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WFXT-DT Channel 31 At Full Power

L

Laurence Glavin

Guest
WFXT-TV channel 25 in the Boston area, with a pipsqueak analog signal, has finally boosted its DTV station to its full authorized power of 780 KW; apparently it's been running with one-tenth of that ERP. Thus, on my TV set in the kitchen with a digital-to-analog box, WFXT comes in with the same juice as WGBH-DT, WBZ-DT, WCVB (should be WCXX)-DT, WHDH-DT on channel 42...we'll have to wait and see about its channel 7 DTV allocation, and WGBX-DT (plus WGBX.2, WGBX.3 and WGBX.4.
 
jlehmann said:
Laurence Glavin said:
we'll have to wait and see about its channel 7 DTV allocation, and WGBX-DT (plus WGBX.2, WGBX.3 and WGBX.4.
Click to expand...

WGBX does not have any CPs or APPs to change anything.
Click to expand...

No, no...you misunderstood: WGBX-DT was the last outlet in a list of major Boston TV stations. (I guess that means WBPX and WMFP are not major stations.)
 
The interference is going to be fun for those in Windham County, CT! WTIC-DT (FOX) of Hartford is also on channel 31.
 
KML-224 said:
The interference is going to be fun for those in Windham County, CT! WTIC-DT (FOX) of Hartford is also on channel 31.
Click to expand...

Don't forget: WBZ-DT already operates on a channel in use in the Hartford market...channel 30; down there, the channel is for analog telecasting. WCVB-DT is on channel 20, home of WTXX near Waterbury (transmitter in Prospect, CT I believe). We already have two DTVs operating on their permanent assignments...VHF channel 11, in Durham, NH and Springfield, MA. I think the latter situation is the reason I'm having trouble getting a consistently strong signal from WENH-DT...it must directionalize to protect WWLP-DT.
 
Yes, I forgot about WBZ-DT on channel 30. However, WVIT-TV analog has been on reduced power for some time and is going away in June. It's going to be fun once WTXX-DT fires up from Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington on channel 20, which is significantly closer than the old analog site in Naugatuck/Prospect. I don't receive the digital signals from any of the Springfield stations here in New Britain. As for other VHF assignments, WEDN-DT (PBS) of Norwich is on channel 9. My Insignia digital converter box hesitates at channel 9, as if it's trying to lock on a signal.
 
Laurence Glavin said:
WFXT-TV channel 25 in the Boston area, with a pipsqueak analog signal, has finally boosted its DTV station to its full authorized power of 780 KW;
Click to expand...

To clarify a couple of things. WFXT-DT was authorized to operate 78kW, the 780kW was a new CP issued. The "78kW" antenna was the hanging antenna on the tine of the candleabra. Last month the old analog 25 antenna (which was burned out!) was removed, and a new WFXT-DT 31 top mount antenna was installed. The two old Analog cabinets were modified for digital service and a third new cabinet was added to the system. The new digital fired up around 11am on Monday the 20th. I have a video of the TX being fired up. I'll post it on YouTube sometime soon. The hanging antenna will be left in as a standby antenna connected to the single cabinet transmitter.

The new 31 signal might cause problems in Windham County in CT, thats for sure. WVIT had interference issues with WBZ-DT when it signed on, although it was authorized. The difference is that WVIT analog signal goes away. The WTIC-DT signal does not.

FWIW WFXT-DT is now the strongest digital signal I receive in Rhode Island from Boston.
 
Not only may it cause problems in Windham County, CT, but where I live in western Worcester County I now have problems locking on to WTIC-DT and still can't get WFXT-DT, even though it's much stronger. I'm sure I will have trouble with WCVB-DT and WTXX-DT once WTXX moves its signal as I get a strong signal from Rattlesnake Mountain. Still to this day I don't understand why the FCC couldn't have chosen different frequency allocations to avoid these possible problems. I mean why couldn't WTIC-DT have been assigned channel 28 or something to avoid interference with WFXT-DT? Or perhaps WFXT-DT could have been assigned 28 or another non-interfering channel. It seems like sloppy, lazy work by the FCC that will undoubtedly cause problems for some off-the-air viewers in June.
 
28 is not available for WTIC due to WNBC-DT in New York. It's not available in Boston due to inconsistent spacing with WUNI-DT 29 and WUTF-DT 27 (once it moves from 23).

- Trip
 
I really think that after the digital transition is complete in June, shortly thereafter the FCC will be faced with so many co-channel and adjacent channel interference issues from viewers it will be forced to reassign channels by opening up more frequencies for Digital TV transmission.
 
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