What analog stations are still out there?
 

I have 2 and 4 still repeating the message about converter boxes. And channel 9 (Canadian). And I pulled in 2 channels on uhf, which didn't identify themselves. One was around 22?, had a show about ice-fishing, from the commercials I could tell it was Canadian. The other around 32?, could barely see this one, but I got pretty good sound after messing with the antenna rotator, was playing cartoons.
So up here in lower MI this isn't really the end, 5 channels still going (3 if you don't want to count the message about the converter boxes looping over and over). Any other analog stations still going in other parts of the country?

....

I looked again. That ch 32? is coming in better (now I can get a color picture), it's definitely Canadian, still playing cartoons, still not identifying itself. The channel 22? I can't get at all anymore. But I was getting something around 19?, playing cartoons, but all I could see was a very snowy b/w picture, and no sound.

We still have channel 41 WMLW in Milwaukee, channel 63 in Milwaukee and channel 23 in Chicago. All low power. The other two which don't count are channel 32 WFLD chicago as a "night light" and channel 6 WITI in Milwaukee as a "night light" too. I watched a lot of stations go yesterday, some like 6 had a special program and the National Anthem, others like channel 9 WGN in Chicago just turned the transmitter off at midnight right after a show ended. I had about 30 sets going most of the day, blew a breaker(it was warm when I turned it back on) and I hate to open the next electric bill. So many tubes were going that the house was about 20 degrees hotter than normal. I had to put a fan in the window and use all the ceiling fans.

I haven't looked yet (Saturday), but last night, KTLA and our NBC channel in LA came back on with a loop recording of how to connect a digital box.

Charles

In the Chicago area, channel 26 WCIU has moved to it sister's station location on channel 23 (was WWME). So at least we have something besides the 'nightlight' at channel 32. Channel 23 is a class 'A' station, so it is lower power, but I can get a watchable picture in the suburbs. I wonder how long this will last. I wish they would leave it.

I was disappointed by WGN, just going off. It was the only station I got to see go off the air. At least they could have gone to an old test pattern and then faded to black before snow. I guess they felt that if everyone had moved to digital, there wouldn't be anyone watching.

Mark, I hope you shot some video of your setup. Sounds really cool, or should I say hot.

The only channel I've found is a low power religious station on channel 48.

Channel 11 is on the air here with DTV information, and low-power channel 28 with shopping. I also am getting a weak signal on channel 40, which should be Sacramento FOX but is in Spanish, with a "3" logo in the upper right corner.

I love this quote! :D

The Canadian channels do not go off the air until 2011 so if you live near enough you will still enjoy vintage television reception for a couple of more years.

Either 2011 or 2012. Depends on what source you read. Last I read we had a time trying to figure out what format of digital transmission we were going to use.

Ch2 WJBK and ch4 WDIV are showing no signs of stopping with the looped message about dtv converters.

I'm still getting channels 9 (Canadian) and 32? (Canadian). I can't get channel 22? (Canadian) which I got before, but I was able to get some sound on 19? which is now playing some religious programming. I wish these uhf stations that I can barely get would identify themselves so I would know the numbers for sure. I'm picking up all of these channels with my antenna pointed basically east towards Detroit. Is there a list of Canadian stations somewhere with transmitter locations?

I blew a breaker too yesterday, and the most sets I had going was only 11 at once. I eventually ran another power strip off an extension cord so they were on two circuits, and it would quit blowing the breaker. I only currently have 13 working sets, and one is upstairs and one in the basement, both heavy metal cabinet Zenith b/w sets that I didn't want to move up and down the stairs. The only pictures I took were of the 8 sets together that were up against the one wall. And I only kept all of them on for about an hour or so, but by the end of that hour the whole living room had that sort of "burnt dust" smell - I figured I must have had over 200 tubes on at once. The only channel I actually got to see sign off was channel 6 WLNS at midnight, by that time I was just watching the '60 Zenith.

Are you in Michigan?! You are!

