WILMINGTON, NC (WECT/WSFX) – If you’re not ready for the big switch to digital TV, you’re about to have proof right in front of your eyes. WECT and WSFX are among the stations preparing for a test run of digital broadcasting. On Tuesday, we will turn off our analog signal for one minute beginning at 7:30 PM. This way, viewers will learn if all their sets are ready for September 8. For the full story click here
Hello Southeastern North Carolina. Or should I say Big Switchers? Congratulations on being part of television history! In just a few weeks we will become the first market in America to go to an all digital television broadcast. Scared? Confused? Well, you shouldn’t be. It’s actually quite simple and to make it all the more simple, we’ve set up this easy to use forum for you to pose your questions and to easily sort through answers to any of your DTV questions.
All you have to do is post a relevant question to the Digital Television Big Switch and a member of the WECT/WSFX team will respond with an answer.
To post your question, click here.
Thank you for your participation.
To receive a printed copy of our helpful DTV guide, please send a self addressed stamped envelope to:
Big Switch c/o WECT
322 Shipyard Blvd.
Wilmington, NC 28412
To view the answer to your question, simply click on “comments” below or select your comment from the recent comments list to the right.
Big Switch Questions 
Where can I find the rankings for the tv converter boxes? I saw the info on your station last week and can’t remember which ones were better.
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Hi Carleen,
Consumer Reports has done DTV converter box testing which can be found at this link:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/televisions/digital-tv-converter/ratings/dtv-converter-boxes-ratings.htm
Some additional things I look for on DTV converter boxes is ease of setup (auto tune), signal strength indicator that is easy to get too, and ability of the converter to add new channels without having to do ‘auto tune’ every time.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
Will listeners still be able to hear WECT on 87.7 on the radio?
How will the transmitting tower in Bladen County be affected?
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Hi Bruce,
As explained in the posting above, WECT will no longer appear at 87.7 when analog is turned off. No plans have been made regarding the old 2000 foot tower in Bladen County, the tallest structure east of the Mississippi river. We are hoping that interested parties will come up with a workable business plan so the tower can continue to serve Bladen County and surrounding areas. As you might expect, our need for the tower will greatly diminish after analog shutoff. The tower is too far inland to be of significant value to DTV service in the Wilmington area and our channel 6 signal from this tower has never been as strong as we would like along the coast.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I saw a brief mention the other day about digital converters for batttery powered TV’s. Can you give more information about that? I’m concerned as we get into the heart of hurricane season that we won’t be able to access TV if the power is out.
Also, will we no longer be able to listen to WECT on FM radio after the Big Switch? If so, I’ll miss listening to the 5 o’clock news at work.
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Hi Beth,
In the posting above I provide several digital television solutions.
Many FM radio listeners are asking if it is true that WECT-TV audio on 87.7 FM will no longer be available after the Big Switch and the shut off of analog broadcasting. Unfortunately, the answer is yes, 87.7 will no longer be available. We have benefited by having our TV broadcasts on VHF channel 6 which is right next to the FM dial. Most FM radios tune a little bit out of band and picked up our TV aural carrier. Television broadcasters are not licensed to broadcast on FM. We just have been able to benefit from having our audio available on the FM band. Our DTV (HD) digital broadcasts are in the UHF band so it is impossible for FM radios to tune or decode the audio. This feature will be missed. But we do have an agreement with a radio partner, Cumulus Broadcasting, station WGNI, at 102.7 on the FM dial. Emergency News and Weather will be broadcast on their radio station so you can get the latest emergency information even if you are away from your TV.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
What great timing for the DTV conversion – the height of the hurricane season.
There is little information about converter boxes tha are battery-operated which will be the only option when there is no power. If this happens, no one will be able to watch WECT or any other local channel -right?
So, what are the options for battery-operated converter boxes?
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Please see post above on portable digital TV solutions. Thanks,
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
what happens when the power is out in a storm?
( battery tv)
Hi Don,
Please see post above on portable TVs. I also emailed this responce to you.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
Are there any battery operated digital TVs on the market? Important in emergency situations when power is out.
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Hi Ron,
There are several choices for battery powered set owners and I have listed them below:
1. Purchase a DTV converter for your existing battery powered set. Winegard, a major antenna manufacturer, is introducing a battery pack for their converter model RC-DT09. Another solution is to use a 12 volt DC to 120 VAC inverter so your DTV converter can operate from a 12 volt car battery. These units are commonly available from many stores for $30 to $100 depending on the wattage. A 200 watt unit is more then adequate for several small pieces of electronic equipment.
