[AT] OFF Topic: 4 month Verizon WAR

[Howard Weeks]

When they made the change over from analog to digital, they moved all 
the old VHF channels up into the the UHF frequency range. That includes 
any channel that was on 2-13. UHF channels do not propagate as well as 
the old VHF channels. To make it worse, they lowered the transmit power 
on a lot of the stations around here in GA. They claim that each station 
license was engineered in such a way as to provide the same coverage as 
before.  That claim is basically a complete fabrication.

All of the local stations here continued to use their old VHF channel 
numbers on the air. That is certainly confusing if you are trying to 
optimize an antenna for their actual RF frequency.

Don't believe all the crap about "digital antennas" being required for 
the digital channels. If you have an antenna that is engineered for the 
new channels in the UHF frequency range, you are good to go. I have 
found many people that used outside VHF antennas before the change over 
trying to use them for the new channels in the UHF range. They will not 
work properly unless they were originally designed for both VHF and UHF 
frequencies.

Howard in GA

On 9/2/2015 7:46 PM, Ron Cook wrote:
> Farmer,
>       You are absolutely correct.  When the stations changed to digital,
> the reception went out the window.  Even the very close ones that you
> would rely on for severe weather information, will not work when the
> weather is bad.  Analog had ghosts and snow and static, but you could
> still receive a signal and could make out what you needed to know.  The
> broadcasters say it was mandated by the FCC, and it probably was, but if
> you follow the money, you will undoubtedly find that the final
> consumer(us) is paying for it one way or another.  It is NOT progress.
> It is getting screwed.
>
> Ron Cook
> Salix, IA
>
> On 9/2/2015 4:26 PM, Indiana Robinson wrote:
>> Of course you know that we are being screwed on TV reception now... About
>> 30 years ago I bought an old kind of large (for the time) TV at a yard sale
>> for $5. It had one of those old mechanical tuners. You know, it went clunk,