22 is Global TV. Canadian, Ontario I think.

32 is TVO TV Ontario. I'm watching that right now...
http://i44.tinypic.com/2aew0pe.jpg

There should also be a channel 42, CKCO or CTV, also in Ontario. here anyway, 42 is WEAK!

Channel 19 is WOIO based in Ohio.

I'm gonna miss TVO when Canada goes digital... I *might* be able to get it with a powerful enough antenna, but who knows.......

Aren't we going the same format as the U.S.A.? The digital sets being
sold in this country have an ATSC tuner, so I don't think it would be
fair to Canadian consumers to let them buy so called state of the art
digital sets just to tell them that there will be one more change in
formats... Also, some stations here have been transmitting OTA in
the ATSC format for some time, although I must admit I have not
had a chance to look at such a set operating locally.

The switchover date of August 31, 2011 was still being mentioned
in Canadian news reports of the U.S. transition this morning. Regards
to all.

I just looked. Here in Kansas City there is CH9 running the DTV Answers loop in English and Spanish. Over on the UHF side there is a "QVC wanna-be" touting their stuff. That's all I see.

Slightly better picture of my 1984 Trinitron pulling in Channel 32...
http://i41.tinypic.com/flxz00.jpg

It'll be nice to have, until 2011 anyway...

As of 6/13/09, the ONLY analog station is a LP Christian station on channel 47. I think the call letters are W47CG and it's a repeater station for TBN. Otherwise, we have snow in Meridian, MS.

Start buying all the 12' satellite dishes you can afford, and make your own VLA antenna network.

Don't laugh. Those things go for a song now. Only a few smart one's put the Primestar/Bell Expressview feedhorns on them and get TV in any weather condition.

All I have left is a christian station (VTN) on UHF 15 in Batesville, AR, and a severely weak nightlight broadcast on channel 3 which I suspect is from Springfield, MO.

That sounds right for 22 and 32. I didn't get anything around 42. That station I was getting around 19? only came in with the antenna pointed basically East, the same direction as for 22 and 32, I lost reception completely on 19? when I turned the antenna further South, so I doubt it's out of Ohio. Maybe it's really on 18, or 20, or even 17. I don't think it's 21 because it wasn't right next to 22 on the dial. With these continuous UHF tuners you can never tell exactly what channel you're on.

There is a channel 18 as well, possibly Canadian. It's still broadcasting. There's also a channel 16 which is canadian.

Oh wait! Channel 18 is the same as 48, ION which I believe is an LPTV station.

Trust me, there is a channel 42 out there based in Ontario. For some reason though it is difficult to reliably pull in.

Now I'm picking up that message about the converters on channel 3 too, I never used to get anything on ch3. And it's not just the tv getting ch 2 or 4 on ch3 because it's at a different time in the message on all 3 channels.

Are there any AKers in Seattle, or other US/Canada border cities who are able to pull Canadian signals in??? There's a super-strong FM radio station in Tijuana, Mexico (way too powerful to be legal in the USA), which broadcasts in English on 91.1. It's a hard rock station, and I bet it's US-sponsored ;) . I get it all the way into West Los Angeles, which is about 100 miles away from Tijuana. Local FM stations' signals peter out as soon as you're out of the metro LA area. I wonder if we'll see the same with a TV station? In further questioning, I wonder if Mexico is still on NTSC?

Charles

You'll most likely not see a TV station from Canada purposely broadcasting into the US because of the regulations up here and the requirements of Canadian content. To ramp up and get through the process would take a couple of years.

The closest thing would probably be something like WNED in the Toronto/Buffalo corridor but it switched to all digital. It lost a major digital provider agreement and is over the freeways.

I have a a little 5" analog and will probably try out a converter box and antenna on it as a tester to see how it all works here. In theory I should receive 18 channels.

I'm not getting a channel 3. This is on my 1991 Colortrak 2000 hooked up to an outdoor antenna. 2 and 4 are still broadcasting the DTV loop...

