DTV switch on June 12. Walk-in help centers statewide: Panorama: Rocky Mountain PBS: a9

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DTV switch on June 12. Walk-in help centers statewide

posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009 6:33pm

See more on: Tech Talk

The analog shut-off date for Rocky Mountain PBS/KRMA is June 12 at midnight. Visit rmpbs.org/dtv for information, tips and resources.

Free DTV walk-in help centers are being held statewide to help Coloradans get ready for the digital transition. Here is a list of events, as well as in-home assistance, compiled by the FCC. The first DTV walk-in help center post-digital transition is:

Saturday, June 13
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
FCC DTV Clinic
Rude Recreation Center
2855 W. Holden Place in Denver

Go to the FCC's complete list of events and support centers across Colorado.

Note: we will be holding a phone bank on June 13 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to help with troubleshooting. The number to call is 800-678-8749.

What's your point of view?

Jean Muirhead
Saturday, June 6, 2009 › 9:36am
As of Friday night, I cannot get HD TV in Ft. Collins. Any information you can give me?

GE
Saturday, June 6, 2009 › 7:01pm
RMPBS is not broadcasting any programming in HD at this time due to limited server capacity.

Did you mean you are not receiving the digital signal (DTV) in Ft. Collins? And were you receiving 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 and 6.5 before Friday night?

Also, are you receiving the analog channel 6 signal? If not, were you before?

dave eldridge
Sunday, June 7, 2009 › 10:37am
i live in pueblo west and i cannot get 8.2 and 8.3 any more. i can get 8.1 just fine. i did used to see them but now my antenna meter only shows 50% for 8.2 and 3. I have a new rooftop antenna coming into my directv receiver. any ideas?

dave eldridge

GE
Sunday, June 7, 2009 › 4:39pm

Dave

If you are getting 8.1 OK, you should get 8.2 & 8.3 equally as well as they all use the same carrier signal. Try a channel rescan.

BTW, the KTSC, Channel 8, analog signal (A8) was turned off permanently on Tuesday, May 26. The pre-transition digital channel on RF26 (displays as 8.1,8.2, etc.) will continue to broadcast thru or just before June 12 at which time the digital signal is planned to transition and be broadcast on RF8. A rescan of one's DTV or digital converter box will be needed to reprogram the channel memory to receive D8 orginating from RF8.

Paul Honeycutt
Sunday, June 7, 2009 › 11:04pm
I've also been unable to recieve RMPBS on DTV in Fort Collins since Friday night. It was coming in fine up until then. What changed? I need my Create fix!!!

GE
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 8:10am

Paul

Were you receiving RMPBS OTA on A6, D6 or D47 before Friday night?

Tom
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 9:43am
I also can no longer receive a single form any 6.* channels in Fort Collins. Channel 6.5 has never worked. I rescanned and no 6.* channels were found. I also adjusted my outdoor antenna and rescanned once again with the same results as before.

Ashton
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 10:10am
The Fort Collins translator on RFID 47 has a problem, but the Denver RFID 18 signal is receivable at my location in Fort Collins

Paul Honeycutt
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 10:13am
My experience was just like Tom's. It was working fine until Friday night. I guess it was A6, I'm not sure what that means. We were watching a show and the scene froze so we turned off the set. I got a "No Signal" message on Saturday and have rescanned several times since then. When I scan it's like Channel 6 no longer exists.

Susannah
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 11:23am
Thank you viewers for informing us that the Fort Collins translator on RFID 47 is no longer broadcasting a digital signal. Our engineers will go to the site on Wednesday or Thursday of this week to assess the problem and work on repairs.

GE
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 12:57pm
Paul Honeycutt, et al.

A6 is Analog 6, D6 & D47 are Digital 6 and Digital 47.

A6 broadcasts on RF channel 6 from Lookout Mountain the Denver area. D6 broadcasts on RF channel 18 from Mt. Morrison in the Denver area (will show on your TV as virtual channel 6.1, etc.) and D47 on RF47 from Horsetooth Mountain in the Ft. Collins area. RF means the radio frequency of the broadcast.

All three channels may be receivable in Ft. Collins depending on your location. D6 is not at full power or planned height yet (completion projected for sometime in August 2009).

