need a little help please

[swampman]

2 nights in a row tropo has been very active here. Topped my old record of 456 miles KNVO, with WCTV Tallahassee at 506. But I have a station I pulled in while pointing my antenna east is a Fox channel that I originally thought was New Orleans. (N.O stations were coming in at the time as well as one or two in Biloxi and Mobile area). As you can see the "FOX8" shows as 8.1 RF 29. Yet everything I've found shows FOX New Orleans as 8.1 RF 8.

[Robert Grant]

WVUE is operating both on channel 8 (final digital channel) and 29 (their temporary digital channel) under an STA.

As soon as they transitioned (which they did earlier than June 12), moving to channel 8 for the digital, they were deluged with calls from many viewers, especially apartment dwellers, who could not get the new VHF signal, so they applied to re-activate channel 29.

[swampman]

Well I guess that cleared that up. ;) Wonder how long they plan on running under 2 channels? Thanks for the info Robert. Appreciate it. :)

[Danny]

Congratulations, Mike, on WCTV. That is a nice catch.

BTW, WVUE-DT29 was also in here last night.

I hooked up my UHF antenna for the first time since September. Between my being busy and the numerous thunderstorms lately, it wasn't worth the risk.

[swampman]

Thanks Danny. Now the cold front is bringing t-storms now so thats probably it for a while since they're calling for rain most of the week except for a brief intermission on Wednesday.

How high up do you have your UHF antenna? Just curious. I'm at about 17 ft. but I know some guys go much higher. :D

[NN2E]

Hi Danny & Mike.
Some of your Louisiana stations are making the trip up to Kentucky. See the "October Tropo" thread in this section. Logged my first New Orleans DTVs today.
73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[swampman]

Yep nice catches there Ed. Believe it or not, after months of trying, I never have been able to pull in WNOL. And N.O. is only about 150+ miles away. PSIP info has been on my Tivo guide for both WNOL and a very illusive WUPL for months now, so apparently they did scan in at some time. However even with the exceptional tropo lately, they wont come in. Yesterday was my very first New Orleans catch. WWW, WGNO, WVUE, and WDSU all walked right in. But alas...no WNOL or WUPL :D

[NN2E]

I feel your pain, Mike. Some analog stations, that used to be sitting ducks, are now a real chore to DX since they've gone digital.
73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[Danny]

Mike, you will eventually receive the New Orleans stations. You are in a good location for tropo.

As for my UHF antenna, it is up only 22 feet agl to the bottom of the antenna. I would receive more signals if it was higher.

Ed and Bob have very high dishes, and their DX is exceptional.

[swampman]

Well Danny, although I chose a 20ft telescopic antenna pole, I had the oportunity to ge that same pole in a 30 ft size. What really turned me away from it was the fact that I live in a subdivision, and I didn't particularly like the idea of guy wires and I dont think it would have been on my wife's top ten list either. :) But yeah, from what I hear going from 20 to 30ft does make a difference. But who knows....maybe someday. ;)

[Danny]

Although I use guy wires, my worry with height is thunderstorms and wind. I feel like the antenna is a little more secure at the lower level. I agree with you: Someday I might put up a secure tower and raise the height.

DTV DXing just does not appeal to me as much as analog, so I am not making any long-term plans for TV DXing. In fact, with so much talk of using the empty channels for new services, the future of TV DXing may not be long.

[cd637299]

With IBOC & FCC overcrowding, *FM* DXing isn't exactly "growing" as a hobby either. Sighhhh

cd

[antennanut]

With IBOC & FCC overcrowding, *FM* DXing isn't exactly "growing" as a hobby either. Sighhhh

cd

Chris, I echo your comments 110%!

[swampman]

DTV DXing just does not appeal to me as much as analog, so I am not making any long-term plans for TV DXing. In fact, with so much talk of using the empty channels for new services, the future of TV DXing may not be long.

Wishing I had gotten into the hobby a year earlier. Sounds like analog was much easier to pull in, due to the digital "either its in or not" technology. But on the bright side, coming into this 2 months ago, I dont realize what I missed. :)

[Danny]

Actually, it is not the on-and-off signals of DTV that bother me. My problem is that I just can't get any distance out of DTV. I never reported tropo analog TV re-logs to the club list and VUD unless they were of at least 400 miles distance (except last year when I was in a contest).

First, at my location many channels are crowded in every direction, so DTVs in the 100-300 mile range block *distant* DX. And decoding a DTV through a DTV is not easy.

Second, I haven't had much success with DTVs over 400 miles in general, even on the less-crowded channels to my old tropo targets in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

On the other hand, the only time I decoded Nashville UHF DTVs (at about 475 miles) was last November using the CM 8-bay at only twelve feet. Maybe I should drop it back down to twelve feet...

[swampman]

[QUOTE]On the other hand, the only time I decoded Nashville UHF DTVs (at about 475 miles) was last November using the CM 8-bay at only twelve feet. Maybe I should drop it back down to twelve feet...

I've had someone tell me he had his at about 20 ft. Wasnt satisfied with his pickups. Dropped it down to 10-12 ft and pulled in better. :D Go figure. But he said, and I have to agree, that he thinks the threshold to be at 30ft. Get it at that height or higher and there will be a difference.