I can't get 3 anymore, the only time I saw it was this morning. I seem to be getting better reception in the morning, 22 only comes in in the morning, 18? rarely at any time, and 32 to some degree all day. Still no 42, although I did notice a difference in the look of the snow on the screen (and maybe just a hint of a picture rolling vertically) when the dial passed 42, noticed the same around 38? - nothing else anywhere higher on the uhf dial until I get past 70 and start picking up whatever junk is up there. I have a good rooftop antenna, but the cable coming off of it is in bad condition in parts, actually the lower section is the worst, so I'm thinking about replacing the last 12' or so to see if it'll improve my reception any. I think I've watched more over the air tv in the past few days just trying to see what channels I can get, than I have in months.

Canada is definately going ATSC. The CBC already has DTV ATSC, as do a number of other stations, in many major Canadian cities.

The low band channels are usually CBC, so they should carry well into the US. Seattle should be able to see CBUT CH2, and CHAN CH8 with ease.

I've got at least four. One's Telemundo, one's Univision, one is some Grade Z network called "AMGTV" http://www.amgtv.tv and... the local CBS outlet is a low-power station on channel 67! Supposed to move to DTV and channel 41 at some point.

What's Windsor's CBC station's DTV channel? I want to experiment in the future to see if I can bring it in.

According to this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBET

the station is currently on channel 9, with UHF channel 35 allocated for
the ATSC transmission during the transition, and the digital transmission
moving back to VHF 9 after the transition. However, the station
is not yet transmitting a digital signal. Maybe you could get some
more up to date info on cbc.ca. Happy DXing!

Channel 4 is gone, now only ch2 is still going with the information about the converters.

Here, I've got UHF 32, 60, and nightlight DTV info on VLF 2 and 4

I have channel UHF 29 out of Charlottesville still comming in strong as of today 5 days after the switch. Its an NBC station so still watchable. They have been running their digital station since the original switch in febuary. I hope this is permanent.
-Tony

I don't have a rotor on my aerial yet, but in New Orleans I am picking up three low-power stations and WWL (4) and WDSU (6) doing twilight duty. Both are running the same film about hooking up a DTV box. Honestly, their explanations are bound to confuse anyone needing help with this.

And such a shame, WDSU is still coming in with a gorgeous picture:

I got that channel 3 in again tonight. This time it had it's call letters up: WKYC 3 out of Cleveland. I turned on channel 2 this afternoon and they varied the looped message about the dtv converters with a different one they recorded themselves.

Out local NBC affiliate (WAVY TV 10) here is still broadcasting analog on channels 23 and 56. I watched NBC Nightly News on my 12" black and white GE last night. Channel 27 is continually broadcasting the DTV upgrade message. Other than that, it's snow on every channel.

Just for the record, there is a severe thunderstorm going on right now(sirens and all) and satellite and DTV are out. The two LOW POWER analog stations are coming in like they always do. As are the "night light" ones.

It's a good thing you saw the channel 3 station in Cleveland last night, as the station will discontinue its nightlight service permanently on the 29th of this month.

Just checked today, I get only stations from Ontario.

