As I am typing this just after 11am, WRTN is now broadcasting on channel 8, but not as powerful as he was on channel 7. So, maybe he is still working on it. I will keep you updated on that later today. Also, right now, WNPT has not come on the air yet on channel 7. Even though WNPT went off the air on RF channel 8 at 7am this morning, WRTN didn't vacate the channel until maybe around 9:45am. So, they had to wait until WRTN went off the air to be able to bring their RF channel 7 on the air. That's all I have for you right now. I will post again once something changes.
Updated 3:43pm - WNPT finally started broadcasting on their new channel a little after 2pm. Now if you remember, they are not at their full power. It will probably be a few weeks until they are able to install everything and then power up.
Repack Update - WNPT and WRTN Update
- Posted July 3rd, 2020 at 11:15am
14 Comments
kpople@yahoo.com
- Posted on July 3rd, 2020 at 12:43pm
It's 12:40 PM and I show nothing on channels 8.1, 8.2 or 8.3. Thanks, kp
RFCCLebanon
- Posted on July 3rd, 2020 at 9:46pm
8.1-8.3 are back on cable here. Also, I noticed WCTE-22 is now "Central TN PBS" instead of "Upper Cumberland PBS"...I really like their new lower right bug.
itgrouch
- Posted on July 3rd, 2020 at 10:41pm
I performed the re-scan Friday afternoon. My TV skipped 8.1-8.3, but my two TiVo DVRs picked up the channels and new frequency, but with the reduced power, I do not get a signal at all. Hopefully, I will be able to receive them once they are back to full power.
gregsfc
- Posted on July 4th, 2020 at 6:53am
I'm only 7 miles from the WCTE PBS affiliate in Cookeville so no big deal either way, but I was wondering...since I'm eventually going to try and pickup VHF high reception; going for WSMV; I think they are at the same aiming point from my great distance to transmitting antennae, the power output levels for VHF always confuse me because they are so low compared to UHF transmitters...How does the final output and antenna heights of the final expected performance of WNPT on RF-7 compare relative to what we would consider high power for an average, high-power VHF station?
NashDigie
- Posted on July 4th, 2020 at 2:37pm - Edited
First, I can't tell you the difference between the power of a VHF high station and a UHF station, but I can tell you that when WNPT does go to full power, they will be going 212 ft higher and go from 8.17kw to 17.65kw. And second, I don't know if you know this or not, but given that you are up there on the plateau, you might find it hard to receive WSMV because they broadcast on channel 10, the same channel that WBIR broadcasts on from Knoxville. It might interfere with your reception of WSMV.
gregsfc
- Posted on July 6th, 2020 at 5:26am
Thanks for the info. What I meant about the power difference is that, at least it seems to me, every time I see a VHF output specification, it's in something like in the teens of kilowatts, and every time I see a high-power UHF signal reference, it's up near 1,000 kw. I know this is some sort of fcc thing, and there are technical reasons why this is so, why each band is allowed up to a certain power level, and I don't really care all that much about understanding the "whys" and "hows"; it's just that it's hard for me to relate the receive-ability of one compared to another based on these power output specs. I've previously had antennae set up once before where I could most-times, receive WSMV with a super-large VHF-only antenna (VIP-307). This was several years ago, but it was after the digital transition. Back then, I was probably getting WSMV 85% of the time and WNPT 15% of the time. For me to go after VHF once again, it's going to take some structural mast work first then the use of a UVSJ combiner, all connected along with the most powerful preamp on the market (the latter I've got hooked up now); I can't get much of anything without that preamp). I've got an untried UHF-only, yagi-style antenna in combination with my untried Stellar Labs 30-2476 VHF-high-only antennae to try out versus my single Antennacraft 8-bay bow-tie U8000. I'm just trying to gauge whether or not this is going to be worth the effort. I'm 83 miles from WSMV and WNPT.
itgrouch
- Posted on July 7th, 2020 at 9:51am
The reason stations that broadcast in the VHF frequency range do not use as much transmitting power as UHF frequency stations is that the VHF band is tightly spaced and their signals travel farther and can clobber other stations that broadcast on the same frequency. Back when they were on VHF 4, WSMV had to slightly modify their VHF 4 frequency so they wouldn't step on a station in Georgia broadcasting on VHF 4. That is the reason WSMV's power is what it is. I don't think I would put the time and effort in trying to receive WSMV or WNPT. You are on the extreme fringe of their signal contours.
kpople@yahoo.com
- Posted on July 4th, 2020 at 10:25am
I re-scanned at 10:15 AM (July 4th) and 8.1, 8.2 & 8.3 are back online for me. Mount Juliet area. kp
videohead311
- Posted on July 6th, 2020 at 5:40am
When WRTN was on channel 7 I could get a signal. Now that it's on channel 8 I can't get a signal at all.
botts_w
- Posted on July 11th, 2020 at 10:43pm
I live in southern Kentucky, I rescanned today and get channel 8 at 1 bar, so I am good.
botts_w
- Posted on July 17th, 2020 at 9:18pm
well now I don't have channel 8, the channel has been removed from my channels, tried rescan and no luck. I will wait a week and try again.
jimb2341321
- Posted on July 21st, 2020 at 10:42am
Looks like we have a new channel on 35.5 called cheddar.Website is www.cheddar.com
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