I don’t think there was any type of survey or vote, just opinion. But according to Politico, Sen. Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) is one of the top 10 Twitter users in Washington.

I’ve been following Grassley for a while and have to admit, he makes me chuckle. Though infrequent compared to some, he tweets like he talks. Politico says it’s “personal in an Iowan way: friendly but dry.” The article even displays a few of his tweets as examples (and they just happened to pick two of my personal favs from the last few months.)

From November: “6 inches snow in New hartford last night. I missed it bc of senate session. Lucky we finished corn harvest last wkend.”

For those of you who don’t know, Grassley has a farm in New Hartford. I interviewed him there once in front of the American flag in his yard. Every week, Grassley has a media conference call where we can ask him questions, and whenever someone from KWWL pipes up – Grassley begins his answer by asking how his farm is doing.

Another fav tweet from New Year’s Eve: “I didn’t stay up to see Ball drop. I will watch Hawkeyw ftball. Otherwise read. Not a very exciting new year celebration but tradition forme.”

There’s been some debate in the newsroom whether he actually tweets for himself. I maintain that he does. If his campaign staff handled the tweets, they’d be about as interesting as those that emanated from the Obama and McCain campaigns during the election. His staff would use it to talk about the policies, not the personal. And there would probably be fewer spelling mistakes.

Also in the top 10 is someone I followed closely while working in Missouri, Sen. Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc). After interacting with her in settings that varied from televised debates to Homecoming activites at Mizzou, I can say I respect her honesty even when I don’t agree with her. McCaskill never hesitates to give her two cents on any subject, and her Twitter page is no different.

Here’s Politico’s assessment:

Although more than 60 members of Congress tweet, no one else does so with the regularity and honesty of this Missouri Democrat.

She’ll open up about her political views (“I’m mad about these yahoos on Wall Street taking bonuses and trying to buy fancy jets on the taypayers dime”) and her personal life (“Brought work home. My sister is here who is a huge dog person. That means one thing tonight. Westminister Dog Show on TV”).

 Also on the list, President Obama (@BarackObama) and a non-politician, NBC’s own David Gregory (@DavidGregory).

Any ideas for eastern Iowa’s top 10?

I’d definitely have to put Linn County Auditor Joel Miller (@lcauditor) on the list. He shares every detail of the meetings and events he participates in. There’s been many days that I can’t get him on the phone, but I can find the information in a tweet.

Also, Iowa Rep. Renee Schulte (@ReneeSchulte). She provides a freshman’s take on the capitol. She’s answered questions for me via Twitter and one day, I even used it to set up an interview with her.

Other ideas – leave a comment.

-jj

Posted under Politics

The e-mails and phone calls are starting to slow. But there are still some problems coming in. Like I’ve said before – at this point, most of the problems seem to be antenna related. After a week of taking viewer phone calls and slowly walking them through all the tips and info I have, I can appreciate that it’s frustrating. But, I still hold out the hope that people will find some mutual help and support here on the blog or from people in their community that will result in a clear signal!

I received an interesting e-mail this weekend from Rob Heidemann in Clarksville. While his solution isn’t feasible for everyone, it made me smile after a trying week and I thought it was worth sharing.

“Hello! I had heard you say you wanted success stories about getting your signal, well here you go, its a dozy! In April of last year, I received my coupons and went and picked up my converter boxes. I hooked one up to the antenna feed in the basement, and could get every channel but 7. So after a few times of running upstairs and onto the roof to adjust the antenna with no luck, I decided to do something different before I run out of energy! I grabbed a card table and our little TV, and set everything up on the roof. Then, I very slowly rotated the antenna while watching the signal meter until I had the strongest signal. It is amazing how just a tiny movement affects the signal! I hooked things back up on the roof, and headed downstairs to see if I could get it down there, and it worked. It would come in, but was intermittent. I wrote to your engineer, and he said after February you’d be moving the transmitter up higher so it should improve. (didn’t say anything about changing to VHF at that time) Signal has gotten better, but KWWL is still the weakest out of all of them. Still have occasional drop outs. I did read you’ll be increasing your signal strength soon, so that will be good! I have attached a couple photos of me while on the roof that the wife took. In photo roof1.jpg the antenna is just poking into the shot on the right. I also included a photo of the antenna I was using.”

