It has been a very busy 49 days for me. Beginning the week after Thanksgiving, I have been busy with the preparation of Oahu's final digital transmission system which is due to be activated on February 18. In addition to Oahu, the Maui digital system was being prepared for its debut on January 15, the Kauai analog translator system needed to be modified to work with a digital signal and the Big Island translator system required major changes to keep operating in analog.
So how do I feel the transition went? It was pretty much what I expected, except for the Big Island...more on that later. We knew that the move of our Oahu transmitter from the KGMB tower to Palehua (above Makakilo) was going to cause a lot of people who could once get us to lose our signal and a lot of people who could not receive us to start getting a signal. In addition, the temporary UHF channel we are licensed to use by the FCC would not be something most people are used to receiving. But come this February 18, we will be returning to our beloved Channel 11 frequency and should make it more familiar to rereceive.
The Maui transition went off without a hitch. At noon on January 15, we shutdown the analog transmitter, which was broadcasting on Channel 10, and switched on the digital transmitter, also broadcasting on Channel 10. This momentous occasion was over 20 years in the making. After many Public Hearings, meetings with special interest groups, propagation studies, site surveys, and governmental processes, the site at Ulupalakua Ranch was finally agreed upon by all. All the broadcasters were aware of the loss of coverage on Maui, Molokai, Oahu and the Big Island, but due to the loss of a lease at the summit of Haleakala and the subsequent move to Ulupalakua Ranch, the loss of coverage would have happened even if we continued with analog broadcasts. So in the end, our coverage ended up being pretty much what was predicted.
Kauai's translator system, though still analog, had to receive the KHET digital signal and convert it to analog to keep the system going. This was done without notice in early January. We will begin transitioning Kauai over to digital once we have completed the Oahu digital change mentioned above, and/or when the existing translators require replacement.
For the Big Island, please read my next entry.
Overall, the dust is settling on the transition of our full-power transmitters, but I am just starting to build the digital translator system...on both Kauai and the Big Island...anyone seen the Sawzall?
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