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-   -   FCC To Repack Channels (http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=268493)

Electronic M 02-15-2017 12:57 PM

As someone who operates VERY low power analog transmitters to feed signal to the tube sets in my collection I worry about more stations crowding into the VHF band...Most of my modulators (several are fixed channel, and all my TX antennas are fixed) are running on VHF...If VHF fills up it will be hard to wirelessly send signal to all my pre-1964 VHF only sets. I don't use channels that are occupied by DTV stations in the area since I don't want to interfere with reception, and also since DTV carriers can interfere with my system.

jr_tech 02-25-2017 02:51 PM

More on repacking:

http://www.tvtechnology.com/resource...-abound/280362

jr

centralradio 02-25-2017 07:20 PM

Thanks Jr_Tech .Nice read. If I was one of those struggling stations with ratings in the toilet and wondering if I can pay next months electric bill and other bills.I will take the buyout option and close up shop for good.

Jeffhs 02-25-2017 08:28 PM

Since I don't bother with OTA television signals anymore (I watch all my TV via streaming video, DVDs and VHS, having cable on my account only so my Roku's TWC TV app will bring in local channels), the repack does not now and will not, ever, concern me in the least.

BTW, I've been wondering about channel 37. If this channel was never intended to (and in fact is forbidden to) be used as a TV broadcast frequency in this country, why do TVs still tune it? There should have been a way to block that channel somehow, whether by mechanically blocking the tuner at 37 (meaning the tuner would go from 14-36 and then 38-83, with a blank spot on the tuning dial on the front of the set where channel 37 would have been) or any other method so that the tuner would skip that channel. I guess the only reason those continuous UHF tuners even tuned channel 37 at all is due to the nature of continuous tuning; now that I think of it, it would be almost impossible to design any continuous TV tuner such that it would skip any channel. Even the old Zenith varactor tuning systems in their early 1980s TVs could tune to channel 37, and in fact there was a tab for that channel which could be inserted in one of the blank UHF channel positions (U1-U6).

The only other thing I can come up with is that broadcast use of channel 37 in Canada was in fact permitted, with stations on the air on that channel in some cities. I never saw one when I was still watching TV using an antenna, but of course that doesn't mean there might have been at least one channel 37 station north of the border.

I am only guessing at this, of course, since I don't know how Canada's TV broadcasting rules are set up. It could be, however, that use of channel 37 for TV in Canada in some areas near the US border would in fact be forbidden, if the authorities (Canada's "FCC") thought a Canadian station on that channel might interfere with U. S. radio astronomy operations.

benman94 02-25-2017 08:45 PM

I just get an antenna design optimized with 4NEC2, physically constructed and mounted at my grandparents' place for 14-52, and they pull this garbage.... ugh, oh well, back to the digital drawing board.

old_tv_nut 02-25-2017 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffhs (Post 3179400)
BTW, I've been wondering about channel 37.
...
It could be, however, that use of channel 37 for TV in Canada in some areas near the US border would in fact be forbidden, if the authorities (Canada's "FCC") thought a Canadian station on that channel might interfere with U. S. radio astronomy operations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_37

Besides the somewhat spotty ban, receiver makers probably found it easier to include the capability rather than explain to buyers that they didn't need it.

jr_tech 03-13-2017 10:41 PM

Incomplete information now, but a searchable database from National association of Broadcasters:

http://www.nab.org/repacking/clearinghouse.asp

Check out your area, if listed.

jr

NowhereMan 1966 03-26-2017 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jr_tech (Post 3180553)
Incomplete information now, but a searchable database from National association of Broadcasters:

http://www.nab.org/repacking/clearinghouse.asp

Check out your area, if listed.

jr

I checked my area, I live in the Steubenville/Wheeling area so no changes there, I jut get VHF channels 7 and 9, "that's it, Fort Pitt." ;) If I was on a hill, I might get some of the stations from ym old home, the Pittsburgh area but I live on a valley so I only get two channels, but at least one GOOD thing about the digital transition is we get Fox, ABC and MeTV on the subchannels along with CBS and NBC on the main. However, I did look at the Pittsburgh area changes as well as Youngstown and Johnstown area nearby and noticed some of the channels are on the same channel or adjacent to each other. I know Youngstown stations come into Pittsburgh quite a bit, us kids used to watch the "Money Movie" on WKBN 27 Youngstown when we were kids and teenagers during the summer when we were not outside. Given that, I had a thought at what "weisenheimer" thought of that idea to reband channels where you can have co-channel interference or adjacent channel problems. That's about s wise as the FRC (then Federal Radio Commission) putting all commercial stations on 360 meters and farm station on 485 meters in 1921.

