Comments on: Analog Cut Off Tomorrow

By: servicetech

servicetech — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:59:44 +0000

I don’t see how a square shooter or any other small antenna can get low frequency VHF signals effectively. In order to get long wavelength signal in a weak signal area physically large antenna is required.

Of course KOCO could have used a UHF frequency and the whole Lawton/VHF issue could have been avoided.

By: mzokc

mzokc — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:29:38 +0000

Co-workers in Norman are able to get KOCO on their square shooter antenna clearly. The other day I enjoyed KOCO-DT while watching TV on the laptop in Midwest City.

The Mesta Park and Heritage Hills area is in the path of signals that were reduced in strength due to the ABC Lawton tower that used the same channel as OKC. While the signal changed little since Lawton was shut down, I am pleased to read that KOCO plans to change to the existing analog tower sometime in the next year.

Now that Slingbox is available for the iPhone using Wi-Fi, portable digital television is being reinvented and has allowed watching KOCO anywhere in the home.

By: rickster

rickster — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:50:19 +0000

I measured the signal strengths of some of the OKC Digital channels in Southeast Norman using a 6 foot, 25 year old attic mounted Radio Shack VHF/UHF yagi on an IFR 1100 spectrum analyzer this morning. Numbers are DB above the analyzer noise floor.
ABC(koco) and KSBI 42. FOX and OETA 50. NBC(kfor) 55. CBS(kwtv) 60. Yes, KOCO and KSBI are the weakest at 42 DB above the noise floor, BUT, that is still a strong signal !!! Is it time to stop the whinning?? ???

By: mzokc

mzokc — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:50:13 +0000

I’ve been ready since 2002, but it hasn’t been easy. ABC still fails to give us an adequate signal for OTA reception unless we use a large outdoor amplified YAGI antenna. Perhaps with the final shutdown of the analog signals there will be enough feedback to encourage a solution. Hopefully Nielsen will find that the digital reception problems are bad enough that the OKC network ratings cannot be included until the transmitter is fixed.

The big question is: If one network or station fails to provide an adequate signal compared with the competition, should they be required to pay for outdoor antennas for affected residents?

By: Dennis Whiteman

Dennis Whiteman — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:41:08 +0000

I bought my mom a DTV tuner last week with one of the government rebate cards. Including taxes, it was about $14 net.

In her case, that tuner will enable her to turn off Dish locals, saving about $5/month. She doesn’t have HD and is unlikely to anytime soon.

There’s no excuse for anyone not to be ready.

Dennis