I am Ham Radio Operator (W4RUX) with a couple of hints
for your viewers.

If using a converter box or digital TV instead of buying new
rabbit ears just slide the old ones all the way in or down to
about nine (9) inches.  I am on the South end of Wadmalaw
Island about 35 miles from Awendaw towers. Mine is working
great with 13” and 15” TVs and converter boxes.

Also, I have a 19” HDTV hooked up to a mini beam made with
coat hangers.  It is a six element beam 12” total length.  Anyone
can make this little beam.  Picture enclosed.  I can fax you the
construction details if you send me your fax number.

Hey Butch, and everyone else having problems with signals coming in and out…or not at all.  I just heard from Matthew Nodine, with the FCC…he said you should DISCONNECT your antenna and rescan the box…then plug back in the antenna, and rescan again.

Not sure if this will help…but try that.  Also…for those of you in Summerville…you are on the fringe area of needing an outdoor antenna.

Remember, with digital, you either have it or you don’t. Make small adjustments and step back for a few seconds to allow the information to process.

Matthew Nodine, with the FCC will be at the County Library on Calhoun Monday from 10am-5pm if you want to talkt to him.

I know it can be frustrating…but it’s worth it!h

Hey Brad,
    I am no longer with Direct TV i came back to comcast and i am now getting their digital service i have a police scanner at home so i can get the emergency alerts and weather info and i can now hear their transmission alot clear since the DTV Switch i feel like if people are having issues with their converter boxes then they need to contact the FCC or suscribe to cable to satalite tv but if you live in an area where it rains real heavy then i suggest that you get comcast cable or knology or time warner cable tv cause satalite tv service will go out when it does rain real hard.

If this is what DTV is going to be like, give me back analog! I live in Summerville, have rescanned my box several times on my analog sets and my set that is DTV ready, and I don’t get all the channels on any of the TV’s. some channels come and go. The only channel that is reliable is ETV…all 3 of them!!  What is going on!

Hey Drew…try rescanning your converter box. That is usually the quickest and easiest fix. Anytime you lose power or you unplug that thing you probably will have to do that too.

Let me know if it works.

hey man, i’ve had the converter box for a few months , no problem however this morning no cbd and no tat , what gives ?

I live in Summerville.  All of a sudden all but ETV have dropped off.  I used to get random digital signals from the networks. Now everyone is gone except PBS.  I get almost no analog and digital.  I have the best indoor antena you can get.  I made several signal searches today to no avail.

What is going on?

I know Brad is getting overwhelmed but he does love his job. You can also email me with your DTV questions.

dmatayabas@wcbd.com

Daron

Hey Tim, the first thing I would do, is try rescanning the converter box.  Let me know what happens. Where do you live?

My tv reconizes channel 2.1 as WCBD and has 90%+ signal strenth but still no picture. Any ideas why? All other local channel come in clear digitally, except WB.

Hey Carolyn, are talking about getting a coupon for the converter box?

Hey Rocky, where do you live?  If you live within 30 miles of the tower, which is in Awendaw, you won’t need that amp.  We are at full power already…have been for more than a year. If you have more questions, we can chat anytime…call me at the station 843-216-4875.

Over the AIR digital signal.  I can’t get WCBD.  I get all other local digital stations to include three PBS stations. I have a power amp on my antenna & pointed in the direction of your tower. But still nada for WCBD.  Am I out of luck or when the station exclusively converts to digital will there be a stronger signal?

I had been trying to get through to the DTV phone lines for some time a few months ago, when I finally spoke to some one about my problem, I was told there was nothing he could do. So I never called back. I gave him my information, street name, and number and apartment letter. I was told it was mailed, but there was no apartment letter added to the address. So I never got mine, and they could not send me another coupon.

Thank God the end is near for this conversion.  I am sick of hearing about it and seeing ad’s and tickers on the bottom of TV screens.  I’ll be glad the stress is over and we can get on to the next thing…whatever that’s going to be.

Hey everybody! Are all of your DTV problems squared away? 

We are getting closer, just a couple days now…June 12th. I want to make sure that all of you who had issues, got them resolved.

I just realized that the comments section expired at some point…it’s back up and running if you have more questions!

Hey Linda,

Our digital signal comes from our tower in Awendaw, SC…just off Highway 17.

Let me know if that helps.

We cannot receive sufficient signal at our residence located at the edge of Colleton and Dorchester counties via the converter box.  We have an outside antennae. What direction should we position our antennae for the best signal? In other words, where is your signal broadcast from?

When channels 7, 24 and 36 switched I couldn’t pick up a signal from channel 7 (WITV) either on my new digital tv or old tv with converter box.  In both cases, rescanning the receiver (auto-tuning the tv stations) solved the problem.

Hey Clark, there are couple of things you need to try…first adjusting the antenna (the obvious one, and one you probably already did).  there are also antenna signal boosters that you can buy and i hear that people are needing to do that.  you also need to make sure that your antenna is the ‘loop’ and not just the rabbit ears.

it’s a hassle i know…typical government project!! 

let me know if any of this helps!

I can not recive dtv signal from channel 2.
I can recive dtv signal from 16.1 16.2 16.3.
I know that my converter box is hooked corectly.
My location is about 70 miles from you but I can recive
anlogy signal. Are there some relay stations that may need
upgrades.  Any advise will be helpfull.

Ardie, we would have to chat on the phone…give me a call at the station 843-216-4895.  i am there until noon ever day.  i will give you a shout back if you call later in the day and i’m not there. i check the voicemail frequently thru the day.  we’ll get you set up!!

Need help figuring out how to tape one channel on VCR and watch another channel at the same time.  Have downloaded the fact sheet from DTV.gov—and have connected everything like it shows with box a and b

When I get the channel thru Box b, for example,  and 3 on VCR—it records on it—but when I change the DTV to another channel—it changes what is recording, even when I use the remote set up for the TV and not for the VCR.

If you can point me in the right direction, I’d really appreciate any help or comments.  Thanks so much.

wow melanie…you will have to call me so i can get a better idea of what you have going on there.  it sounds like a lot of wires!  we will figure it out though…call me 216-4895.

charline, you may need a new antenna, or you may have to adjust the one that you have.  do you have an outdoor antenna on the house?