ATSC hand held TV

[Chip Fetrow]

Item 1, though it wasn’t your item 1, 8VSB does not deal with a mobile receiver well at all.  Right now, some broadcasters are looking at ways to give up picture quality or additional video feeds to try to make mobile reception better, with only a little success.  COFDM would have been a much better idea, but he Grand Alliance didn’t think mobile reception was a big deal.  Apparently they didn’t bother to speak with the installers of mobile video systems that used NTSC and satellite TV.  Frankly, let me write — IDIOTS!

Interestingly, 8VSP does play well with other things in the 6 MHz channel.  WPVI, Channel 6, and Channel 6 RF, in Phili did a hot cut to Channel 6, and is still there today.  They ran an FM transmitter at 88.75 MHz, or there abouts, after the cut.  They had encouraged people to listen to them on 88.7 MHz in their cars.  Close enough to 88.75 back in the days of NTSC.  Hell, I used to listen to them, and also Channel 6 out of Richmond, VA while on the road.  There were some inquiries to and from the FCC about the legality, and the FCC basically said, “Um, we don’t know, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea to us.”  I am sure that was some low level lackey, but they shut it down.

However, there a all kinds of applications for LPTVs on Channel 6 all over the country.  In the industry, they are called Frankinn FMs.  I don’t recall the exact date but those low power TVs and translators are going to be forced to go to ATSC so it won’t last forever.

OK, #1, mobile sucks.

#2, the current chip sets for ATSC are very much power hogs.  I also have a Auvio potable.  It works GREAT, when you can see the transmit antennas, like outside Hara, but I get nothing in Sterling.

#3, though you didn’t ask.  WUSA hot cut back to Channel 9, and WJLA hot cut back to Channel 7.  Neither have worked well.  In DC you must have a VHF-highband antenna in addition to UHF.

Of course CBS stayed on 2 in Chicago.  Just guess how well that is going!!!  Noise at Lowband just rips 8VSB a new….  Highband too, but to a lesser extent.

I could go on a rant, but I won’t.

—chip

On Apr 27, 2014, at 1:00 PM, tacos-request at amrad.org wrote:

> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2014 15:49:20 -0400
> From: Richard O'Neill <richardoneill at earthlink.net>
> To: tacos at amrad.org
> Subject: Re: ATSC hand held TV
> 
>  Alex, I have some experience using a little 3.5" Auvio battery 
> operated digital TV, mostly sitting (not driving) in my car and while 
> camping. Using the built-in antenna I don't receive much in the Waldorf, 
> Maryland area either. The tiny whip antenna isn't very good at capturing 
> low power digital transmissions unless very close to the station's 
> antenna. Fortunately my TV has antenna, earphone and external power 
> jacks. When connected to an old RCA 'flying saucer' amplified antennas I 
> currently receive more than 40 channels from DC, Va and Baltimore area 
> broadcasts.
> 
>  I've also had very good reception when connected to an indoor VHF-UHF 
> amplified antenna while in my camper van, stopped for the night near 
> large cities such as Indy and St. Louis. One of the biggest drawbacks to 
> these little sets is their hefty power consumption. My Auvio TV runs on 
> AA cells but I power it from a 6V, 7AR gel cell. It eats AA cells much 
> too fast. The antenna amp is powered from the car's 12 cigarette lighter 
> socket while the antenna sits on the van's dash or roof. I haven't tried 
> reception while moving but past experiments with analog TV suggest 
> reception would most likely be poor to unwatchable.
> 
> Richard
> 
> 
> On 4/26/2014 2:44 PM, Alex Fraser wrote:
>> I bought a used Digital Prism atsc-300 today.  It works, but I can't 
>> pick up many channels in Woodbridge.  This little box only has a small 
>> telescoping whip on it.  I'll play around clipping on external 
>> antennas, but I think it will come to opening it up and soldering on a 
>> jack of some sort.  How does digital TV handle motion, like driving?