My DTV DX via E-skip 2005 - 2007 (KVBC, WKYC, KOTA)

MY DTV DX VIA E-SKIP 2005 - 2007

Receivers used for DTV DX on this page:
• USDigital (Hisense) DB-2010 Set-top box (2005-2006)
• Radio Shack Accurian 16-3499 Set-top box (2005-2006)
• RCA ATSC-11 Set-top box (2006-2009)

Doug Smith (W9WI) comments on incorrect PSIP program data

Doug Smith is a professional TV engineer and a DXer. His comments are from the Worldwide TV-FM DX Association wtfda e-mail list. Thanks to Doug and WTFDA.
"The Program Map Table (which includes the PSIP ID) is transmitted a lot more often than the MGT. (which includes the program guide) Video frames aren't sent as often as the PMT but a lot more often than the MGT. I think that would correlate with your observation -- the KTBS program guide information would remain in memory and would be displayed for any station whose Major Channel Number is 3, until overwritten by guide information transmitted by some other "channel 3" station.

(I'm in the interesting situation of having my STB believe channels 5-1 and 5-2 are RF channel 56 - the two subchannels of WTVF - while 5-3 is WMC-52's implementation of the NBC weather channel...)"

Doug maintains a complete, up-to-date list of TV stations (including DTVs).

KVBC-DT-2 Las Vegas received via Es in north Louisiana

Program and System Information Protocol data (PSIP) received via Es on May 13, 2005; May 20, 2005; May 26, 2005; June 17, 2005

Video decoded via Es on May 29, 2005 and December 21, 2005

Distance at my location in Shreveport, Louisiana: 1238 miles

Date: May 13, 2005
Time: 2015 Central Daylight Time
DTV receiver: USDigital DB-2010 STB (from WalMart), connected to a RCA CRF900 RF modulator (from the Home Depot), Emerson VCR, RCA 13 inch TV.
Antenna: Winegard Chromstar CA-5254 VHF-only (sixteen foot long boom) at 18 feet above ground level.
Equipment used for analog reception of KNAZ-2 Flagstaff AZ and DTV snow: Panasonic VCR, Sanyo 13 inch TV, Finco Y10-2 ten-element channel 2 yagi (thirteen foot long boom) at 11 feet above ground level.

Step 1: Snow is mixing with KNAZ-2 Flagstaff. Note the KNAZ "2" logo lower right.

Step 2: KNAZ-2 is covered by snow.

Step 3: The DTV receiver has successfully scanned for KVBC-DT-2.

Step 4: KVBC-DT has been added to the receiver's channel list.

Step 5: The message that KVBC is "currently off the air" actually means the stations's signal is too weak to produce a picture.

Date: May 29, 2005
Time: 1330 Central Daylight Time
DTV receiver: USDigital DB-2010 STB (from WalMart), connected to a RCA CRF900 RF modulator (from the Home Depot), Emerson VCR, RCA 13 inch TV.
Antenna:Finco Y10-2 ten-element channel 2 yagi (thirteen foot long boom) at 11 feet above ground level.

This is the last frame (frozen) of a couple of seconds of video from May 29, 2005. While this is not a perfect frame, it was preceeded by several perfect frames. (Photograph published in VUD, 10/2005.)

WKYC-DT-2 Cleveland received via Es in north Louisiana

Program and System Information Protocol data (PSIP) and video received via Es on August 9, 2005; June 2, 2008

Program and System Information Protocol data (PSIP) received via Es on January 8, 2008

Distance at my location in Shreveport, Louisiana: 909 miles, which is average Es
Date: August 9, 2005
Time: 1208 Central Daylight Time
DTV receiver: USDigital DB-2010 STB (from WalMart), connected to a RCA CRF900 RF modulator (from the Home Depot), Emerson VCR, RCA 13 inch TV.
Antenna: Winegard Chromstar CA-5254 VHF-only (sixteen foot long boom) at 18 feet above ground level.

NOTES: The decoder is displaying program information for my local ABC affiliate, KTBS-DT-28 (KTBS-3). WKYC is running NBC's Days of Our Lives. In addition, the time is eight minutes late. The time is also courtesy of KTBS-DT, which was the set-up time for the decoder.

1208: PSIP received, but picture has not yet decoded.

1209: A few seconds of good video frames decoded.

The last frame (frozen) of the first frames.

With the PSIP data display turned off.

1210: A few more good frames.
(Photograph published in VUD, 10/2005.)

KOTA-DT-2 Rapid City SD PSIP ID received via Es on May 16, 2007 in north Louisiana
Distance at my location in Shreveport, Louisiana: 949 miles, which is average Es
DTV receiver: RCA ATSC-11, connected to a RCA CRF900 RF modulator (from the Home Depot), Sanyo VCR, RCA 13 inch TV.
Antenna: Winegard Chromstar CA-5254 VHF-only (sixteen foot long boom) at 18 feet above ground level.

RE-LOGS

KVBC-DT2 Las Vegas, NV
1238 miles on July 12, 2006

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