A6 will continue broadcasting till July 12 but will become a "nightlight" service on June12, i.e., providing only info on DTV transition, emergency info, etc.

6.5 is audio only - don't know if that is broadcast on RF47.

Paul Honeycutt
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 1:07pm
Thanks for the explaination. Glad we can help sort things out. I'm sure there will be some bugs getting DTV up and running.

William
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 3:35pm
Why don't you put this channel on 6 and not UHF. We get 6 not UHF. Is there something sacred with 6? We need VHF not UHF!

Vicky Marchino
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 4:18pm
I live in Longmont and I'm not receiving 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 with the digital converter box. I'm receiving the analog 6. Why am I receiving the analog and not the digital?

BOB
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 4:23pm
Well I live 3.1 miles from the Cheyenne Mountain D8 site. I only get piczelized digital signal and 1/8th of the sound.

DTV is a BUST for RMPBS. How long have you been working on this?
Channel 5 and 11 work just fine.

William
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 6:18pm
They want you to pay for cable or Dish or DirectTV; That way they get paid by those companies and they want you to pay them also. It ain't going to happen! I don't pay for crap on those services!

Careful Listener
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 7:25pm
Jean Muirhead and others, thank you for reporting the outage of reception in Fort Collins.

Susannah, thank you for your helpful response. But is it necessary for Fort Collins viewers to report an outage for RMPBS to discover that their equipment has an operational problem?

GE, I hope you are not one of the RMPBS employees. Your posts, while accurate, provided no help in identifying the source or resolution to the problem.

GE
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 9:04pm

Careful Listener

I am not a RMPBS or other television station employee in this market but was previously a television station engineer in another part of the country.

I have volunteered many hours in call centers, FCC walk-in help centers, etc., for all of the Front Range since November answering DTV transition questions.

The intent of my questions was to help identify where the problem was orginating while not adding to the confusion which is exactly what the engineering staff of any television station does to identify viewer signal problems.

Resolving these problems is not always easily done through a blog and I am sorry you feel my efforts were not sufficient.

Perhaps someone will step forward to further help these viewers that have questions.

Paul Honeycutt
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 › 10:26am
It's back!

As of 9:00 AM today I rescanned my converter box and I'm good to go.
Thanks for your help.

Transitions like this are not easy, there's going to be bugs and occasional outages. There's a lot to sort out, equipment to get working and making sure it plays nice with other pieces of equipment... Glitches, Gremlins...

Yeah, it's unfortunate when you can't get RMPBS, but it's minor compared to a lot of other things. Go outside and get some sunshine (or rain as the case may be...).

William
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 › 3:25pm
Why don't you call the channel number what it really is. Your not channel six digital. We need to know your real channel number. This whole change is stupid. When you go the a new frequency let the people know what the real channel is! In Denver what is it.? In Ft Collins what is it? We have the same problem with Channel 2! What is it? Channel 4 What is it? Drop your channel number if you don't have the correct number!

GE
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 › 4:47pm

A follow up to William's info.

On or after June 12, only three stations (not including translators or low power stations) along the Front Range will be digitally (D)broadcasting on the same channel radio frequency (RF) as from their analog (A) days.

In Denver: KMGH - A7=D7=RF7, KUSA - A9=D9=RF9

In Colorado Springs: KTSC - A8=D8=RF8

The two Denver stations listed have been broadcasting on their old analog frequencies since April 16, 2009.

All other stations will be broadcasting on differnet RF channel than their virtual channel number, e.g., RMPBS KRMA - A6-->D6=RF18. D6 is the virtual channel number and that is what will display on TVs in the Denver area turned to D6 from RF18.

In other words, you will "tune to" channel 6 like you used to in the analog days.

Bill
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 › 12:28pm
Like Vicky Marchino, I too live in Longmont and cannot receive either channel 6 or 12 digitally. I do receive them via analog. The other Denver stations (2, 4, 7, 9, 20, 31, ...) come in just fine w/my converter box.

