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September 9, 2019 1:38 pm  #1


WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

Hello folks,

Just yesterday I noticed WKBW/LAFF/Escape/Grit (7.1 - 7.4) have gone missing for me. Everything was fine Saturday (or maybe it was Friday). They were on 38.1 - 38.4 however when I look up their new listings they're showing as 38.3 - 38.6 however I still can't get these to come in. I noticed they are supposed to move to 34 at some point but don't know if this has happened. I tried 34 but still no love. I thought I would check this forum first to see if anyone else has the same problem (and knows what's going on) or whether it's just me. I haven't tried adjusting my indoor antenna yet because I don't want to disrupt my other channels. I'm in the Greektown area of Toronto.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Thanks

 

September 9, 2019 1:46 pm  #2


Re: WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

Just checked and it's there for me. Main HD channel and all the subcarriers are coming in around northern North York with a 60 signal strength and around a 70 quality. It remains on channel 38.

I have no idea why you lost the signal, which is occasionally troublesome for me, as well - although not if the weather's good. Have you ever thought about getting a cheap amplifier (under a hundred bucks) which can be connected just before your antenna goes into the set? I've had one for years and it does absolute wonders at boosting otherwise weak signals. 

 

September 10, 2019 5:30 pm  #3


Re: WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

Update: In case someone reads this. These four channels came back for me on Monday so that was about two or three days they were dark for me. They came back on 38.3 - 38.6.

If someone does read this I'm also having a problem where these channels along with the WNLO/CW changes that happened earlier (July I think) seem to go dark (no signal) for me after about 1am or 2am. I used to get these channels 24 hrs/day but now I get no signal in the early hours. All is fine when I check again in the morning (8am). The channels are there when I click around (unlike what happened to me with WKBW) I just get a "no signal" on them.

As mentioned I have an indoor antenna but never had issues like this before. Is anyone else experiencing this?

Thanks!

     Thread Starter
 

September 10, 2019 5:48 pm  #4


Re: WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

Some western NY stations aren't as good on my indoor antenna downtown following the recent repack. (I don't DX television anymore so haven't bothered with an amp or anything. In fact I barely watch TV).

 

September 11, 2019 8:42 am  #5


Re: WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

So....for 3 years I had a LTE filter attached down the line from my antenna before the splitter.  In the past few months I went from 43 channels to 6.  I removed the LTE filter (channel master model) one day and all my channels came back full strength.

Why would this be?  

 

September 11, 2019 8:53 am  #6


Re: WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

Anytime you insert a device in an antenna line, whether it is an LTE filter, a coupler, some form of "female" splice, there will be a signal loss.   LTE filters, are perhaps over-rated, depending on your location and the level of pre-amplification you have at the antenna.   The reality is, in most of the GTA Buffalo signals are fairly week (except for Grand Island WUTV), and they may fall "below margin" with the insertion of a device such as a filter.   A 1.5 or 3db loss, can be catastrophic  for 2, 4, 7, 17, 49 - all of which have relatively weak signals in the GTA.   Last point.  WKBW's engineer told me they are doing tower and antenna reconstruction this fall/winter and will operate from a temporary antenna.  But the date hadn't been fixed.  They will not transition to Ch. 34 before end of Feb/Early march 2020.

 

September 11, 2019 11:28 am  #7


Re: WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

tvguy wrote:

Anytime you insert a device in an antenna line, whether it is an LTE filter, a coupler, some form of "female" splice, there will be a signal loss.   LTE filters, are perhaps over-rated, depending on your location and the level of pre-amplification you have at the antenna.   The reality is, in most of the GTA Buffalo signals are fairly week (except for Grand Island WUTV), and they may fall "below margin" with the insertion of a device such as a filter.   A 1.5 or 3db loss, can be catastrophic  for 2, 4, 7, 17, 49 - all of which have relatively weak signals in the GTA.   Last point.  WKBW's engineer told me they are doing tower and antenna reconstruction this fall/winter and will operate from a temporary antenna.  But the date hadn't been fixed.  They will not transition to Ch. 34 before end of Feb/Early march 2020.

Thanks tvguy!  Your info is always amazing.   How about Toronto/CN Tower.....anything new happening there?

 

September 11, 2019 4:08 pm  #8


Re: WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

The channel changes at the CN Tower should not occur before the late February/Early march phase 10.
there may be some coordination dates with Buffalo stations.   For example, Ch. 17 will be used locally by global - a channel that is currently used by WBXZ-LD  (PSIP 56.1-56.12)- which has applied to move to channel 23 - but the WBXZ-LD application was being contested by the Cdn gov't as of July, because of their proximity to the border.  The list below, provides new channel #'s for Toronto stationsCJMT-DT  new channel 26; CIII-DT-41  new channel 17; CITY-DT  new channel 30;  CFMT-DT  new channel 18.



 

Last edited by tvguy (September 11, 2019 4:08 pm)

 

September 11, 2019 4:54 pm  #9


Re: WKBW has gone missing (7.1 - 7.4)

tvguy wrote:

The channel changes at the CN Tower should not occur before the late February/Early march phase 10.
there may be some coordination dates with Buffalo stations.   For example, Ch. 17 will be used locally by global - a channel that is currently used by WBXZ-LD  (PSIP 56.1-56.12)- which has applied to move to channel 23 - but the WBXZ-LD application was being contested by the Cdn gov't as of July, because of their proximity to the border.  The list below, provides new channel #'s for Toronto stationsCJMT-DT  new channel 26; CIII-DT-41  new channel 17; CITY-DT  new channel 30;  CFMT-DT  new channel 18.

Thanks! Im wondering if they will still be using the existing antennas from the late 70s especially for these changes 

Last edited by markow202 (September 11, 2019 4:54 pm)