Lake Arrowhead

By the way, digital broadcasting is not necessarily HD broadcasting. It is just transmitted a different way than the old analog system. It allows for Directv quality signals without cable or satellite, and allows the stations to broadcast multiple channels. The old analog frequencys will go to emergency agencys once all analog TV broadcasting stops in February 2009.

Another thing about Arrowhead Woods Guy's comment:

He expects the whole compliment of San Diego TV channels. Two of the big San Diego channels actually broadcast from transmitters in Tijuana, Mexico. They are XETV Channel 6, the Fox affilate, and its sister station XDTV Channel 49, an affilate of My Network TV. Good luck on getting those two. On analog, I could just barely pick up XETV at times on the rim, and could not pick up XDTV at all.

I just read something interesting on Wikipedia regarding XETV and its Fox affilation. Beginning in August of this year, KSWB Channel 69 will be the new San Diego Fox station. They were previously a WB and CW affilate. Outside of Smallville and a few other shows, not too many people are watching the CW and that may be the reason that KSWB switched. KSWB is owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles and the LA Times. Maybe XETV will become the new CW affilate for the San Diego area. The article says that XETV plans to fight this as they had an agreement to carry Fox programming until 2010.

I don't expect to get much reception. It is just going to be an experiment. You can get antennas that are designed to pick up signals more than 100 miles away. I may take one up with me and see how it works. Perhaps the ridges will obscure everything. Perhaps not.

It's not the distance to Mt. Wilson, it's Mount Baldy that blocks the signal. Line of sight is blocked 15 miles to our northwest by a large piece of granite in addition to the ridge on our own mountains.

Back to the original thread for just a moment...

For those who have had nothing but positive experiences with Charter, I am happy for you. For us, unfortunately, we lost Internet (and VoIP -- our telephone service) again on April 22. And yesterday (Thursday, May 15), it was down yet again. That's at least five outage days in the past month!

Thankfully, our Vonage VoIP telephone service automatically forwards calls to our cell phone when Charter is down. But heaven forbid we ever need to call 9-1-1 during an outage.

No, Verizon DSL is not an option here on North Shore (too far from the Blue Jay switch). Dish Network and DIRECTV are fine for television, but not for Internet & VoIP (too slow, too expensive).

If I had a nickel for every complaint made here about Charter Cable, I would have more money than Bill Gates.

DUMP CHARTER!!!!

Bill - my home is s/u similar to yours and I also live in the North Shore area. I continue to use a landline # for my home through Verizon, Charter for internet, Vonage for my home office, and Dish Network for TV. I also have a Sprint broadband card for travel and emergencies. For long term outages I can plug my aircard into a wireless router specifically made for aircards to power my Vonage & laptops if needed.