For everyone who has written in and left comments with questions, I have forwarded them to our engineers. Starting today, I’ll probably stray from the DTV themes on this blog, but the previous posts will still be available. And, if I have any other feedback or updates in the future, I will continue to post those.

As Rob mentioned in his note, we will be increasing our power in the next few months. I hope that will help some of you who are still having problems!

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

OK – here’s the good and bad that I’ve gathered today.

An anonymous comment from “Old TV Tech in Williamsburg”

I was having some intermittent reception problems receiving KWWL prior to today. Some days, the signal was non-existant and the next day it would work properly. KWWL analog signal was always strong. All other channel’s digital and analog signals were strong and steady. I was positive the problem would be solved when the digital signal was switched to VHF channel 7. I was correct. The signal is now 92% to 95%. I have assisted 4 other Williamsburg residents correct problems today. In each case the tuner was not properly set. However, 2 people had antenna problems they didn’t know existed that was casuing poor signal strength. One was a quick fix but the other will require a nimble technician to adjust the antenna after the snow and frost disappears. Not me! I gave up roof and tower work about 10 years ago.
Thanks, KWWL for a job well done.

An e-mail from Michelle:

For the sony tv (which has the digital tuner in it)… I had to remove the antenna wire from the dish network receiver and connect it directly to the tv and run the add digital stations. I have them all back.. The only issue now is that instead of 7.1, 7.2, 7.3…. I have 7.3, 7.4, 7.5.

For some of our dish viewers, an anonymous comment:

I had remove the antenna wire from the dish network receiver and hook it up directly to the tv. Then I re-ran the setup. I got all my channels. I re-connected the antenna back to the dish and everything works…

From a viewer in Solon:

What I ended up doing was to combine two antennas….I used my old rabbit ears AND a brand new Digial flat Amplified antenna. I took the flat part of the antenna off (put it back in the box) and connected the rabbit ears (extended about 1/2 way and pointing in a v-shape towards Rowley) to the amplifier part of the antenna, then reset my scanner to the factory settings, rescanned my channels and presto it worked.

Here’s two more tips from our engineers:

DirecTV and EchoStar systems that have built in ATSC tuners either won’t pick up the main or sub channels or nothing. This is a completely different issue from re-scanning. DirecTV and EchoStar receive OTA channel mapping over the Satillite that is provided by Tribune Media. Tribune Media has been alerted to the problem, but no word on how long it will take to correct.

Another major issue has been receivers that won’t let go of the old UHF channel and won’t accept the new VHF channel. If you have tried rescanning and still aren’t getting anything, try doing a ”FACTORY RESET.” Password to do it is 0000 on most brands.

 Another thing to look forward to — within the next few months we will be installing a new transmitter that will increase our signal. Right now we are broadcasting at about 5kw and with the new transmitter it will be about 30kw.

That’s all I have for right now. All of the questions you have posted or e-mail have been passed along to our engineering department. But remember, there isn’t always an easy fix. Antennas are a tricky science and even someone living a few houses down may have a different experience than you do.

Keep the suggestions coming!

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

Just got this e-mail from Jay, a local techie. He has some great tips for those of you with a good grasp on how this all works.

He suggests AVSforum . It’s an online forum with tips and success stories from eastern Iowans making the switch.Also, TVfool

. He says it has more detail than antennaweb.org. But, might be too technical for some.

Two other tips that I haven’t already mentioned are don’t use the twin lead antenna cable, use coax RG-6 or RG-59. Also, Jay says the Zenith DTT-901 Insignia NS-DXA1 and Channel Master CM-7000 are probably the best in his testing when dealing with multipath (ghosting). You can get them at Kmart, Radio Shack, Best Buy or Sears.

