Comment Re:Obviously... (Score 1) 772
The only criticism I can think of for those who want to retain VHF for rural viewers is the fact that I can't remember a time in our pre-cable television viewing experienced when all 13 channels had content on them. I believe we had CBS on 2, NBC on 4, Local on 5, ABC on 7, Local on 9, Local on 11, and PBS on 13.
So we weren't using 3, 6, 8, 10, or 12. That's 5 channels that could be used.
Just because your rabbit ears or roof antenna can't pick up anything outside the 5 boroughs (you DO live in NYC with that rotation, yes?) doesn't mean 3, 6, 8, 10 & 12 don't have a presence within the NYC Metro area.
Head across the Lincoln Tunnel and down the NJ Turnpike and take a look at what you'll find on those channels less than 45 minutes outside of NYC.
3: KYW, 100 kW, Philadelphia, CBS affiliate
6: WPVI, 40 kW from Philadelphia. ABC affiliate
8: WNJB, 4.5 kW, New Brunswick, NJ, PBS
WTNH, 175 kW, Hartford, CT, ABC Affiliate
10: WCAU, 191 kW, Philadelphia, NBC Affiliate
12: WHYY, 309 kW, Phila/Delaware, PBS
WPIX-DIGITAL, New York City
Get the picture?
It's not feasible to allocate these guard-band channels in the NY metro area because of the inevitable interference problems that would unquestionably arise. Lets say you put LMR (Land Mobile Radio) on Channel 6 in NYC. All of a sudden, you get one killer inversion happening and users in that whole 6 MHz allocation get clobbered. Ooopsie! There goes the local sheriff's office off the air. And the viewers in Philly who who can't get a clear picture to watch General Hospital in the afternoon won't take too kindly to the hearing the "Engine 8, Ladder 12 respond to the Bus Depot for a report of smoke" either.
This is actually done on the lower end of the UHF broadcast channel rotation..shared with LMR in what's called the T-Band allocation. On those rare days that there's propagation in the 470-512 MHz region (rare but it happens), it can get messy.
In the near-term spectrum space will be at a real premium since, at least in major metropolitan areas, each regular over-the-air broadcaster will have two allocations, not one...NTSC and their digital signal. To wit, Channels 11 and 12 in NYC, as well as CBS 2 and 56 (D), Fox 5 & 44, etc.
So we weren't using 3, 6, 8, 10, or 12. That's 5 channels that could be used.
Just because your rabbit ears or roof antenna can't pick up anything outside the 5 boroughs (you DO live in NYC with that rotation, yes?) doesn't mean 3, 6, 8, 10 & 12 don't have a presence within the NYC Metro area.
Head across the Lincoln Tunnel and down the NJ Turnpike and take a look at what you'll find on those channels less than 45 minutes outside of NYC.
3: KYW, 100 kW, Philadelphia, CBS affiliate
6: WPVI, 40 kW from Philadelphia. ABC affiliate
8: WNJB, 4.5 kW, New Brunswick, NJ, PBS
WTNH, 175 kW, Hartford, CT, ABC Affiliate
10: WCAU, 191 kW, Philadelphia, NBC Affiliate
12: WHYY, 309 kW, Phila/Delaware, PBS
WPIX-DIGITAL, New York City
Get the picture?
It's not feasible to allocate these guard-band channels in the NY metro area because of the inevitable interference problems that would unquestionably arise. Lets say you put LMR (Land Mobile Radio) on Channel 6 in NYC. All of a sudden, you get one killer inversion happening and users in that whole 6 MHz allocation get clobbered. Ooopsie! There goes the local sheriff's office off the air. And the viewers in Philly who who can't get a clear picture to watch General Hospital in the afternoon won't take too kindly to the hearing the "Engine 8, Ladder 12 respond to the Bus Depot for a report of smoke" either.
This is actually done on the lower end of the UHF broadcast channel rotation..shared with LMR in what's called the T-Band allocation. On those rare days that there's propagation in the 470-512 MHz region (rare but it happens), it can get messy.
In the near-term spectrum space will be at a real premium since, at least in major metropolitan areas, each regular over-the-air broadcaster will have two allocations, not one...NTSC and their digital signal. To wit, Channels 11 and 12 in NYC, as well as CBS 2 and 56 (D), Fox 5 & 44, etc.
