Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-12 Thread Steve Strobel
But, I haven't seen any DTV tuner boxes with clocks and/or scheduling capabilities to tune the correct channel prior to the recording device starting up. Has anyone else seen one of those? (Other than building a home-brew DVR with MythBox or buying a similar commercial product...)

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-09 Thread AJ
Joe M: I can tell you right now that there seems to be far more CATV systems in the US that are far outside of the CLI standards than there are that are within the acceptable CLI standard. Our system happens to be one of the companies that tends to invest greatly in infrastructure maintenance

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-09 Thread Kevin Custer
John Sichert wrote: The best unit as far as sensitivity goes, seems to be the Channel Master CM-7000. Has this unit been tested side by side against the Magnavox TB100 and its variants? If so, how much better is the CM-7000? Kevin

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-09 Thread Mark
Joe, Can you provide manufacturers and/or model numbers so I can research further on these higher-end boxes?? Also, in regard to Chuck's comment about stations staying on their UHF allocation freqs, WBBM - the CBS affiliate in Chicago - is on Ch 2 analog and Ch 12 digital for now. WBBM will

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-09 Thread Mike Morris WA6ILQ
This page might be interesting: Consumer Reports side-by-side ratings of DTV converter boxes http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/tvs-services/digital-tv-converter/ratings/dtv-converter-boxes-ratings.htm Consumer Reports Recommendations and Notes:

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-09 Thread Paul Plack
It shows you where today's consumer is...RF sensitivity and immunity from overload aren't even footnotes. - Original Message - From: Mike Morris WA6ILQ To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 1:08 PM Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-09 Thread Kris Kirby
On Thu, 8 Jan 2009, Paul Plack wrote: The coupon site makes it clear that the coupons will come by standard mail, not first class. The postal service calls this Presort Standard. The more common dexriptor is junk mail. They're paying a reduced postal rate which frees the US Postal Service

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues- You can stop the thread now

2009-01-09 Thread Chuck Kelsey
The certainty of pushing it back is high? Your post is a bit contradictory. Unless Congress mandates that broadcasters keep both analog and digital active, my money is going to be on analogs shutting down voluntarily as a cost saving measure. It costs a lot of money to keep a full power TV

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues- You can stop the thread now

2009-01-09 Thread TGundo 2003
, Chuck Kelsey wb2...@roadrunner.com wrote: From: Chuck Kelsey wb2...@roadrunner.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues- You can stop the thread now To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Date: Friday, January 9, 2009, 6:20 PM The certainty of pushing it back

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues- You can stop the thread now

2009-01-09 Thread AJ
, Chuck Kelsey wb2...@roadrunner.comwb2edv%40roadrunner.com wrote: From: Chuck Kelsey wb2...@roadrunner.com wb2edv%40roadrunner.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues- You can stop the thread now To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.comRepeater-Builder

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Mike Morris WA6ILQ
I've got a different problem - 1) the folks that had this mobile home before me burned this address as far as the coupon database is concerned (I can't get coupons at this address). 2) They won't send them to a PO box. 3) The post office forwards my old address, but I can't use it - the

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Kris Kirby
On Thu, 8 Jan 2009, Mike Morris WA6ILQ wrote: 3) The post office forwards my old address, but I can't use it - the envelopes have a DO NOT FORWARD stamp on them. Call your congresscritter, or better yet -- arrange a visit to his office. -- Kris Kirby, KE4AHR k...@catonic.us But remember,

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Mark
I have the same problem here outside of the Chicago area... for reference, I'm about 60 mi SW of Chicago. I have three converters installed in my home to prepare for the transition - they are on TVs in non-critical areas, i.e., bedrooms, kids rooms, etc. I have DirecTV for the primary TV sets

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Mark
Mike, I know of a couple of people who were able to get around the address issue by adding Apartment 2 to the address, and using a different name (like a daughter, son, etc.). Now it looks like a multiple occupancy rather than a single-family home. But since the government is either out of,

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Chuck Kelsey
To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 9:55 AM Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues Mike, I know of a couple of people who were able to get around the address issue by adding Apartment 2 to the address, and using a different