GE
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 › 2:55pm
Bill & Vicky, et al.:

From another page on the KRMA Web site:
"In August 2009, KRMA will increase power of our digital signal from our site on Mt. Morrison from 315kW ERP to 1,000kW (1MW or 1 million watts) We will also begin broadcasting with a new antenna from the top of the tower on Mt. Morrison which, coupled with the increase in power should resolve most of the signal reception problems our viewers experience with in our coverage area."

This change at Channel 6 in August will probably resolve the problems.
Also, Channel 12 will go to full power sometime on June 12 on a new RF frequency (13) but with the same virtual channel of 12.

To receive the stations, you will need to perform a channel rescan.

12 has not broadcast an analog signal since January 5.

Joe in Erie
Friday, June 12, 2009 › 12:07pm
I live in Erie, CO and am using a digitla converter box. I hae never been able to get KRMA on any channel. All other Denver stations come in fine but I have een watching KRMA channel 6 on analog. Why can we not get this in Erie? As of June 13 I can no longer get my favorite station. HELP!

Alyn
Friday, June 12, 2009 › 1:52pm
Unable to use TIVO as the station carrying the broadcast signal doesn't carry programing information and the station carrying programming information have no signal. TIVO says it has to be fixed by the station doing the broadcasting. Has been a problem since the March 26 adjustments.

Any possibility of getting this resolved?

Alyn
Friday, June 12, 2009 › 1:54pm
Forgot to add in the post above that we're in Grand Junction.

Unable to use TIVO as the station carrying the broadcast signal doesn't carry programing information and the station carrying programming information have no signal. TIVO says it has to be fixed by the station doing the broadcasting. Has been a problem since the March 26 adjustments.

Any possibility of getting this resolved?

Zach
Friday, June 12, 2009 › 10:30pm
No longer receiving RMPBS down in the Springs. It just went out tonight. I have had no problem receiving the digital signal for almost a year now. What gives? This is not the only station with this problem. Rumor has it a lightning strike took out an antenna...any validity to this? If so, why not post the info on the website to help customers?

Eric
Friday, June 12, 2009 › 10:58pm
As of approx. 8pm Friday 8 and 8-1 went off the air in Colorado Springs. Is this my reception of is this your station? Has RMPBS changed the channel it broadcasts on?

GE
Saturday, June 13, 2009 › 12:32am
Zack, Eric

Perform a channel scan. Channel 8 was scheduled to shift virtual 8 from RF26 to RF8 on June 12.

dave eldridge
Saturday, June 13, 2009 › 10:16am
After last nights (Friday) lost signal i did a rescan this morning. Before 8.1,2,3 all were showing about 50% signal strength and today they all are around 98-99 %. Equal to KOAA in the Springs. Very nice.

Terry Medearis
Saturday, June 13, 2009 › 12:50pm
I used to receive the KRMA over the air. When I went to a converter box when 7 and 9 went digital a couple months ago I lost 6 and 12. I had hoped that I would get it again on June 12. I scanned for stations again, and I still don't get 6, but I do now get 12. I live in Longmont. I'm disappointed that I can no longer get channel 6. Terry Medearis

GE
Saturday, June 13, 2009 › 7:44pm

To Terry Medearis

See above
GE
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 2:55 p.m.

Tim Lenahan
Saturday, June 13, 2009 › 11:34pm
I just wanted your engineering staff to know that your digital signal is about 90% here in Florence, Colorado. I am using a medium sized UHF-VHF antenna mounted at 30 feet, with a Winegard 20 db preamp. All digital stations from the Springs come in here very well.
Tim Lenahan
Owner
Florence TV and Big
Screen Repair
Florence, CO
29 miles south
of Cheyenne Mtn.

Matt
Sunday, June 14, 2009 › 10:27am
I had no problem recieving the KRMA digital signal before Saturday using windows media center set to Physical channel 18, major 6. I live in Denver, downtown, Now it's gone, no signal, any ideas?

William
Sunday, June 14, 2009 › 11:51am
Sounds like a real good system! So many positive entries! I think you could stay on analog until your superduper transmitter comes on the air. I will just have to watch NET Nebraska on C-band big Dish. It's also in HDTV and 3 channels. We here don't get that!
RMPBS you might look at NET Nebraska and see what they are doing! Maybe you might want to talk to the tech people!

