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WLMB TV
Regarding
Dennis Wallace
1282 Smallwood Drive
Suite 372
Waldorf, Maryland 20603
(202) 251-7589
PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to report to WLMB TV and its licensee Dominion Broadcasting Inc.
(referred to as WLMB) the results of a study undertaken by Meintel, Sgrignoli, & Wallace, LLC (MSW)
to determine the potential impact of the construction of a wind farm, near the WLMB TV transmission
facility, on WLMB’s digital television service and coverage area.
The firm of Meintel, Sgrignoli, & Wallace has extensive experience with wind turbines and their impact
on communications signals and particularly with regard to the impact on television signals. MSW has
conducted numerous evaluations as well as field tests in a variety of locations around the United States.
MSW has provided consulting services to Broadcasters as well as Wind Farm Developers on numerous
issues related to analog and digital television reception, impact studies, propagation predictions, field
testing, mitigation of interference, and other aspects of wind farm development.
Based upon these facility parameters MSW was able to determine the potential impact of the wind
turbine heights and locations on the WLMB TV signal. The WLMB TV transmitting antenna is mounted
with a center of radiation at 512 feet AGL. As noted above, the heights of the proposed wind turbines
are 497 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) which would put the blades of the turbines in the main beam of
the WLMB transmitting antenna. This is demonstrated in Figure 1 below.
Signal Passing Through Blades
Figure 1 Height of Turbine Blades and Transmitting antenna are essentially the same.
In our experience, in order for nearly co-located turbines to not impair the propagation of the TV signal
for the nearby transmitter, the height of the turbine blade at the top of its rotation should be no greater
than 25% the height of the television transmitting antenna. In addition, the turbines would need to be
clustered very close to the base of the transmitter such that the blades would not intersect a line that
would be drawn from the transmitting antenna to the ground based upon a depression angle of greater
than 30-50º. In this case, the wind turbines are spread out over a very large area and at heights that
would certainly intercept the WLMB TV signal path between the transmitting antenna and the receiver
location.
This signal interception by the blades of the wind turbine would result in severe degradation to the
WLMB digital television signal. This degradation would include severe dynamic multipath effects, high-
speed Doppler shifts in the signal, and large variation in the signal level. Further, due to the frequency of
operation of the WLMB-TV signal (channel 5 / 79MHz) the wavelength of the WLMB signal at this
frequency is approximately 12.5 feet. This long wavelength would like exacerbate the effects of the
wind turbine impairment.
We estimate that the lost homes would represent approximately 65.2% of the households that receive the
WLMB signal from satellite and cable. The net result would be that only approximately 112,953
subscribers would not be impaired (34.8%) by degradation to the WLMB signal caused by the addition
of the wind farm. Obviously, this results in a significant impact to WLMB viewership and its ability to
serve its existing viewers via cable and satellite distribution.
As shown here, this would significantly impair the ability of any alternative distribution platforms to
provide the WLMB signal to their subscribers, homes in the impaired areas with degraded or no off-air
reception of WLMB would be left with no way to receive the station as cable and satellite would also be
impaired.
CONCLUSION
Based upon our study and our substantial experience with similar projects, we find that significant
degradation and interference to WLMB TV signal will likely result from the construction of the
proposed wind turbine farm.
Not only will almost 815,067 potential over-the-air viewers using indoor and outdoor antennas lose
reception of WLMB, it is highly likely that approximately 65% of the WLMB viewers (211,177) on
cable and satellite systems would lose reception as well.
Our study of the WLMB STL system indicates that it is likely to be negatively impacted by the wind
farm, and although no turbines are in the direct line-of-sight path of the STL, it is likely that Fresnel
Zone clearances will be diminished and may result in less reliable operation or failure of the STL link.
This would result in WLMB not being able to deliver its programs from its studios to its transmitter site,
and therefore, directly impact all of its viewers.
It is clear from our studies that the construction and operation of the wind turbine farm near the WLMB
transmitter site would have a substantial negative impact on the viewers of the station including the
dissemination and delivery of emergency EAS messages.
It is also noted that those areas adjacent to the proposed turbines and areas north and west of the
proposed wind turbines would likely experience similar impairments to receiving the other Toledo
television stations using over-the-air antennas. These areas would likely encounter similar degradation
of television reception and the EAS messages associated with the impaired stations.
________________________________________
Dennis W. Wallace, C.B.T.E.
Managing Partner
Meintel, Sgrignoli, & Wallace, LLC
1282 Smallwood Drive, Suite 372
Waldorf, MD. 20603
(202) 251-7589
William Meintel
Bill Meintel holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and has experience in the communications field
since 1970. After graduation, Bill was employed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
first as a field engineer and then in the Mass Media Bureau’s Policy and Rules Division. While in Policy
and Rules, Bill served as the division’s computer expert and directed the development of several major
computer modeling projects related to spectrum utilization and planning.
He entered private practice in 1989, and has been heavily involved in technical consulting, computer
modeling, and spectrum planning for the broadcast industry. In April 2005, Bill merged his consulting
practice (Techware) into the firm Meintel, Sgrignoli, & Wallace, where he is a partner and principal
engineer.
