KOTA, again

[NN2E]

I left the DTV box sitting on channel 2 Friday night. When I got up, Saturday morning, I found KOTA 2 (3) Rapid City, S.D. (925 mi) on the box. Could have been meteor scatter, maybe E-skip. Either way, I'm thinking we've found a DTV replacement for WPBT as the biggest pest on channel 2.
73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[Jim Thomas]

Rather than considering it a *pest*, it should serve as a marker when skip is in that direction this coming summer. Now that US analog stations are long gone (other than lptv's), having a couple DTV indicators are actually nice to have. At least exotic TV dx picked up the slack this past season once the analogs were gone :)

[spunker88]

Interesting, KOTA has a construction permit to increase power from 7.1kw to 18.2kw. And they also have an application to broadcast with 45kw on channel 2! I thought that was over the limit for low VHF.

[Stanislav]

The FCC's been bending the rules for some select VHFs that are having difficulty replicating their analog coverage on DTV. It's on a case-by-case basis, where there are no interference problems (or minor, fringe-area problems that an interfered-with co-channel station signs off on and accepts).

[SlcDX]

I still have yet to see a DTV Decode via any means other than normal (locals all within 30 miles). It would help if I had a decent VHF antenna. What UHF DTV channels are good for MS? I bet I could get some on that end.

The only stable TV antenna I have right now (up anyway) is the FM-6 which I use for FM obviously.

[antennanut]

I left the DTV box sitting on channel 2 Friday night. When I got up, Saturday morning, I found KOTA 2 (3) Rapid City, S.D. (925 mi) on the box. Could have been meteor scatter, maybe E-skip. Either way, I'm thinking we've found a DTV replacement for WPBT as the biggest pest on channel 2.
73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

What a nice problem to have - a 925 mile pest!

[H Hayes PA]

A meteor scatter log on UHF would indeed be a memorable catch, analog or digital. I know it's been done a few times. The lowest open channels would be the most likely candidates. I have been having trouble myself in getting many digital lock ins this past year. A stinko tropo season is one reason. I am thinking of putting a small low band yagi in my attic for the '10 season. Maybe this will help. I've seen very infrequent indications that there were digital signals present during last year's strongest E skip openings, much less any signal producing a picture lock-in. Boy, would I love to get KOTA.

[w9wi]

Interesting, KOTA has a construction permit to increase power from 7.1kw to 18.2kw. And they also have an application to broadcast with 45kw on channel 2! I thought that was over the limit for low VHF.

No, 45kw is the limit for low VHF.

(for reference' sake, it's 160kw for high VHF and 1000kw for UHF.)

[SlcDX]

During the Es season over the summer I saw a few flickers of hope on DTV-2 on my Hauppage tuner card. This was when I had my craptacular Quantom FX antenna connected, which had a VHF section. Seeing analog TV skip from KPRC and canada made my summer rememberable though.

[NN2E]

Left the box sitting on channel 2 while I went to town, around mid day, and when I got back...
KOTA 2 (3) Rapid City, S.D. again.
After you've logged it 20 times...It's a pest.
73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[pjdyer]

It was more fun this way :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahzKFFhNJWo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CSDX9oWqxs

73, Pat - WA5IYX