2. Another option is to purchase a battery powered jump start kit with inverter. Duracell makes one as does Black & Decker model Electromate 400 available at Home Depot for $99. In addition to having a built in inverter for your electronics, it has an air compressor and jump start cables so you can pump up tires and jump start your car. It can be recharged from a wall outlet or with a lighter plug from your car when the engine is running.
3. Purchase a DTV portable TV. These are available from Radio Shack and from KCD Digital at http://www.lcddigital.com.
4. I set up my portable DTV with my DVD player. It has audio/video inputs which I connect to my converter box. The 16×9 screen shows HD programming in it’s intended display size and even though it is standard def, it looks very good on a small screen and I can play DVDs too. I run my system off an inverter and a deep cycle marine battery that will power the setup for about 20 hours. I can also plug in a small fan and fluorescent light.
5. Use your generator if you have one. I do not recommend, however, that you power you HD television from a generator. There power is not always clean and the power can very if the engine begins running rough which could damage sensitive electronic equipment. I don’t worry much about small electronics but an HD television is too expensive of an investment to take a chance. This is where you old analog set can be helpful.
In all cases, remember your UHF antenna. If it is a powered unit, it must be plugged in to work. Most portable digital TVs have a rather poor antenna that probably won’t pick up all the local channels. If you have a roof top or attic antenna, it likely has a preamp to distribute the signal throughout the house; it also needs power to work. I hope this answers your question and gives you some practical choices.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I currently receive WECT’s HD broadcasts with an indoor antenna for my Sony HD tv. In other words, no cable or satellite converter box. I am assuming this will not be affected. Correct?
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Hi Rich,
That is correct; you should continue to receive us just fine with your indoor antenna. However, after we move our main transmitter facilities currently located near Delco on a 900 foot tower, to the 1800 foot tower near Winnabow in August, our signal will become easier to pick up and the signal should be stronger for more viewers. Later in the year, in October or November, we will increase power by about 8 times which will extend the range of our signal considerably which will mean many more viewers will get good reception with a indoor antenna.
I live in Hampstead and have a rooftop antenna and receive the following channels, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX 26, MyNetworkTV and PBS. I have just connected my converter box to my TV and now i only get CBS, ION, CW and 2 other channels, one religious and the other a kids channel. Why can’t i get my other channels? Please tell me this is not how its going to stay, as i bought both my TV’s only a few years ago and cannot afford to get cable, or buy HDTV’s. Please help! Thank you
Hi Christina,
Your roof top antenna is probably set up to pick up the old analog channels, most of which were in the VHF (Very High Frequency) band. All the new DTV channels in Wilmington are in the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band and some are on different towers. I expect that your current roof top antenna is not up to par for UHF and/or is not pointing in the current direction. You may also have a bad splitter or RF amplifier. In addition, WECT DTV signal is not real strong in the Hampstead area but we are installing a new DTV transmitter at the Winnabow tower site this week and hope to have it on the air within the next few weeks so our signal will be much improved. Please read our white paper on DTV viewing in Wilmington, NC located on our web site http://www.wect.com under The Big Switch for more detail information.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
Our coupons expired on June 25, 2008. Is there anyway we can use them or return them for new coupons? Thanks.
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Unfortunately, many people are having problems with expired coupons. There are not any solutions yet but law makers are working on this problem. For now, hang onto your expired coupons and see what happens. You can write your senator or congressmen if you wish to add pressure to get this resolved.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I missed the DTV Expo on Saturday. Will they have another one?
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Hi Betty,
Yes, WECT is sponsoring a DTV expo (party) at the convention center down town next to the Hilton on August 28th. It will be free to the public and there will be prices, information, entertainment, and venders. There will be much more information on this in the coming weeks.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
Currently we use an antenna, but would love to get your channel on Direct TV. We pay attention to the weather in Wilmington and definitely shop regularly in Wilmington, but because we live in Wallace, we have to have channels further north of us instead of the Wilmington channels we want. Can WECT TV help us and our neighbors receive the preferred channels with the big switch?
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Hi Sandy,
Unfortunately, Wallace is in a different television market covered by other stations. Neilson Ratings Service determines what counties belong to which markets dependant on viewer preferences. There is nothing we can do to change this so you will have to continue to use an antenna pointed in the Wilmington direction to pick us up.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I have an analog TV that is “Cable Ready”. I think this means it has a digital tuner. Will I need a converter box or can I just feed my antenna into the cable connection on the TV?
