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TV Channels of the Week - 2 thru 6

B

Buckeyes2001

What can you get on TV channels 2 through 6, either now or before the DTV transistion?

Here in Vermilion, OH before DTV transition I had:

2 - WJBK/Detroit (almost always there)
WCBS/New York (via e-skip - heard a car dealer ad with mentions of Westchester County)
WBBH/Ft. Meyers, FL (e-skip)
Had a mess of other unknown stations coming in via e-skip one evening in summer 2001 I believe it was.

3 - WKYC/Cleveland, OH (local)
WEAR/Pensacola, FL (e-skip underneath WKYC)
mess of other e-skips same evening in summer 2001

4 - WDIV/Detroit, MI (almost always there)
WCMH/Columbus, OH (tropo)
WTAE/Pittsburgh, PA (rare tropo visitor)
WIVB/Buffalo, NY (tropo)
KDFW/Ft. Worth, TX (e-skip, summer 2001)
KARK/Little Rock, AR (e-skip summer 2001)
WTVY/Dothan, AL (e-skip summer 2001)
KSNB/Superior, NE (e-skip - heard ad for Lincoln County Fair)

5 - WEWS/Cleveland, OH (local)
WNEM/Saginaw, MI (tropo underneath WEWS)
saw others in e-skip before but couldn't ID them. One I think was from Florida somewhere with NASCAR

6 - WLNS/E. Lansing, MI (tropo)
WSYX/Columbus, OH (tropo)
CIII/Paris, ON (tropo)
Now I get WLFM-FM 87.7/Cleveland on analog channel 6
 
Jackson/Dyersburg, TN area:

From Memphis (OTA and cable in both areas):
WREG CBS 3 (RF 29)
WMC NBC 5 (Also on RF 5, but applied to move to UHF)

From Nashville (Formerly on cable in Jackson from both Charter and the Jackson Energy Authority, now only from JEA):
WSMV NBC 4 (RF 10)
WTVF CBS 5 (RF 25, formerly on RF 5, which is now an LP translator)

From Paducah, KY (OTA and cable in Dyersburg before the digital conversion):
WPSD NBC 6 (Now RF 32)
 
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In Chicagoland (mainly in Gary, IN), this is what I got in both the analog & digital eras.

Analog:

2 WBBM-TV (CBS) Chicago. This was the station that suffered the most interference of all stations I got on VHF-LO

3 occasionally WCIA (CBS) Champaign, IL, otherwise, nothing

4 occasionally WTMJ-TV (NBC) Milwaukee, otherwise, nothing

5 WMAQ-TV (NBC) Chicago

6 occasionally WITI (first, CBS, then Fox) Milwaukee, otherwise, nothing

As for since 2009, or maybe 2008, I have gotten then WLFM-LP (now WKQX-LP) Chicago, a Franken FM. Not sure if this station will convert to digital & become a TV station in 2015, or sign off, & turn in the license.

Digital - pre-transitional (did not use a pre-amp at the time, like I do now)

2 - Nothing

3 WBBM-TV (CBS) Chicago

4 - 6 Nothing

Digital - Post-transitional

2 & 3, Nothing

4 WOCK-CD Chicago (VC 13.1 - 13.5) This station has put in an application to move to RF 41, the former home of sister station, WOCH-CA, now WOCH-CD broadcasts on RF 49.

5 - Nothing as of yet, though there's an RF 5 in both Kalamazoo, MI & Milwaukee, WI (though the station is licensed to the Green Bay market, via Fond Du Lac), WGVK in Michigan, & WIWN Wisconsin (Fond Du Lac, but transmits out of Milwaukee)

6 - Nothing, since I still get an analog signal.
 
What it used to be before the Great NTSC Killoff...

2 - nothing
3 - nothing
4 - KOMO Seattle (ABC)
5 - KING Seattle (NBC)
6 - occasional weak CHEK Victoria BC (CH, E!, now IND)

I've received only a few TVs via E-skip.
KRMA 6 Denver CO
CBWT 6 Winnipeg MB
XETV 6 Tijuana BCN
XHAQ 5 Mexicali BCN
XHBC 3 Mexicali BCN

-crainbebo
 
DTV Only, 2009 - present, here in the Hudson Valley, NY, 70 miles North of New York City:

2 - WKOB-LD New York City, sub-decode, but occasionally decodes with strong tropo. Best DX: KOTA Rapdi City, SD (1486 miles), CKPR Thunder Bay, ON. (1200 watts, 875 miles).

