Analog TV Audio on 59.76

[mmisk]

Just noticed analog TV Audio on 59.76 in the Ottawa area.

Thought analog TV was extinct?

 

[KevinC]

I don’t know about Canada, but in the US I believe LP stations can be analog.

 

[gary123]

It might not be a TV station. it might be leakage from a older device that has a CH2 RF output. As Kevin said it could also be from a local low power RF source. Step 1 identify the audio or if your flatscreen has a TV antenna input see if you can watch the video and Id it that way.

 

[mciupa]

Could be CBVT Channel 2 in Quebec.

 

[gmclam]

While over-the-air may no longer be analog, what about cable? Are they still sending out analog signals? Cable TV is notorious for leaking.

 

[mmisk]

Could be Channel 2 .

Yes, it is channel 2 audio frequency.
I will listen to it again soon perhaps I can ID it.
It is in English, so surprised to hear it.

Listening now, it is still there.

 

[mciupa]

"In the old days" my favourite analog channel was 2. I would disconnect the rooftop scanner antenna and attach it to a portable variable power "camping" TV. I would DX Ch. 2 from Florida, Alabama and Texas in the summer time. I'm interested for you to identify it.

 

[mmisk]

I just heard a commercial for Alexanian's rug store.
Interesting.

Screenshot of SDR 59.76

Just heard a traffic update for Dundas and New York Mills, so that would be Toronto.
So what Toronto stations are still analog, and are transmitting near Ottawa?

 

[wtp]

the 'old' channel 2 audio was on 59.75....close enough.

 

[mciupa]

Dundas is an east-west street in Toronto. There is a York Mills Road also east-west but a few kilometres north. In your screen shot, your dongle is set to NFM. For Broadcast TV change that to FM and retune the frequency to 59.75 MHz. See if that improves your audio reception.

 

[wtp]

I see there is a WFM setting. iI do not know if that is the 'old' wide as that is what we called it then.
Another name would be Broadcast FM.

 

[mmisk]

Ok, just heard them announce that it is Global News at 1730. So, I wonder where the transmitter location is?
Very surprised to hear an analog tv station still in operation.

 

[dlwtrunked]

the 'old' channel 2 audio was on 59.75....close enough.

Not quite true. It was very common (most?) for TV channels to be actually about 10 kHz (0.010 MHz) higher or lower than normal frequency as this helped eliminate some interference effects. I would use that to monitor audio from more that one station on a channel back then by using narrow FM (but of course getting distortion by doing that). If one tuned only in WFM for good audio, one would not likely notice and that is why many people did not know that. Some called the offests 2- and 2+. For example, in Cleveland, Ch 3 was 3-, Ch. 5 was 5, and Ch. 8 was 8-
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_offset

 

[mmisk]

I found this information, but nothing specifically about them transmitting analog.

Eastern Ontario Kingston and Peterborough
was covered by the channel 2 transmitter, located just east of Bancroft, and operating on channel 2, with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts video and 15,000 watts audio. Antenna height was 949 feet EHAAT

 

[Jradioptbo]

The Bancroft over the air transmitter, CIII-TV-2, is still operational as an NTSC analogue signal. CIII-TV-2 is possibly one of the last over the air analogue transmitters to rebroadcast Global in Ontario. In January 2020, the transmitter power of CIII-TV-2 was temporarily reduced to prevent an overload caused by high VSWR at the site.

On December 4, 2020, the CRTC approved a request from Corus Entertainment to shut down CIII-DT-27 and CIII-TV-2 (among other Global retransmitters) in favour of multiplexing CIII-DT-27 via CHEX-DT and CIII-TV-2 via CKWS-DT Kingston.[19] This decision saw the CRTC abandon a promise made in 2010 to have the owners of Global Television transition CIII-TV-2 to digital.[20] It is unclear what Industry Canada will now use VHF channel 11, the spectrum that had been allocated for CIII-TV-2 digital, for.

The transmitter is liscenced as Bancroft but is actually located in Vennachar, Ontario well east of Bancroft and north of Bon Echo Provincial Park off highway 41

 

[mmisk]

I do have one television that is on a outdoor UHF TV antenna.
Last evening I tuned to channel 2 and there it was....the channel 2 Global signal just like in the old days.
It was very weak of course.

The audio signal is still there today using SDR and my 2 metre antenna

 

[ind224]

Real time in Indianapolis NTSC Channel 3 if anyone wants to try, black and white landscapes, no audio. Getting stronger as I watch.