I'm starting to like HD a little more

[jras20]

Finally a Dance station comes to Austin on HD-2! I hope this stays around.
I really think HD Needs to fix the side band problem. I should also get KISS's HD
signal, but Hot 99.7's translator is going through. I wish I could fix my reception problems out at Lavaca county for HD Radio.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Finally a Dance station comes to Austin on HD-2! I hope this stays around.
I really think HD Needs to fix the side band problem. I should also get KISS's HD
signal, but Hot 99.7's translator is going through. I wish I could fix my reception problems out at Lavaca county for HD Radio.

Yes, if there is a format on HD-2 you happen to like, HD is really nice! I find the digital artifacts a bit tiresome after an extended time, though. Not anything the average listener would gripe about, they are used to MP3's and don't realize what they are missing.

We have a report of reliable HD reception at 125 miles from somebody. So it just takes a good antenna installation, plus the good luck of having both first adjacents clear. Have you tried an APS-13 antenna yet?

 

[jras20]

I hanv't tried that yet. I'm just now beginning to be able to lift stuff again since after my surgery. I have my radioshack tridrive antenna going to Victoria for Victoria/Corpus. I would use my Winegard TV antenna if I could get Houston DTV also but I can't. I can only get Victoria DTV.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

I hanv't tried that yet. I'm just now beginning to be able to lift stuff again since after my surgery. I have my radioshack tridrive antenna going to Victoria for Victoria/Corpus. I would use my Winegard TV antenna if I could get Houston DTV also but I can't. I can only get Victoria DTV.

Forget using a TV antenna for FM. Most of them actually reject the FM band so there is no interference to TV channel 6.

 

[jras20]

What is your thought on the Radio shack's tridrive antenna? I have a extra one near Austin that I don't use. I'm thinking about putting it down and taking it out to try to get Houston HD on it. I don't even think Radioshack sales those any more.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

What is your thought on the Radio shack's tridrive antenna? I have a extra one near Austin that I don't use. I'm thinking about putting it down and taking it out to try to get Houston HD on it. I don't even think Radioshack sales those any more.

I'm not familiar with it. Is it a TV antenna or an FM antenna? I wouldn't bother unless it is an FM antenna.

 

[Mike Walker]

While most tv antennas do have an "FM Trap", it's usually either defeatable with a switch, a jumper, or by physically removing the small trap. Once the trap is out of the circuit, TV antennas do great for FM (analog or digital), because they're in the same (VHF) band!

I get 100+ mile HD reception on my Antennacraft TV/FM antenna!

 

[KB1OKL]

While most tv antennas do have an "FM Trap", it's usually either defeatable with a switch, a jumper, or by physically removing the small trap. Once the trap is out of the circuit, TV antennas do great for FM (analog or digital), because they're in the same (VHF) band!

I get 100+ mile HD reception on my Antennacraft TV/FM antenna!

I have an old FM only antenna I put up on my father's house some 25 years ago that I bought at Rat Shack. Worked OK. My father lives in a good area for line of sight FM and TV anyway so there was not a huge improvment. With FM and high frequencys in general you are more at the mercy of your topography than with AM.
Hey that's an idea for the IBOC Alliance, sell old FM roof top antennas along with the receivers so the customers can get decent reception beyond the usual 10 mile range

 

[jras20]

The side adjustment channels is what gets me the most about HD Radio. I think if HD Radio can figure out how to change that then it will work a lot better. My place just south of Austin, I am only 15 miles away from KBPA. Their HD got knocked out last night by KOUL. Is there any way HD can fix that if they boost the power? There are pretty good choices now in Austin for HD. I'm almost thinking of getting a JVC HD Receiver for my truck.

 

[Chuck]

The side adjustment channels is what gets me the most about HD Radio. I think if HD Radio can figure out how to change that then it will work a lot better. My place just south of Austin, I am only 15 miles away from KBPA. Their HD got knocked out last night by KOUL. Is there any way HD can fix that if they boost the power? There are pretty good choices now in Austin for HD. I'm almost thinking of getting a JVC HD Receiver for my truck.

