Preparations Proceeding Along the Oregon Trail
July 24, 2008 2:56 PM
Today I thought we would take a look at the Portland, Ore., TV market. Two of our recent contributors to the original forum are from that area, Gavin Young and Going Grey. I have the lowdown on what stations have built their final digital television facilities, and who still has work to do.
KATU, KOIN and KNMT have built their final DTV facilities. They will all stay on the UHF band, with KATU on channel 43, KOIN on channel 40 and KNMT on channel 45. These three stations are all transmitting an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1 million watts.
KGW, KOPB and KPTV all will be reverting back to their original VHF analog channels.
The FCC has granted KGW’s application for post-transition digital broadcasting. KGW will use its existing analog antenna for post-analog operations. They have completed the modifications on the analog transmitter and on Feb. 17 will cease analog transmission and begin digital broadcasting at an ERP of 45,000 watts on channel 8.
KOPB has been granted a construction permit by the FCC for its post-transition facilities on channel 10. A new digital transmitter has been ordered, with an expected delivery date of Sept. 1. The antenna has been checked out, with good results, and the transmitter will go through a check-out in November. KOPB will cease analog transmission on Feb. 17 and will begin full DTV operations at an ERP of 32,400 watts the following day.
KPTV will receive delivery of conversion equipment for its analog transmitter in September. In November, KPTV will begin notifying the public of the station’s intent to reduce analog power to 66% of the authorized power in order to convert one of two analog transmitter cabinets to digital. In December, the station will begin testing the now converted digital cabinet. On Feb. 17 KPTV will cease analog broadcasting and connect the digital transmitter to the channel 12 antenna, with an ERP of 24,000 watts.
I will include here two stations in Salem, Ore. KPXG now is broadcasting a digital signal on VHF channel 4. KPXG has an application pending to move the digital operation to UHF channel 22 with a final ERP of 745,000 watts. In August, KPXG will bring portions of two co-owned transmitters from KPPX-TV in Tolleson, Ariz., and KGPX-TV in Spokane, Wash., to convert to digital operation for channel 22. KPXG will terminate analog broadcasting on Feb. 17 and implement full post-analog operations.
And, finally, KRCW is broadcasting on its final DTV channel 33 with an ERP of 750,000 watts. KRCW has a maximization application pending with the FCC to increase the power to 1 million watts ERP.
So there you have it. Those of you in the Portland/Salem area know what to expect in the near future concerning your digital television stations.
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Comments (10)
Sept. 13th 2008
KPXG is currently installing a New Thomson Paragon MSDC/IOT Digital Transmitter. We opted not to bring in used equipment for this installation. When we come on the Air in Feb. 09 it will be with new Transmitter and a new Antenna broadcasting from the Skyline tower complex in Portland, OR.
Tim R. Mance, Chief Engineer KPXG
Portland, OR
Posted by Tim R. Mance | September 13, 2008 6:37 PM
Hey Tim,
Thank you so much for the update! Good luck with the installation, set-up, and initiation of your full power digital transmitter,
Posted by mary... the cat ladyMMRts | September 14, 2008 1:55 PM
I hooked up my converter box last weekend so I could receive KPXG again. It used to come in terrible on Ch 22 analog, but alright on Ch 54, which seems to have been cut off near the end of October.
The downside: no Ch 2 (KATU), Ch 8 (KGW) or Ch 49 (KPDX), all of which are well received analog. Are they not broadcasting digitally yet?
Another downside: even though I have the display set to regular TV 3:4, some things are full, some are letterboxed, and sometimes 3:4 shrunk down with big black borders all around! (I'm not talking about Ch 10 KOPB, I know they're always letterboxed). I hope broadcasters get their act together soon, it sure feels like beta testing now.
Posted by Neomonkey | October 31, 2008 2:57 PM
Hi Neomonkey,
Here is the thing about the different formats the stations use... There is no standard. It is left up to each station as how their signal is received. On the good side, there should be a way to change to formats in the menu of the converter box. The bad news is that if you have one preference, you may have to change to format for each channel when you tune to a different one.
