Squaw Mountain HDTV and Boulder On-Channel Booster Test Results
VIR JAMES P.C. - Timothy C. Cutforth P.E., Director of Engineering
October 30, 2002

This summary is the condensed version of the 1500+ pages of data and analysis from the
Squaw Mountain DTV and Boulder On-Channel Booster tests.

In order to determine the suitability of the Squaw Mountain Communications Inc. site (Squaw Mountain) for Digital Television Broadcasting, a low power DTV transmitter was constructed on Channel 38 at Squaw Mountain under FCC Special Temporary Authority, and DTV reception from this site was measured over the Denver Metro Area and beyond.

Measurements were made over the whole market area from Parker to Greeley and in Jefferson County from Jeffco Airport to Roxborough Park and back into the mountain communities. The Squaw Mountain DTV signal was there even in most of the deep shadows. The data showed that even a low power DTV transmitter at Squaw Mountain (only 2.4% of the allowable DTV power) was amazingly adequate, providing a useable signal over virtually all of the Denver Metro Area and beyond, including shadowed areas of Jefferson County. Very few isolated locations were found where the shadow was not filled by the main DTV signal so as to even require an On-Channel Booster.

Based on the signal margins observed, a full power DTV facility operated from Squaw Mountain would provide indoor reception in most all Denver market locations with common indoor antennas. Indoor reception measurements generally found rather small differences in signal strength from outdoor measurements. Worst-case difference between indoor and outdoor measurement was 17 dB. The average attenuation for indoor versus outdoor was only 2 dB, and in some cases the indoor signal exceeded the outdoor signal. Overall, indoor reception did not seem at all difficult with a common inexpensive Radio Shack indoor antenna.

In order to demonstrate the feasibility of filling in deeply shadowed areas such as Boulder, a second Special Temporary Authorization was obtained from the FCC and an On-Channel DTV Booster repeater was constructed and tested in Boulder. The Boulder Booster tests demonstrated the practicality of filling in significant shadows wherever they might occur.

With the addition of an On-Channel DTV Booster to fill in Boulder, any full power DTV facility on Squaw Mountain would provide a useable DTV signal over more than 98% of all of the population in the market area. To read the entire results summary report, click here...


Additional Reference Documents
For detailed information, click on the following links:

Site Summary Spreadsheet
The Site Summary Spreadsheet provides a description of the individual site characteristics as well as the results of the reception tests. A description of the contents of each column is also provided.

Site Summary Report
Outlines the results by Individual Site #, Site Reception (i.e. YES=Achieved reception, **Y=Would have reception with full power transmitter, NO=Did not receive a signal, would require a booster to cover), Description of the Test site,Coordinates, Antennae bearing referenced to transmitter, etc.

Booster Site Summary
Outlines the results of the Individual Sites that required boosters including Individual Site #, Site Reception
(i.e. only those sites with a NO reference where NO=Did not receive a signal, would require a booster to cover), Description of the Test site,Coordinates, Antennae bearing referenced to transmitter, etc.

Squaw Mountain Reception Test Map
Detailed map showing individual test results from sites measured over the whole market area from Parker to Greeley, and in Jefferson County from Jeffco Airport to Roxborough Park and into the mountain communities.