A
ALRocker
Guest
While we're on the subject of TV, does anyone know why WBXA 2 in the Ham be so directional to the north. Who do they have to protect, or are they just sending most of their power toward the city?
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Although I don't live in Birmingham, my guess is WBXA is just using what power they have directed towards Birmingham, since they would most likely have the larger amount of potenital viewers there. I don't know of a channel 2 they would be protecting to the south. The closest channel 3 I know of is WRBL Channel 3 in Columbus, GA. WRBL is at least 130-140 miles geographically, so I doubt they would have any usable signal past Dadeville/Alexander City. I know that didn't help much but I'm bored and have nothing else to do. 
Travis
Travis
WBXA throws most of its signal over downtown Birmingham and the area around Princeton Hospital, up to about Forestdale. Not exactly a major population center, or a desireable demographic for MTV music.
They have a permit for digital on channel 2 that will cover a lot more of the city, practically the entire metro area.
They have a permit for digital on channel 2 that will cover a lot more of the city, practically the entire metro area.
Zach said:WBXA throws most of its signal over downtown Birmingham and the area around Princeton Hospital, up to about Forestdale. Not exactly a major population center, or a desireable demographic for MTV music.
They have a permit for digital on channel 2 that will cover a lot more of the city, practically the entire metro area.
I've wondered about them:
• why I once got a faint, but viewable signal from them but no longer see any trace of them. Did they change pattern at some point?
• what they did to get Class A status. (Not that anything the FCC does surprises me anymore, but...) Locally-originated programming?
• Digital on RF 2? I'd be interested to see it since the entire industry seems to believe that VHF-LO is useless for DTV.
• Would they, or possibly W34BI, ever go Spanish?
I wonder if some enterprising Birmingham LPTV license holder will try for a new analog TV-6 position and its FM 87.7 audio? One in New York City does dance music, while one in Chicago rescued the smooth jazz format.
Nate Wesley said:
(facepalms himself for asking a very stupid question)
:
??? ;D Nate Wesley said:Nate Wesley said:
(facepalms himself for asking a very stupid question)
:
*tee hee*
There's always the off-chance that the University decides to abandon VHF-6 for the digital operations to move to a better channel. I can't imagine why any station would chose VHF-low for digital operations, or why any one will want to stay there in the future. The feedback I've seen seems to be overwhelmingly negative, reception-wise.
I was always a proponent of turning channels 5 and 6 into the expanded FM band, or at least setting aside 87.7 and 87.9 for FM broadcasters.
Zach said:
Well, if you have at least theoretical coverage then you're eligible for must-carry... and you get on all the cable and satellite systems... I wouldn't doubt some broadcasters really don't care whether anyone at all can see them off-air. (witness for example the station in NY State that was for awhile running one entire watt...)
WABW in Albany, GA also broadcast digitally on channel 6. I'm located about 45 miles south-west of the tower with my rooftop yagi pointed south-east toward Tallahassee, FL. I was quite surprised that I was able to pick up WABW with a signal in the 70% percent range, without turning the old antenna at all. WABW always had a great signal on analog channel 14 and the digital on 6 is just as good or better.
WABW seems to be an anomaly because I have almost lost reception of digital VHF's WJHG (8) and WMBB (13) from Panama City (the towers are about 50 miles away) while their analog signals were very strong here.
At my office in Pensacola, FL, I can barely get a 25% signal about 30 miles from WALA, digital channel 9, with the rooftop yagi pointed right at the WALA's tower.
These are the only digital VHF TV stations I have any chance of picking up, but it does seem very strange that the lone low-VHF, WABW, is the one with the strongest signal.
WABW seems to be an anomaly because I have almost lost reception of digital VHF's WJHG (8) and WMBB (13) from Panama City (the towers are about 50 miles away) while their analog signals were very strong here.
At my office in Pensacola, FL, I can barely get a 25% signal about 30 miles from WALA, digital channel 9, with the rooftop yagi pointed right at the WALA's tower.