Keep the ideas coming!

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

Okay, here’s some updated information from our chief engineer, Jarrett Liddicoat.

“First off, we ARE on the air, and many are getting us now on VHF channel 7 for digital that were never getting us before.  However, we have traded that success for a lot of issues with viewers that use indoor antennas.  The lower the channel number, the better it travels, but that also means it can bounce around more and create something called “multipath”.  In the analog world, those would show up as a ghosted image, but in digital, these tend to freak out DTV tuners.  The early boxes from a few years ago had big issues with this, even in UHF, and they improved things as time went on.  In fact, these latest converter boxes should do a better job at rejecting multipath than some TV’s with built in tuners, since those old TV’s use the older chipsets still. 

Despite those advances though, we are struggling with callers with simple indoor antennas, including those with VHF rabbit ears, that can not lock onto KWWL-DT now that it is a VHF signal.  The issue is that our signal is bouncing around inside their home more and confusing things.  We have found a couple things that may help, although everyone’s situation may be a bit different:

-First, have the viewer do a complete SYSTEM OR FACTORY RESET on their converter box or tuner if possible.  Most of them have that option in the settings page, and that helps clear our some information that is hanging these systems up.  You can make sure that they have done a complete RESCAN… not just a channel addition. 

-Second, the rabbit ears should only be extended about 17” or so (about half way).  All that rabbit ears do is try to match the ¼ wavelength of of the frequency.  We are measured at 16.996 inches.    Having the ears the correct length so that they are a match to our frequency helps matters.

-Third, antenna position.  You want them like a “V” typically facing the Rowley area.  Ideally, you should place it right against a window or even outside if possible to see if you can lock it in.  This gives the antenna one really strong signal to better lock on to instead of having the extra noise confuse it. 

-Fourth, if you antenna (indoor or outdoor) does not have an obvious VHF antenna, like rabbit ears, it may not have one at all.  We have found some very misleading marketing out there with antennas that claim to handle both UHF and VHF, when in reality, they are only UHF antennas.  We are still researching some recommendations for good antennas to do the job.  One indoor unit that claims to reject multipath well is the Winegard SS-3000.  Unfortunately, it is really only available online or through an antenna retailer (not at the major retailer).”

On that note, Winegard Antenna has graciously agreed to help some of our viewers. They are local antenna experts and can help guide you through the confusing process of choosing and installing the correct antenna. Their number is 866-454-7566.

Feel free to leave tips or ideas as comments here. Or you can e-mail me.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

First off – I’m sending out a plea for information. Send me your constructive (and polite) experience. What’s working and what isn’t working beyond the normal rescan. I’ll compile that information here.

Unfortunately at this point, the people still struggling to see KWWL are probably not going to find an easy fix. In most cases, it’s a problem with their antenna. I get a lot of people saying, “I saw your digital signal before, why can’t I see you now?” I’ll try to make this as simple as possible.

Before the switch, we were broadcasting our analog signal on VHF channel 7 and our digital signal on UHF channel 55. Yesterday, we ended our analog signal and moved our digital signal to VHF channel 7.

If you have scanned and rescanned and you still can’t find us, the first thing you should check is your antenna. Is it a VHF antenna? A lot of callers say they bought a top of the line digital antenna. Unfortunately, that “digital” title is a bit misleading. Many of the digital antennas are set up to receive UHF and VHF signals. But, our engineers have identified at least 15 “digital” antennas that either don’t receive a VHF signal or are built in a way that they can’t receive a strong enough signal to broadcast. Here’s the list of the antennas we’re getting negative feedback about:

RCA Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna (several models)
RCA Indoor HDTV Antenna (several models)
Antennas Direct Clearstream 4 Outdoor Long-Range Digital Antenna
Antennas Direct Clearstream 1 Indoor/Outdoor Long-Range Digital TV Antenna
RCA Indoor Smart TV Antenna
Terk amplified Indoor Antenna
Antennas Direct Outdoor Multi-directional HDTV Antenna
Antennas Direct Clearstream 2 Long-Range HDTV Outdoor Antenna
Terk – Indoor Amplified HDTV Antenna
Terk – Outdoor Amplified HDTV Antenna
Antennas Direct Multidirectional Outdoor HDTV Antenna
Antennas Direct Multidirectional Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna

This list is based on viewer feedback so far. Some of these antennas may actually work depending on where you live and how much interference there is.