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Hi Jim,
Cable ready simply means that the analog set is capable of picking up the analog cable channel lineup. It will not help you with DTV so you still need a converter box. The same is true for VCRs and the older TVOs and the converter box has to be set to the correct channel.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
once the big swith goes into effect will channel 6.1 be broadcasting in High Defintion and will I be able to receive it with a small outside digital antenna?
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Hi Wayne, We began broadcast our local news in HD on August 31st, 2008. In addition we broadcast available NBC HD programs and live HD sporting events from Raycom Media. We hope to upgrade our master control room to HD sometime next year so all programming can be provided in HD when available for WECT and WSFX.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
Hello, I currently get my local channels using an attic antenna. I keep seeing that antenna locations will change sometime in August. My question is, will this happen before the olympics? I will probably have to repoint my antenna when this takes place. Thanks for your time!
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All HD facilities in Wilmington are now in their permanent location. WECT, WSFX, and WWAY transmitter facilities are located near the small town of Winnabow about 15 miles Southwest of Wilmington. WUNJ and WILM are located near the small town of Delco about 12 miles Northwest of Wilmington.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I had already switched most of my TV’s and was able to get several stations except 26 now I can’t get 6 to come in and it was my best station. What has happened? Will it show back up once all this switch has taken place.
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Hi Joyce,
Picking up all the digital television stations is dependant on the following:
1. Distance from the transmitter – The DTV signal has a range of about 45 to 50 miles line of site. If you live further then 50 miles, DTV reception will require extra ordinary measures and will not likely be reliable.
2. The right antenna – You must have a good UHF antenna for the digital signals in the Wilmington market. The further away you are from our transmitter site, the better and higher the antenna will need to be. Indoor antennas work for many viewers but homes and trailers too far away or with metal roofs, aluminum siding, or brick will likely require an outside antenna.
3. The right location – If the antenna is shadowed by trees, buildings, or metal, they will not work properly. The best results are always achieved when you have direct line of sight with the transmitting tower.
4. Adjusted correctly – good antennas with good gain are directional. If the antenna is not pointing in the right location the signal will not be as strong as it could be. Don’t hesitate to move the antenna around, sometimes a foot or two will make a big difference.
The signal strength indicator on your DTV set or converter box is your friend. Be sure you know how the turn it on and use it any time you are adjusting your antenna or are having problems receiving the signal. You can not properly adjust digital antennas by looking at the picture. It may be good for now, but if anything changes, the picture may go away without notice.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
Hello,
I have installed my converter box. I am only getting the PBS channels; the others have “no signal” on the screen. Does this mean that there is no broadcasting signal in our area now, or does it mean my antenna isn’t working?
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Please see answer posted to Joyce’s question on 8/6/2008. I think this will answer your question as well. Thanks,
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
An elderly friend of mine who lives in another NC city made a statement recently that I think is wrong. She had been told by someone that none of her VCR tapes will “be any good” after the switch. I tried to convince her that this had nothing to do with playing her VCR, and that only recording to VCR might be different. Am I giving her the right information?
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Hi Cherry,
VCRs will work with previously recorded tapes connected to analog TVs the way they always have. However, to record digital signals, you must record the output of the digital converter box. The simplest way to do this, is to run the RF cable labeled “to TV” from the converter box into your VCR. Then run the VCR RF cable labeled “to TV” to your TV set. The TV needs to be set to the VCR channel out (3 or 4) and the VCR needs to be set to the converter box channel out (3 or 4). Best practice is to set your TV out channels on channel 4 for the converter box and VCR.
To record your program, you need to program the VCR to record channel 4. Leave the converter box turned on and tuned to the channel you wish to record. When the VCR is turned off, the converter box signal will pass through to the TV and it will work as if you had no VCR connected. When you play a tape, the VCR will interrupt the converter box output and play out to your TV.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
i live in rose hill nc — 45 miles north of wilmington nc — my analog channels are going away monday sept 8th — i have purchased a converter box to go digital but was not able to receive any channels with a signal stronger than 10 using rabbit ears – purchased and tried 5 different kinds — now i have purchased 2 outside antennas that are supposed to pickup signals up to 75 miles away — i still cannot get a signal better than 10 — is there anything else i can try?
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Hi Marie,
45 miles is on the fringe but you are on the right track. Here are a couple more things to try.
1. If you are using the same old antenna cable you might want to change it out. You can get pretty severe losses from old cable, especially if it has been crushed are sharply bent anywhere.
2. If the cable is feeding splitters, the signal level is reduced very significantly. A two way splitter cuts the signal level in half, a four way splitter cuts the signal to 1/4th the normal level. If you are feeding several sets from an antenna 45 miles away, the week signal requires an amplified splitter.
