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Retro TV WHNE

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
blizzard
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Retro TV WHNE

Post by blizzard » Fri Apr 03, 2020 1:22 pm

Image
Hey Detroit, Michigan! WHNE Detroit is back and better than ever! Tune in to 3.7 to enjoy your favorite Retro Television programs today.
:hat



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windsor
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by windsor » Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:18 pm

Too bad a lot of the metro cant receive it now...……….. :barf


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tvbobn
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by tvbobn » Fri Apr 03, 2020 10:35 pm

windsor wrote:
Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:18 pm
Too bad a lot of the metro cant receive it now...……….. :barf
If a lot of metro can't receive WHNE, then they need to get an antenna that's capable of receiving a Low VHF signal. People have been spoiled into thinking they can watch TV with a tiny little mouse pad size antenna stuck to the wall inside their house. Remember when most everyone had antennas on their roofs? I know, close-in people could use rabbit ears, but most people had outside antennas back in the day.

It you don't like $150 a month cable bills and want to get 60+ channels of free TV in Detroit, you might want to consider spending $50 bucks or so for a new antenna!

WHNE's coverage area is bigger now than it was on UHF. Anyone that can't get it, has to realize that it's because of their own home antenna and not the stations fault.


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szmigiel
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by szmigiel » Sat Apr 04, 2020 8:05 am

Of course last fall Retro TV announced "Big Things on the Horizon" on https://www.myretrotv.com/ and we are still waiting to find out what those changes are. Is it more old Canadian shows? time will tell.



static1701
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by static1701 » Sat Apr 04, 2020 9:15 am

Do you know where we can buy a low vhf antenna these days? They are all discontinued.



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Splouge
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by Splouge » Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:41 am

szmigiel wrote:
Sat Apr 04, 2020 8:05 am
Of course last fall Retro TV announced "Big Things on the Horizon" on https://www.myretrotv.com/ and we are still waiting to find out what those changes are. Is it more old Canadian shows? time will tell.
Old Canadian shows hopefully means Red Green! Even though it already airs on Heartland.


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MWmetalhead
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:01 pm

I blame the FCC!

Power levels for the vast majority of VHF signals are far too low. Class A broadcasters using VHF-lo should be allowed 15 kW.

Most people are not going to spend time, money and energy on an outdoor antenna. The equipment itself might be inexpensive, but the install is an incredible pain in the neck! Most people will need to hire a professional. Many people do not have TVs positioned near an outer wall.

Unfortunately, UHF signals thanks to the FCC and modern indoor antenna design are now easier to pick up than VHF signals.

When WJBK was temporarily using a sidemount and only 15 kW, they were quite difficult to pick up on a basement TV using rabbit ears. That was a VHF-hi signal using physical channel 7! At the time, I lived about 11 miles from the Fox 2 tower. The living room TV could pick up the signal with only minor effort.

P.S...I just tried the old school aluminum foil trick. Wrapped some aluminum foil around the top ten inches or so of the rabbit ears and allowed some to protrude past the top by a couple inches, too. It did result in some minor signal strength improvement! My 20 dB reading improved to about 23 dB.

The rabbit ears on the below antenna extend to about 40 inches, which is twice the length of many VHF/UHF indoor set top antennas currently on the market:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/rca-indoor ... Id=3789153



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windsor
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by windsor » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:22 pm

Yes, in a way I blame WHNE bc they were too late to the repack freq allotment applications.What were they thinking ???

WHPS,WLPC,WUDT and WUDL have better slots why??? WHNE has a lot more to lose since they have the better diginets than the other low power channels.Since WUDT is only one channel Daystar a channel share would have been much more feasible for everyone imo on RF8.

How long till Get TV or Light TV says bye bye???

If you look at the signal map even Detroit City isn't even in the green area.

I agree with MW a lot of folks are not going to run out for a new antenna, a loss of a lot of viewership.

Because Im in the yellow I might have to get a Antop 400BV antenna that has low vhf capability putting me back $180-200 bucks.Nice :horns


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MWmetalhead
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:39 pm

You cannot just look at the channel position. Some of the stations you mentioned broadcast from much lower antenna heights or are forced to use severely directional patterns.

WUDL has been entirely unreceivable at my house since Phase 8 of the repack. That's despite the fact about 7 kW of juice is being sent in my direction. Eastbound, WUDL's signal transmission is next to non-existent!

https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&appid= ... acid=67923

WUDT (Daystar) hasn't moved yet. They are still using physical channel 23.

