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UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Covers all of Northern Lower Michigan (from Ludington to Tawas northward), as well as the Straits Area and Soo Region.
jimh
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UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by jimh » Mon Jan 10, 2022 1:35 pm

I have deleted my original comments about UHF TV reception in northern Leelanau County because follow-on comments seemed to focus on reception in Norwood. I have no data to offer about reception in Norwood. Norwood is located in Charlevoix County, not in northern Leelanau County.

Readers interested in my original topic on reception of over the air UHF signals in northern Leelanau County can find the original article that began this thread at

https://continuouswave.com/radio/UHF_TV ... higan.html
Last edited by jimh on Wed Mar 02, 2022 11:00 am, edited 8 times in total.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by Ben Zonia » Mon Jan 10, 2022 1:48 pm

You are on the far side of the water from the transmitters. I doubt that the people over by Atwood have as good results as you do. There’s virtually always a shadow where the terrain goes downward toward the Lake.


"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."

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jimh
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by jimh » Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:10 pm

Again, since the thread topic has been shifted to reception in Norwood, I have deleted my comments about reception in Leelanau County.
Last edited by jimh on Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by Ben Zonia » Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:59 pm

My guess is that WWTV 9 came in fine in analog on those antennas. If CBET wasn’t there, you probably could get the analog all the way to Clarkston.


"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."

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statmanmi
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by statmanmi » Mon Jan 10, 2022 5:38 pm

jimh wrote:
Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:10 pm
...I have seen many old installations in northern Leelanau County that appear to have a CH-9 monoband yagi antenna on a tower of 30-feet or higher, pointed about 180 to 190-degrees, and I infer at those locations there were CH-9 signals obtained. But those sites were generally on higher terrain locations than my place. I don't think there is any hope for for a good CH-9 signal at my location close to lake level and pointing toward several tall hills to the South.
Hi jimh,

I'm reading with interest your reception report and this thread, mostly for my entertainment. I grew up outside Cadillac, and in the last 4 years installed UHF-only antennas near Charlevoix for both a cousin and my best friend.

The Charlevoix installs resulted in receiving the same exact signals as you. Neither family have sought out Dolby 5.1 to my knowledge, as I've not been asked about it (and I've become their "TV support guy", which is fine).

With you being on the shore of the bay, you likely can't achieve reception of the low power stations/translators close into Traverse City. They're the ones at 23-26 miles per your RabbitEars Result List. Possibly if you could receive RF25, the DRT ("digital replacement translator") for WWTV CH-9 servicing the "bowl" of Traverse City, it might have Dolby 5.1 implemented. I don't know.

In looking at your other posts, your antenna arrangement at your primary home is impressive. Regarding your Northport arrangement, my reading that you have 75 feet of coax has me wondering if adding a preamplifier at the antenna and aiming south might yield those low power/translator signals. From other forums I've read that the Televes brand is best at balancing strong signals and weak ones.

Regarding the older antenna installs that you're seeing around, I'll offer that not only would they have been for analog RF9, but also analog RF7 (WPBN NBC), whose transmitter location was by Harrietta, and presently listed on your Rabbitears Result List as the RF22 DRT site, utilizing the same tower. Decisions and business deals made before and during the 2009 digital transition brought about WPBN NBC's primary signal being added to WGTU ABC RF29's tower by Kalkaska. The AVSForum thread for the market and other sources are an entertaining read about what all transpired.

Cheers! ~~ Statmanmi



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Ben Zonia
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by Ben Zonia » Mon Jan 10, 2022 5:56 pm

When I lived in Genesee County, and CBET analog channel 9 used to sign off at midnight, WWTV analog channel 9 came in quite well just by rotating the antenna. WWTV caused cochannel interference to CBET all the time. Even the cable system had interference to CBET with a 250-300 foot tower and a 4 bay ten element channel 9 Yagi near Hemphill Rd. and Dort Highway. After CBET moved further South, they had to move the head end to the I-75 Exit 98 Holly Rd./Rattalee Lake Rd. peak elevation area. When WDRQ 93.1 was 20000 watts ERP at 500 feet HAAT, and 92.9 WWTV-FM/WKJF was at 100000 watts at 900 feet HAAT from the WWTV tower, you could hear WKJF with a wire dipole in the attic near Rochester, on a selective Technics Tuner. When both CBET 9 and WWTV 9 had signed off, you could often turn the antenna and get WGN-TV 9 Chicago, but just barely most nights.