3. Make sure all splitters and RF amplifiers you use cover the UHF band since all digital signals in Wilmington are UHF. VHF splitters often have severe roll off (signal reduction) in the UHF band. High quality cable splitters work well because they are typically designed to go all the way up to 1 GHz (a frequency higher then UHF).
4. A good low noise amplifier mounted at the antenna always provides the highest performance because the signal is boosted before it has to pass through the coax lead into the home. This overcomes the losses going through the coax without the signal getting too weak to be amplified later.
5. Be sure to turn on your signal strength indicator and turn your antenna until you get maximum signal on the Wilmington station you can get. Then do a re-scan or auto tune on your converter box or HDTV. If you start receiving WSFX on 26.1 but not WECT on 6.1, turn on your signal strength indicator while viewing WSFX and adjust your antenna again for maximum signal strength. Then do the re-scan or auto tune again and see if you have all the stations.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
WHAT CHANNEL WILL THE CONVERTER BOX BE LOOKING FOR ON THE BIG SWITHCH ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2008. DTV OFFICIALS SAID IT WOULD BE CHANNEL 44? I DID THE CHANNEL SCAN AND 6.1 NOR CHANNEL 44 APPEARED.
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WECT has been broadcasting digital on channel 44 for several years. Please see the earlier posts on antennas and tuning to get our channel if it is not currently available.
Thanks,
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
Hi, i live in the sampson county area and i also used to watch wect-6 and i have had my converter boxes for about 5 months, 2 different models; Zenith Dtt-900 & RCA 800b1 and reception is gone. I am a pretty intuitive and have shared my ability with older ones in my congregation and glad to help them, but the assurance that i thought i had given them about this tansition and my experience with the analog signals before and the digital afterwards has been a embarassment. Before, they received perfect analog pictures with rabbit ears and now i am asking them to buy more equipment just to see the basics like the news/weather. (Amplified antennaes, replacing the ariel, electronic store salesmen telling them ” your problem is”;, flat screen dttv’s tune better than dt-boxes, and push customer to buy a new tv that doesn’t improve reception any better then the boxes that they already have.) This has been a real travesty on our elderly ones who spent $500 to $700 replacing equipment that didn’t need replacing because of bad information about digital reception and the snafu’s, i hope their is a real boost in signal real soon.
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Hi Terrence,
This is a good question and here is the explanation. When our analog transmitter was designed and installed in the late 1960s at White Lake, we were a larger market covering many more counties. We never had a good analog signal in Wilmington and along the coast. Over the years, are market has shrunk because most viewers in the distant counties including Sampson County turned to the Raleigh market for their programs and we were no longer significantly viewed. Our new digital transmitter facility was designed to serve our current market counties of New Hanover, Brunswick, Columbus, Pender, and Bladen. This required a tower location much closer to the coast and our coastal communities and city of license, Wilmington, which now receive a much stronger signal. Unfortunately, this means our digital signal no longer reaches most counties outside our market. You now need to look to the Raleigh stations for your channels. We are very sorry to loose any of our loyal viewers but it was not possible for us to server everyone requiring us to focus on the counties that count as our viewers and measure our success.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
live in whiteville and we are getting no signal out here i have a converter box and it shows no signal . i do get all the other channels i used to get except 6 and 26 i used to get them good on anolog
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Hi Bob,
Pleae check out the earlier posts. If you can’t get some stations, it is going to be related to your antenna.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I recently bought a new LCD TV all my chanels are coming in except wfsx 26. I live in the hampstead area when will it start working?
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You should have no problem receiving WSFX 26.1 in the Hampstead area and should adjust your antenna. If you are using a in door antenna, and adjusting it does not work, try moving the antenna. Sometimes, even a foot or two makes a big differance. There are RF hot spots and RF null spots in your home and the trick is to find the hot spot that works for all channels.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I thought if we had a HDTV that we didn’t need a converter box,but when the switch happened I could not few any stations but PBS.Why is that.
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HDTVs with ATSC digital tuners do not need converter boxes. Some HDTVs produced several years ago did not have built in digital tuners, only analog, but nearly all the new models do. If your HD set does not have the ATSC digital tuner you will have to purchase one or get a converter box for a lower quality standard definition signal for your HD TV.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I LIVE IN ROBESON CON. N.C. WE A NEW LCD WITH ATSC TUNER
AS OF SEPT 8th WE NO LONGER GET 6- 44 – 3 OR 26
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM ?.