Mr. Meintel co-authored a report for the NAB on spectrum requirements for Digital Audio Broadcasting
(DAB), created a plan for independent television broadcasting for Romania and has been extensively
involved in spectrum planning for digital television (DTV) in both the U.S. and internationally. Mr.
Meintel wrote the software to conduct DTV interference analysis and OET-69 studies for the FCC. Bill
is a member of IEEE and Tau Beta Pi.
Gary Sgrignoli
Gary received his BSEE and MSEE degrees from the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), and
was a design engineer with Zenith Electronics Corporation in their Research and Development group for
27 years before leaving to become a DTV broadcast consulting engineer. In 2005, Gary merged his
consulting practice (Sgrignoli Consulting) into the firm Meintel, Sgrignoli, & Wallace, where he is a
partner and principal engineer.
Gary has worked in the R&D design area on television "ghost" canceling, cable TV scrambling, and
cable TV two-way data systems before turning to digital television transmission systems. Since 1991, he
has been extensively involved in the 8-VSB digital transmission system design, its prototype
implementation, and its lab and field tests. He holds 35 U.S. patents (many related to DTV and 8-VSB
transmission), is a recipient of the prestigious IEEE Matti S. Siukloa award, and was selected as SBE
Educator of the Year for 2005.
Gary was involved with the DTV Station Project in Washington DC, helping to develop DTV RF test
plans. He has also been involved with numerous television broadcast stations around the country,
training them for DTV field testing and data analysis, and has participated in numerous DTV over-the-
air demonstrations with the Grand Alliance and the ATSC, both in the U.S. and abroad. In addition to
publishing technical papers and giving presentations at various conferences (NAB, BTS, ICCE, SBE,
NTA, CBA), he has presented many VSB transmission system seminars around the country since 1998.
Gary is a member of the IEEE and the SBE.
Dennis Wallace
Dennis Wallace has an extensive background in digital Television Systems. Dennis managed all the
Laboratory RF Testing of the Grand Alliance ATSC HDTV System, having served as the RF Systems
Engineer at the Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC). He managed test plans, configurations, and
operations for Grand Alliance Testing and several data-casting systems. In early 2009, we has awarded a
Technical “Emmy” plaque by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for contributions he made
to the ATTC and the development of Digital Television. Prior to joining ATTC, Dennis held positions
in Field Operations Engineering, Applications Engineering, and was Product Manager for two television
transmitter manufacturers.
In July 1997, Dennis founded Wallace & Associates, a broadcast engineering and consulting firm
specializing in digital television, RF propagation measurements, spectrum policy issues, and technical
consulting. His clients include major broadcast groups, The DTV Station Project, ATTC, Trade
Associations, and both Professional and Consumer Electronics Manufacturers. In April 2005, Dennis
merged his firm (Wallace & Associates) into the firm of Meintel, Sgrignoli, & Wallace, where he is a
partner and principal engineer.
He has worked on the Broadcast side as well, holding Chief Engineer and Operations Manager positions
with both radio and television stations.
Dennis has authored several papers on the topics of Digital Television transmission and results of testing
of the DTV systems, which have been published in the IEEE Transactions and other publications.
Dennis has been a presenter at the IEEE Broadcast Technology Symposium, NAB, and several SBE
Conferences, as well as providing DTV presentations for SCTE and IEEE Chapters. He has made
extensive field measurements of both Digital and Analog Television and Radio systems, including over
5,000 DTV field measurements.
In 1999, Mr. Wallace was awarded the prestigious Matti S. Siukola award by the IEEE Broadcast
Technology Society. Mr. Wallace is a Certified Broadcast Television Engineer by the Society of
Broadcast Engineers. He is also a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society, SMPTE, an
Associate member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, and is active on several industry
standards committees and the ATSC.
