Repack dates for Flint-Saginaw-Bay City Michigan DMA

From the WBSF filing

Nature of Special Temporary Authority (STA) Request WBSF(DT) is presently licensed to operate on RF Channel 46 pursuant to FCC License BLCDT? 20090622AFF. As a result of the FCC’s Incentive Auction, WBSF(DT) was repacked to RF Channel 23. In accordance with its mandated reassignment, WBSF(DT) presently holds an outstanding Construction Permit, FCC LMS File No. 0000068742, to operate on RF Channel 23. As a station assigned to Transition Phase 3, WBSF(DT) is required to complete its transition to Channel 23 before June 21, 2019. Because the WBSF 6?1/8” transmission line required for the full operation (600 kW) is not completely stacked on the tower, the station is unable to achieve full power on its new channel prior to the Phase 3 deadline. However, the station does have the authorized Channel 23 antenna and 3?1/8” transmission line on the tower which will allow the station to make the transition to Channel 23 by the Phase 3 deadline at a reduced power of 300 kW. Granting the instant request for STA will allow WBSF(DT) to timely transition to Channel 23 while the new transmission system installation effort is being completed thereby furthering the public interest.Nature of Special Temporary Authority (STA) Request WBSF(DT) is presently licensed to operate on RF Channel 46 pursuant to FCC License BLCDT? 20090622AFF. As a result of the FCC’s Incentive Auction, WBSF(DT) was repacked to RF Channel 23. In accordance with its mandated reassignment, WBSF(DT) presently holds an outstanding Construction Permit, FCC LMS File No. 0000068742, to operate on RF Channel 23. As a station assigned to Transition Phase 3, WBSF(DT) is required to complete its transition to Channel 23 before June 21, 2019. Because the WBSF 6?1/8” transmission line required for the full operation (600 kW) is not completely stacked on the tower, the station is unable to achieve full power on its new channel prior to the Phase 3 deadline. However, the station does have the authorized Channel 23 antenna and 3?1/8” transmission line on the tower which will allow the station to make the transition to Channel 23 by the Phase 3 deadline at a reduced power of 300 kW. Granting the instant request for STA will allow WBSF(DT) to timely transition to Channel 23 while the new transmission system installation effort is being completed thereby furthering the public interest.
 

Thanks!

Do you have a link for that? Where did you get it? I'd like to know, so I can find out how it's going. They are coming in much stronger than they used to on RF23, when they were on RF46.

So the STA seems nonsensical to me, though they seemingly had some major troubles switching. it took them 3 tries, and much dead air intermittently over two days.
 
Hummm, looks like they may have moved their tower from Bay City/Indiantown area next to WNEM, to the same one WEYI is on just slightly North-west of Clio. At least that's where the coordinates on the STA now shows them. That might mean I have to move my antenna slightly South.
 
WBSF just Facebook Pm'ed me that their move is complete, no more tweaking. They are now running on a tower at the WEYI complex in Clio, as the former tower in Indiantown was getting interference from W24DL-D. That allowed them to jack up their signal level. It's nice and FAT now compared to before.

Still nothing on the WAQP move. They are still on RF48 as of 10:30pm.
 
WBSF just Facebook Pm'ed me that their move is complete, no more tweaking. They are now running on a tower at the WEYI complex in Clio, as the former tower in Indiantown was getting interference from W24DL-D. That allowed them to jack up their signal level. It's nice and FAT now compared to before.

Still nothing on the WAQP move. They are still on RF48 as of 10:30pm.

I'm not sure who is PMing you from WBSF, but they clearly do not know what they are talking about.

1) WBSF is not complete, or they would not have filed an STA saying they still need to complete work on their transmission line. They're *mostly* complete, but that's not the same as *complete*.

2) W24DL-D is an LPTV station. As a full power, if WBSF had wanted to boost power or whatever from the current location, they could do so as long as rules allowed it. If W24DL-D was causing them excessive interference, they could complain and have it shut down. The real reason they moved is to improve coverage overall and probably make maintenance easier by eliminating a transmitter site. Which, itself, is not a bad idea.

When you wake up, let me know if WAQP ever moved.

- Trip
 
WAQP went dark sometime between 11pm last night and now. It has not come back up as of now, but I can detect just a HINT of signal on RF36. Not sure if that's supposed to be them, but if so, I've lost them forever. I wonder if they also moved their tower?

