Testing of UHF digital t.v. signals now underway

By Ken Johnston
Editor

For those of you who still receive your t.v. via UHF antenna from the U.S. you may notice some changes this week. In fact your screen may go blank if you do not have the right equipment!
Work to upgrade and convert analog towers to digital is nearly ready to go on line. The digital equipment has been installed and technicians are preparing the sites for testing which is scheduled to begin this week.
If you do not receive your analog signal, you may want to scan for the digital signal.
If you do not know how to scan with your converter box or digital t.v., please refer to the owner’s manuals that came with your equipment. Converter boxes are available through The Source By Circuit City in Rainy River and Noble’s RadioShack in Baudette.
The lowest numbered channel at each site will be the first to begin testing in digital, carrying PBS channel 9.
There will be times when your equipment will need to receive both analog and digital signals, so if you have a converter box, it should be one that has analog pass through.
A few days later (depending on weather conditions) the other two translators will begin testing, multi-casting two networks on each translator. (ABC & FOX and NBC & CBS). It is expected that once the switch is fully made there will be more channels available free of charge through the air. At present there are only three, ABC, NBC and CBS.
Technicians will do their best to minimize interruptions but there may be some down time during testing.
If you get your TV signal through an antenna, you will need a converter box when the translators in your area
are converted to digital.
It is important to buy a converter box with analog pass-through because the channels will most likely be converted to digital one site at a time, and at different times. Older television sets will need digital converter boxes to receive the signals. Most newer t.v.s have a converter in them.
The old analog signals were available on UHF channels. They will remain in those frequency bands and the new ones will be there as well.
The old UHF antennas many local people have on their rooftops will work and Lake of the Woods County Commissioner Tom Hanson said, earlier this summer, that in fact the signals may be even better. “We needed to put a 10 amp preamp on the tower to match existing signal strength. We are putting a 50 amp and will run it about 40 amp. So people should get a better signal than now,” explained Hanson.