The Federal Communications Commission has issued a Citation to Irma Frausto of Compton, CA. Ms. Frausto was reportedly using a "Philips amplified television antenna, model Mant300, installed on top of a television set in the residence."
Apparently the amplifier had broken into self-oscillation on 840.356 MHz and the spur was strong enough to interfere with the input to a Verizon cell site. Since this was an unlicensed device, causing interference to a licensed service, the FCC was required to shut off Irma's antenna, as well as cite her for causing interference.
MY OPINION: Although I can understand the severity of interference of licensed services, and would not want to be on the receiving end of such a problem, I do find it odd that the government would cite her. However, this points out two things that viewers should keep in mind.
1). Some products on the market are absolute garbage, if not outright bogus. This includes the "amplified rabbit ears" that one area retailer is selling saying it receives stations from 50 miles away.
2). If it seems too good to be true, or you have no proof that it will work as advertised, may the buyer beware.
3). Sometimes the old folks had it right. A conventional outdoor antenna works wonders when installed correctly.
Click RELATED LINK below to see the legal filing from the FCC.
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( 3 / 170 )WOHL is presently on the air broadcasting ABC and CBS.
ABC is channel 35.1 and CBS is channel 35.2.
You may notice a few glitches in programming, but rest assured, we're working on all the issues. We're still in the middle of this move, and it might take a week or two to get things smoothed out. You never move into a new house and have everything the way you want it. :)
Below is a list of where our signal has been received. The number following the mileage is the number of different people whom have called from that community.
Lima. 91
Ada OH (16 miles) 11
Alger OH (16 miles) 5
Arlington OH (26.5 miles) 2
Ayersville OH (35.5 miles)
Beaverdam, OH (9.2 miles)
Benton Ridge OH (26 miles)
Bowling Green OH (54 miles) 3
Bluffton OH (16 miles) 4
Cairo OH (6.5 miles) 3
Celina OH (27 miles) 11
Columbus Grove (12.5) 5
Continental OH (28 miles)
Convoy, OH (33 miles)
Delphos OH (13 miles) 9
DeGraff OH (31.6 miles) 2
Deshler OH (38 miles) 2
Dola OH (22.2 miles) 2
Dunkirk OH (29.9 miles) 3
Findlay OH (33 miles) 11
Fort Loramie OH (29 miles) 5
Fort Recovery OH (39 miles) 2
Forest OH (32 miles) 2
Hamler OH (34.2 miles)
Harrod OH (10.4 miles) 2
Holgate OH (35.2 miles)
Jackson Center OH (18 miles) 2
Jenera, OH (23.2 miles)
Jay City (Celina) OH (31.6 miles)
Lafayette OH (9 miles) 6
Leipsic OH (25 miles) 2
Lakeview OH (15 miles) 5
Mendon OH (21.9 miles) 3
McGuffy OH (17 miles) 2
Maria Stein (30 miles) 2
Mc Comb OH (32 miles) 2
Mendon OH (20 miles)
Mt Cory OH (22 miles) 2
Middle Point OH (19.1 miles)
Miller City OH (24.6 miles)
Minster OH (25 miles) 4
Mt Blanchard (31.1 miles)
Nevada OH (52 miles) T (some signal breakup).
New Bremen OH (22 miles)
New Haven IN (52.5 miles)
New Hampshire OH (17.5)
Oakwood OH (29.7 miles)
Ohio City (26.4 miles) 2
Ottawa OH (21 miles) 9
Pandora OH (16.3 miles) 3
Rockford OH (28.1 miles)
Quincy OH (30 miles)
Rushsylvania OH (30.3 miles)
Sidney OH (31.3 miles) 2
Spencerville OH (14 miles) 8
St Marys OH (16 miles) 8
Van Wert OH (27 miles) 12
Wapakoneta OH (12 miles) 18
Waynesfield OH (13 miles) 3
Willshire, OH (35.6 miles)
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( 2.9 / 215 )We are still on track for the first day on the air being Monday (August 17th) at 7AM. Both ABC (35.1) and CBS (35.2) will be HD 720P format.
