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Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
Re: Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
I still say I am skeptical of any manufacturer who uses peak dBi gain figures as opposed to dBd gain on each channel. Even worse are manufacturers promoting amplified gain instead of antenna gain, and not pointing out the limitations of nondirectional receiving antennas. There is no such thing as an isotropic antenna.
"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."
-Author Unknown
-Author Unknown
Re: Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
To update the performance of the Televes Hi-VHF yagi for reception of CBET-9 in Windsor at my location in Bingham Farms, the return of cold air temperatures and loss of foliage on the trees has improved reception to the point where the indicated SNR is now typically 19 to 20 dB as given in the signal diagnostic screen of my Sony Bravia 4K television receiver.
Re: Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
Here's one from Stellar Labs.
https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2923396.pdf
I have the same problem with CBET 9 in the T3N townships. With a Archer Antennacraft V-90, it comes in in the Winter but it is intermittent at best in the Summer. I have a 4 Bay UHF Bowtie which had the same problem with WFUM-TV 28 when it was still operating.
https://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2923396.pdf
I have the same problem with CBET 9 in the T3N townships. With a Archer Antennacraft V-90, it comes in in the Winter but it is intermittent at best in the Summer. I have a 4 Bay UHF Bowtie which had the same problem with WFUM-TV 28 when it was still operating.
"I had a job for a while as an announcer at WWV but I finally quit, because I couldn't stand the hours."
-Author Unknown
-Author Unknown
Re: Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
BEN ZONIA—you should buy that long boom 14-element Hi-VHF yagi, install it, and report on the signal strengths you are getting from CBET-9 in Windsor in a new thread you can start about that other antenna. Give readers all the details.
In this thread I have been reporting on the Televes antenna. If you start a new thread you can tell us all about the different antenna that you bought and installed and measured its performance over several months in varying conditions. A report from you like that would be very useful.
In this thread I have been reporting on the Televes antenna. If you start a new thread you can tell us all about the different antenna that you bought and installed and measured its performance over several months in varying conditions. A report from you like that would be very useful.
Re: Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
UPDATE on Reception of CBET
Although I have not mentioned this before, the principal reason for my interest in receiving CBET at my home is to permit me to watch Hockey Night in Canada all winter. The Televes Hi-VHF 7-element Yagi had been doing a find job of providing that capability during the winter and cold weather.
With the start of the Stanley Cup Final round recently, my interest in receiving CBET became even greater, as coverage of the games on over-the-air broadcast by CBET was the only way I could watch them.
The first game was a complete loss. On that night the air temperature was quite warm, the humidity was high, the trees were in full foliage, and it rained. All of those weather influences resulted in the received signal of CBET at game time being well below the necessary 15 dB Signal-to-noise ratio to produce a watchable picture. I was unable to see a moment of the action.
Game Two began in better weather, but the air temperature was still rather warm. (The warm air tends to not refract the signal as well as really cold air, so the reception becomes marginal.) As the air cooled down, eventually CBET's signal rose above threshold. I was able to record and watch most of the second period, all of the third period, and all of the first overtime. I did not stay up for the second OT, but I was recording it. The next morning I avoided looking at any news source that would reveal the outcome of the game, and settled in with a cup of coffee to watch the second OT. A few minutes into the second OT the recording began to show signs of the signal being very close to the threshold, with picture banding and loss of audio, but I continued to watch. Eventually the picture faded-out completely before any outcome to the game. I then fast-forwarded to see if the post game show would come back. However, I inferred that CBC went right to their late News show after the game concluded, as the splotchy pictures I could see in the recording were clearly of new content and not hockey, and I feared that was a sign the OIlers had lost.
If only the Stanley Cup finals were scheduled before mid-June, I would be watching a fine picture on CBET-9. I am am hoping some American network might air a game or two, or cold, dry, clear weather returns. Without those two options, I fear my CBET-9 signal will be lost.
Also, throughout this time, I was implementing the shutdown of all other devices that produce interference with CBET-9 reception, as I noted in a separate article.