Sheesh! And to think these nightlight messages are supposed to help folks with installing/rescanning their converter boxes, not hopelessly confuse them. I think what happens is that these videos are made by television engineers who forget (or, worse, do not even consider) that most people outside the TV service business (or outside the television industry itself) know little or nothing about how a TV set works or how to connect anything to it, and do not generally even think about the wiring behind their sets. Telling the average person that a DTV converter box converts ATSC signals to NTSC, for example or trying to explain the technical details of connecting a box, will get you nowhere, as the average TV viewer does not know or care what either of those abbreviations stand for or about the technical side of the DTV transition. The information given in the nightlight videos must tell viewers how to connect and use their converter boxes step by step, and in plain English, not TV industry jargon. Most people, for example, are baffled when they find out they cannot receive certain stations in their area after the DTV transition; they think either the box or their TV are out of order. (There are still people out there, yes, even now, one week after the transition, who think their TVs, connected directly to antennas without a converter box, are broken because they can no longer get their local stations.) Telling these folks to "rescan" their converters often doesn't register because, as I mentioned, many non-technical viewers do not get the idea of rescanning, and all the buttons on the remotes included with DTV converters confuse the dickens out of them. Most non-technical people know nothing about their TVs other than how to switch them on and off, change channels, turn the volume up and down, and mute the sound--those other buttons for menus, color controls, etc. on TV remote controls mean absolutely nothing to them. Anything even remotely resembling a "rescan" button on a DTV converter's remote will stop these people dead in their tracks. This sort of thing must not be allowed to occur in this age of digital TV. People want their TV and generally do not know or care about the behind-the-scenes details. The sooner the producers of the video loops or PSAs (the latter probably resembling infomercials, without advertising) on the DTV nightlight stations realize this, the smoother the DTV transition, from the viewer's standpoint, will proceed.

At least you'll have something to watch in analog for the next couple of years, since the DTV transition in Canada will not occur until 2012 or '13. CBET-TV 9 (formerly CKLW-TV) in Windsor is a CBC affiliate with excellent programming. I used to see it quite a bit in the summer, before I had cable; I live near Cleveland and can receive most Detroit/Windsor FM stations (and TV, of course), as I am within a mile of the south shore of Lake Erie. Used to like to watch network programming on WDIV (NBC4) in Detroit, as NBC was for many years my favorite TV network. That station, along with all other Detroit television stations, would come in to northeastern Ohio like gangbusters in the summer until early fall, with excellent pictures (sometimes even in color) just using an indoor or built-in antenna on my TVs. Before the advent of the two new TV networks, UPN and The WB (now MyTV and The CW), I liked to watch independent programming on Detroit's channels 20 and 50 when the bands opened up, as these stations often had programming Cleveland's UHFs (channels 43, 55 and 61) didn't have or would not carry for whatever reason.

I have what I call "bare-bones basic" (local channels only) cable service now from Time-Warner (rabbit ears do not work well in my area), and I miss being able to DX the TV channels as I used to before DTV. I suppose I could try DXing the Detroit/Windsor stations on my analog sets with rabbit ears, but the all-or-nothing nature of DTV (either you get a picture or you don't, no in-between as it used to be with analog) will pose a heck of a challenge for today's TV DX enthusiasts, and may not be possible at all with indoor antennas.

It is possible, however, to DX the "nightlight" analog stations--at least for now. These stations are permitted to operate for 30 days at most, then they will leave the air forever, never to return. For example, the "nightlight" station in Cleveland is WKYC 3. However, the station will discontinue nightlight service on Friday, June 26 at midnight; this will end, for all time, analog TV DX in northeastern Ohio, as every one of the area's other local television stations (RF channels 5, 8, 17, 23, 25, 43, 49, 55, 61, 67) have yanked the plug out of the wall on analog and are now operating 100-percent digital; channel 3's main signal (NBC) is, of course, also full-digital, but once their nightlight is extinguished at 12:01 a.m. 06.26, the station will be all-digital, with a UHF antenna being required to view their DTV transmissions. This could and likely will pose a problem for viewers still trying to get this station on its pre-transition DTV channel (2), as unscanned converter boxes will still try to find the station on that channel, to no avail. The boxes must be rescanned so that they will find WKYC on its present DTV channel, 17; otherwise, viewers will not find the station at all, and may get the idea their TV or box is out of order or that something is wrong with their antenna. I think most converter boxes in this area will have to be rescanned, as many if not most of the TV stations here are now on UHF DTV post-transition channels.

