WFXW/38 Analog off air

[PTBoardOp94]

Source: MyWabashValley.com

I'm told they've been off the air for a few weeks. Tube failed in the analog transmitter, and they reportedly can't find a replacement.

Must be using a Harris TX

 

[radio lover]

From what I understand that the tube was replaced, but a chain of problems in sued during the original failure. I think as of this afternoon it was up and running. Also GM Dwaine Lammers is leaving. Wonder if Julie Hendricks will resurface?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

WFXW is off the air as of the time of this post --- or too weak for me to recieve it.

 

[kcbeav51]

I can't see Julie going back to WTWO/WFXW... but I've been wrong before. :

 

[Stitch]

As of 3:05pm Friday the analog signal was back on, but their website reports it's operating at reduced power. That explains why it's a little fuzzy from where I live (it usually comes in crystal clear).

 

[BobOnTheJob]

I want in on a business model where your main bread & butter signal can be down for 30 days or more, your digital signal is weak, when your main signal comes back on, it's on such low power that it's not watchable in Charleston,IL (less than 50 miles) with a Channel Master UHF dish & preamp at 50'...and you still make money. How can I make that business model work in radio?

 

[fwmw]

How can I make that business model work in radio?

I know a few radio groups who purport that sort of model. I am happy not to be employed in their AR or AP departments.

(AR = Accounts Receivable [and] AP = Accounts Payable, for those not intimately familiar with accounting)

 

[radio lover]

Again WFXW 38 has been off the air since last week. Like before, problems with the anolog transmitter. I'm wondering if they will invest in fixing it since they have already dumped a ton of money fixing the problem the first time?

 

[MikeStandardsFromIndiana]

Again WFXW 38 has been off the air since last week. Like before, problems with the anolog transmitter. I'm wondering if they will invest in fixing it since they have already dumped a ton of money fixing the problem the first time?

With the Switch over to Dtv only 7 months away i think if i was WFXW i'd just shut off the analog and go full digital signal. Why spend more money just to try and get it running for 7 more months

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Again WFXW 38 has been off the air since last week. Like before, problems with the anolog transmitter. I'm wondering if they will invest in fixing it since they have already dumped a ton of money fixing the problem the first time?

I believe that one day last week, they were on at very low power. With full power, I see them at 10-20% snow. When asked if I could see them by another DXer who couldn't, I saw a very weak signal (80% snow) & was able to identify a commercial with the words Brazil,Indiana on the screen. So they probably went from full power to low power to off completely. The amazing thing is that mywabashvalley.com claims they are buying a new analog transmitter after the last one was damaged by lightning. That's the ticket...if ya can't fix it, wait for the next lightning storm to finish it off & then buy a new one!

 

[Mid West Clubber]

I dont know what it is, I cant get CH 38 in Martinsville at all, but I do get CH 10 and 2 clear as a bell with an outdoor 30 ft antenna. I used to get CH 38 really well back in the 80s and 90s, back when they were WBAK and an ABC Affiliate, back when they were in that old building thats now abandoned. Ive been getting very poor UHF lately,,, I cant even get FOX 59 to come in without snow, I do my serious TV watching on cable and have for years, the outdoor aerial is only used for TV and FM DX,,,, Yes, this is an old antenna before they started putting fm traps on them.

 

[radio lover]

I'm told that the analog transmitter is out of service and won't be repaired. They are using the digital transmitter which is on low power.

 

[MikeStandardsFromIndiana]

I'm told that the analog transmitter is out of service and won't be repaired. They are using the digital transmitter which is on low power.

Well with the DTV switchover coming up in less than 7 months. I wouldnt blame WFXW for not even attempting to fix the analog transmitter for only 7 months of use

 

[radiorob2.0]

Just out of interest, since 38 picked up Fox years ago what is the source of ABC in that part of the country?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

It works like this:
The extreme southern portion of the DMA (Knox, Daviess, Martin counties in IN, Clay and a couple of other counties in IL) gets ABC from WEHT Henderson/Evansville.
In the remaining Indiana counties (Green, Vigo, Clay, and the like), WRTV Indianapolis provides ABC.
If I'm not mistaken, WANE Peoria has a translator in Danville, IL, and that is where the northern Illinois counties get ABC.

 

[fwmw]

If I'm not mistaken, WANE Peoria has a translator in Danville, IL, and that is where the northern Illinois counties get ABC.

WANE is in Fort Wayne, not Peoria. Peoria's ABC affiliate is WHOI-TV.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

WAND is the station I had in mind. I forgot about their affiliation switch a few years back, though.

 

[WFXW]

Again WFXW 38 has been off the air since last week. Like before, problems with the anolog transmitter. I'm wondering if they will invest in fixing it since they have already dumped a ton of money fixing the problem the first time?

I believe that one day last week, they were on at very low power. With full power, I see them at 10-20% snow. When asked if I could see them by another DXer who couldn't, I saw a very weak signal (80% snow) & was able to identify a commercial with the words Brazil,Indiana on the screen. So they probably went from full power to low power to off completely. The amazing thing is that mywabashvalley.com claims they are buying a new analog transmitter after the last one was damaged by lightning. That's the ticket...if ya can't fix it, wait for the next lightning storm to finish it off & then buy a new one!

Actually, we are taking the new digital gear and converting it to get the analog back on the air. Once we make the switch in February we will convert back. It is my understanding the new digital transmitter has two cabinets. According to the engineers, we can still get full coverage HD and the analog transmission by splitting the cabinets. The only thing we needed to make the analog signal was the exciters, which are still working from the old transmitter. This is not a perfect resolution but it makes the cost more palatable. The current analog transmitter is so old that more repairs would simply not hold. Work has already started so we are hoping to have this problem corrected inside two weeks.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Again WFXW 38 has been off the air since last week. Like before, problems with the anolog transmitter. I'm wondering if they will invest in fixing it since they have already dumped a ton of money fixing the problem the first time?

I believe that one day last week, they were on at very low power. With full power, I see them at 10-20% snow. When asked if I could see them by another DXer who couldn't, I saw a very weak signal (80% snow) & was able to identify a commercial with the words Brazil,Indiana on the screen. So they probably went from full power to low power to off completely. The amazing thing is that mywabashvalley.com claims they are buying a new analog transmitter after the last one was damaged by lightning. That's the ticket...if ya can't fix it, wait for the next lightning storm to finish it off & then buy a new one!

Actually, we are taking the new digital gear and converting it to get the analog back on the air. Once we make the switch in February we will convert back. It is my understanding the new digital transmitter has two cabinets. According to the engineers, we can still get full coverage HD and the analog transmission by splitting the cabinets. The only thing we needed to make the analog signal was the exciters, which are still working from the old transmitter. This is not a perfect resolution but it makes the cost more palatable. The current analog transmitter is so old that more repairs would simply not hold. Work has already started so we are hoping to have this problem corrected inside two weeks.

Appreciate the update...I have a friend in Charleston,IL (a world reknown FM & TV DXer with a 7' dish at 50' & low noise preamp) who's seen a Terre Haute LPTV on 43 better than WFXW for quite a while. He's particularly concerened that none of the TH stations are reliable in HD at his relatively close location--with WFXW having never been seen there in HD. Hopefully once the dust settles, everyone in TH will be on UHF with 1000KW at 1000' with non-directional antennas. I'm 80 miles E of Farmersburg & often see WTHI DT but it's not reliable enough to watch. Even when WFXW was presumably at full power (a year ago), I saw it better here than it was seen in Charleston. Good Luck with your growing pains!

 

[PTBoardOp94]

WTWO and WFXW were off the air for the overnight hours over the weekend so their utility provider could install more power equipment to power the DTV xmitters. In other words, I don't think either is at full power. No idea if WTHI-DT is at full power.