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I’m sorry to inform you that the Wilmington Market digital television stations do not reach Robenson County. This county belongs to the Myrtle Beach/Florence market and you will need to look to those television stations for your channels. Please see post below from viewer in Sampson County for a more complete explanation.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I live in Fair Bluff, NC, which is on the far western side of Columbus County. I have one TV with outside antennae with rotor and converter box. I have one TV with inside UHF antennae with converter box. I cannot recieve a signal from Station 6 or 3. I did receive this A.M. a good signal from WRAL and from New Bern before sunup. I have heard that WECT is planning on expanding(?) their coverage area. I have talked with some people outside the Whiteville area that are also unable to get your signal since the switch. Can you provide any info as to expanding your coverage area? We in this area will apparently not be able to get your signal until you do.
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Hi Pat,
This is a very good question. Fair Bluff is almost 55 miles from our digital transmitter near Winnabow, NC. You are at the fringe of our coverage area. A very good high gain antenna will be needed to get reliable reception at this distance. WECT recently moved to the tower near Winnabow because it covered our market much better and is at twice the height as our older digital site near Delco. The temporary authorization was at reduced power which is where we are at today. They have since approved our application to maximize our power and we are making plans to do so in the next few months. This will help a great deal for viewers like you near the fringe. WRAL in Raleigh is broadcasting an extremely powerful signal and under certain atmospheric conditions, can be received with a good antenna here.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
I do understand MB [Myrtle Beach] is not a part of the Wilmington TV market so coverage in MB may not be a big concern. Especeialy while you the concern of the inland counties that depened on 6 analog for NBC that are not covered by the new dt site. I guess Raycon thought WMBF would cover that area. It seems the did not put the tower for WMBF far enough inland & north cover that area. But none of the stations in the MB market have 10:00 PM news on the week end. So I had been watching channel 26. I used to receive WSFX dt when the first went on the air. But I have trouble receiving it now. Is WSFX dt different than it was when they first put WSFX DT on the air. For most NBC I watch WMBF. But, None of the MB stations have the weather plus that WECT has on 6.2 so we watch WECT 6.2 very often to get real time color weather radar. Also WMBF does not have 12:00 noon news so I watch WECT then. So we are glad that WECT still shares their signal with Myrtle Beach.
Hi Calvin,
The broadcast license granted to WMBF by the FCC restricted their tower location, power, and height. It was not possible for them to get a strong signal into the inland counties. WECT’s power will be increasing considerably the week of October 27th so with a good UHF antenna you should be able to receive us just fine. Please give it a try soon.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
Let’s talk about sidebars. I am receiving HDTV just fine off my HD antennae but there are still sidebars on my widescreen TV. Is this because you are still formatting for a 4:3 format ? If so, when will you go to a widescreen format, 16:9 ?
Hi Charles,
WECT and WSFX broadcasts all network programing provided in 16×9 aspect ratio. We also broadcast all local news in 16×9 aspect ratio as well as Raycom sports programs produced in 16×9. We still cannot broadcast our syndicated programing in 16×9 and are planning to upgrade this equipment sometime next year. In addition to a wide screen HDTV, you do need to have access to the HD signal from our over the air transmitter or cable offering the HD service. Not all cable companies provide HD service and DirecTV/Dish Network still have not installed HD equipment for the locals. If you have satellite service, you still need to install an over the air antenna to pick up local network HD programming.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFC Chief Engineer
As you suggested, I purchased an LCDdigatal porable TV (emergency with battery box). Even standing outside I can only get the PBS channel. I live in the heart of Wilmington (no rremote location). Is this a problem of the TV? I do not want the burden of having to deal with an external antenna. Can not beleuve I can’t get WECT or WAAV. Was never a problem on my old small screen battery operated TV (which is now worthless). Heard this complaint before on this LCDdigital TV??
Hi Ron,
Most portable HDTVs have telescoping whip antennas (1/2 of a rabbit ear antenna). These antennas are garbage for picking up HD programming in Wilmington which are all in the UHF band. You really need to use a good UHF antenna with your portable TV which should have an external antenna input jack.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer
On October 14 I lost my wect tv station. I have been getting it fine up until now. That morning it started breaking up and after a short while it was gone. I have no antenna reception for channel 6 at or no signal. What is going on? This sucks. What am I going to do? My day is just not complete with out my fix of bob, francis, jim and the rest of the channel 6 gang. Help I’m desperate
marsha
rose hill
Hi Marsha,
We were down in power last week due to a failed power module which has been replaced so I expect you are picking us up again now. Next week, we will bring on line our full power transmitter which we moved from our old transmitter site. This will increase our power by 7 times so you should have far fewer problems receiving us in the future.
Dan Ullmer
WECT/WSFX Chief Engineer