Cf.: Sources of Local Intereference Affecting VHF Reception
https://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/view ... 74#p761074
Although I have not mentioned this before, the principal reason for my interest in receiving CBET at my home is to permit me to watch Hockey Night in Canada all winter. The Televes Hi-VHF 7-element Yagi had been doing a find job of providing that capability during the winter and cold weather.
With the start of the Stanley Cup Final round recently, my interest in receiving CBET became even greater, as coverage of the games on over-the-air broadcast by CBET was the only way I could watch them.
The first game was a complete loss. On that night the air temperature was quite warm, the humidity was high, the trees were in full foliage, and it rained. All of those weather influences resulted in the received signal of CBET at game time being well below the necessary 15 dB Signal-to-noise ratio to produce a watchable picture. I was unable to see a moment of the action.
Game Two began in better weather, but the air temperature was still rather warm. (The warm air tends to not refract the signal as well as really cold air, so the reception becomes marginal.) As the air cooled down, eventually CBET's signal rose above threshold. I was able to record and watch most of the second period, all of the third period, and all of the first overtime. I did not stay up for the second OT, but I was recording it. The next morning I avoided looking at any news source that would reveal the outcome of the game, and settled in with a cup of coffee to watch the second OT. A few minutes into the second OT the recording began to show signs of the signal being very close to the threshold, with picture banding and loss of audio, but I continued to watch. Eventually the picture faded-out completely before any outcome to the game. I then fast-forwarded to see if the post game show would come back. However, I inferred that CBC went right to their late News show after the game concluded, as the splotchy pictures I could see in the recording were clearly of new content and not hockey, and I feared that was a sign the OIlers had lost.
If only the Stanley Cup finals were scheduled before mid-June, I would be watching a fine picture on CBET-9. I am am hoping some American network might air a game or two, or cold, dry, clear weather returns. Without those two options, I fear my CBET-9 signal will be lost.
Also, throughout this time, I was implementing the shutdown of all other devices that produce interference with CBET-9 reception, as I noted in a separate article.
Cf.: Sources of Local Intereference Affecting VHF Reception
https://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/view ... 74#p761074
Re: Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
Perhaps my final update on the use of the Televes Hi-VHF Yagi antenna, as I will explain further below.
For those who wished to see the gain of the antenna as a function of frequency, here is the graph:
https://docs.televes.com/IFR04180001_0_34580.svg
In regard the reception of VHF Channel 9 at 186 to 192-MHz, the gain shows 7.7 dBi. The peak gain occurs around 230-MHz, with perhaps 9.8 dBi. It is common that Yagi gain increases with frequency, but to have a 2 dB difference from mid-band to upper limit is quite a bit of twist in the gain.
The radiation patterns in E and H planes are shown at
https://docs.televes.com/IRP04180001_0_34538.svg
Unfortunately the polar plot scale is not indicated clearly, but in the E plane the pattern is generally free of minor side lobes.
RECEPTION REPORT
I am very pleased to say that during this years (2026) Stanley Cup Finals games broadcast of CBET-9 the reception was very good, and there were only a few and very brief occurrences of loss of signal during any game, even with rain, winds, and high temperatures. My actual television receiver was always able to get a solid picture, while my Channel Master DVR tuners are not quite as good and in some instances the recordings of the games had a bit more break up of sound or picture than was noted watching the game live on the SONY Bravia receiver.
The most discouraging outcome of all this was the quite shocking announcement that the broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night (and on weeknights during the playoffs) has ended, with ROGERS cable and their SportsNet subscriber channel becoming the only outlet for NHL hockey in Canada.
This effectively ends my interest in receiving CBET-9. At one time I used to watch the CBC National Evening News at 10 p.m. on occasion to get a different point of view on world events, but in the past few years the CBC News has essentially become something akin to CNN or MSNBC or the BBC in terms of political bias, and I no longer care to watch.
I may take the antenna to a new location where its task will be to receive WWTV from Cadillac Michigan over a rather long and difficult path with known terrain shading.
My interest is that station is to be able to get better TV Audio on CBS and FOX broadcasts of college football or other sport events. Currently I watch WFQX and WFUP from a tower in Vanderbilt about 42-miles away with a very good signal and very stable, but from that location the audio channel is just Dolby 2.0 instead of Dolby 5.1, and the digital link connecting the transmitter site to the Cadillac studios has such limited bandwidth that the video quality can often degrade significantly to very poor resolution.