I'm still looking for reception reports. Please tell friends and family. Sunday will be the last day of testing. Starting Monday morning we will be into normal programming. What I need are
1 - Your address or neared major cross street (ie: 123 Main Street, Lima or something like corner of SR501 and Ft Amanda Rd)
2 - If you have a signal strength meter, can you give me a reading? Or, if it's just a graph, is it 8 out of 10 leds. How does it compare to other stations.
3 - What kind of antenna do you use? Rabbit ears, or roof-top antenna? Make and Model #?
4 - How are you getting us? Converter box, DishNetwork box, or Digital TV?
Any other thoughts would be welcomed.
Now, a few answers to questions.....
Fox (8.2) is in SD because that is what the network is sending us. We don't have a choice in that. However, we are sending out an HD signal in 720P format should they change their minds. That means that NBC, CBS, and ABC will be the only HD signals so far.
Several ham radio groups have asked for tours of the facility. We will be glad to host tours for groups, but we'll have to wait till the project is over. This could be October or November. After CBS and ABC are on the air, we have to build the new newsroom systems for digital, and move into the new computer room. Tours should be a minimum of 6 people. If possible, tours should be in the evening or weekends. We have a conference room if you have a club of less than 25 people that want to have a meeting.
We're also moving the ham repeaters, so some will be on and off depending on what we are doing. The D-STAR repeater has been moved (443.625) and is on the air.
Fred
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( 3 / 215 )
WLIO's engineering department is seeking reception reports from viewers of our new UHF Channel 35 digital transmitter.WOHL-DC UHF Channel 35 is operating with a power of 9,000 watts with an omni-directional antenna. The transmitter is located at 1424 Rice Avenue, on the west side of Lima, OH.
We are seeking the following information.
1) Your address, or nearest cross-street, and city.
2) How well is the signal received. If you have a signal meter, give us a reading such as 80% or 9 on a scale of 10.
3) How does the signal strength compare to other stations, including our own WLIO VHF Channel 8 digital.
4) A brief description of your antenna system. Rabbit ears, or do you have a tower? How high is the tower? What kind of antenna are you using?
5) How are you receiving us? On a converter, dish TV set-top box, or a digital TV set?
E-mail to fred@wlio.com or you can click the Contact Me link at the right to make a report.
Please pass this on to friends and family. I'm especially looking for reports in outside of Allen County.
[ 7 comments ] ( 113 views ) | permalink |
( 3 / 181 )WLIO will be conducting local HD tests (independent of NBC) with Cincinnati Bengal Football. The tests will originate on the following days.
August 14 @ 8:00PM - "Bengals at New Orleans"
August 20 @ 7:30PM - "Bengals at New England"
August 27 @ 7:30PM - "Bengals at St Louis"
September 3 @ 7:30PM - "Bengals at home hosting Indianapolis"
These transmissions will be made on WLIO-NBC on 8.1, as well as carried on cable. Note, at the present time Time-Warner cable is the only cable company carrying our HD signal.
If you would like to be our Signal Spotter, here is what I'm looking for.
1) A quality judgment on the HD signal.
2) A quality judgment on the audio.
Please let me know how you are receiving the signal and equipment being used.
In the event we have a technical issue, we will drop to SD. I'll try to post something here, but sometimes it's impossible to post when we're trying to solve an equipment problem at the same time.
Send reports to fred@wlio.com
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( 2.9 / 210 )Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:09:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Rich
Subject: WOHL-DC 35 >> Indy
To: fred@wlio.com
Hi Fred,
As a DTV DXer on the far north side of Indianapolis, near Carmel, I thought I'd let you know that your 9 kW WOHL-DC, with some tropo help, was really getting out late this morning (@ 119 miles). I captured two screenshots and have attached them. Just thought you'd enjoy knowing how far the new signal can go.
Plus, during the same time, WLIO-DT 8 was quite strong here, too.
Steve Rich
Indianapolis
[ 2 comments ] ( 134 views ) | permalink |
( 2.9 / 209 )by Bill Husted, Atlanta Journal-Constitution & Toledo Blade
It was just a short drive to a friend's house in another neighborhood, but it felt as if I was driving back in time.I spotted first one, then another and finally about four shiny aluminum rooftop antennas. It was like being back in the "Leave it to Beaver" days when almost every home had a sizable TV antenna on the roof.
