On Jan 9, 10:27 am, Robert Neville wrote:
dpb wrote:
....
I note for our service area (W KS) out of the Wichita-Hutchinson MSA,
there are quite a few of the maps with fairly significant areas or
orange and red dots on them instead of empty or green...

Yes - it looks like some of the stations (like KLBY) are reducing their coverage
area. I don't know why they chose to do that, but I assume it was a trade
between the cost of transmitting to the larger area vs the advertising revenue
they get from that extra coverage.

I'm sure the revenue/cost has to have been figured in--how, of course,
is anybody's guess unless inside the main station's business/
engineering/marketing office. It appears to me from the maps that
some of it is terrain-related on some of them--while flat by standards
in many parts of the country, NW KS up there around Colby and west
isn't dead flat like SW KS down here is where the maps are essentially
perfect geometric circles. And, of course, that the entire population
of, say, Wallace County is probably less than 1500 means they simply
just "don't get no respect".

For what the maps are worth (which I don't know about since there's
nothing with them to indicate how they were generated) it seems to say
that despite the fact that at least so far the converter box hasn't
been able to even find enough signal to indicate there is that
supposedly we will be inside the coverage range by at least a small
margin for the particular area we're in.

Keep in mind that those maps represent the post transition state. It may be that
the stations are broadcasting right now at less than full power, or from a
location that doesn't represent the way things will be.

Of course, but the maps also don't have any indication of what they
_DO_ purport to represent nor how they were generated.

I don't know and haven't been able to determine from any information
from the stations what this mismatch in indications means -- ...

The translators are not required to switch at this time and can stay analog, but
you are wise to check with any station to see what their plans are. I've found
the station engineers are very open about what their plans are.

That's certainly not clear to me (that they don't also have to
convert) -- I thought it was based on analog transmission power levels
and by that measure these are, iirc, about the same if not stronger
than the base stations in Wichita area. The few words the stations
have broadcast certainly indicate they're making the switch, just no
information at all on how/when/what they expect, etc., ... As for
openness; the one time I did get the opportunity to talk to one of
their engineers (different subject; was getting interference from an
undetermined source) he was quite helpful (to limits of his knowledge
from 250 miles away, that is) but the stations appear to have clamped
down on access for the duration now; my contacts have been limited to
being told to look at the web site FAQ which, as noted above, ignores
the translators entirely w/ the exception of a signal note that
implies they will switch at a point to follow (unspecified, but
wording implies not long). All in all, it's just not well handled for
the rural areas (but what else is new?).

I do note on the maps that the licensed power for the DTV transmitters
is from a tenth to a fourth of that for the analog which certainly
means the quality of an antenna and receiver are going to have to be
quite good it would seem to have a chance.

Yes, but don't get too hung up on that. IIRC you can't equate the ERP for VHF
and UHF signals directly.

Perhaps, but the DTV signal still has to be strong enough in amplitude
for an antenna to pick it up -- while S:N ratios are undoubtedly much
better than w/ analog, absolute signal levels are going to be lower,
too. Will it work??? AFAICT it's anybody's guess until the witching
day arrives for fringe areas.

....
That is a drawback to digital - snowy stations are not an option.

That's what I said...

I only know to wait and find out what happens on witching day...either
it'll work or I'll have to decide what to try to do or do
without...certainly just going on as is would be far preferable if it
goes away; if a miracle happens and it does by chance work then I can
join the crowd who thinks it's ok while the neighbors a little farther
out can be the ignored minority--ain't that how it's supposed to be? :
(



Unfortunately, it appears that's the only choice (as usual in rural
areas) -- be satisfied what scraps the city folks running the show see
fit to leave...

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