Another great resource is AntennaWeb.org. Basically, you put in your street address and it will tell you the ideal type of antenna to receive the best signal. It takes into account geography, interference, and proximity to a tower.

If you have simple rabbit ears in your home, these are a VHF antenna, but are very finicky when it comes to picking up a signal. Our signal strength is actually stronger now than it was before, but that’s adding some complications because in some cases there is something called ghosting happening. The signal is so strong it’s bouncing off surrounding buildings or even the walls in your home and isn’t making it to the antenna. Make sure your rabbit ears are extended as far as possible (preferably about 20 inches), and set them near a window that faces towards Rowley, IA (where our tower is located). In some cases, people have literally walked around their living room until they see something.

This is all the tips I’ve got for now. I’ll update with more when I get a note from our engineers or see something helpful show up in my inbox.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

I’m writing this in between taking phone calls.

Probably the best experience today was a conversation with a woman from Waterloo. She had not rescanned her converter box yet and couldn’t find her user manual. I was able to look up a copy of her user manual online and between the two of us, we were able to figure out how to rescan. It was like a small victory when she finished and could see us, more clearly than she had before.

Unfortunately, not all of my calls have been so successful. There are many that I have passed along to our chief engineer because I can’t figure out what the problem is.

But, I thought it was worth listing a few pointers here. Before you call into the newsroom, double check the following:

What type of antenna do you have? We are broadcasting on VHF channel 7, so you need a VHF antenna (the rabbit ears). Also, make sure your antenna is pointed towards our tower in Rowley.

Rescan your digital TV or converter box. Your TV is looking for our channel where it used to be. Now you need to tell your TV to find us in our new location. You should be able to look in your user manual for instructions on how to rescan, auto scan or auto program.

If you are having problems viewing KWWL and you have either cable or satellite, you need to contact your cable or satellite provider. After we made the switch today, they need to rescan, and we’ve had reports that several cable and some satellite providers have still not done this.

(phone call)

Just got this e-mail from our chief engineer about some ghosting issues. Here’s the verbatim.

“First off, indoor antennas are having big issues.  Some of those units are UHF only units while others claim to be combination, but still may have some issues.  UHF only indoor units like smart antennas aren’t working at all.  I think a lot of the issue with the rabbit ears that are needed to pick us up inside is multipath (ghosting).  When the antenna is getting multiple signals off other walls, it tends to freak things out.  It doesn’t know which one to lock on sometimes.  We found that putting the antenna near a window helped tremendously and keeping the rabbit ears (“V”) facing the Rowley area helped as well.  Using the signal meters on the converter boxes and the tv’s also helped us position things.”

I know this is very frustrating for some people. Trust me, I wish we could send engineers out to everyone’s home and figure out the problem. While we can’t do that, we are dedicated to answering each and every phone call and e-mail.

I know the phone lines have been busy today, but if you need some help, keep trying. You can also visit our DTV Answers page and send an e-mail to our chief engineer Jarrett. He’s staying late and coming in early to answer every voicemail and e-mail that he gets.

(phone call)

Today we ran a story that looked back at the history of KWWL. And while I watched the live feed from our tower in Rowley, I could hear the producer counting down to the switch, and then the screen went blank. Some people have complained about the switch and asked why it’s necessary. There’s a lot of reasons I could give, including getting a better picture and freeing up airwaves for emergency services to use. But really in the end, it’s the nature of technology. There will always be changes and improvements. And some are easier to adjust to than others.