3- blank. Best DX: KDLO Florence, SD. 1206 miles.

4 - blank - frequent WACP Atlantic City during tropo. Best DX: KSNB Superior, NE (1223 miles); CHFD Thunder Bay, ON (1200 watts, 875 miles).

5 - blank, but a GREAT DX skip channel. Best DX: (long) KHAS Hastings, NE (1271 mi); (short-hop) WLMB Toledo_OH (522 miles).

6 - WRGB Schenectady, NY. Best DX: WPVI Philadelphia (tropo - 139 miles).
 
Before US transition:
2 Local WJBK
(Decades ago - when WJBK signed off early mornings):
occasional weak WBBM and/or KDKA by trop, less common WGR or WDTN, CKCO2 with color bars
Meteor scatter from WDTN (ID slide), WCBS (round TP), WKRN (TN wx radar)
Late night skip - CKCK, KPRC, KWGN common, best DX KREM (1702 miles)
Not rare to see WPBT, WESH, KPRC by Es right through WJBK during the day
3- Semi-local WKYC Cleveland (WKZO/WWMT as same DX much less common)
WEDU a PEST by Es, dozens of times. KATC, KTBS, KLNE, KOTA, CBHT and a Cuban very common.
4- Local WWJ/WDIV
WCIV and WTVJ by Es over WDIV not rare (shared same zero offset)
5- Semi-locals WNEM and WEWS
WUFT, KXAS, KENS, KOAA and KIVV by Es relatively common.
(Over many years, I logged just about EVERY 2 thru 5 in a round band 800-1300 miles from Detroit by Es at least once!)
6- Semi-locals WJIM/WLNS, and later (after '75 s/o) CKGN/CIII.
Es significantly rarer on this channel - only WTVJ cound be called "common", but a lot of 6s received at least once.

Between transitions (6/2009 - 9/2011)
2- semi-local CKCO2 always detectable on tunable VHF radio.
Very common Es: CBGAT14 (Carleton, QC), CKND2, CMBA, XHRIO, XEFE.
YNFA302 (Managua, Nicaragua) and XEWO (Guadalajara, Jal) BOTH seen MORE THAN ONCE.
3- CBHT, CBKT7 (former CFSS, Warmley SK), CKLT1, CBAFT1, XHPN all common
4- CJCB, CBWT2, CKYB and two "V" affilates seen - none very common
Better DX: Santa Marta, Col., YNFA304, Managua and XHGV (Las Lajas, Ver.)
5- Local WLMB-DT
6- Local CIII

Since CBC shutoff

2- CKND2 only one not rare - they confused me by switching offsets last summer.
XEFE and CMBA closest things to a "pest"
KOTA and KNOP are most common digital stations. WLBZ also seen a few times
3- unID Cubans common, low-power station in Alabama, Venezuelans not rare (one that stands out is "the siren", whose carrier varies in frequency)
Digitals seen are KDLO, CHAU1 and WBRA seen 1x each, 90 minutes apart (!). CHAU1 is notable for low power, while WBRA is a very short (364 mile) Es.
4 and 6, several Mexicans, most not identified. WHBF has been seen by Tr, KSNB a few times by Es (both old and new TLs). KBSD only DT 6 seen by Es
 
In Memphis I forgot to mention WPGF-LP channel 6, which is run as an FM station and simulcasts WHBQ AM 560, which is a sports talk station. I can get it occasionally on my car radio at home, which is around 50 miles away.
 
When I lived in Pacifica & before Cable

2 KTVU (Fox) Oakland
3 KCRA (NBC) Sacramento (Weak) when KRON is off for the night
4 KRON (NBC) Now (Ind) San Francisco
5 KPIX (CBS) San Francisco
6 Nothing

Post 2009

2-6 nothing
 
From Warminster PA, before 6/12/2009:

2-WCBS, New York(and a bunch of other stations in e-skip)
3-KYW(local)
4-WNBC, New York(see 2)
5-WNYW, New York
6-WPVI(local)

And after:

2-zippo
3-zippo
4-WACP, Atlantic City NJ
5-zippo
6-WPVI(local)
 
Northeast Ohio:

Pre-2009:

2 - KDKA Pittsburgh, WJBK Detroit, WDTN Dayton (all tropo). From 2002-2009, WKYC-DT Cleveland
3- WKYC Cleveland (local), once received KYW Philly in late 70's after WKYC signoff.
4- WWJ/WDIV Detroit, WTAE Pittsburgh, WCHM Columbus (tropo)
5- WEWS Cleveland (local)
6- WTVN/WSYX Columbus, WJIM/WLNS Lansing, CIII Paris ON (usually video only as audio was trashed by FM stations)

Post 2009 (all analogs):
2 - Presumed CBFT Montreal (analog) with CBC French before Canadian DTV transition, now nothing
3- nothing
4 & 5 - Unid EE Canadians prior to Canadian DTV Transition, unid SS on 5 after WEWS analog signoff; now nothing
6- CIII Paris ON (video only) prior to Canadian transition, WTVJ Miami with nightlight (E-Skip), WLFM Cleveland (Franken-FM)
 
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West Central Ohio where I grew up in the late 60s and 70s
2- WLW-D/WDTN Dayton
3-WAVE (I think) Louisville
4-WLWC/WCMH Columbus OH or WTTV Bloomington
5-WLWT Cincinnati
6-WTVN/WSYX Columbus OH/WFBM/WRTV Indianapolis

Tropo/skip..I don't remember all but highights
2-WPBT Miami and others
3-Cuba/WEAR Pensacola
4-Miami
5-
6-Cuba
 
Location - Akron, OH

Before Transition (From what I can remember)...
2 WKYC-DT Cleveland, OH (Pre-transition channel)
2 WJBK Detroit, MI
2 KDKA Pittsburgh, PA
2 WPBT Miami, FL
3 WKYC Cleveland, OH
3 KIII Corpus Christi, TX
4 WDIV Detroit, MI
4 WTAE Pittsburgh, PA
4 WCMH Columbus, OH
5 WEWS Cleveland, OH
6 WSYX Columbus, OH
6 CIII Paris, ON

After Transition...
6 WLFM-LP Cleveland, OH (Franken FM using 87.7)
That's it, I don't have a low VHF antenna, as I see no purpose for one now.
 
Manistee/Onekama, MI
All pre-transition
2: WBAY Green Bay, WI (fair to weak, was carried on cable in the 1970s and 1980s)
3: very weak mix of WWMT Kalamazoo and WJMN Escanaba (saw KTBS via Es during Indy 500 once)
4: WDIV Detroit made it in once
5: WFRV Green Bay, WI (fair to weak, was carried on cable in the 1970s and 1980s)
6: WITI Milwaukee, WI (made appearances many times, especially on 87.7 FM); WCML Alpena also came in once in a while
 
I forgot to add in DTV Land on 2-6 here in Vallejo, nothing

Also when KRON was off the air at night, I see a faint signal of KCRL (Now KRVN) - Reno
 
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One day in July of 2000 here in Bremerton, WA, was a great day for e-Skip, and the first time I've ever seen e-Skip:

(In order that they were received from 5pm-midnight)
WBTV 3 - Charlotte, NC (intermixing with another station that I never did identify, except that it was some ABC station from the Eastern or Central time zone)
KSNW 3 - Wichita, KS
KWGN 2 - Denver, CO (actually e-mailed the engineer there and they congratulated me, and said that their station was getting calls of e-Skip interference as well that day locally)
KTVK 3 - Phoenix, AZ
KCBS 2 - Los Angeles, CA
Some spanish station on Channel 3...could never identify it...Might have been XHTJB from Tijuana
Also got some faint interference on KOMO 4 off the antenna, which might have been KNBC from Los Angeles, as I saw a faint NBC 4 logo flash on the corner of the screen at the same time KCBS was coming in..
KCRA 3 - Sacramento, CA
KATU 2 - Portland, OR
CHEK 6 - Victoria, BC
CBUT 2 - Vancouver, BC

(Tried to see if XETV would come in, but it never did around the time KCBS was coming in. KOIN never came in either at the same time KATU came in, but CHEK managed to come in)

It was interesting as the evening progressed, that the stations picked up moved from east to west, and then up the coast.
 
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KATU, CHEK, CBUT would be tropo - probably after the e-skip opening ended. WBTV is a great catch - that's definitely double hop from here (around 2200-2300 mi?) I would suppose FM was a huge mess that day in 2000.

-crainbebo
 
Back in Lafayette IN, 2-WTWO, WBBM, WDTN
3-WCIA Champaign/WAVE Louisville

4-WTTV Bloomington, had also seen Milwaukee
5-WLWT/WMAQ
6-WRTV (saw Jackson Michigan one morning)
 
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