"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."

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ftballfan
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by ftballfan » Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:48 pm

jimh wrote:
Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:10 pm
I also tested for reception on RF Channel-9 for possible reception on the 69-mile path from Cadillac. Using an 9-foot-long Hi-VHF Yagi at 20-feet above lake level there was no sign of any signals at my location. I did not test with the antenna in the attic because the long antenna is rather awkward to get through the small access hatch.

I have seen many old installations in northern Leelanau County that appear to have a CH-9 monoband yagi antenna on a tower of 30-feet or higher, pointed about 180 to 190-degrees, and I infer at those locations there were CH-9 signals obtained. But those sites were generally on higher terrain locations than my place. I don't think there is any hope for for a good CH-9 signal at my location close to lake level and pointing toward several tall hills to the South.
Those also would've been useful for WPBN (analog 7) and possibly WJMN (analog 3) off the back



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Ben Zonia
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by Ben Zonia » Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:21 pm

ftballfan wrote:
Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:48 pm
jimh wrote:
Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:10 pm
I also tested for reception on RF Channel-9 for possible reception on the 69-mile path from Cadillac. Using an 9-foot-long Hi-VHF Yagi at 20-feet above lake level there was no sign of any signals at my location. I did not test with the antenna in the attic because the long antenna is rather awkward to get through the small access hatch.

I have seen many old installations in northern Leelanau County that appear to have a CH-9 monoband yagi antenna on a tower of 30-feet or higher, pointed about 180 to 190-degrees, and I infer at those locations there were CH-9 signals obtained. But those sites were generally on higher terrain locations than my place. I don't think there is any hope for for a good CH-9 signal at my location close to lake level and pointing toward several tall hills to the South.
Those also would've been useful for WPBN (analog 7) and possibly WJMN (analog 3) off the back
Unless you are very close to a VHF Low channel, it won't work very well with a VHF High antenna. It would have far below zero dB gain over a tuned dipole. I did see it work on a Low VHF 15-20 miles away.


"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."

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jimh
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by jimh » Wed Jan 12, 2022 9:33 am

I have deleted by comments about reception in Northern Leelanau county as the thread seems more interested in reception in Norwood.
Last edited by jimh on Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.



jimh
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by jimh » Wed Jan 12, 2022 9:42 am

I have deleted my comments about reception in northern Leelanau County because the thread topic has shifted to Norwood.
Last edited by jimh on Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:17 pm, edited 3 times in total.



jimh
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by jimh » Wed Jan 12, 2022 9:47 am

I have deleted my comments about reception in northern Leelanau county because the thread's topic seems to have shifted to Norwood.
Last edited by jimh on Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.



jimh
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by jimh » Wed Jan 19, 2022 10:19 am

I have deleted my comments about UHF reception in northern Leelanau County because the thread topic seems to have shifted to Norwood.
Last edited by jimh on Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by Ben Zonia » Wed Jan 19, 2022 1:25 pm

LOS and terrain are quite a bit different on each side of Grand Traverse Bay.

Northport

https://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrap ... a80bab50c6

Norwood

https://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrap ... 5e2d312e77


"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."

-Author Unknown

jimh
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by jimh » Wed Jan 19, 2022 5:55 pm

I have deleted my comments about UHF reception in northern Leelanau County because the thread topic has been shifted to Norwood.
Last edited by jimh on Wed Feb 23, 2022 4:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: UHF TV Reception in Northern Leelanau County

Post by Ben Zonia » Thu Jan 20, 2022 2:36 am

I was just trying to show the difference in the paths in general.

Try putting in Northport and Norwood directly into the TV Fool application where it says "Start Here".


"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."

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