Jeffhs 03-26-2017 08:40 PM

I am 30 miles outside Cleveland, and some 35-40 miles from the city's TV towers.

I saw the FCC repack database as well; however, I found no listing whatsoever for Cleveland's CBS station on channel 19. I looked under all three options, but no luck. I was hoping I'd see it, with perhaps a move to a channel above 10, so that I could get the station using an antenna. As it stands, I do not get channel 19 on an antenna, almost certainly because of its DTV channel being channel 10. I am not certain by a long shot whether the repack will result in the station's DTV channel being moved to a channel above 10, or whether it will be moved to another VHF channel; only time will tell.

Oh well. I guess I shouldn't be concerned about the issue; after all, since I watch TV via streaming video (Roku, with the Spectrum TV app) and not OTA, it almost certainly will not matter to me where channel 19's DTV signal winds up after the repack. However, I will continue to follow the progress of the overall repack, just out of curiosity as to where the remaining TV stations not listed in this database will be moved in the RF spectrum. My best guess is most stations now on VHF DTV channels will be moved to UHF stations, in order to clear the VHF television spectrum entirely.

DavGoodlin 03-27-2017 10:36 AM

This rearrangement of channels will affect some areas more. A few I can think of is Baltimore with two UHF at 40 and 46, and Wilkes-Barre Scranton with three of thiers at 41, 45 and 50.

I would be OK with expanding to more subchannels on the remaining allocated VHF and UHF-low freqs, but to shift frequencies to a crowded band should not be left to the FCC.

FCC already has worsened co-channel issues (Between NYC and Baltimore) when VHF DTV channels 11 and 13 were ALSO assigned to the other two Wilkes-Barre/Scranton stations that were on UHF pre-digital. Between Baltimore and W-B-S, I can select which pair of these I get with a rotator and a deep-fringe (big) antenna with amp.

Having one strong local and three other medium-strength VHF channels is hard enough to work around with in-home broadcast equipment.

KentTeffeteller 03-27-2017 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titan1a (Post 3178314)
I question why FM is still using the same technology developed in the '50's. Why not go full digital with 5.1 using frequencies in the 900 Mhz to 1 Ghz range? Why not convert standard AM to DRM (digital radio mondial) reducing channel allocations and providing high fidelity stereo sound? Once you've heard DRM you'd wonder why it isn't in wide use. I'd also increase transmitter power.

Transmitter Power would be less, reception glitchy in cars. And sound quality would be horrible. And you'd have to replace millions of receivers. FCC went with backwards compatible HD Radio and 900 Mhz would be filled with interference from so many consumer wireless devices using the spectrum. Not all content is in 5.1 either. Not a good idea. DRM on SW broadcast channels I am in favor of as a means of reviving SW listening. On AM again, get rid of NRSC, ban HD and use full bandwidth and require quality tuner sections.

However, I would like to see a new added second FM band in some vacated TV spectrum post repacking. Then your DRM suggestion would make sense. And 5.1 capability could be built into that standard. It could be a second tuner add on for existing radio set owners. Digital radio still has downsides however, portable sets are battery eaters, and much more expensive to run. I would love to see the new DRM FM second band have adaptive bandwidth (and second or third channels) and narrow band channels for talk and voice content. A vacated TV channel or two would make spectrum sense for this. Don't abandon HD Radio on FM as the two coexist and existing tuners still function.

wa2ise 03-27-2017 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KentTeffeteller (Post 3181397)
...

However, I would like to see a new added second FM band in some vacated TV spectrum post repacking. ...

Well, how about 42 to 50MHz? Not much there nowadays. And I have a radio that can receive that all ready to go.
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/em460.jpg

jr_tech 03-27-2017 11:13 PM

New rule making from FCC will allow sharing of a TV channel by different station classes.

http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/000...sharing/280655

It will be interesting to observe the odd combinations that may occur as repacking will force a real scramble for "air space" in many areas.

jr

centralradio 03-28-2017 01:48 AM

Since the stations now lack in power with digital signal.Maybe they can add some translators like we are getting all the clutter of FM translators lately.

I used too get all stations here .Some just only with the ant terminals .Not I get a 1/2 a station if I jump on the roof.Yes we got a screw job in 2009.

kf4rca 03-28-2017 07:44 AM

Most station management were hoping the digital thing would just go away. They had all their equipment paid for and they were making money.
If you think you got screwed, think about the cost the stations incurred. In some instances the entire tower had to be replaced.
Many felt this was an attempt to cull the herd, driving some stations out of business. And some would cry for subsidies allowing the government to control them further.


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