As for WBSF, I don't really care why they moved, BUT, they are now located much further away from me, yet their signal level is now about twice it was before, whether they already installed that new line or not. I was only speculating it was because of W24DL-D.

cw46.jpg
 
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I found this STA posted by WAQP, so I'm still not sure if they are dark waiting on a new antenna, or just running at much lower power. It appears their repack antenna for RF36 was defective: Licensing and Management System

Oh, and I just remembered I had a recording set to record Flipper at 12am, and it did NOT record. The Tivo would abort the recording if there's no signal. So they must have definitely gone dark before 12 midnight, right near the last minute of their scheduled change.

I think the HINT of signal I'm picking up on RF36, as WLNS in Lansing, which is two-edge, 70+ miles to me, but still South, though slightly South-West of WAQP's tower.
 
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Tivo just restored guide data for WNEM-5. So, both that and WEYI-25 got their guide data back within 24 hours of my submitting Lineup changes. WBSF-46 still isn't fixed, but since it's the weekend and they switched late afternoon yesterday, it may not get fixed this weekend.
 
I found this STA posted by WAQP, so I'm still not sure if they are dark waiting on a new antenna, or just running at much lower power. It appears their repack antenna for RF36 was defective: Licensing and Management System

Oh, and I just remembered I had a recording set to record Flipper at 12am, and it did NOT record. The Tivo would abort the recording if there's no signal. So they must have definitely gone dark before 12 midnight, right near the last minute of their scheduled change.

I think the HINT of signal I'm picking up on RF36, as WLNS in Lansing, which is two-edge, 70+ miles to me, but still South, though slightly South-West of WAQP's tower.

Yes, they have an STA for a reduced power facility.

WLNS sold in the auction and they turned off RF36 more than a year ago.

- Trip
 
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Yes, they have an STA for a reduced power facility.

WLNS sold in the auction and they turned off RF36 more than a year ago.

- Trip

Well then, if that's their new signal, I can't receive them at all now. About 6% and wavering up and down. Signal quality shows just a tiny sliver of green. Looking at the pdf on their STA, it seems I'm about 2 miles North of their Northern digital cliff area.

This is on a 2013 LG tv, that has a pretty sensitive tuner. It's unlikely to get any sort of lock with less than 15% quality. I could turn my yagi antenna directly at it and probably lock it, (the antenna aimed more towards WEYI's tower, so more South East) but then it would mess up the balance between the other stations. That took me some tweaking to get just right, so I hesitate to change it.

All I care about is Light tv on 46.3 anyway, and I can get that on 91W FTA with my C-band dish. So I'll wait to see if WAQP gets and installed another new RF36 antenna.
 
Well, it's not their permanent signal, just the one they're using temporarily while their new antenna is fixed.

- Trip
 
We got Tivo guide data for WBSF about 2:30pm this afternoon, even though Tivo technically hasn't closed the Lineup Change I sent them as of yet.

Not sure about WAQP as it's dark to me at the moment. But another person on Ave forum located much closer than I am has reported he can receive it. So it appears to be a digital cliff signal issue to me since they lowered their signal due to a defective repack antenna.

Looking at their STA, I'm about 2 miles further North than the North border. Analog would have made it, but not digital.

EDIT: I received this mid-afternoon as a Facebook PM reply to WAQP-49:

We apologize for your loss of signal and our late response to your complaint. For the next several weeks, TCT will be making changes to the antennas, which may cause a loss of signal. However, the good news is that these changes will improve the quality and reach with the Gospel. Please be patient, and thanks for being so loyal to TCT. Have a blessed day!
 
Saturday night at just past 9pm, we received a few minutes of WAQP-49 on RF36 for a couple minutes. It barely decoded, but is clearly up and broadcasting, albeit at a much lower power level. We are presently about 2 miles North of the digital cliff area for whatever power they are running at.
 
Two weeks yesterday, and WAQP is still dark/running at low power. Not sure how long it takes to get an antenna fixed, or new one to arrive, but seems like they should have been back and running at full power by now.
 
WAQP-49 is coming in since last night on RF36. Still weak, but I'm now getting it solid. Hopefully it's due to their antenna tweaking, and not just a e-skip thing. Signal line is running about 36%, when before it would just BLIP no higher than 16% or so. Quality is 100%.
 
I'm hearing WAQP is back to full power. Anyone seeing it?

- Trip

Nope, they are NOT. On my 2013 LG tv set, I'm getting 26% Signal Strength, and just the tiniest showing of Signal Quality. It won't even lock. It does come in at night. I'm only 36 miles from their tower, using a Kitztech KT-200-coax preamp, and a HDB91x antenna at 25ft pointed at it.

It used to be so strong, I couldn't even point the antenna right at it.

There's no way they are at full power as of yet.
 
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