Based on what I'm seeing and e-mails from readers, it seems the move to digital TV has sparked a minor resurgence of using an antenna to get free over-the-air TV. Some of you have cut the ties that bind to cable or satellite providers.
The fact that money is tight in many families probably gives this revival a bit of a boost.
There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, over-the-air HDTV actually can provide a better picture. All HDTV signals are compressed to some degree, but there's generally less compression used for over-the-air broadcasts.
Today we'll talk about antennas for the digital age. The first thing to know is that, despite what you frequently see in ads, there's no such thing as a digital antenna. No special antenna design or feature is needed to receive digital signals.
However, many people find they need a better antenna to pull in reliable over-the-air digital signals than they did before the switchover.
The best antennas for the digital era are large, designed for the frequencies you want to receive and put up as high as possible. Let's start by looking at each of those three criteria.
Bigger is better: While small rabbit ears may work, the bigger the antenna is (up to a point), the more signal it can grab.
Finding the frequencies: Broadcasters send out their signals on UHF and VHF (ultra high frequency and very high frequency). Some stations that used VHF in the analog days have moved to UHF with the digital switch. So an antenna made purely for VHF reception - and one that may have done just fine before - is not a good antenna for UHF signals.
Here in Atlanta, seven channels in my reception area use UHF, and three use VHF. You can check what broadcasters are doing in your area - and get a lot more information, including recommendations for the antenna you should use - at www.antennaweb.org.
Bottom line, whether you use rabbit ears or some giant eye in the sky, make sure your antenna is designed for both VHF and UHF signals.
High and mighty: At the frequencies TV broadcasters use, the signal basically follows line of sight. It doesn't bend very effectively around the curve of the earth, nor does it do a good job at penetrating huge masses such as hills or mountains. Putting the antenna as high as you can increases the number of stations it can receive.
While some antennas are designed to work in all directions, most large rooftop models are directional. In other words, they do best when turned toward the transmitting antenna. If your antenna is working well now, no need to mess with anything.
But if some stations seem weak, adding an antenna rotor can make a big difference. At the end of this column I'll list sources for both antennas and rotors.
I realize that in many homes, the idea of a huge mess of aluminum tubing will not be a welcome sight. In that case, consider installing an antenna in an attic, or use a smaller antenna that can be mounted under an eave. It will not be as efficient as a full-sized antenna up high, but it will beat the pants off the world's best rabbit ears.
Some of you will be lucky enough to get by with rabbit ears. Since my primary source of TV is cable, I only use my rabbit ears as a back-up to make sure that the Braves and other sports teams can continue to break my heart in case of a cable outage. I'm close enough to the transmitting antennas for the stations I watch to make that possible. The antenna Web site I mentioned earlier will tell you what you can expect based on your ZIP code or street address.
OK. I promised you some other Web sites:
www.rabbitears.info/market.php: A quirky Web site with lots of detailed station information.
www.channelmaster.com/category.php: My favorite source for antennas (both indoor and outdoor), signal amplifiers and rotors.
www.techhome.com: A source for finding professional antenna installers.
http://tinyurl.com/nl92v8: Antenna tips along with information on mounting an antenna in the attic.
Contact the author...
tecbud (at) bellsouth (dot) net
Bill Husted writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Click the Related Link below for the original article
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( 3.1 / 214 )(original article posted in the RELATED link)
TV antennas making comeback
By Jennifer Ditchburn, The Canadian Press
A spiny pack of near-extinct, multi-limbed creatures are turning up in cities across Canada, creeping up the sides of buildings and settling on urban rooftops.TV antennas are making a tentative comeback in this country.
Nobody in the broadcasting industry or the government seems to have a handle on how many Canadians are scrapping cable and satellite in favour of the old-school technology, but there is anecdotal evidence that a miniboom is under way.
Ironically, it's all being fuelled by the high-tech switch by broadcasters from analog to digital and high-definition channels.
Viewers are discovering that they can get over-the-air, digital television stations that proponents say come through even better than on cable and satellite, where signals are compressed.
"And the magic word is 'free,"' says Jon LeBlanc, Canada's antenna guru.