For those who wished to see the gain of the antenna as a function of frequency, here is the graph:
https://docs.televes.com/IFR04180001_0_34580.svg
In regard the reception of VHF Channel 9 at 186 to 192-MHz, the gain shows 7.7 dBi. The peak gain occurs around 230-MHz, with perhaps 9.8 dBi. It is common that Yagi gain increases with frequency, but to have a 2 dB difference from mid-band to upper limit is quite a bit of twist in the gain.
The radiation patterns in E and H planes are shown at
https://docs.televes.com/IRP04180001_0_34538.svg
Unfortunately the polar plot scale is not indicated clearly, but in the E plane the pattern is generally free of minor side lobes.
RECEPTION REPORT
I am very pleased to say that during this years (2026) Stanley Cup Finals games broadcast of CBET-9 the reception was very good, and there were only a few and very brief occurrences of loss of signal during any game, even with rain, winds, and high temperatures. My actual television receiver was always able to get a solid picture, while my Channel Master DVR tuners are not quite as good and in some instances the recordings of the games had a bit more break up of sound or picture than was noted watching the game live on the SONY Bravia receiver.
The most discouraging outcome of all this was the quite shocking announcement that the broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night (and on weeknights during the playoffs) has ended, with ROGERS cable and their SportsNet subscriber channel becoming the only outlet for NHL hockey in Canada.
This effectively ends my interest in receiving CBET-9. At one time I used to watch the CBC National Evening News at 10 p.m. on occasion to get a different point of view on world events, but in the past few years the CBC News has essentially become something akin to CNN or MSNBC or the BBC in terms of political bias, and I no longer care to watch.
I may take the antenna to a new location where its task will be to receive WWTV from Cadillac Michigan over a rather long and difficult path with known terrain shading.
My interest is that station is to be able to get better TV Audio on CBS and FOX broadcasts of college football or other sport events. Currently I watch WFQX and WFUP from a tower in Vanderbilt about 42-miles away with a very good signal and very stable, but from that location the audio channel is just Dolby 2.0 instead of Dolby 5.1, and the digital link connecting the transmitter site to the Cadillac studios has such limited bandwidth that the video quality can often degrade significantly to very poor resolution.
Last edited by jimh on Fri Jul 10, 2026 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
Hi jimh,jimh wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2026 1:11 pm
...
I may take the antenna to a new location where its task will be to receive WWTV from Cadillac Michigan over a rather long and difficult path with known terrain shading.
My interest is that station is to be able to get better TV Audio on CBS and FOX broadcasts of college football or other sport events. Currently I watch WFQX and WFUP from a tower in Vanderbilt about 42-miles away with a very good signal and very stable, but from that location the audio channel is just Dolby 2.0 instead of Dolby 5.1, and the digital link connecting the transmitter site to the Cadillac studios has such limited bandwidth that the video quality can often degrade significantly to very poor resolution.
