DMA 130: Chico-Redding

[boylehome]

007-01 KRCR HD-----ABC-----Guide Data----D2.0
007-02 KRCR SD-----ABC-----Guide Data

009-01 KIXE HD-----PBS-----Guide Data
009-02 KIXE SD-----PBS-----Guide Data
009-03 KIXE SD-----PBS-----Guide Data

012-01 KHSL HD-----CBS-----Guide Data-----D2.0
012-02 KSHL SD-----CW------Guide Data-----D2.0

024-01 KNVN HD-----NBC-----Guide Data------D2.0 (was D5.1)
024-02 KNVN SD-----AWR-----No Guide Data--D2.0

020-01 KCVU HD-----FOX------Guide Data------D5.1
020-02 KCVU SD-----MYTV-----Guide Data--D2.0

[boylehome]

This station is using a Axcera Exciter/Modulator. The firmware version that is applied to the Exciter/Modulator is causing major problems with the ViP622/211/411 and can not normally receive the channel. The reception of signal has, 'Multi-Path' Symptoms. The signal reading range about 40 points. The signal will drop to "0". There is major pilexing and audio/video drop-outs. The 'Error 739' Constantly displays.

Respective to the ViP622, software version L366, using attenuation to get the signal around 68 - 74 will help in attaining normal reception with minor pixeling.

Respective to the ViP 622, software version L401, attenuation has no effect. Receiver will not work with this channel.

[boylehome]

Currently KCVU FOX for 030-01 & 030-02 have reverted to low power. They continue to work on the transmitter problem.

[boylehome]

Yesterday evening KRCR 7-1 began having PSIP/Muxing issues. The data corruption is so bad that my ViP Dish Network receivers could not lock or acquire a strong signal of 99%. The receivers show nothing for either the transmit number or channel number in, 'Local Channels, Add Channels.'

KCVU 30-1 is still having technical problems and continue to transmit at low power.

UPDATE 7:30AM: KRCR resolved PSIP problems, the channel is again mapping properly.

[boylehome]

FOX 30 digital is back to full power. Currently there are no issues with their signal, my ViP622 is working fine with the channels. Maybe this three month exciter problem is totally fixed.

[boylehome]

UPDATE: 05/01/07, KNVN DT seems repaired. There are no drop-outs or pixeling at present.


Locals on the Chico-Redding OTA HD forum at AVS are reporting signal drops for the above channel for the past few days.

In checking I am observing them and it may have caused my ViP622 to automatically reboot.

I've provided attachments showing picture distortion/macro-blocking

[boylehome]

They are running on low power and have been broadcasting on low power for the past week. Engineers are still working on the transmitter. It was working quite well with full power.

UPDATE: This morning they went back to full power for now. Quality is very good with no known associated problems.

[boylehome]

KCVU DT returned to full power yesterday afternoon. They finished installing some new equipment yesterday.

The signal is strong here, I'm about 54 miles from the transmitter located on Cohasset Mountain. So far the past problems with the exciter/modulator appear fixed.

Please post any problems that you have with this channel.

Also it is possible that the signals power may be decreased during testing phases.

[boylehome]

Yesterday afternoon, something happened with the stations digital channel.

Currently, all my ViP 622 receivers plus one HDTV ATSC tuner will only show a black screen with no audio.

Signal strength is strong. When adding/scanning the channel it is identified, and locked. All other OTA digital stations are working fine.

[boylehome]

06/08/07 around 6:00PM KRCR turned off the PSIP generator temporally because of the unresolved black screen with no audio problem. Testing has shown that at least some receivers are capable of tuning to the native channel, 34-1 where audio/video works normally.

The ViP 622 receivers can not work with this configuration as they are configured to work only with active channel mapping.

Hopefully the problem will be fixed sooner than later.

[boylehome]

Engineers at KRCR restored the digital channel just before 3:30pm today. It is currently working. Engineers will leave the channel as is for tonight but it is expected that the channel will be on and off the air through most of the day tomorrow.

[boylehome]

KRCR has added program data to the PSIP. They have also returned the sub-channel which is the SD version with same content as the HD channel.

To get the sub-channel with the ViP receiver, it is necessary to re-scan or re-add and save.

[boylehome]

Since L446, I've been losing audio on my OTA channels. I discovered that our local PBS station, KIXE, has something in their data stream that is causing audio loss to all the OTA channels.

Here is a temporary solution (Use the Add Locals, not Scan Locals):

Delete all your OTA channels. Add one back at a time. If it has audio, add another channel back, and so forth. Do this until you discover which channel doesn't have audio. You may have to tune to the different OTA channels after you add more than one of them back to see which one loses audio first. Once you determine the problem channel, remove that channel. Once audio is lost, you will have to do a power button reboot to get the audio back for the good channels. If you retain the problem channel and tune to it later, it will cause audio loss to all OTA channels again. A power button reboot will restore audio to the OTA.

Once you figure out which stations is causing the problem, you should contact that station let them know that something in their signal is killing the audio. Since these modifications, the problem has started.

You should also report the problem to Dish Network Tech Support.

Concerning the PBS station. They recently fixed the closed captioning and they also added a new device to generate their logo/watermark at the bottom of screen for their local programming.

[boylehome]

Has been operating on low power because of transmitter problems but lost low power too. They are expecting to be back on the low-power airwaves today. It will be a few days before full power is restored.

[boylehome]

I discovered that KCVU is back to full power. They were pumping full power early this AM. I hesitated on reporting until now. They are still at full power!

Since my last post, they pretty much maintained low power and were off the air on several occasions.

I hope they keep running smoothly for a long, long time.

[savecal]

I discovered that KCVU is back to full power. They were pumping full power early this AM. I hesitated on reporting until now. They are still at full power!

Since my last post, they pretty much maintained low power and were off the air on several occasions.

I hope they keep running smoothly for a long, long time.

This morning, I just checked, and they are back! As you said, "I hope they keep running, etc.........

[boylehome]

This morning, I just checked, and they are back! As you said, "I hope they keep running, etc.........Well, so far so good. It has been a few days and they are still at full power. I'm not having any signal problems with them.

[boylehome]

Last week KIXE switched off their analog broadcast transmitter for good. Yesterday, 08/22/08, they started transmitting digital on VHF 09.

They report that the new transmitter would be at, "Full power," but the signal readings low. I think that they have some tweaking to accomplish.

When they switched off analog, they did get several phone calls from concerned viewers. KIXE consists of a 720p main channel and two sub-channels. During their normal broadcast day, the HD channel is ran at 480i as are the two sub-channels.

[boylehome]

KCVU FOX 30 is now KCVU FOX 20. They changed their mapping to the actual transmit channel.

KNVN NBC 24 was broadcasting digital from UHF36. Today they started transmitting digital from UHF24.

KHSL CBS is now moving to full time digital and are only providing notification for digital channel on the analog channel. They are transmitting on UHF43, still mapping down to 12.

KCVU, KHSL and KNVN have pretty much completed the Flash Cut, CBS 12 & Fox 30 are still broadcasting in analog only with a message of their digital change with no other programming. KNVN is just snow.

[boylehome]

06-12-09 about midnight, KRCR switched to their new digital channel VHF07 forever leaving analog. UHF 34 is no longer in use.

KHSL is providing the Redding area with a retransmission of their Cohasset transmitters signal through translator channel UHF36, located atop South Fork Mountain.

KIXE is providing the Lakehead area with a retransmission of their Bally transmitters signal through translator channel UHF14, located atop Sugarloaf Mountain.

[savecal]

As of today (6-15-09) I'm getting excellent signals on all of the major networks except Fox (020-01 KCVU-DT & 020-02 KRVU-SD). I was getting marginal strength up until about a week ago, but now, even after rescans on my two systems, I get nothing. I called the station this afternoon, but the engineer was not there, so I'll try tomorrow morning.

[boylehome]

Savecal,

I'm getting KCVU 20 with no problems. The signal is somewhat less than KHSL 43. The signal has maintained the same strength for a very long period of time.

If all other channels are good, then it is doubtful that it is the antenna system unless you have a pre-amp or other device that might introduce noise on that channel. There are some problems with different receivers which makes me wonder if your receiver is part of the problem.

[savecal]

As of this morning, I'm now receiving Fox with a good signal on one system and marginal on the other (both are amplified antennae), so I can only guess that the power had been dropped when I was checking yesterday, but thanks Boylehome for the input. I'm up by Mary Lake, so I'm lucky to get anything, I guess!

[boylehome]

My mother-in-law lives off Ridge Dr. just South of Woodlawn St. To my amazement, after installing her antenna system, there are poor (but usable) signals for KCVU and KHSL with the antenna aiming at Cohasset. CEA data shows no signal for either channel at her geographical location. She gets KHSL a little stronger than KCVU. I don't think that KCVU has changed their signal power. I wonder if you are in a path of new RF interference or if there is now new development/construction on the hill between you, Placer St., and Cohasset Mountain? KCVU is about 100 foot lower in elevation than KHSL.

It might not hurt to try and test the signal by moving the location of your antenna at different spots, or raising/lowering the antenna on the mast to different heights in hopes of a better signal.

I'm speculating but there is a chance that KCVU could start rebroadcasting their digital signal from the repeater on South Fork Mountain in the near future. This would cure the problem for you totally.