And for just a few seconds this afternoon, I had to take a break from the craziness and phone calls to let it sink in, that I witnessed history today. KWWL will never be broadcast in analog again. And I can’t help but wonder what other changes we’ll see down the road.

You can check out pictures from the transmitter in Rowley on our Facebook page.

For those of you who have successfully made the switch – welcome to digital. And for those of you still experiencing problems, all I can say is have patience and we will do our very best to help.

You can call the station at 319-291-1200 or you can call the national DTV help line at 1-800-CALL-FCC.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

It’s Monday – and I’m still sorting through e-mails from last week. That either indicates that I get a lot of e-mail, or I don’t spend enough time sorting through what I do get.

Anyway, finally got to the e-mail with Twestival pictures and video. So – as promised – here they are. If you have any others, or want to share your impressions, send it my way.

Click here to see video of Twestival!

Posted under Web/Tech

Almost 200 cities around the world are holding a Twestival today. The tweet-ups (Twitter + meet-up) serve two purposes. One – turn an online conversation into a face to face one. Two – raise money for a charitable organization.

According to the official Twestival site, the concept started in London last year and developed into a world-wide Twitter celebration to benefit charity: water.

The only ones in Iowa, that I’m aware of, are Des Moines and Iowa City. I was ready and excited to attend the IC Twestival – but am now thinking I won’t be able to make it because of work. So, I sent a quick message to one of the organizers (@oscarhamson) to ask if he could share some video or pics, and was happy to find out that I’ll be able to watch online. Maybe not quite the same thing as being there, but better than nothing. Glad I asked.

Anyway. Should be a good time if you can make it. There will be food, and if you’re lucky, entertaining conversation. Plus raffle items:

Riverside Theatre: 2 tickets to any Gilbert Street production

The Englert Theatre: 2 tickets to Mason Jennings on Feb 20

Adamson Studios: Headshot Session: Includes 2 digital web files plus business card or blog header design. $150 value.

Panchero’s Mexican Grill: A burrito a week for a year (52 burritos) $300 value

Drew Schiller: A custom Twitter theme: design and setup

Westergaard Advertising: 2 winners: Custom Twitter t-shirt

The Iowa Hawk Shop: University of Iowa long-sleeve t-shirt

Riff Raff Theater: 2009 VIP Prize package: 2 free tickets to every Riff Raff Theater live show this year, and a free copy of every online file RRT releases on rifftrax.com. Estimated value: $100.

If you’re going to be in Iowa City tonight – check it out. Iowa Memorial Union North Room 7-9 p.m.

Just got an update from the organizers about possible problems with live stream. You can watch Twestivals from around the world, including Iowa City here. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the issues are resolved.

If you end up at the Twestival – send me pics, videos, thoughts. I’ll post it here tomorrow.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

With a House and Senate version that include more than 1,500 pages of directions to hand out more than $800 billion – how is the average citizen to keep track of what’s actually in the Stimulus Bill?

Today I discovered a searchable database – aimed at keeping the stimulus bill transparent and more importantly understandable. ReadtheStimulus.org is basically a blog with a bonus. In addition to tracking the ammendments, committee reports and opinions related to the stimulus bill, it also offers the ability to search for keywords contained in the actual language of the bill.

For example, a search of the word “Internet” turned up this gem.

(a) REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH WEBSITE.-The Board shall establish and maintain a website on the Internet to be named Recovery.gov, to foster greater accountability and transparency in the use of funds made available in this Act.

Basically the government is required to set up a site (Recovery.gov) that tracks how money from the stimulus bill is being spent. The actual layout of the site remains to be seen. The government has reserved the domain name and has a friendly message waiting to greet you.

A disclaimer – if you look at the ReadtheStimulus.org sponsors, they do trend toward the right. But, browsing around the site today, the opinions only make an occasional appearance in the updates. And opinions aside, this is the best resource I’ve found for breaking down the stimulus craziness.

If you know of others – send them my way.

-jj

Posted under Politics