GE
Sunday, June 14, 2009 › 2:33pm
To William

All the full power analog TV signals left in nightlight service in the USA must be turned off by the end of July 12, 2009 per Federal regulations of the FCC.

Thus, RMPBS KRMA Channel 6 analog can not stay on the air in nightlight service past July 12, 2009.

Rebecca
Thursday, June 18, 2009 › 8:42pm
It's very disappointing that we cannot get the digital version of Channel 6 in Longmont, even after rescanning. We get all the other Denver channels (2, 4, 9, 7, etc.) in digital. Will we be able to get it after the boost in August, or are we now permanently without PBS?

June
Thursday, July 9, 2009 › 7:14pm
Initially, I received almost no channels digitally with my converter and antenna; finally did a re-scan and now get everything except Channel 6. Got a clear picture of Chan 6 over July 4th weekend for a day or two but now nothing. Any suggestions?

June
Thursday, July 9, 2009 › 7:16pm
In follow up to my last email, I live in Longmont.

GE
Friday, July 10, 2009 › 1:08am

To June:

From another page on this Web site:

"In August 2009, KRMA will increase power of our digital signal from our site on Mt. Morrison from 315kW ERP to 1,000kW (1MW or 1 million watts) We will also begin broadcasting with a new antenna from the top of the tower on Mt. Morrison which, coupled with the increase in power should resolve most of the signal reception problems our viewers experience with in our coverage area. "

In particular, the present very low height of the temporary KRMA antenna seems to be causing considerable reception problems to the north from Mt. Morrison which is west of Denver. With the improvements in August, more than likely you will have a good signal in Longmont. If you recieve Channel 14 now, you should be OK with Channel 6 come August 10.

paul
Sunday, July 12, 2009 › 10:49am
we live 8 miles east of the interstate east of ft collins in weld county. no signal for rmpbs. will the august improvements give us reception? we get all other denver stations at our current antenna setting.

GE
Sunday, July 12, 2009 › 7:09pm
To Paul

If you receive Channel 14 now, you should be receive Channel 6 when KRMA activates their new transmitter and antenna in August. Channel 14's antenna is on the same tower at a lower height and operating at a lower power than the new Channel 6 system.

GE
Sunday, July 12, 2009 › 7:21pm

To Paul

In addition to the previous post on 7/12/2009 at 7:08 PM, you should be able to receive Channel 6 (D6-RF47) now from the digital translator on Horsetooth Mountain west of Ft. Collins. However, you may have to aim your antenna in that direction (west), causing you to loose reception of the Denver stations.

Tom Seibert
Thursday, July 30, 2009 › 3:04pm
I used to get analog channels 2, 4, 6, along with the other analog stations. I get all former analog stations (now digital) plus a few new ones, but am not getting 2, 4 or 6 in digital. Rescanning does not work. I have a large attic antenna, but was wondering if these three are being broadcast from a different point and thus I need a second antenna to aim that direction. Thanks.

Linda in Viewer Services
Thursday, July 30, 2009 › 4:37pm
Hello, Tom. Channels 2 and 4 are on Lookout Mountain; Channel 6 is on Mount Morrison. Remember, RMPBS will be going to full strength on August 10.

GE
Thursday, July 30, 2009 › 5:24pm
To Tom:

Assuming you are in the Denver area, if you receive Digital Channel 31 (D31 - Fox) which is actually broadcast on RF (Radio Frequency) Channel 32 (RF32), i.e, D31=RF32, then you most likely should receive D2=RF34 and D4=RF35. You still select the legacy channel #. Both D2 & D4 are broadcasting at higher power at this time than D31.

Have you done a double rescan? Disconnect the antenna from the Tv or converter box and rescan. This clears the channel memories and no channels should have been found. Then reattach the antenna and scan for channels.

Also, read the blogs above from July 10 & 12 for more detailed information about Channel 6.

William Van Matre
Thursday, July 30, 2009 › 5:43pm
Too all of you! You need to know that 2,4,6 are not on VHF anymore. They transmit on UHF. The signal does not bend around infrastructures, Hills, Buildings! They screwed up when they assigned the frequency's to these channels. Sorry but they don't care!

