Reception Questions

[hdtvnewbie]

Hi, I'm new here! I'm just starting the process of learning about HDTV and I have a couple of questions for everyone.

1. I know there is an issue with DTV and low-band VHF channels due to distortion, but I'm just curious about the difference between high-band VHF versus UHF. Is one band better than the other for DTV? What have everybody's real life experiences been with the UHF channels versus the VHF channels in terms of reception?

2. I noticed that many of the NTSC high VHF stations in neighboring cities have reapplied to keep their NTSC Channel for DTV after NTSC stations go dark (WKRC & WTHR, for example). How come WBNS didn't get to return to Channel 10? Is that good, bad or doesn't it matter?

3. From what I've been reading here, it seems as though people have enough problems receiving local OTA stations ... but has anybody been able to DX with DTV? Is anybody getting stations from Cincinnati, Dayton or even Zanesville with any regularity? The original FCC predicted coverage areas were huge. Will I be able to get Dayton stations with my outdoor antenna?

[rossl]

When I am watching WSYX broadcast OTA on channel 13 I can't tell that it is VHF. I get a good signal.

Some of us have reported they don't need a VHF antenna, 13 is high enough to work OK on a UHF antenna.

When I tried that I would get an occasional dropout, so I connected a VHF/UHF signal combiner and an antenna that gets good VHF and FM. My antennas are in the attic and not outside.

When we went to visit channel 10, engineer Marvin Born explained about their decision to stick with channel 21. The reasons are technical. Modulation index, power consumption and power dispersion. If you want to know more, you could give him a call.

You didn't post your location. There are some people on here with big towers who DX.

I'm on the west side, and I can't get Dayton stations with my attic antennas. I would probably need a 50-foot tower to get above the tree line. Over near South Vienna there is a ridge and the altitude is several hundred feet higher than Columbus. That ridge blocks the signal to our antennas for the most of us. I'm not willing to install a tower just to get Dayton and Cincinnati. It would be nice to get all the Bengals games, though.

If you live in South Vienna you are in a good high spot to get both Dayton and Columbus. :D

[hdtvnewbie]

When we went to visit channel 10, engineer Marvin Born explained about their decision to stick with channel 21. The reasons are technical. Modulation index, power consumption and power dispersion. If you want to know more, you could give him a call.


Just curious because I noticed that WCPO, WKRC, WJW, WSPD, WTOL, WISH, WTOV and, especially WTHR (since it's owned by the the Dispatch) are all going back to their high-VHF channels. I was just curious as to whether there was any technical advantage to this other than saving money on electric. WTHR was Channel 46, so maybe that played a part of the decision making?


You didn't post your location. There are some people on here with big towers who DX.
:D

I live in east Columbus and can get Channel 2 fairly semi-regularly with a rooftop antenna. Back in the 1970's, WHIO used to come in fairly well in southeast Columbus when the weather was right. The original FCC coverage maps showed a fairly large swath of territory being covered by these signals. Doesn't sound like this holds true in real life.

[vman41]

When we went to visit channel 10, engineer Marvin Born explained about their decision to stick with channel 21. The reasons are technical. Modulation index, power consumption and power dispersion. If you want to know more, you could give him a call.


From what I remember of the explanation, a another factor in the decision was that the receivers could use UHF indoor antennas instead of more cumbersome VHF rabbit ears.