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Chuck Kelsey
. Chuck - Original Message - From: Mark n9...@ameritech.net To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 9:45 AM Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues I have the same problem here outside of the Chicago area... for reference, I'm

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread John Sichert
Mike, The Echostar PAL unit has a good electronic program guide. A friend of mine has a problem with the unit locking up sometimes. (Could just be his) The best unit as far as sensitivity goes, seems to be the Channel Master CM-7000. It also has an S-Video output that the others lack. The

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread TGundo 2003
The bain of my existance the last few weeks.DTV. Several Points of order: DTV Myths, Comments, QA: I hear once a day: DTV doesn't work as good as analog. My Response (based on experience): Does not work as good is from a point of view. The fact is DTV is more effiecnt, the stations are

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Mark
Tom, Did we all hit a nerve?? Hehehehe Regarding the February changeover date - the FCC could still have set another date in June 2009 (or April for that matter - anytime when the weather in 2/3 of the country was a bit more tolerable) but *chose* not to do so. I deal with government on a

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Chuck Kelsey
-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues I do like the suggestion about the pre-amp - I may give that a try this afternoon (if it isn't too cold in my attic!) and I'll report my results. (BTW - mine is not a hardware store variety, it's a Winegard that I spent probably $70 on about three

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Jim Brown
My application for a converter box coupon was rejected saying that there were no more coupons available. 73 - Jim  W5ZIT --- On Mon, 1/5/09, TRACOMM trac...@yahoo.com wrote: From: TRACOMM trac...@yahoo.com Subject: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues To:

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Paul N1BUG
I TRY not to respond to OT posts, but boy am I fed up with DTV! I could get all the high power analog stations in my market snow-free with a small rooftop antenna. No go with DTV so I've been incrementally upgrading. I now have a very large antenna residing at 70 feet on one of my towers. Now

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread TGundo 2003
night! It does help. --- On Thu, 1/8/09, Mark n9...@ameritech.net wrote: From: Mark n9...@ameritech.net Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 10:02 AM Tom, Did we all hit a nerve

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread George Henry
/ WQGJ413 From: Mark n9...@ameritech.net To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2009 8:45:16 AM Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues I have the same problem here outside of the Chicago area... for reference

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Paul Plack
I have the Zenith box, paid a little more for it, and it works pretty well here in Salt Lake City. I'm surrounded by high mountaintop transmitter sites, so I didn't need much of an antenna. I just stuck a 12 piece of wire in the center of the coax jack on my two boxes, and I get all the locals.

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Nate Duehr
Paul N1BUG wrote: I TRY not to respond to OT posts, but boy am I fed up with DTV! I could get all the high power analog stations in my market snow-free with a small rooftop antenna. No go with DTV so I've been incrementally upgrading. I now have a very large antenna residing at 70 feet

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Mike Morris WA6ILQ
At 09:30 AM 01/08/09, you wrote: Hello Mike, Are you saying your address shows as invalid?. I ordered some for my sister (on line) and it allowed you to enter an actual street address and then it allowed shipping to a different address like her P.O. Box. My old adders is forwarded by the

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Nate Duehr
Here's something interesting I noticed. If the consumer (we're not people you know, we're consumers now...) had any type of Standard Def recording device that had its own tuner... It could ostensibly be set permanently to channel 3 (or whatever the RF output of the DTV converter box is) to

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread TGundo 2003
to the publicThat would have added $5 Tom W9SRV --- On Thu, 1/8/09, Nate Duehr n...@natetech.com wrote: From: Nate Duehr n...@natetech.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 4:07 PM Here's

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Mark
OK I promised that I'd reply back if I tried removal of the preamplifier. Well, I did and it resulted in degraded reception. Before removing the pre-amp, I could receive DTV channels 5 (with artifacts), 7, 9, 11, 32, 35, 38, 44, and 50. After removal, I received only 9, 32, and 50. So I guess

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Chuck Kelsey
: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues As an aside, I did notice that the DTV tuner itself results in a MUCH less viewable *analog* signal (remember, my boxes are pass-through). There seems to be a LOT of insertion loss attributable to the tuner.