KATU is on its final DTV facilities on channel 43. This is where they will stay. They are transmitting an ERP of 1 million watts, so they may should be receivable to you. You might want to check the aim of your antenna. Good luck.
KGW is going to go back to channel 8 for the post transition channel. You probably will have better luck at that time for KGW.
As of right now, KPTV is on channel 30 butwill go back to channel 12. At that time, KPDX will begin using the equipment abandoned by KPTV on channel 30. So, if you can get KPTV now, you will be able to get KPDX after the transition.
If you have any more questions, just post back, OK?
Posted by mary... the cat lady | October 31, 2008 4:40 PM
Recently lost DTV reception for the ION network @DTV ch22 and have repeatedly rescannened with no result.Has your digital transmission been interupted? Anybody have an answer?
Posted by Raymond Hawkins | November 30, 2008 8:53 AM
Hi Raymond,
Channel 22, KPXG, will move from the temporary digtal channel 4 where it has been transmitting the digital signal and move to channel 22, the former analog channel. To accomplish this, channel 22 will have to make some tie-ins to the channel 22 antenna, remove the channel 4 antenna and transmitter, install and tune the digital channel 22 transmitter. These operations will reqire the need to power down the transmitters.
KPXG, channel 22 states in documents filed with the FCC that digital transmissions will start on channel 22 on December, 3, 2008. They are ending analog transmissions early to accomplish this. They also state to the FCC that this is permissible due to the fact that 100% of current populations served by the temporary channel 4 broadcasts will be served by the channel 22 broadcasts.
So, good luck on Dec. 3, and please let me know if you get channel 22 back, OK?
Posted by mary... the cat lady | November 30, 2008 10:27 AM
Hey! Mary the cat lady .....Recieving Kpxg ch.22 again.Digital KPDX 49 is gone now. Have 3 different recievers-none of them picking 49 up at all. Whats up with 49 ????? Any clue?
Posted by Ray Hawkins | December 29, 2008 6:55 PM
Hey Ray,
Glad to hear that 22 is flying through the air again.
The latest Digital Transition Report that I see is from October. At that time, they stated that once KPXG vacated the channel 30 transmitter, (which it seems they have done)they would install and test the programming path from their temporary channel 48 site to the post transition channel 30 site. This, according to the information filed with the FCC was to take place in December, so that may very well be what is happening.
What you may want to do is do an add on scan if you can with one of your boxes. This may allow you to lock on the channel 49 signal, which may well be on channel 30 at this time.
If you still cannot receive the station, let me know, and I will dig a little deeper to see what I can find.
In the meantime, I wish you and yours a very happy new year!
Posted by mary... the cat lady | December 30, 2008 3:12 PM
With regards to the reported problems receiving Ch 49 in Portland:
Just around the big winter Portland storm, my digital signal from ch 49 stopped. Argh! No more Simpsons at 6.
I thought it might be the antenna or something wrong with my new Insignia digital converter. Nope, turns out that KPDX had and is still having a power failure. The following is from their web site:
Status Of KPDX Digital Signal
Our digital signal is broadcasting at reduced power due to a power failure, however our analog signal is still being broadcast at full strength. We are working on a solution to the digital signal and hope to have it back at full power as quickly as possible.
So hang in there. By the way this antenna/digital converter setup is 10x better reception then the old analog blurry, double images. I should have done this months ago!
Posted by digital domain | December 30, 2008 5:53 PM
Hey D D,
Thanks for the heads up about the power problems with KPDX.
I am glad that you are happy with the reception of the digital signals. May I ask what kind of antenna you are using?
The picture quality of the digital signals is really far superior to the analog... qualifiying that by saying that is so, if you can get the signal.
I have a friend who lives a little northwest of Salem, only about 35 miles or so from the transmitters in Portland. He is down in a valley, and can only recieve 2 digital channels on his antenna that he has been using for years. He is probably going to have to go with an outside antena to even have a chance to get any more digital channels. So, yes it is wonderful, if you can get them, and I am glad that you are successful in doing so.
I would like to know what kind of antenna you are using, and where you are located in relation to Portland.
Have a very happy new year.
Posted by mary... the cat lady | January 1, 2009 5:26 PM