----- Start Original Message ----- Sent: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:28:29 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom S <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Swlfest] DTV
> --- Steve Coletti wrote: > > >> 5 - Are the scanner scum reaping the benefits of > this change? > > <snip> > > 5 - Maybe yes and maybe no. Most of the no longer used > VHF TV frequencies will be turned over to public > safety, unfortunately for the scanner scum most will > be digital. << > > Steve; > > As much as I would like to be able to say this is true > from my perspective of employment in the public safety > field, sadly it is not. > > The portion of spectrum going to public safety and > business and heaven knows who all else is the upper > portion of the UHF-TV band (channels 52-69) between > 698 and 806 MHz. > > Analog and P25 digital are permitted in the voice > portion of the band for interoperability, and I expect > the vast majority of fixed digital systems will be P25 > as well. We all already have P25 scanners, so we're > all set. > > The VHF-TV spectrum will actually still be available > for broadcasting, and I fully expect DTV broadcasting > to pop up there. Also, the FCC has elected to permit > low-power and some unlicensed broadcasting on the TV > channels (except for channels 2-4 and 37) after > February 2009, so while some of the rulemaking details > remain to be worked out, don't be at all surprised to > see a new crop of analog LPTV and indie broadcasters > popping up after DTV Day. > > And you all thought TV-DXing would be a thing of the > past.... > > Tom WA8PYR > > PS - BTW, I just want everyone to know that while I > was unable to attend this year (and was stuck at home > in a blizzard, no less), that didn't stop me from > cracking a couple of beers and toasting the 'Fest on > Saturday evening. Hello, A long time TV Dxer I know out in Macomb, IL does Digital TV in a big way. http://pages.cthome.net/fmdx/hdtv.html I was able to get a few HDTV stations via Tropo but do not have a great setup. At the 2007 fest someone showed me the AutumnWave USB HDTV receiver and TSReader. I also knew of the program and author from MPEG-2 Satellite and decided to get the AutumnWave OnAir GT last year. http://www.coolstf.com/ http://www.autumnwave.com/ One advantage of looking at the data stream is the call and city is specified in the data. I found one station where it was wrong. I brought it up to the CIDX Cookout and found out at this last Fest that it caused some interest in HDTV. Due to TV stations still in the 700 MHz band in the Northeast there are no radio systems in the area. I am aware of a few Business systems in Texas and Oklahoma. The transition to DTV was a good time to restructure Television and put it all on UHF. I doubt there will be room. In most cases the TV station can do digital on their old analog channel or stay on the digital channel after analog goes away. There is some talk at taking TV Channel 6 and allowing Low Power FM there but the handful of TV Stations on Channel 6 after the switch will likely kill it. 73 Eric _______________________________________________ Swlfest mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/swlfest To unsubscribe: Send an E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], or visit the URL shown above. For more information on the Fest, visit: http://www.swlfest.com http://swlfest.blogspot.com
