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OTA Station Status: Calgary, Edmonton, and Alberta

206K views 752 replies 86 participants last post by  downbeat 
#1 ·
Has anyone been checking Channel 41 for CICT-DT's possible increased signal level yet? I think that in the next week or so, some activity may occurr. According to my previous conversation with Global, the final peices of the jigsaw were to have come together at the Harvard mast. ??? :)
I'm still here in Mexico!
 
#56 ·
New CTV Master Control.

CTV Calgary is now going become the master control centre for all of CTV Western Canada very soon. The signals passing through the centre will soon be seen by double the number of viewers (effectively doubling the serviced area fed via CTV Calgary). This will include Vancouver! The CTV techs have been working very hard lately to bring this stage to conclusion! I'm sure that it has been done also with HD in mind.
 
#60 ·
CTV Calgary - New Master Control!!

Sorry guys - My response was misleading following downbeat's post #882! Yes CTV Calgary is becoming the master control for Western Canada! I believe that it may already be in operation! I haven't heard about Global but will endeavour to find out on my return to Calgary! I should be there very soon now - hopefully just in time to receive Global's new channel 41 signals! :)
 
#63 ·
Global Calgary erp ?

At 6:30am today i did a atsc scan on my happuage hvr1250 card and could not find anything. Mind you i am in North Red Deer. I was able to see a weak signal on ch 32 and 38.

There has been a ton of solar noise the last 2 months so it is hard to pick stuff up out here. The only clear uhf signal i had at 6:30 am was city tv edmonton on channel 51.

Is global still running at 5KW for the digital transmitter ?

When do you think they will go to 50KW ?
 
#64 ·
CICT-DT TX Spec.

"Is global still running at 5KW for the digital transmitter ?"

The transmitter is a Larcan Magnum 5k analog that was converted into a 2.5kW digital transmitter.

Also, Global Calgary has no intention of shutting analog 2 down till the CRTC makes them.
 
#69 ·
Global Calgary Website transmitter update.

Yep - Global confirming their CICT-DT transmitter is undergoing tests as below:-

Global Calgary signal update

Global Calgary has now started testing their new DTV transmitter. We will now be broadcasting a digital signal over-the-air with a Effective Radiated Power of 50,000 watts. Viewers who have UHF antennas pointed to our station tower located along Barlow Trail and Centre ave in the North East should now re-direct them towards the west side of the city to gain maximum signal strength.

New transmitter in operation for CICT-DT.

Frequency: 632-638. Channel: 41 UHF. Virtual channel 2.1.

Location, Lat:51 04’ 21” N, Long: 114 15’ 38” W (tower site is just west of Calgary city limits, near the Old Banff Coach Road).

Transmitted Power: 50,000 watts ERP @ 378m EHAAT

Global Calgary will still be broadcasting their analog VHF channel 2 signal until August 31, 2011 or later if directed by the Commission.
 
#70 ·
13 sounds just a tad bit low but that's not including feed loss.
It's close though because CKEM-DT is spec'd at 100k ERP and they have a 5k R&S tx sitting up there already -- Makes sense.
I'll have to get a hold of the papers when I return to Canada.

PS- sorry for the lateness of my reply, I'm in Portland for the next two weeks at a Grass Valley course. Trust me, as soon as I get back, advancements with CITV-DT are going to be under way.
 
#71 ·
CICT-DT

Yep - 89% here in Banff Trail. Haven't tried moving my CM 4228 to the highest signal point yet. Also some of my antennas are now suffering from hail damage from todays storm over NW part of Calgary. I will need to do some clean up repairs and realignment! Golf ball sized hail Eeeeek!!! :(
 
#74 ·
Red deer ch 10 down

In red deer at 2:27pm the channel 10 is off air , the transmitter has been flakey the last week . I fixed my calgary 28 element uhf channel master antenna in the attic.

I was picking up global 2.1 at 75 to 82 % , i need 75 for a lock.

I also had 32 and clean 38 in orile park , north red deer.

The signals lasted till 11:20 am
 
#76 ·
Fill-in transmitters

Correlating City of Calgary neighbourhood census data with the coverage maps from TV Fool, we can estimate that some 100,000 residents will have relative difficulty receiving OTA television signals originating from Broadcast Hill because their homes are in the RF shadow created by Nose Hill.
Is that number sufficient for the major broadcasters to consider using on-channel, low-power, gap-fill transmitters for those problem neighbourhoods? The repeaters can be mounted at a cell tower site in the area, using a tightly focused antenna pattern to avoid interfering with regions to the north/north-east that are beyond the RF shadow.
 
#77 ·
CBC-DT in Alberta.

I just remembered a conversation that I had with the CBC transmission not too long ago. The immediate plan to convert television transmitters were to have Calgary and Edmonton only, then I opened my mouth about how CISA got approval. Since that conversation, CBC is considering adding Lethbridge and Red Deer (especially since 22 would be an easier conversion.)
 
#78 ·
CISA analog repeaters

Also, I'd like to throw this out right now:
To people of rural Southern Alberta, CISA has 5 Canadian analog repeaters. All of which have viewers to which if the translator goes off the air, you'll have them calling the station to notify. When the end of August 2011 rolls around and channel 7 goes digital, there is no plan to convert any of the repeaters or apply to have a digital to analog hop like some American lp sites have. I am trying to save one site, mainly the Crowsnest Pass (where Calgary and Lethbridge DTV signals will not penetrate.) If you live there and are thinking you would like to have a DTV repeater presence, please private message me, thank you.
 
#79 · (Edited)
CFCN finally has correct info

Finally today I noticed on my Sammy that CFCN has now officiallly turned on its correct PSIP Data/Info-stream. Up until now the virtual channel was 36.1 and no Time/Channel Info available. Now all data is correctly retrieved and displayed on my Sammy.

Most other brands were not so finicky, but still... So: Good Job CFCN technicians! :p
 
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