able to tell that anything's even there at all... in my opinion the same field strength should be able to provide a 100% usable, full-quality digital signal, assuming you're using the same receive antenna in both cases. I do realize, though, that HD's performance is nowhere near that good, unfortunately.
What would it take (including switching to a completely different digital system) to be able to do that? (Also I'd want to be able to have multiple streams on the same frequency (the stations could transmit control codes that a radio could use to switch from one to another, maybe), and not interfere with analog transmissions on the same frequency. You would be able to stand almost right next to the tower of a 100kW digital signal with an analog radio, and it would not interfere at all with a weak analog signal that's 1.5dB above the atmospheric noise level on the same frequency. That same digital signal, when using an analog radio, would have a 100% full quality signal all the way out to where the above-mentioned QRSS CW analog signal would be... well... probably pretty far below the noise. (I've heard 3kHz sine-wave tones buried 30-36dB or so below audio white noise, and I suspect QRSS CW can be detected by professionals/hams at much worse signal levels.)I can't comment on the actual HD quality of those stations where I am, but at this time I have no plans to purchase a HD radio in its current incarnation, as I know I'll be sorely disappointed. (I'd almost like to go so far with my expectations as to require a signal that could be briefly received via e-skip for like 5 seconds in your lifetime on analog... to be received 100% of the time in digital... but that's probably taking it too far.
)I was listening to the KRTH-HD2 with a solid lock in Ocean Beach but again that is an over water path.
The only city where I have found that the HD refuses to lock for me is Sioux Falls, SD. Didn't stay in town long enough to figure that out
I use HD at home since I use the computer rather heavily, meaning I don't want to stream while I am working. So the HD gives me good clean reception without any of the computer noise artifacts on FM. And that is not counting the HD simulcasts (KNX on KTWV) where the AM would be blown totally out of the water by the computer noise.
The only city where I have found that the HD refuses to lock for me is Sioux Falls, SD. Didn't stay in town long enough to figure that out
I use HD at home since I use the computer rather heavily, meaning I don't want to stream while I am working. So the HD gives me good clean reception without any of the computer noise artifacts on FM. And that is not counting the HD simulcasts (KNX on KTWV) where the AM would be blown totally out of the water by the computer noise.
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