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OTA Boston /Providence TV
- Thread starter TVCOOL
- Start date
Without knowing where you are and what kind of antenna you're using, there's really no way to answer your question. WPRI and WNAC are both on VHF RF channels (13 and 12, respectively), and if you're using a UHF-only antenna, you'll get a better signal from WFXT (on UHF 31) than WNAC or WPRI on VHF, even if you're closer to the WNAC/WPRI site in Rehoboth.
As for the other question, it's all about branding. WNAC doesn't use "64" in its branding because most of its viewers don't see it on channel 64. WPRI doesn't use the CBS eye in its branding because it has a very strong local identity as "channel 12" that it's built up over the last 58 years.
As for the other question, it's all about branding. WNAC doesn't use "64" in its branding because most of its viewers don't see it on channel 64. WPRI doesn't use the CBS eye in its branding because it has a very strong local identity as "channel 12" that it's built up over the last 58 years.
MCarney said:
I believe both WPRI and WNAC share a common VHF antenna with both transmitters diplexed. WPRI is on Channel 13 (Virtual 12) and WNAC is on Channel 12 (Virtual 64). I would think that 13 would propagate better than 12 would.... as 13 is closer to UHF. But, in this world of DTV, what looks perfect on paper doesn't "necessarily" work, in practice. I have both cable and OTA (with outside antennas) at home. Eventhough I do not possess a VHF antenna, I am able to get WPRI/WNAC fairly well on my UHF Yagi at my home in Whitman, MA (about 30-40 miles away from Rehoboth, MA). It's not perfect, but in a pinch it's usable.
Peter Q. George (K1XRB) said:
The difference between 12 and 13 in frequency is negligible -- channel 12 is 204 to 210 MHz, and channel 13 is 210 to 216 MHz. By comparison, channel 14 is 470 to 476 MHz. So, yeah, channel 13 is closer to the UHF band -- but in the same sense that you can say that Tacoma, WA is closer to Los Angeles than Seattle is.
TexasTom said:
Sure, in the grand scheme of things, the difference between Channels 12 and 13 is negligible. But the use of VHF-hi (or VHF-lo) is not exactly perfect for DTV transmission. The higher you can go on the spectrum (with DTV), the better it is for coverage. Every bit helps. We saw what happened to the post-transition VHF'ers. Their coverage was lousy (WPVI, WWLP, WHDH and others come to mind). Channel 7 (WHDH) in Boston was a perfect example of this phenomena. They had to go back to their transitional facilities (RF 42 UHF). Nobody was able to see their Channel 7 DTV. It's a matter of the noise floor that made DTV on VHF not-so-practical. UHF is the preferred medium for DTV. VHF simply cannot handle DTV as well as UHF. The ERP for VHF DTV stations (pound for pound) seem to be artificially low to equal the coverage of a UHF DTV station. It's been almost 5 years since analog breathed its' last. There are plenty of people who still depend on OTA for TV viewing. DTV will never get the same reach as analog did, that's a given. Now with repackaging the TV spectrum for the broadband interests almost a reality, all bets are off. But... it is what it is and we're stuck with it.
It's interesting that at my lakeside cottage in New Hampshire near the Maine border, 100 miles north of Boston, I can see WPRI and WNAC a few times a month, usually in the early morning before the sun is very high. We have a rotating antenna on the roof, so if I point it toward Boston, I sometimes get those two stations from Providence. And again, because it's a lakeside cottage, our elevation is pretty low. I wonder if those people on the top of hills in our area get Boston 24/7, while we only get Boston sometimes, and only at night or before 9am.
Funny thing is, WPRI and WNAC are the only stations I get from the Providence market. You'd think that being on VHF, they'd be a harder signal to get 135 miles to the north. Yet they come in better than lesser Boston signals.
In case anyone is interested, here's a rough order of how those Boston and Providence signals come in...
Most nights...
WBZ
WHDH
Some nights...
WFXT
WHDH's DTV Channel 7, which they turned off
WCVB
A few times a month...
WGBH
WPRI
WNAC
WSBK
Maybe once a month...
WLVI
WBPX
WMFP
Back in analog days we'd sometimes get WGBX and WUNI but no more. Sometimes I'd even see a little ficker of a CBS show from WFSB Hartford on Channel 3, or WJAR Providence, when WCBB Augusta was off the air (both on Channel 10) but again, not since analog days ended.
Funny thing is, WPRI and WNAC are the only stations I get from the Providence market. You'd think that being on VHF, they'd be a harder signal to get 135 miles to the north. Yet they come in better than lesser Boston signals.
In case anyone is interested, here's a rough order of how those Boston and Providence signals come in...
Most nights...
WBZ
WHDH
Some nights...
WFXT
WHDH's DTV Channel 7, which they turned off
WCVB
A few times a month...
WGBH
WPRI
WNAC
WSBK
Maybe once a month...
WLVI
WBPX
WMFP
Back in analog days we'd sometimes get WGBX and WUNI but no more. Sometimes I'd even see a little ficker of a CBS show from WFSB Hartford on Channel 3, or WJAR Providence, when WCBB Augusta was off the air (both on Channel 10) but again, not since analog days ended.
newsbot said:
Not holding my breath!
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