I think you mean "Adjacent Channels." I agree, that they are "the" big problem, but don't hold your breath for them to go away. They are an integral part of the IBOC system. Without them, there is no HD radio. What’s more, they will probably get worse. The HD Alliance and NAB have petitioned the FCC to allow them to have as much as a 10 db increase in those adjacent channel sidebands on FM channels. That means multiplying the HD power by a factor of 10. In other words, a 1000 watt digital signal becomes a 10,000 watt digital signal. If there is a little noise right now, wait until you hear this.

The good news is it will be massively expensive to make a 10 db leap. Depending on the method chosen to do this, it may well be beyond the budgets of all but the biggest broadcasters. Perhaps, that is the plan. It may require upgrading your analog transmitter as well as purchasing a new digital transmitter, maybe installing a new antenna, new combiners, huge dummy loads, etc. It is not just a one time expense either. In many cases it will require upgrading electric service to the transmitter site, replacing standby generators and increasing air conditioning load capacity. Once this is in place, stand by for some impressive increases in your electric bill. If you don't own your own tower, you could expect tower rent to increae as well.

Since most broadcasters consider this to be a business, many will quickly get the message that it is simply not worth the cost to implement such a huge power increase. I suspect that most will settle for a more modest increase, or perhaps none at all. When they put a pencil to it, they will see that for the foreseeable future, it has a very poor chance of being a good investment. Return on Investment (ROI) is a basic of every business decision.

Assuming a power increase is approved by the FCC, and I suspect it will be, you can look forward to more interference on the FM band. Look on the front cover of Radio World magazine of a couple of weeks ago for a very visual example. It shows the potential interference patterns of two DFW FM stations. This proposed power increase effectively blocks reception of those two stations for about 500,000 potential listeners. That was just two stations out of the 60 or so that are receivable in the DFW area. Just think what it would be like if everyone did this?

A power increase of this magnitude has the potential to turn a 100,000 watt FM into a much more local station than anyone ever imagined.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

The side adjustment channels is what gets me the most about HD Radio. I think if HD Radio can figure out how to change that then it will work a lot better. My place just south of Austin, I am only 15 miles away from KBPA. Their HD got knocked out last night by KOUL. Is there any way HD can fix that if they boost the power? There are pretty good choices now in Austin for HD. I'm almost thinking of getting a JVC HD Receiver for my truck.

I finally got around to installing an antenna rotor at my place in Plano, TX. To my surprise, even with closer stations, there is a "sweet spot" about 5 to 10 degrees wide, where three Houstons come punching through - 92.9, 95.7, and 104.1. A couple of months ago, I drove home from Stafford, TX, really near the MO city towers, and clocked it at 275 miles. I am sure it is less straight line. But FM at that distance is subject to some fading, but during a strong cycle I had HD lock for a few seconds on 93Q. Not that I care because it is country - but it was definitely coming in, in HD. Surprised the heck out of me, I can tell you. It has repeated the last couple of days, and I haven't even tried during the more stable early morning and late evening hours.

So I think from your place only 84 miles, you have a really good chance of getting very reliable HD. It would just take a good antenna aimed at the station.

I have to really wonder - what is the agenda of this power increase? This pushes the distance of HD lock out to 275 miles - under good conditions. What more do the HD advocates want???? And on AM, some guy in Australia is getting an HD light on what is most likely KNX and WWVA! No HD reception, but it may only be a matter of time for him. This system may be PLENTY robust! We just need to give it some time and research.

 

[jras20]

When I get a chance I'm going to work on it again. On my Sony Walkman I can actually pick up the signal when I switch it to local instead of DX. My truck radio picks up Houston pretty decent. I think your right, if I have a good antenna I may can be able to pick them up well. I'll just half to work at it.