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5. Over the Air: Channel Scanning and Manual Entry

The first time you set up your digital TV or converter, your tuner will scan for available channels. You should also re-scan for channels any time you reposition your antenna.

If you have a directional antenna that you will be repositioning to receive various channels, you may need to perform a scan for each direction that you position the antenna. Your tuner may have an 'EZ Add' function that lets you scan for additional channels without losing entries for channels that have already been added.

Since June 12, 2009
On June 12, a number of area stations moved to new channel locations, to maximize use of the newly available space in the broadcast spectrum. WKAR Channel 23 moved from digital frequency 55 to 40 on that date.

Re-scanning for channels on or after June 12 is necessary to continue to receive WKAR and other mid-Michigan stations.

Double Re-Scan
In some cases where stations moved their digital frequencies on June 12, simple scanning mightnot be enough. There is a procedure - sometimes called "double rescanning" - that can clear your tuner's memory of saved channels.

There are five simple steps to a double rescan for a converter box or digital TV:
1. Disconnect the antenna from the box or digital TV.
2. Rescan the box or digital TV without the antenna connected. As with any scan follow the on-screen instructions or owner’s manual for your device.
3. Unplug the box or digital TV from the electrical outlet for at least one minute.
4. Reconnect the antenna to the box or digital TV and plug the unit into the electrical outlet.
5. Rescan the box or digital TV one more time.

Manually Entering a Channel
When a channel in your viewing range is not found during a scan for channels, you may wish to manually enter the digital frequency for the missing channel. For instructions on entering channel frequencies manually, check your TV or converter box manual.

IMPORTANT: When manually entering WKAR Channel 23, enter frequency 40.

To learn which channels you might expect to receive at your location, and their digital frequencies, visit antennaweb.org

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