I have talked with the local Ch 12 Engr here they plan to stay on VHF when they go all digital. From what he said, I believe most or all of the local VHF stations plan to go back to their VHF channel.
His reasoning was simple, they get much better coverage for the same power level on VHF channels over UHF. To get the same coverage on UHF requires much more power hence more expensive TX equipment, higher electric bill and higher maintenance costs. As far as freeing up spectrum, I think it is just semantics. Right now almost all stations are running two TX on two different frequencies one analog one digital. When they go all digital, the stations all go back to one TX on one frequency so half of the channel frequencies currently in use will be come unused and available. The fact that all those channel frequencies were already allocated for TV use prior to starting the digital conversion just seems to be forgotten in the propaganda. John Lock kf0m at arrl.net > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of MCH > Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 2:19 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: Off Topic (but with on topic > questions): NTIA propaganda > > > There is a DTV allocation in Harrisburg, PA for channel 2. > > Originally, they were all going to be on UHF, but that changed. > > Joe M. > > Dan Hancock wrote: > > > > It was my undeerstanding that all digital TV would be on UHF, no VHF > > and that the VHF spectrum would be re-allocated. > > Am I in error? > > > > Dan N8DJP > > > > --- In [email protected], MCH <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Has anyone else here seen the bull put out by NTIA on > > > https://www.dtv2009.gov/FAQ.aspx > > > ===================================================== > > > 1. What is the digital television transition? > > > > > > At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television > > stations in > > > the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to > > 100% > > > digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a > > clearer > > > picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for > > use > > > by emergency responders. > > > ===================================================== > > > > > > "will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders."??? > > > > > > The TV spectrum is being freed up by ANALOG stations and the SAME > > > SPECTRUM will be reused by DIGITAL stations. The only spectrum being > > > freed up by TV for PS use is on the 764 MHz + band. (two TV > > channels, I > > > believe) and has nothing to do with a transition to digital. The > > same > > > could have been achieved by simply moving those analog stations to > > other > > > channels. > > > > > > An analog allocation is 6 MHz. A digital allocation is 6 MHz. > > > How is digital saving spectrum? > > > > > > As there are some broadcast types here, maybe someone can explain > > the > > > technology used where X analog stations using 6 MHz each will be > > more > > > efficient by the same number of stations using 6 MHz each. Is this > > that > > > new math they are using? > > > > > > I would like to apply the same to 2M to get more spectrum out of > > it. If > > > I take my 16 kHz analog signal and make it 16 kHz digital, will we > > be > > > able to fit more repeaters in the band? (aside from the fact most > > will > > > have no users) > > > > > > Joe M. > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >
