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If you’ve had trouble receiving KAKE’s digital free over-the-air signal, there’s a good reason. As of October 9, 2008 KAKE-DT (RF UHF Channel 21 – Virtual Channel 10.1) reduced its operating power from 850kW ERP (Effective Radiated Power) to 89.5kW ERP as part of the transition to our final digital RF channel. At 11:59pm on February 17, 2009 we will turn off this transmitter, on RF UHF Channel 21, forever. At 12:00am on February 18, 2009 KAKE-DT will be broadcast on RF VHF Channel 10 (Virtual Channel 10.1) with an initial power of 28.25kW ERP. Within a few weeks, KAKE-DT should increase to 56.5kW ERP, its final full-power allocation. Don’t be alarmed by the smaller 56.5kW ERP on VHF Channel 10, compared to 850kW ERP on UHF Channel 21. It requires more power on UHF to have the same reach as VHF. The coverage area of KAKE-DT will be as large on Channel 10, as it was on Channel 21. |
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Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE
Maynard: Please refer to my blog posting about our low-power (including Salina) and translator stations: http://www.kake.com/blogs/dtv/47840152.html Posted by: maynard Location: salina kansas when will there be a digital siginal in salina. have set up on two different systems with no response. When using rabbit ear antenna which direction should i point the antenna at Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Steve: Yes...on 4/4/09 http://www.kake.com/blogs/dtv/42506012.html Be sure you are trying on VHF channel 10...not the old temporary digital signal location on UHF channel 21.Posted by: Steve Location: Wichita We had been receiving the digital signal fine until about the time of the official changeover to digital only, now we receive no signal at all. Have you gone to the full power yet at 4/18/09? Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Please surf to www.tvfool.com, this is a great resource to help select and tweak your antennas. With the proper antenna (attic or outdoor...perhaps), you should be able to get KAKE-DT with no problems in Elbing and Moundridge. Salina, on the other hand, may be difficult even with a large directional VHF antenna, with a mast mounted low-noise preamp. We currently don't have a date when K51GC channel 51 in Salina will be converted to digital. However, when that occurs, that will be your best bet. Posted by: brian Location: salina we received kake dtv for a weekend, early in the dtv transition, but we haven't been able to receive kake for quite a while. Posted by: Ruth Location: Rural Elbing Hi, we are not able to receive KAKE or PBS (and today is 03/25). We have tried various antennas, amplified and nonamplified, different positions, etc. Occasionally KAKE comes in but audio and picture breaks up so much we just gave up watching it. Any hope or suggestions you could offer? We sure miss ABC and the Newshour on PBS! Posted by: Aaron Location: moundridge, ks I'm still unable to receive your digital signal. I have rescanned and it shows up but with no signal strength. Is there something I can do or do I just need to wait for your signal to get stronger? Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Kevin: The Terk HDTV S is an amplified set-top antenna. The problem is most likely the fact it is amplified. Since VHF frequencies are lower that UHF, you need a physically larger antenna to capture the signal, to start with. These small set-top antennas attempt to compensate for the lack of signal captured from the air, with amplification. So, they also amplify any noise received. This can block the ability of the tuner to pick it up, out of the higher noise floor. If you can by-pass the amp, it may work better. If not, you can try a <$10 set of VHF rod rabbit ears. As I've said before, I live 20 miles away from the transmitter at Colwich, and using the simple rods, I can get KAKE using a converter box, on two different TVs in my basement. Good luck. Posted by: Kevin Location: Wichita My mistake. . . I just submitted a reply to Mr. Prater regarding finally finding your broadcast, I was wrong. What I am seeing is being provided by my satellite company, so that may explain why it is not in full HD. That being said, I am back to square one. . . I can't find your broadcast no matter how many times I scan for it. Very disappointing to say the least. Posted by: Kevin Location: Wichita First of all Mr. Prater, yeah, I know there is no such thing as an HD Antenna - I apologize for my brevity in using the parlance of our digital time. That being said, I have a Terk HDTV S (UHF/VHF) HD compatible antenna. It picks up your competition great. I have finally found your channel, but for the life of me it does not appear to be HD. Yeah, there's a picture, but it's not very sharp and it's not wide screen. Have you ceased the HD broadcast since switching? I sure do miss Lost in full HD. I have actually had to start watching my favorite prime time shows online. I sure would like to hear something other than, "point your antenna another direction." Thanks, Kevin Keplar, Director of Technology Elliott School of Communication Wichita State University Posted by: Brook Mitchell Location: Moundridge, KS As of March 6th your signal is still weak. Your signal is tops 40%, compared to KSN 65% and Fox 62%. Have you already increased your power? If so are you looking to increase it, because it is not good. (Editors note: KAKE is still operating at 50% power.) Posted by: steve Location: hutchinson I live in Hutchinson, and ever since Feb 12th, I can not pick up channel 10 from my over the air attenna. I have rescanned every day and i cannont pick up channel 10. when you boost your power, will i be able to pick up channel 10 again? I hope so. steve Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Kevin: There's no such thing as an "HD antenna" that's a marketing label only. See my blog on that topic here: www.kake.com/blogs/dtv/15771967.html Make sure you have a VHF antenna. Set-top antennas with amplifiers also boost the noise floor, that sometimes blocks reception, since the tuner has a strong signal but can't clearly lock onto it due to the higher noise level and multipath. I'm 20 miles away from the transmitters at Colwich, and get KAKE using a VHF only dipole rabbit ears (<$10...two extendable rods) in my basement. The signal strength is better now than before on channel 21, using both amplifed, and non, set-top UHF loop antennas. The bottom line is usually the antenna. Keep tweaking! Posted by: Kevin Location: Lincoln & Hillside Wichita Since the conversion, I have not been able to get your digital broadcast - no more HD programming. I have an HD TV and HD antenna - the signal was great on the old 21, now nothing. I rescanned for the channel and it doesn't find anything from you guys. What gives? Posted by: mike Location: haysville ks i havr rabit ears ant. and your new digital signal fades in and out when you all make the switch will the fading stop thanks mike Posted by: debbie Location: hutchinson I get KAKE 10 now, pretty good, however it will now come in on the converter box. I've tried several times to scan it in. I get cannel 3 now really good and couldn't even watch it before. Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE FYI...If you can watch KAKE analog TV with a satisfactory picture quality today (2/4/09) you should be able to receive KAKE digital TV (via either a DTV converter box, or on a newer TV with an ATSC tuner), using the same antenna you have now, after 2/18, or soon thereafter. Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Cindy: As noted in this blog posting, we will change digital RF channels on 2/18...then we will increase to full power within a few weeks after that. You may also wish surf to www.tvfool.com to help tweak your antenna. Posted by: Cindy Location: Cowley County KAKE scanned into the Converter box but the signal is to weak to view it. Will this change????????????? Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Jeff: Please read my DTV blog posting from 2/20/08. www.kake.com/blogs/dtv/15819067.html It explains that it has been known, from day one, that stations had the option to return to their "old" analog channel after the cut-off. The cost of running a VHF transmitter is much less, due to the lower amount of power required for the same coverage radius on UHF. The good news is that some UHF antennas will also work on VHF-Hi (RF channels 7-13). Posted by: Jeff Location: Salina Jay, why are stations going back to their old frequencies? We all went out and bought UHF only antennas a few years ago and now are going to be burned. I don't see the benefit of going back. When analog shuts off some people who havent done anythign will be without TV. But others of us who have gotten "digital ready" are going to have to update our antennas again! Posted by: Jay Prater Location: KAKE Roger: All of these power reductions are necessary, since we need to modify our current channel 10 transmitter to switch from analog to digital. The good news, however, is that even our half-power signal on 2/18 should have a larger coverage area than today's channel 21 signal. You may try surfing to tvfool.com to help aim your current antenna for the best possible reception. Posted by: Roger Anderson Location: Inman, KS 10.1 barely comes in, if at all. Your blog says full power in a few weeks after 2/18. Some folks may not be able to receive your signal then until you go to full power?? |
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