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Author Topic: HD TV stations running low power?  (Read 1729 times)

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Offline blind ear

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    • eddiegjr
HD TV stations running low power?
« on: July 20, 2010, 07:54:35 PM »
Didn't know where to put this.

When the switch to HD came I could pick up about 9 stations, some were duplicates of others. Now I can only pick up 2 consistently. They are from one station probably the fartherest away.

I think the others have simply dropped power due to advertiseing and the customer service area. When I run a station scann on auto channel set the only station that reads good power are the 2 that I get. I bought a 4 bar HD antenna and the result is the same. I live about 50 miles from the tower and have the antenna aimed in that dirrection. The stations I get are picked up on the back side of the antenna.

My brother lives only 35 miles from one of the stations and can't pick it up without breakup.

Is it a broadcast power issue or an antenna issue, or are the antenna broadcasters going broke in low density rural population areas?

eddiegjr
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Offline trotterlg

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Re: HD TV stations running low power?
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2010, 06:54:46 PM »
When the HD changeover occured, soon after some of the station that were broadcasting on VHF channels moved to UHF but kept the same station designations, like CH 7 or CH 4 even though they were now HD on UHF channel 38.  The antenna requirements are different for them plus a digital signal has much much less ability to be received with a low signal strength.  AM TV, which the old NTSC television was broadcast in, could be received when a signal to noise ratio approached 1 to 1, the same amount of noise as signal.  This made for a very snowy picture but one that could be seen.  Now it is either perfect or there is nothing, so all the people who had a watchable picture with a little snow are now SOL.  Newer is not always better, we were sold a bill of goods with HDTV but the cable companies and SatTV guys are happy as hell.  Larry
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Offline blind ear

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Re: HD TV stations running low power?
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2010, 09:20:16 PM »
totterlg, thanks.

I bought a HD antenna that was rated best, a four bar or something. Don't remember if it was the low end or the high end of the freaquencies but neither end will pick up. Channel 9 and 9-1 went off the air yesterday but are back today, the only stations I can get. I guess I will check with a few stations.

again thanks, eddiegjr
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Oath Keepers: start local
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“It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking.” – Ron Paul, End the Fed
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An economic crash like the one of the 1920s is the only thing that will get the US off of the road to Socialism that we are on and give our children a chance at a future with freedom and possibility of economic success.
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everyone hears but very few see. (I can't see either, I'm not on the corporate board making rules that sound exactly the opposite of what they mean, plus loopholes) ear
"I have seen the enemy and I think it's us." POGO
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Offline HogFan

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Re: HD TV stations running low power?
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2010, 06:13:23 AM »
Was it the HD conversion that got you or the digital one? They are two different things. You need a special atenna to get digital channels.
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Offline cabledad

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Re: HD TV stations running low power?
« Reply #4 on: February 07, 2011, 05:11:50 PM »
The digital transition has been a real bag of worms,stations change channels,go on low power and never tell any one about it.They change settings that cause people to lose channels and have to rescan or reset commercial equipment.Often people that answer the phones have not been told that they have a problem.Any antenna will pick up HD as long as it is on the right frequency.Over the horizon digital transmission is difficult and causes lots of problems.The TV Broadcasters have learned a lot in the last years.Chuck
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