[Tig] DTV assignments antenna work may be good business

[Ted Langdell]

On Feb 11, 2008, at 11:30 AM, TSassoon at aol.com wrote:

>
> In a message dated 2/11/08 10:41:57 AM,  
> bfriesen at simple.dallas.tx.us writes:
>
>> I have heard this claim ("ATSC is UHF") before but the claim is  
>> wrong. Both
>> VHF and UHF are still used

and will be used after the transition next year, particularly by  
stations that are switching DTV transmissions to their existing  
analog channels after the cutoff for full-power stations to cease  
analog transmissions.

BUT, there is NO cutoff for analog stations licensed as CA, LP or  
TX... Community (Low power with protection from being bumped by a  
full-power application) Low Power (bumpable) or Translator  
(rebroadcasts another station) respectively, and there are something  
like 8,000 of these licensed across the country.

> Come to think of it, I've heard that, too, but maybe the word is
> "predominantly" UHF. Here in LA I don't think there are any VHF DT  
> stations, and including
> multicast I'm getting 42 channels here at the studio. The lowest  
> frequency I
> have listed is Telefutura (46-1) at 563 MHz, decidedly shorter than  
> 1 meter.

There are few VHF DTV's because the VHF frequencies are currently in  
use by analog stations or are vacant as protection for other analog  
stations in adjacent markets.

WFAA-DT, 9, Dallas is one of the few I'm aware of. (YMMV), WFAA-DT  
will switch to Channel 8 (now occupied by WFAA-TV's analog  
transmissions) after the cuttoff.

> Aren't all the VHF NTSC channels being auctioned off to Google and  
> Verizon as
> we speak?

No.  I think you're thinking of the upper UHF spectrum, some of which  
is also destined for emergency/homeland security use.

Quite a few stations have elected to move their DTV transmissions to  
their current VHF analog allotment at the moment of cutoff (or as  
soon as they can.)

Here's a link to the final channel arrangements, including current  
NTSC and final DTV assignments.

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-138A2.pdf

This will mean that some full-power stations will vacate their  
current DTV channels.

> Maybe someone can say whether there are any sub-300 MHz DTV  
> stations in NYC?
> Is VHF DTV actually used anywhere, or can it theoretically be used,  
> but isn't?
>
> Tim "I weserve the wight to be wong" Sassoon

In NYC, 7 and 11 will use their analog for DTV after the cutoff. The  
other NYC licensed stations won't.

In LA... 7, 9, 11, 13, 28, 34, will put DTV on their existing analog  
channels post-cutoff, while other stations will not.  Interesting  
that CBS owned KCBS-TV will go from 2 to 43, while sister KCAL will  
put DTV on its existing frequency.

I see very few LOW band VHF (2-6) channels putting DTV on their  
current analog channel... perhaps because of worries about impulse  
interference and/or propagation.

On the other hand, running a VHF transmitter costs less than a UHF,  
so that may have played a part in the decision making.

There are a few UHF analog stations going to a VHF.  Channel 65 in  
New Haven, CT is vacating the "to be auctioned" band and going to  
Channel 6 with a very low ERP. (400 watts).

In the analog all-UHF Bakersfield market, Channel 23 is breaking  
ranks and ending up on channel 10.

Once the transition happens and stations can actually SEE what  
happens to their signals, I suspect there will be some applications  
to move things around to correct for problems that can't be  
identified until then.

It's a little hard to do DTV testing on your current channel when  
it's occupied with a 24/7 analog signal.

Because of the way the DTV system works to "map" the channels, people  
will still find the channels coming up as their old analog channel  
numbers, even they may be transmitting on something totally different.

Hope this is helpful.

Ted

Ted Langdell
Ted Langdell Creative Broadcast Services
Marysville, CA
Main:   (530) 741-1212

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