GE
Friday, July 31, 2009 › 1:31pm

To Tom:

To clarify the above information, Channel 6 analog was on Lookout Mountain and their digital is further south above Red Rocks on Mt. Morrison.

Channels 2 & 4 had their analog on Lookout Mountain. Both of their digitals are on Lookout Mountinan. 2's digital will be (if not already) on the top of the same tower where the analog antenna was (it was lower at the same site). Channel 4's digital antenna is lower on a new tower further east on the upper side of Lookout Mountain than they were on their old tower .

However, if you are receiving D7=RF7, D9=RF9, & D20=RF19, you should receive D4 as they all are on the same new tower.

You may need to insert a signal booster amplifier between your TV (or DTV converter box) and your attic antenna.

Tom Seibert
Friday, July 31, 2009 › 2:34pm
Thanks for all of the responses. To clarify, I am in Fort Collins and receive all of the stations except 2, 4, 6. Since 7, 9, and 20 are on the same tower, I guess I will try the booster recommended, but don't quite understand why it would be required for 2 & 4, if 7, 9, & 20 come in loud and clear. Thanks again for all of the responses and I'm looking forward to the full power boost for channel 6 on August 10th. By the way, I did the rescan as suggested by GE.

GE
Friday, July 31, 2009 › 7:27pm

To Tom:

For Ft. Collins, RMPBS has a translator on Horsetooth Mountain. If you can receive its signal, it should appear as D6=RF47. In addition, you should receive D6=RF18 on August 10 (two channel 6s).

Higher frequency stations signals don't travel as far for the same amount of power. The FCC limits RF channels 14-51 to 1,000 kW.

Channels D2=RF34 and D4=RF35 are the highest frequency full power stations presently broadcasting from Denver (based on antenna location) to Ft. Collins. Channels D38=RF38 & D59=RF43 broadcast from a site east of I-25 near Dacona (southeast of Longmont) much closer to Ft. Collins.

Channels 2,4, 38, & 59 are all broadcasting at 1,000 kW. Thus channels 2 & 4 are most likely the weakest signal full power stations received in Ft. Collins.

GE
Monday, August 3, 2009 › 1:46pm

To Tom:

Oops! I forgot that Channel 50 (D50=RF51) is broadcasting at 1,000 kW from Lookout Mountain in Denver (Golden) just a few hundred feet away from the shared tower for 4, 7, 9, & 20.

If you receive 50, you should receive
2 & 4. 2 & 50 share a site but 50 is on a lower tower adjacent to 2's taller tower.

Wally Dickey
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 › 9:27am
I live in Westminster 74th and Decatur. I have an HD antenna and HD tv. Have aimed antenna precisely using google earth. channel scan does not pick up channels 2, 4, 12 and 31. Channels 6, 7 9 and 20 are fine. Can you help?

GE
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 › 4:52pm
To Wally Dickey:

D= Digital Virtual Channel, RF=Actual Radio Frequency Channel

Channel D4(RF 35) is at full power on the same tower on Lookout Mountain as D7(RF7), D9(RF7) & D20(RF21), thus, you should be receiving D4(RF35). All of the channels you mentioned are at full power and on Lookout Mountain except D6(RF18) which is on Mt. Morrison above the Red Rocks Ampitheater and D12(RF13) which is on Squaw Mountain below Mt. Evans.

There is really no such a thing as an "HD antenna" regardless of how it is marketed. However, if there are powered electronics in your antenna, there may be a problem within them.

More likely is that you need to perform a double rescan and/or use an antenna amplifier or outdoor (or attic) VHF/UHF capable antenna. See www.dtv.gov.

D2=RF34, D31=RF32

GE
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 › 5:03pm
To Wally Dickey:

In the previous post, D9 should be shown as RF9, i.e., D9=RF9

Jean Muirhead
Saturday, June 6, 2009 › 9:36am
As of Friday night, I cannot get HD TV in Ft. Collins. Any information you can give me?

GE
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 8:10am

Paul

Were you receiving RMPBS OTA on A6, D6 or D47 before Friday night?

Ashton
Monday, June 8, 2009 › 10:10am
The Fort Collins translator on RFID 47 has a problem, but the Denver RFID 18 signal is receivable at my location in Fort Collins