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WFAA SEEKS POWER INCREASE

Bob E. Nelson said:
JHBrandt said:
Last Friday WFAA applied for Special Temporary Authority to begin operating at 55 kW. Presumably the FCC will act on this more quickly than on their construction permit application and, if approved, will let them increase their power sooner.

I wish them luck, but still doubt it'll make much difference.
Click to expand...

As I understand it, the VHF stations that have been increasing power are doing so not to extend coverage but to get a better power density. This may be of some benefit for people using rabbit ears trying to capture WFAA's signal on RF-8.

By the way, KHFD/51 was granted a CP today, allowing the move from Royce City to Cedar Hill with 5 kW directional.
Click to expand...

You're correct on their intent. To extend coverage they'd need a taller antenna, not more power. I'm just saying a 22% (1 dB) increase is too small to help much.

To really help the rabbit-ears viewers, I think they'd need to go to 110 kW or more. But the FCC probably wouldn't approve that unless they lowered their antenna, thus reducing their coverage. The FCC rules seem to have VHF stations in a tough spot.
 
fredcantu said:
If only the problem viewers had rabbit ears. Most are trying to watch VHF with a UHF-friendly set-top "HDTV" antenna.
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My experience supports your conclusion, Fred. Using the same pair of rabbit ears I used to get WFAA analog 14 years ago, I've found I've been able to get my local VHF on digital 8. Ironically, I used to have trouble getting WFAA at my house in west Ft. Worth. I always had ghosts all over the picture. I had to put my rabbit ears in the foyer and run cable to the living room to get KOMU 8, but it operates with significantly less power than WFAA. I'm also as far, if not farther, from KOMU's transmitter than I was from WFAA's.
 
And now WFAA is asking for permission to increase power on its auxiliary transmitter (which has a lower antenna) to 71.5 kW! That's still only 2 dB (over 45 kW), but at least it has a chance of helping someone somewhere.

The coverage area of the "main" and "auxiliary" transmitters will be almost identical. (I put those words in quotes because I have a suspicion the main will soon become the auxiliary and vice versa.)
 
WFAA's STA application has been approved and they can now increase power to 55 kW. No idea whether they have already done so, however.

Those of you who've been having trouble getting WFAA might recheck and see if they see any improvement over the next several days. I doubt it but one never knows for sure ;)
 
JHBrandt said:
WFAA's STA application has been approved and they can now increase power to 55 kW. No idea whether they have already done so, however.

Those of you who've been having trouble getting WFAA might recheck and see if they see any improvement over the next several days. I doubt it but one never knows for sure ;)
Click to expand...

Over on AVS Forum, WFAA's Johnny Stigler remarked that the 10 kW power boost occurred on Tuesday 21 APR 2010. The thread on this topic starts with message number 5753:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=529070&page=192
 
Bob E. Nelson said:
JHBrandt said:
WFAA's STA application has been approved and they can now increase power to 55 kW. No idea whether they have already done so, however.

Those of you who've been having trouble getting WFAA might recheck and see if they see any improvement over the next several days. I doubt it but one never knows for sure ;)
Click to expand...

Over on AVS Forum, WFAA's Johnny Stigler remarked that the 10 kW power boost occurred on Tuesday 21 APR 2010. The thread on this topic starts with message number 5753:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=529070&page=192
Click to expand...
I have noticed the improvement. I have been able to pick up WFAA with an indoor antenna since yesterday with a 66-70% signal.
 
WFAA has just requested an extension of the 55 kW STA:
SINCE COMMENCING OPERATION AT 55 KW, BELO HAS RECEIVED ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE THAT THIS INCREASE IN POWER HAS RESTORED SERVICE TO VIEWERS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY UNABLE TO RECEIVE WFAA. BELO PLANS TO CONDUCT FIELD TESTING TO DOCUMENT THAT THE POWER INCREASE HAS RESOLVED VIEWERS' RECEPTION ISSUES. BELO WOULD LIKE TO CONDUCT THESE FIELD TESTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OPEN MOBILE VIDEO COALITION'S MOBILE DTV TESTING IN THE DALLAS MARKET, WHICH SHOULD OCCUR BY THE END OF THE YEAR. ONCE THIS TESTING IS COMPLETE, BELO WILL AMEND ITS PENDING 301 FOR 55 KW (BPCDT-20091223ALX) TO INCLUDE THE RESULTS OF THE FIELD TESTS. THUS, WFAA REQUESTS A SIX MONTH EXTENSION OF ITS STA SO THAT IT CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE AT 55 KW AND CONDUCT FIELD TESTING AT THIS HIGHER POWER.
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I guess Bob is the "anecdotal evidence" cited above! ;)

Oh, and by the way, they're testing mobile DTV 8)
 
The question is how well the Mobile DTV is working? I've heard from several people that it just plain doesn't work on VHF, but these are the same people who don't understand how I can get my local channel 8 20 miles from the tower.
 
Bob, can you keep an eye out for Mobile DTV on WFAA? Maybe send some TSReader data my way when/if you see it? =)

- Trip
 
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