Not to burst your bubble, but per the TSReader files I've provided to the RabbitEars.info site in the last 12 months, not even WWTV nor WFQX's main transmissions from the Osceola County tower are providing Dolby 5.1, only Dolby 2.0 (bolding and underlining added noting only 2.0 audio):
https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php? ... lsign=wwtv
Program Association Table
PAT Version Number: 23
Transport Stream ID: 1471 (0x05bf)
PMT PID 48 (0x0030) - Program 9.1/3 WWTV-HD
PMT PID 64 (0x0040) - Program 9.2/4 WFQX-DT
PMT PID 80 (0x0050) - Program 9.3/5 WWTV-ME
PMT PID 96 (0x0060) - Program 9.4/6 WWTV-LA
PMT PID 112 (0x0070) - Program 9.5/7 WWTV-D5
PMT PID 128 (0x0080) - Program 9.6/8 WWTV-HS
PMT PID 144 (0x0090) - Program 9.7/9 WWTV-D7
Program Map Table(s)
Program Number: 9.1/3 WWTV-HD
Descriptor: Smoothing Buffer Descriptor
PCR PID: 0x0031
Stream Type: 0x02 MPEG-2 Video PID 49 (0x0031)
MPEG Video: Bitrate 19.400 Mbps Resolution 1920 x 1080i
MPEG Video: Framerate 29.97 fps Aspect Ratio 16:9
MPEG Video: Chroma Format 4:2:0
Descriptor: Data Stream Alignment Descriptor
Stream Type: 0x81 AC-3 Audio PID 52 (0x0034)
AC3: Bitrate 384 Kbps Sample Rate 48 KHz
AC3: Mode complete main Coding 2/0 L, R
Descriptor: ISO639 Language Descriptor
Descriptor: ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor
Stream Type: 0x81 AC-3 Audio PID 53 (0x0035)
AC3: Bitrate 192 Kbps Sample Rate 48 KHz
AC3: Mode complete main Coding 2/0 L, R
Descriptor: ISO639 Language Descriptor
Descriptor: ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor
Program Number: 9.2/4 WFQX-DT
Descriptor: Smoothing Buffer Descriptor
PCR PID: 0x0041
Stream Type: 0x02 MPEG-2 Video PID 65 (0x0041)
MPEG Video: Bitrate 19.400 Mbps Resolution 1280 x 720p
MPEG Video: Framerate 59.94 fps Aspect Ratio 16:9
MPEG Video: Chroma Format 4:2:0
Descriptor: Data Stream Alignment Descriptor
Stream Type: 0x81 AC-3 Audio PID 68 (0x0044)
AC3: Bitrate 384 Kbps Sample Rate 48 KHz
AC3: Mode complete main Coding 2/0 L, R
Descriptor: ISO639 Language Descriptor
Descriptor: ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor
Stream Type: 0x81 AC-3 Audio PID 69 (0x0045)
AC3: Bitrate 192 Kbps Sample Rate 48 KHz
AC3: Mode complete main Coding 2/0 L, R
Descriptor: ISO639 Language Descriptor
Descriptor: ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor
Cheers! ~~ Statmanmi
Re: Televes Hi-VHF Yagi
Heya STATMANMI--thanks for the comment. Yeah, I was just looking at the RabbitEars.info and noticed that even on the main WWTV VHF-9 channel they are only providing Dolby 2.0. That website has so much information I have to re-learn how to use it every time I visit it.
Actually, for watching live football games, unless they are big-time NFL productions, having only stereo audio is more likely anyways. Between Fox, CBS, ABC, and NBC, many UofM football games are broadcast live, so when I up there in the fall--especially Thanksgiving Weekend, getting the football game is very enjoyable.
The WWTV Channel-9 tower is a 1,290-foot monster, and I see it all the time when driving on M-115 and passing two miles to the north of the tower. But it is about 69-miles from my location. I don't think I will have much luck with a solid signal.
More details about my UHF reception up north are given at
https://continuouswave.com/radio/UHF_TV ... higan.html
[UPDATE] I used the RabbitEars.info website to re-check the signal levels from WWTV Channel 9 in Cadillac at my location, but using more elevated antenna height. Even 100-feet additional elevation did not get my location much signal gain. I guess that confirms the terrain shadowing. So I have now given up on getting a signal from Cadillac.
Actually, for watching live football games, unless they are big-time NFL productions, having only stereo audio is more likely anyways. Between Fox, CBS, ABC, and NBC, many UofM football games are broadcast live, so when I up there in the fall--especially Thanksgiving Weekend, getting the football game is very enjoyable.
The WWTV Channel-9 tower is a 1,290-foot monster, and I see it all the time when driving on M-115 and passing two miles to the north of the tower. But it is about 69-miles from my location. I don't think I will have much luck with a solid signal.
More details about my UHF reception up north are given at
https://continuouswave.com/radio/UHF_TV ... higan.html
[UPDATE] I used the RabbitEars.info website to re-check the signal levels from WWTV Channel 9 in Cadillac at my location, but using more elevated antenna height. Even 100-feet additional elevation did not get my location much signal gain. I guess that confirms the terrain shadowing. So I have now given up on getting a signal from Cadillac.