WCFT-DT-5 Tuscaloose via Es 5/29/08 1925EDT

[Mike-CT]

I've attached four photos of my first DTV e-skip ever. There were taken around 7:25pm during the intense Es opening of May 29th. Check out the signal levels in two of the photos. The signal strength was up there.

This reception was seen on the Insignia NS-DXA1 set top box. The box quickly jumped on the signal and decoded it and remapped it to ch33 and displayed ABC33/44 instead of call letters. WCFT is analog ch33.

The antenna is a Winegard PR-5030 at about 20ft agl. No preamp. RG6.

This sure made my year. :-)

[cd637299]

....And I have yet to ID an ANALOG Es in 2008....

Way to go, Mike....

cd

[KC5KBV]

Congrats Mike, on the catch. I already see where these LG-based boxes are changing the game on DTV E skip. Maybe the analog shutoff won't mean the end of US E skip TV DX after all (although, it will be tougher compared to analog).

[Jim Thomas]

Please post the distance WCFT-DT 5 is from your qth. I'm sure its right up there with the average distance for analog tv and fm skip.

Like Fritze says, its tougher to pull in DTV signals via skip and tv skip won't be dead next year, once the US analogs are gone. DTV dxing adds a new dimension to the *skip game*. Also, the fact that there aren't as many dtv targets in the channels 2-6 range will make it more interesting also, come 2009.

[bozey45]

once again entering the DX hobby after years of not doing it for mainly work reasons. Have up a XG-91 UHF and a Winegard HD5030 (PR 5030) for channels 2-13 at about 20 feet or so on a 30 ft. telescoping mast going via one input into a Magnavox set with ATSC/NTSC tuner for the analogs and thru another input from a Insignia decoder for DTV-the Insignia much more sensitive than the ATSC tuner in the Magnavox set. Real pleased with the antenna combination so far--next I will get a rotor for this array and extend the mast up to it's maximum of 30 ft with addition of another 5 feet for the rotor, then I'll guy it all down. it's aimed NE from my location north of Tampa towards Orlando. I get a total of 44 digitals in the Tampa and Orlando markets this way plus channels 6 and 9 on VHF with the 5030 sometimes ch. 2 in Daytona. Orlando towers are anywhere from 75-85 miles NE of here and are still coming in strong here at 11:30 in the morning; I just finished the array as it stands now so not sure if this is weather conditions or will be the norm. Its overcast, rainy and crummy here today. It's great to be into DX again and am waiting for the ES to show up here.