WTFDA.org gets email and here is a sample of comments we receive from visitors to the site:

Hey Folks.
Could you please supply me with some info on worldwide tv. How does it work, what equipment 
I need / software etc. Costs and reputable sites to download from.
I'm from Nova Scotia and am interested in getting news from my neck of the woods, is that 
possible?
Thanking you in advance for any help.

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Seems to us like you're thinking of something similar to streaming video or streaming audio, 
which you would get from the CBC website. What our club deals with is over-the-air long distance 
reception of FM and television channels using sensitive receivers and fringe antennas. 

Hi! In 1979 I received an FM station from Dallas, TX on my Radio Shack stereo.  It was coming 
over a Philly FM station.  I lived 45 mi. from Philly in Downingtown, PA.  I called the 
TX dj, told him what he was playing and he put me on the air.  That was so cool!

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This happens every year, mostly from May through August. It's called E-layer skip, or E-skip 
or Es for short. It mostly affects TV channels 2-6 but strong openings will affect FM and beyond
(over 108mhz). This is long distance FM reception that WTFDA DXers just love!

Next February all TV in the US has to change to digital signal, do you know if the TV coming 
from Mexico(especially Juarez) will change to digital signal as well?
 
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Nope. They'll stay analog for some years to come. 

I'm looking into buying converter boxes. Could you tell me if you wholesale? Thank you.

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Nope. We're a hobby club, not a STB wholesaler. 

I need to know how much does it cost to buy about 15 or 20 of your DIGITAL TO ANALOG 
CONVERTERS??  

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Oh, how does $2,000 sound? Is that a deal?

Seriously, though, we are a hobby club specializing in long distance TV and FM reception. 
We are not a converter box wholesaler and we don't know how anyone could get that idea. 

Does anyone know if any of the many digital to analog television converter boxes will operate on 
12 volts DC, for mobilhome/camper/sailboat use?
I have a 12 volt DC TV and a 12 volt DC VCR that I am using when traveling. I would hate to be 
limited to just tapes after all the over-the-air TV stations are shut down.

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All we can think of is an inverter, or possibly a generator.  DTV doesn't do well on a 
moving object like a boat or camper so consider that you'll probably have to be parked 
to watch DTV. 

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Nope. If you want that, be prepared to pay more money for a full featured DTV receiver. 

What you want is a converter box that will let you watch the digital channels when it is turned on, and when turned off, will let the regular "analog" channels pass through the box to your television so you can watch the "regular" analog channels on your TV.

This feature is called "analog pass-through" and most of the converter boxes sold don't have it.

There is a converter box that seems to be sold at Rite-Aid pharmacies that has this feature. It is the Memorex MCVB1000 and costs around $69.95, which is what I paid locally here in New England.  This is the type of converter box you are looking for. When you shut it off you get to watch all of the usual VHF and UHF channels you normally do. When you turn it on and tune to either channel 3 or 4 (you determine which with a switch on the back of the box), you will watch all of the digital channels instead.

There are a few other boxes of this type around. One is made by Philco but I can't remember the others. Do an internet search for analog pass-through and you should be able to find a list.

After reviewing some of your articles & looking in the forums, I'm still a littl unsure about which CECB
to purchase. I live in a fringe area in VT. I'm not really into DX'ing, but I would like to receive digital
signals more consitantly.

I have an Antennas Direct 91XG on a 25' mast with a channel master 7777 pre-amp and 82'
of RG11 cable into the house. I currently have an early generation Zenith DTT900.
I have 1 channel that just will not come in & the station doesn't respond to my requests for contact.
WFFF, Fox 44 in Vermont. I get all other stations off of that mountain. Fox 44 will come
in a 40% signal and I've only had a lock good enough to decode and watch for about 30
mins late one night.

What cecb would you recommend for my situation? The tower is 45 miles away.

Don't know if will pick up WFFF, but when in doubt go with the Insignia NS-DX1A or the Zenith equivalent.

H*******<h******* This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >

Thanks for the Web site . I owned a White's Radio log in the 50's but I can't remember what
year . This brings back good memories of those times . Again , thanks .

M*** B****y <j****@m**.com>

As a DX'er in the mid to late 70's of both TV and FM, I have since been 'out of the loop' on the
hobby. However, I am very curios as to how, in any way, the new digital converter box required
in February, 2009 will affect DX beyond that point in time for TV Dx'ers....Will you still be able
to use rabbit ears or a rotary antenna to retrieve distant signals?? Will the new requirement
affect the reception of those distant signals??

Rabbit ears with a DTV box? You'll get your locals, or most of them, but that's hardly DX.
Tropo will be easier to DX than E skip. E skip DXing is possible but very difficult, based on results this summer. An outdoor antenna, up high with a preamp, is almost mandatory for good DXing.