Analog terrestrial TV broadcasts

[paulg]

I am receiving one VHF (CH 6) and one UHF station in Chicago in plain, old fashioned analog TV. In Chicago it is METV playing old reruns. The other station is an ad for a local radio station plus weather forecasts.
During lunch I watched Petticoat Junction on my 1967 Admiral 9" using rabbit-ears.
Simply put, this means I can use any old TV with rabbit ears and pick up some TV stations.
Anyone else noticing this? If so, what channel did you find active?
Fire up your old TVs!

 

[epixstar128]

I don't have a old tv but my new tv with antenna i get 10 good stations in hd

 

[davey7]

What is Channel 6?

There wasn't a channel 6 in Chicago before the digital transition so I wonder what that is. Regular rabbit ears are what I've always used for digital signals anyways.

 

[ovrphil]

Same mystery here

Paul - I pick up a Hispanic station on analog, near channel 2 , I think. It comes in with alot of "snow", but on a portable RCA(hand-held) and larger portable, this station is not digital - did some TV stations continue to use analog? I have the same curiosity as you

 

[rp2813]

I haven't tried this on my 1950 Admiral, but I get better reception with a digital signal anyway.

 

[wayupnorth]

I tried my old RCA 12" black and white portable and got nothing but snow, just whats going on outside. I have a newer digital TV in my living room that will not pick up the 10 locals without the digital converter box boosting the signal. I have a roof top antenna for locals. I also have DirecTV for others. Seems lately it is marathon after marathon of reruns on every network on satellite. Getting very old when you are stuck inside every day.

 

[paulg]

Found some data

Wikipedia helped here. In Chicago, VHF channel 6 is currently active (see WKQX-LP) as is UHF channel 23 (WWME-CA).
Neither was active before the digital transition. (Chicago was 2,5,7,9,11,26,32,38,44,50,60,66 if I recall correctly). So therefore 6 and 23 are seemingly new to the game.
Picture quality and content is rather unimportant to me. I was just working on some old sets and it is nice to fire up the old sets and see... something.
Actually I was watching the travel times of the expressways on VHF channel 6 which was fun especially since the weather is bad here today.
The reason I want to know if you have analog TV running in your town is because I may be able to pick it up with the correct combination of amplifier and TV. In the days of old (before DTV) I could regularly pick up stations in neighboring states with an amplified antenna and certain TVs. TVs with four and five IFs would pick up distant stations which was fun.

 

[ovrphil]

thanks Paul - I'll need to do some research and see what comes up on that station...I miss the old analog transmissions, as I used to "dx" from S.E. Michigan and pickup some Ohio stations, and further north Michigan stations...unless you enjoy that kind of thing, and dx'ing radio (am/shortwave)...others might fall asleep reading this.

 

[danemodsandy]

The "Analog Shutdown" Wasn't Total:

The digital transition allowed for analog transmission under certain circumstances. Low-power stations, Class A stations (also low-power) and television translator stations are not under deadline to convert to digital. The rules about this are pretty complicated, I understand, but there are stations that do still broadcast analog.

 

[joeekaitis]

There are some low-power UHF repeaters in parts of SoCal to serve those out of reach of digital broadcasts.

 

[paulg]

Thanks for the info!

Much obliged for your info. I'll continue poking around the airwaves to see what I can pick up. My interest is piqued! At least it is something to do since I cannot go on the deck with my Transoceanic... unless I want to freeze my buns off.

 

[davey7]

Didn't we also have 23 (and 56 from Gary came in on the south side)? Ever so often I'd get weird channels from further away if the weather was just right.

 

[paulg]

I think you are right.

I totally forgot about the Gary, Indiana signals.
And you are correct - If the weather/signals were just right their programs would drift in.

 

[davey7]

Flat landscape

The one beauty of the flat Midwestern landscape is you can get signals from a long distance (course, you get them in hilly country too, sometimes).

56 is PBS and when they showed a block of classic Doctor Who episodes tripled their membership in one day.