LeBlanc began an "over-the-air" discussion board on www.digitalhome.ca five years ago, where a few diehard antenna fans would pop by. Now he's the most popular forum on the site, with dozens of new people logging on every month to find out about getting hooked up.
LeBlanc himself gets 14 digital stations, including six from the United States, with his rooftop antenna in Delta, B. C..
"If a person weeds through what they're actually watching, does the value-added provided by a cable company or a satellite company make any sense? In this financial environment, more and more people are saying No," says LeBlanc, a former high-tech worker.
Conventional TV broadcasters say they're struggling to survive in a multi-channel universe with dwindling ad revenues. They are pushing the government to provide some regulatory and financial relief, particularly when it comes to the costs of converting their transmitters to digital by 2011.
But the industry has not publicly discussed the phenomenon of Canadians willingly rejecting the 500-channel universe in favour of the signals they can catch locally.
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters says it's not something they have noted at all.
The number of Canadians who rely on over-the-air TV is repeatedly pegged at nine per cent nationally, 16 per cent in Quebec.
David Purdy, vice-president of video product management for Rogers Communications, predicts those numbers will continue to decline once all Canadian stations convert to digital by August 2011.
He points to the range of specialty channels, and now video-on-demand, that cable companies offer and Canadians are lapping up.
"The notion that a linear television offering, whether through rabbit ears or a digital receiver, is somehow going to meet the customer's needs is completely not reflective of the world we live in," Purdy said.
Karim Sunderani, co-owner of Toronto's Save and Replay store, says he's been selling 1,000 antennas a month, and he feels he's at the cusp of something big.
Sunderani's been getting orders from condominiums, motels, nursing homes and boarding houses to put up antennas.
"It's hard to believe, we're in 2009 and it's something you expect your grandfather to have," says Sunderani, who gets a dozen channels in his store with a $50 set-top antenna.
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( 3.1 / 192 )WOHL-DC is now on the air testing on Channel 35.
WOHL operates with 9,000 watts ERP, and will be the home to ABC and CBS. Programming will start August 17, 2009 at 7:00AM
At the present we are testing, so the signal may be on an off the air at times.
I look forward to reception reports.
Frederick R. Vobbe, Chief Engineer
___________________________________________
As of Saturday, July 25 at 10:53, here is where WOHL-DC Lima has been spotted.
MAP / JPeg Image
Stereo PCM Audio will be tested next week starting Monday 7/27/2009 afternoon.
[ 8 comments ] ( 128 views ) | permalink |
( 3 / 179 )The following article appeared in CGC Communicator and I think demonstrates the problem with DTV and propagation. Propagation for the 'non-technical' folks is Skip, when signals are made to go in different directions due to atmospheric factors. - Fred
THE BURROWS & ATTWOOD STUDY
One of the most interesting engineering articles around is an extract from the 1949 report entitled, "Radio Wave Propagation" by Burrows & Attwood. Here, the radio-reflective properties of the temperature inversion layer are explored and explained.
The inversion layer is the thing that traps smog in the L.A. basin and it's particularly notorious during summer months in southern California.
Bouncing a radio frequency signal off the inversion layer is like skipping a stone off a pond.
"Temperature inversion layer ducting" or simply "ducting" is where VHF and UHF signals from one market are reflected off the underside of the inversion layer and bounced into another market with great strength -- sometimes with signals augmented by 20 to 30 dB for long periods of time.
For example, ducting is what imports San Diego and Tijuana FM & TV signals into the Los Angeles basin during the summer months even though the reverse path is not as dramatic (Mt. Wilson is almost always above the height of the inversion layer and its signals tend to shoot through the layer without a lot of attenuation as documented by CGC signal strength recordings).
Understanding ducting is important because the DTV transition has packed television transmitters close together geographically.
CGC has recommended specific frequency offsets for some of its clients in order to mitigate co-channel interference, and we look forward to continuing this effort in the weeks ahead. Meanwhile, enjoy the Burrows & Attwood study:
http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Burrows_Attwood.pdf
As a closing thought, don't confuse ducting with other forms of propagation such as Sporadic E which, on a single bounce, can import signals in the 400-1300 mile range. Ducting typically operates in the 50-200 mile range based on local (so. Cal.) observations.
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