Over the past few weeks, we’ve received a number of inquiries from viewers who appear to have lost KAKM’s 0ver-the-air signal in Girdwood, and various communities in the Kenai Peninsula. As of last month, KAKM translators serving Girdwood and the Kenai Peninsula were upgraded from analog to digital. This upgrade allows us to offer all 3 channels (KAKM 7.1, Create TV 7.2, and 360 North 7.3), as well as a clearer, high definition presentation of KAKM 7.1 for HD ready televisions. If you’re having trouble, here are some tips for finding our new signal:
Converter Box For most older analog-only televisions, you’ll need a DTV converter box: a device that tunes in DTV broadcast signals and makes the picture and sound available for your older analog TV. Such converter boxes are available at many electronics retailers in Alaska. They’re available online from Amazon.com and other retailers.
Antenna – Even with a DTV ready TV, you may need to adjust your antenna to pick up a good reception. If you are not getting a clear signal or getting no signal at all, you may need a new VHF-UHF antenna. To learn more about what type of antenna you’ll need, visit www.antennaweb.org.
Rescanning – Remember to re-scan your converter box or digital TV set to get all your channels. This may be done by pressing the menu button on your remote and choosing the channel scan function. By re-scanning, your TV set will find all the channels available in your area.
If all else fails, feel free to contact us, or email our Chief Engineer, Bob Wyatt at bobw [at] alaskapublic [dot] org.