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Henry Wingate
Just bought a Phillips DVDR3576H, has an ATSC, NTSC, QAM tuner, records to hard drive or DVD and has built-in timers. Also has modulator for output to ch 3 as well as composite video, component video and HDMI.Also upconverts to 720i or 1080i. May be more than you are looking for, but it is

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Mark
Already tried that with several lengths - in case the first one I tried was bad. And I did find a bad length, but it wasn't inline. Mark - N9WYS -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com On Behalf Of Chuck Kelsey Try a new jumper between the converter and the TV. Maybe

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Joe
I just looked at my TV converter coupon program letter and verified that they sent the card to my post office box. I got the card, no problem. Joe Larry wrote: Hello Mike, Are you saying your address shows as invalid?. I ordered some for my sister (on line) and it allowed you to enter an

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Mark
NBC Nightly News just had a teaser about the Obama Transition team wanting to push back the DTV switch-over date.

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Paul Plack
-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues At 09:30 AM 01/08/09, you wrote: Hello Mike, Are you saying your address shows as invalid?. I ordered some for my sister (on line) and it allowed you to enter an actual street address and then it allowed shipping to a different address like

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Dave Gomberg
wrote: From: Nate Duehr n...@natetech.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 4:07 PM Here's something interesting I noticed. If the consumer (we're not people you know, we're

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Nate Duehr
Mark wrote: NBC Nightly News just had a teaser about the Obama Transition team wanting to push back the DTV switch-over date… Maybe they should just do some more wealth redistribution to pay for a few more $40 coupons instead. Then they can feel the warm glow of accomplishment -- after

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread TGundo 2003
: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 6:32 PM At 14:39 1/8/2009, TGundo 2003 wrote: There is a Sony DVD Recorder/VCR with a built in ATSC tuner that can record DTV onto either DVD or VCR, Maybe you

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Kevin Custer
Chuck Kelsey wrote: I'm using the Magnavox converter. Compared to my HDTV, I'd say that reception is the same, only that the converter changes channels a lot faster than the tuner in the TV. Actually the converter has a longer run of coax than the TV. We are doing several digital to analog

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread no6b
At 1/8/2009 07:02, you wrote: Try this site. It's not perfect, but will give you an idea. I find cased where it says I'm well within range and I can't get the channels and some where it says I shouldn't and do. http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/markets/ Keep in mind than a lot of stations have gone from

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Gerald Pelnar
From the for what it's worth can: I had a talk with my son (RF engineer for several TV stations in the Florida panhandle) about this DTV stuff. Condensed version: Most stations are not running full power on there DTV yet. Preamps used now will have to be removed after full power due to front

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread Chuck Kelsey
-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 10:29 PM Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues Many stations will be going back to there original VHF freq's after the analog is down, so UHF transmitters are just temporary.

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread no6b
At 1/8/2009 08:02, you wrote: Tom, I do like the suggestion about the pre-amp - I may give that a try this afternoon (if it isn't too cold in my attic!) and I'll report my results. (BTW - mine is not a hardware store variety, it's a Winegard that I spent probably $70 on about three years ago.)

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread AJ
As someone that works in the CATV industry... I'm truly looking forward to the analog-shutoff in February... No more ghosting trouble calls due to ingress... Granted, those T/Cs will be less frequent but the problem of ingress/egress will still be present... Oh well :) I can tell you that

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread no6b
At 1/8/2009 14:39, you wrote: But, I haven't seen any DTV tuner boxes with clocks and/or scheduling capabilities to tune the correct channel prior to the recording device starting up. Has anyone else seen one of those? (Other than building a home-brew DVR with MythBox or

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread MCH
That would have added $5 Tom W9SRV --- On Thu, 1/8/09, Nate Duehr n...@natetech.com wrote: From: Nate Duehr n...@natetech.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 4:07 PM Here's

Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread MCH
That will be a loss for all RF users because where there is INGRESS, there is usually EGRESS, too (and often to the point it's not legal). Cable is supposed to be a closed system. As you said, the problem will still be present - just not dealt with as swiftly - if at all. The only ones who

RE: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues

2009-01-08 Thread ka9qjg
This will be My last comment on this, The Topic sure has run its course and Generated a lot of Valuable info that some may of not been aware of , It is one thing to talk about something New but another thing When people like on Here have actually already tried it and Experienced the Problems ,