These are the only digital VHF TV stations I have any chance of picking up, but it does seem very strange that the lone low-VHF, WABW, is the one with the strongest signal.
cceng said:
This should probably be in another thread, but you just inspired a question: Is there any NBC affiliate available to watch over the air in Dothan? Unless WSFA has a power increase scheduled, I'm not sure their digital signal will have the old analog reach it did.
A
ALRocker
Guest
I just saw a notice on 33/40 that 33 is moving from DT-5 back to 33. Was this a planned move or a move due to viewer complaints on not being able to pick them up? I think 40 is on DT-9, I bet they'll be moving on up soon, also.
Hello all. I came across this board while searching for info. on WUOA. As a little hobby of mine I try to get the most OTA channels as possible from my house in Wetumpka. So far, I get all of the Montgomery digitals on the back side of my channel master 4228. However, the front side faces Birmingham. I get great signal strength on WTTO, WIAT, WBRC and WABM. I get a very weak signal on WVTM. I have a few questions related to Birmimgham OTA:
1. Are there any plans for WVTM to increase thier range?
2. The FCC database on WUOA shows that Wetumpka is in its coverage area yet I cannot get even a hint of a signal. Anyone know if they plan on increasing thier power if thier signal is weak. I know they are VHF but my antenna picks up both.
3. When does WCFT plan to change frequency? I cannot get it yet but am hoping to once they change to 33.
Thanks in advance for the input.
1. Are there any plans for WVTM to increase thier range?
2. The FCC database on WUOA shows that Wetumpka is in its coverage area yet I cannot get even a hint of a signal. Anyone know if they plan on increasing thier power if thier signal is weak. I know they are VHF but my antenna picks up both.
3. When does WCFT plan to change frequency? I cannot get it yet but am hoping to once they change to 33.
Thanks in advance for the input.
jtrippe said:
Possibly. The FCC has pretty well gone on record saying they got DTV power levels wrong. They have been granting some stations emergency STA's to increase their power and have said they're looking into revising their upper power limits for at least some regions of the country.
[quote/]
2. The FCC database on WUOA shows that Wetumpka is in its coverage area yet I cannot get even a hint of a signal. Anyone know if they plan on increasing thier power if thier signal is weak. I know they are VHF but my antenna picks up both.
[/quote]
I have had the same problem trying to receive WUOA. Luckily in my living room I have Satellite so I can watch them, but in my bedroom I have a converter box. Back when they were on analog, I was able to get them being 100 miles from Tuscaloosa using a 40 year old antenna from Forbes Electronics. Now that they are digital, I cannot get them whatsoever. In fact, the strength meter stays at a flat "0" when I'm turning the antenna. I am also supposed to be well into their coverage area, but in reality am not.
So far, I've received channels plainer than ever, but it just is not the same as the original channel searching where one might find distant channels with a hazy background, or turn the antenna one way and get WDBB 17 in Bessemer, but turn it to the east and get WTBS. Those were great experiences that will likely not happen again.
Travis
2. The FCC database on WUOA shows that Wetumpka is in its coverage area yet I cannot get even a hint of a signal. Anyone know if they plan on increasing thier power if thier signal is weak. I know they are VHF but my antenna picks up both.
[/quote]
I have had the same problem trying to receive WUOA. Luckily in my living room I have Satellite so I can watch them, but in my bedroom I have a converter box. Back when they were on analog, I was able to get them being 100 miles from Tuscaloosa using a 40 year old antenna from Forbes Electronics. Now that they are digital, I cannot get them whatsoever. In fact, the strength meter stays at a flat "0" when I'm turning the antenna. I am also supposed to be well into their coverage area, but in reality am not.
So far, I've received channels plainer than ever, but it just is not the same as the original channel searching where one might find distant channels with a hazy background, or turn the antenna one way and get WDBB 17 in Bessemer, but turn it to the east and get WTBS. Those were great experiences that will likely not happen again.
Travis
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