What qualifies?

[swampman]

Being I'm pretty new at the game of DXing, I've come across screenshots of "catches", and I notice they range from crystal clear, to so snowyI can barely see anything(analog), to just a screenshot of the signal meter and station logo...no actual picture. So for my own benefit, what qualifies as a legitimate catch? Thanks.

[pjdyer]

With DTV for me, any decoding that captures the call in the PSIP. "Live" decodes of Es DTV often don't last long enough for one to activate whatever screen capture software is being used. In my case that's a DTT901 with its vid line branch-fed to a Snappy 4 frame grabber. My WBRA image required one hand on the DTT901 remote's display button and the other on the Win98 machine mouse poised over the SNAP button. Feeding the vid line to a running VCR/DVR would be simpler, but in my set up that's an awkward run of cables. So, after-the-fact DTT901 "menu memory" has been resorted to for a display of what had been decoded.

73, Pat - WA5IYX

[swampman]

[QUOTE]With DTV for me, any decoding that captures the call in the PSIP. "Live" decodes of Es DTV often don't last long enough for one to activate whatever screen capture software is being used. In my case that's a DTT901 with its vid line branch-fed to a Snappy 4 frame grabber. My WBRA image required one hand on the DTT901 remote's display button and the other on the Win98 machine mouse poised over the SNAP button. Feeding the vid line to a running VCR/DVR would be simpler, but in my set up that's an awkward run of cables. So, after-the-fact DTT901 "menu memory" has been resorted to for a display of what had been decoded.

73, Pat - WA5IYX[/QUOT

Thanks Pat. Sounds like you're about 3 hands short. :D Sounds like you could use a Tivo. I havent heard anyone talk about it yet...but a DVR seems to be a pretty nice piece of equipment when DXing. Not sure if you're familiar with how they work, but this is how I used mine last night. I noticed from the Houston channels that are there from a previous scan, that signals were increasing. The meter showed 20-25%...not enough for a picture, but heading in the right direction. I scanned channels at about 12:30 AM. I picked up 13 stations that I didnt have before. Houston, Austin,(303 miles) San Antonio(359 miles) and 1 New Orleans. The thing I like about a DVR is, as soon as you put it on that channel...it's locked in. Hit the record button and it starts recording from the time the channel came on. Even before I hit the record button. ;) Makes it pretty easy.

[pjdyer]

Besides VHS VCRs I've a Presedian DVD recorder (since Sep 2006) - but, depending on what "quality" video you set it for, the disk time will range from 1 to 6 hours. In dubbing my 8mm High School Reunion raw videos (1996, 2001, 2006) to DVD I've only used the 2-hr mode since those 2-hr tapes had apx 80 min on them. Same for some Armed Forces Day Air Shows (1996, 1998, 2004) here. That 1994 camcorder is living on borrowed time. To make any short clips into mpegs I have to put it on a DVD-RW and then run that thru (time-limited) freeware on the XP (e.g., Mar 2002 3-am Columbia Shuttle re-entry). That still leaves me a format-conversion step shy of what YouTube wants.

[w9wi]

Being I'm pretty new at the game of DXing, I've come across screenshots of "catches", and I notice they range from crystal clear, to so snowyI can barely see anything(analog), to just a screenshot of the signal meter and station logo...no actual picture. So for my own benefit, what qualifies as a legitimate catch? Thanks.

I would suggest.. that if you can determine by the preponderance of the evidence that the station you're claiming is the station you saw... then it's a legitimate catch.

Neat thing about digital, is most stations transmit their call letters in the "PSIP", so even if you don't get any video you know by the preponderance of the evidence you saw who you think you saw.

Radio can be more difficult! (analog TV was even worse!)

[swampman]

I would suggest.. that if you can determine by the preponderance of the evidence that the station you're claiming is the station you saw... then it's a legitimate catch.

Neat thing about digital, is most stations transmit their call letters in the "PSIP", so even if you don't get any video you know by the preponderance of the evidence you saw who you think you saw.

Radio can be more difficult! (analog TV was even worse!)

I understand what you're saying. If it shows in PSIP or EPG, then its a catch.
Maybe I'm being a little picky, but I think for my own satisfaction, I need SOME sort of picture. I feel I need to see something. But each person has his own opinion i guess. A case of noboby is right noboby is wrong. :D

[Robert Grant]

I kinda agree with you, Swampman. If I get a station's PSIP readout that does unequivocally ID one distinct station (PSIP of calls, a unique identifier, or a virtual channel that NO other station anywhere on its RF channel uses), I do log the station, but I always stay with the channel and make all reasonable efforts to get video and audio from the station. I feel if I don't see the content, I may have "logged" it, but I have not really experienced it.

[Danny]

I understand what you're saying. If it shows in PSIP or EPG, then its a catch.
Maybe I'm being a little picky, but I think for my own satisfaction, I need SOME sort of picture. I feel I need to see something. But each person has his own opinion i guess. A case of noboby is right noboby is wrong. :D


Mike, I understand your point of view. I still like to record on-air IDs, in addition to PSIP IDs. However, Robert's criteria is the most common among DXers. When PSIP data is received and displayed, that is proof of actual reception of the station. There are no doubts about which station you received and its location. It is not like guessing.

[swampman]

Mike, I understand your point of view. I still like to record on-air IDs, in addition to PSIP IDs. However, Robert's criteria is the most common among DXers. When PSIP data is received and displayed, that is proof of actual reception of the station. There are no doubts about which station you received and its location. It is not like guessing.

Well I know I have received on several occasions PSIP info (my EPG actually shows the station call letters no program info tho), that on several instances there is a strong signal yet no picture. :confused: However you saying it is the technique most used by DXers...then maybe I should keep a more open mind. ;)