DTV switch: Outdoor antenna may help

Yuman Ron Gonzalez knows the ins and outs of his house's roof - and lately he's been spending a lot of time up there.

Gonzalez has made almost 25 trips up and down the ladder propped up against the side of his house, all to find the perfect position for his new, outdoor antenna in a search to get more TV channels after the switch to digital left his TV dark.

"For a while there we were going to the video store. We're up to date on almost all the movies now."

The switch, which happened in June, was a government-mandated switch from analog signal to the new digital signal.

Gonzalez said the ads leading up to the switch explained how people needed to get a digital TV converter box or have a new TV able to pick up the digital signal. But for Gonzalez, who lives just outside the city limits off of 16th Street, the digital converter box with an indoor antenna just wasn't cutting it.

"That's not all the truth," Gonzalez said about the ads. "Hello, everybody doesn't live in the city."

He said the indoor antenna he purchased was "basically worthless," and after talking with engineers at several local TV stations, he went with an outdoor one, hoping to get a better signal.

About $120 later, Gonzalez said he still wasn't getting all the channels.

Gonzalez said he doesn't want to get cable because he wouldn't watch it, and this one-time expense doesn't hurt him. But he said he feels bad for other people who have a lot of expenses, especially now that the summer power bills are rolling in.

"And TV may be the first thing you can cut out and save money on," he said.

After Gonzalez made the investment in the outdoor antenna, the tinkering began.

To help him reposition the antenna on his roof, Gonzalez got walkie-talkies. He enlisted the help of his brother and wife - that way someone inside could communicate what the reception looked like while Gonzalez repositioned the antenna.

But he still wasn't getting all of the channels.

And he's not the only Yuman having a tough time.

Luis Marquez, store manager of the Radio Shack on 16th Street, said they've had outdoor antennas on back order for the past three weeks.

"Right now, we get an update on a weekly basis from our warehouse, and it's in back order, we can't supply enough."

Marquez said he attributes it to the manufacturers not being prepared for the increased demand after the switch.

The Yuma Sun called several retailers that sell outdoor antennas. Most had a few antennas in stock but said they have been selling as fast as they're coming in.

One station Gonzalez said he wasn't getting was Fox Channel 9.

Deborah Weekes, general manager of KECY-TV in Yuma, which operates, Fox, ABC and Telemundo, said as of the end of the week, they were up to full power. And they'll continue to operate both channels 9 and 48 through the weekend before shutting down the analog channel 48 around 10 a.m. Monday.

And they're running commercials to help remind people to rescan Monday to make sure they have the correct channels.

"Our coverage area has actually increased from what it was with our analog signal," she said.

Weekes said it's important for people to purchase a UHF/VHF antenna if they want to make sure they get all the channels. Because some stations such as KAET-PBS Channel 8 and some Spanish language stations are still in UHF.

Last week, the ladder was still propped up against Gonzalez's house.

But maybe the ladder won't be a permanent fixture. On Saturday, Gonzalez said he's now getting a signal from all the major networks.

For more information about the switch and advice on troubleshooting, contact your local TV station.

TRANSITION TIPS

• To pick up all the channels, make sure to purchase a UHF/VHF antenna.

• When performing a rescan, unplug the box to clear the memory.

• For best results, point the antenna toward Black Mountain, located just east of 8th Street and 1st Avenue in Yuma.