RadioBanter - Here comes the Digital TV disaster

Kookwatch 968549 wrote:
Not to mention also the fact that DTV will cause RFI to public
service commnications to go thru the roof, including cell phones which
will be useless anywhere near the transmitter. (this should be fun)

Most DTV transmitters are already on the air. There have been no
reports of problems with cell phones or other public service
communications.

There were early reports (only in Dallas, to the best of my knowledge)
of RFI problems with medical telemetry devices. These devices were
operating *in* a TV channel that was unused when they were purchased but
was assigned to a Dallas station's DTV operation. As you might imagine,
when the station came on the air, there were problems! They suspended
DTV operations, the medical equipment was moved to different
frequencies, the DTV station fired back up, and all is well.

DTV will actually *reduce* the risk of RFI problems with cell phones.
There have been problems with cell-phone front-end overload from channel
69 TV stations. However, there will be only ONE DTV station on channel
69 (in Puerto Rico) and even that is a temporary operation - the station
will in a few years move to a lower channel. Channels 52-69 are to be
deleted from TV service.

Now, as for the political firestorm when the analog transmitters are
turned off... I think those who believe *everyone* has cable will be
surprised...
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com