Tag Archives: Es

Analog Swan Song

When I got back to the Deauxmayne today, I got some lunch going, and took a peek at the TV. Ever since the digital transition dates have been announced (and extended), I’ve been looking for long haul analog signals that I just won’t be as likely to see after the cutover date.

Today, I was rewarded with a few moments of viewing from KTVK, Channel 3 in Phoenix. That’s quite a long haul from here, and is a station I’ve only seen once before. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get set up with the camera before they slid into the mists of the background noise, but there was no doubt about what I was seeing… perhaps the last analog Es propagation for a long while.

However, there’s some good news in all the hullabaloo about transition here in the States. The Canadian and Mexican transition dates are still some ways out, and with the lower VHF channels all cleared out, that should make for some easier pickings down the road. That should make for some interesting viewing!