WLPC's antenna is atop the Ren Cen on downtown Detroit's riverfront. I've been able to pick up the station a grand total of one time over the past year.

So, while reception of WHNE has become increasingly difficult, I'm not so sure I'd go so far as to say their facilities are inferior to those of WUDT, WLPC and WHPS.



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windsor
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by windsor » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:56 pm

Speaking of WLPC, at their old freq RF40 never could snag them but now at RF28 I get them no prob. I didn't know theyre antenna was atop of the RenCen…..Nothing of any value on there though. Nothing can match WHNE for channels of the LP's.

Only LP not rec is WUDL at their new freq I think co channel with Global TV is doing a number on them my way.


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MWmetalhead
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:59 pm

Are you able to pick up WDWO, channel 18?

I'm only asking because you didn't mention that station specifically earlier.



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windsor
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by windsor » Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:08 pm

Yes WDWO comes in very good for me, forgot about that one, sorry.

Also early morn WLNS/WLAJ come in like gangbusters on RF14 till about 9am, then I lose it.Probably tropo but check it out when you can.


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CK-722
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Channel 3 Dipole

Post by CK-722 » Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:34 pm

If mounted outside, on any kind of support pole you might have, like a flag pole, vent pipe mounting brackets and a short piece of PVC pipe, and you are close enough, this might work. Use it on a single TV, directly with no splitter, with a short piece of 75 ohm cable. You might want to make the elements 5% longer (about 3 MHz) to make the maximum gain/least loss straddle 60-66 MHz for Channel 3. Remember, measure at least twice, cut once. Cut a little longer if in doubt. You can always cut a little off. Orient toward the Southfield Oak Park Royal Oak Township antenna farm, broadside, either side toward it.

http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/tv.htm

From Brian Beezley's k6sti site.

Image

I was never a H*** Star Trek fan, but there was some sage advice when Scotty said, "You cannot change the Laws of Physics", and non technical broadcasting people are where this false "UHF propagates better than VHF" lie began. Close by, in buildings, yes. Terrain and Earth Curvature, absolutely not. But you need a larger aperture for High VHF, even more for Low VHF.

I experimented with aluminum foil on rabbit ears in my room on the second floor of my home in Genesee County. I had a very sensitive monochrome Magnavox tube type TV. I was about 40-45 miles away, over the ski hill terrain, and WJBK-TV 2 and WWJ-TV/WDIV 4 came in quite clearly with barefoot rabbit ears. WXYZ-TV 7 came in fairly well. I found that the aluminum foil only worked better on Channel 2. If the rabbit ears are sufficiently long, it won't help much, if at all.
Last edited by CK-722 on Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:19 pm, edited 4 times in total.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

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Splouge
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by Splouge » Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:49 pm

MW, 15 kW is too high for low VHF. At 6.5 kW 483 ft, WHNE is received in Capac, 37 miles away, near the very edge of the 35 dBu (the city grade strength level set by the FCC) contour. Indoor coverage here in Melvindale.

This is what WHNE's pattern would be at 15 kW:

https://www.rabbitears.info/pattern.php ... 321&erp=15

Also, WHNE will be decreasing from 6.5 to 3 kW on April 17. If you already receive them, and you want to know if you'll be able to receive WHNE after this switch, you can use a splitter to introduce an attenuation of -3.5 dB, this is the maximum dB difference in WHNE's 6.5 and 3 kW antenna arrays. I still receive it indoors in Melvindale with the splitter.


"Wanna watch some syndicated slop with very little budget or entertainment value? You got it buddy!"

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CK-722
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Re: Retro TV WHNE

Post by CK-722 » Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:10 pm

My advice is, only worry about feeding your main TV. No splitters. The LEAST loss from a splitter is 3.5 dB. Many splitters are even worse. Put up a second antenna a few wavelengths away for another TV.

If someone can describe exactly how to cut the cable and braid and center conductor to feed the dipole with 75 ohm cable with minimum loss, please do, you can minimize further losses. RG-59 would be OK for Channel 3. The shorter the better for any transmission line.

Only use a preamp if you have to, unless you have a signal well above the noise figure of the preamp.
Last edited by CK-722 on Sat Apr 04, 2020 2:27 pm, edited 3 times in total.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.

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