It would not surprise me if some people stop watching TV altogether after having problems getting their DTV converters to work, or trying to get DTV reception with an indoor antenna in anything other than prime signal areas (DTV station signals are less powerful than and do not reach as far as analog signals did); even then, DTV reception can be anywhere from iffy to non-existent, in some cases veering hard toward the latter extreme. The current state of DTV technology requires that an outdoor antenna with a rotor be used to get optimum (or in some cases any) OTA reception of local TV stations, even in very strong signal areas. I read in a recent issue of the e-mail newsletter of Broadcasting&Cable the story of a man who could not receive any OTA DTV whatsoever with an antenna despite the fact that he lives only three miles from the Chicago TV transmitters, most or all of which are located atop the Sears Tower in the downtown area of that city; therefore, IMO, the man should be getting city-grade reception--even in ATSC digital. (Maybe they are too strong and are overloading the converter box or the ATSC tuner in his flat-panel HDTV, as the case may be.) He said his only option now is to get cable.

And so it goes. I'm afraid this scenario is playing out in many areas of the US that are close (within several miles) of their local TV transmitters, such as, here in northeastern Ohio, the city of Parma, which is a southwestern suburb of Cleveland. Most of the TV transmitters serving NE Ohio are in or near that city, and viewers there should logically be getting excellent reception from all seven of them; however, I would be willing to bet (if I were a betting man, which I am not) that many folks there are having problems galore getting decent, or even any, OTA DTV reception.

Getting back to the man in Chicago who is now without TV since the transition, despite being within shouting distance of the local stations' transmitters: One would think that being only a few miles from the transmitters would mean there would be incredible signal strength, more than enough for optimum DTV reception; but I guess that's not the case. Does DTV produce no picture even in the presence of extremely strong signals that used to produce excellent analog reception, by virtue of overloading the converter box? Hmmm. :scratch2:

Sheeeeeesh! I love new technology and try to keep on top of it the best I know how. I read almost everything I can get my hands on regarding radio, TV, broadcasting and computers, and understand it perfectly myself (I grew up around technology, as my dad was an electrical engineer), but I am still baffled as to why the DTV transition has become such an obstacle to people with analog TVs and antennas. The FCC and the NAB have spent millions on TV and print public service announcements and nationwide advertising campaigns, all in the name of informing and educating the public on the transition. It has worked out well for the most part, but in some cases it has hit major roadblocks, as there are still too many people out there (1.5 million or so) who are still either totally unprepared for DTV (and are doing without television as a result), or are prepared and using a box, with the proper antenna (and it all works well, bringing in local DTV stations just fine), but don't know how to use it from the standpoint of rescanning (if the stations in their area have changed from UHF to VHF DTV channels or vice-versa). The DTV boxes should have an option on their main menus for rescanning which is easy enough for a child to invoke. If these boxes had such a menu option which is easy to find, without making the user go through layer upon layer of menus, the rescanning problem would be all but solved.

It has been stated on at least one DTV transition website (I don't recall which one; maybe it was the FCC's own DTV site) that DTV converter boxes are not plug-and-play devices. I believe very strongly that they should be. The people who use these boxes are not, by and large, television experts. They install the converters on their televisions and expect them to work as well as their old analog TVs did, with just an antenna. Many times, however, this is not the case and these viewers, now very frustrated, just throw up their hands and quit watching television altogether. This is a disastrous and potentially ruinous scenario for all full-power TV stations (not to mention the networks), which will lose a certain amount of advertising revenue with every lost viewer.

Good grief. The foregoing cannot and must not be allowed to continue if OTA television stations are to remain on the air. Converter boxes must be made so that the average person with no technical knowledge can set them up and operate them (including rescanning for relocated or new channels, if and when necessary). The average viewer wants to see his or her favorite TV shows and does not care, by and large, about the technical behind-the-scenes details involved in the production and transmission of television programs. Don't go into long discourses with most nontechnical people about the nuts-and-bolts aspect of DTV, as you will be going well over their heads. All most people need to know about DTV is how to operate the converter's remote control; the rest of it, as far as most nontechnical viewers are concerned, is black magic.

kinda sad as it will happen on my birthday if that's the actual date:tears:

Looks like a mini version of my '84 trinitron. Is that a 10 inch?