Appendix A
Structure Total
Case Number City State Latitude Longitude Site Elevation Height Height
2009‐WTE‐11989‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 11.43" N83° 58' 29.33" W 717 494 1211
2009‐WTE‐11990‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 31.22" N83° 49' 09.09" W 703 494 1197
2009‐WTE‐11991‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 48' 50.67" N83° 53' 38.28" W 693 494 1187
2009‐WTE‐11992‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 47.56" N83° 53' 47.50" W 718 494 1212
2009‐WTE‐12178‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 16.61" N83° 47' 45.32" W 696 497 1193
2009‐WTE‐12179‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 29.80" N83° 49' 37.33" W 703 497 1200
2009‐WTE‐12180‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 58.04" N83° 49' 55.04" W 705 497 1202
2009‐WTE‐12181‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 15.02" N83° 50' 52.67" W 706 497 1203
2009‐WTE‐12182‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 47.78" N83° 53' 29.88" W 699 497 1196
2009‐WTE‐12183‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 29.81" N83° 52' 03.25" W 713 497 1210
2009‐WTE‐12184‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 51.08" N83° 57' 13.38" W 718 497 1215
2009‐WTE‐12185‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 06.35" N83° 53' 22.18" W 710 497 1207
2009‐WTE‐12186‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 18.35" N83° 54' 54.22" W 701 497 1198
2009‐WTE‐12187‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 10.97" N83° 54' 43.35" W 714 497 1211
2009‐WTE‐12188‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 58.84" N83° 55' 54.78" W 711 497 1208
2009‐WTE‐12189‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 26.44" N83° 54' 19.98" W 720 497 1217
2009‐WTE‐12190‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 12.13" N83° 55' 41.43" W 722 497 1219
2009‐WTE‐12191‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 00.80" N83° 52' 36.06" W 711 497 1208
2011‐WTE‐11‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 49.38" N83° 59' 12.41" W 710 497 1207
2011‐WTE‐12‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 36.96" N83° 59' 07.45" W 710 497 1207
2011‐WTE‐13‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 22.39" N83° 59' 08.14" W 710 497 1207
WLMB REPORT APPENDIX A WIND TURBINE LOCATIONS
2011‐WTE‐14‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 50.52" N83° 58' 26.00" W 703 497 1200
2011‐WTE‐15‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 40.87" N83° 58' 18.88" W 705 497 1202
2011‐WTE‐16‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 30.77" N83° 58' 12.20" W 707 497 1204
2011‐WTE‐17‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 20.98" N83° 58' 04.95" W 709 497 1206
2011‐WTE‐18‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 16.55" N83° 59' 47.74" W 713 497 1210
2011‐WTE‐19‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 02.78" N83° 59' 40.42" W 713 497 1210
2011‐WTE‐20‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 52.01" N83° 59' 33.99" W 715 497 1212
2011‐WTE‐21‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 37.89" N83° 59' 33.39" W 717 497 1214
2011‐WTE‐22‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 24.75" N83° 59' 31.71" W 719 497 1216
2011‐WTE‐23‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 09.58" N83° 59' 35.45" W 720 497 1217
2011‐WTE‐24‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 57.23" N83° 59' 31.96" W 720 497 1217
2011‐WTE‐25‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 38.36" N83° 59' 46.78" W 724 497 1221
2011‐WTE‐26‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 30.93" N83° 59' 35.40" W 724 497 1221
2011‐WTE‐27‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 19.37" N83° 59' 31.04" W 725 497 1222
2011‐WTE‐28‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 06.67" N83° 59' 28.91" W 725 497 1222
2011‐WTE‐29‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 52.92" N83° 59' 28.56" W 725 497 1222
2011‐WTE‐30‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 38.90" N83° 59' 26.87" W 725 497 1222
2011‐WTE‐31‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 33.49" N83° 59' 32.31" W 735 497 1232
2011‐WTE‐32‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 28.10" N83° 58' 57.55" W 735 497 1232
2011‐WTE‐33‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 09.82" N83° 59' 03.69" W 741 497 1238
2011‐WTE‐34‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 45.52" N83° 58' 15.43" W 713 497 1210
2011‐WTE‐35‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 12.71" N83° 58' 09.01" W 721 497 1218
WLMB REPORT APPENDIX A WIND TURBINE LOCATIONS
2011‐WTE‐36‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 55.58" N83° 58' 14.79" W 722 497 1219
2011‐WTE‐37‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 55.32" N83° 57' 57.70" W 723 497 1220
2011‐WTE‐38‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 47.95" N83° 57' 47.49" W 723 497 1220
2011‐WTE‐39‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 08.23" N83° 57' 55.85" W 729 497 1226
2011‐WTE‐40‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 54.51" N83° 57' 55.46" W 732 497 1229
2011‐WTE‐41‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 23.39" N83° 58' 18.87" W 735 497 1232
2011‐WTE‐42‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 08.61" N83° 57' 15.82" W 718 497 1215
2011‐WTE‐43‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 57.27" N83° 57' 13.58" W 719 497 1216
2011‐WTE‐44‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 49.44" N83° 57' 05.82" W 720 497 1217
2011‐WTE‐45‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 23.54" N83° 56' 47.65" W 721 497 1218
2011‐WTE‐46‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 08.99" N83° 56' 44.31" W 722 497 1219
2011‐WTE‐47‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 14.58" N83° 56' 02.75" W 711 497 1208
2011‐WTE‐48‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 01.14" N83° 55' 58.24" W 713 497 1210
2011‐WTE‐49‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 46.80" N83° 55' 55.29" W 714 497 1211
2011‐WTE‐50‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 35.69" N83° 55' 44.78" W 715 497 1212
2011‐WTE‐51‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 11.03" N83° 55' 39.42" W 716 497 1213
2011‐WTE‐52‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 08.75" N83° 55' 04.83" W 710 497 1207
2011‐WTE‐53‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 56.66" N83° 54' 55.15" W 712 497 1209
2011‐WTE‐54‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 47.13" N83° 54' 46.77" W 714 497 1211
2011‐WTE‐55‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 57.20" N83° 54' 47.87" W 718 497 1215
2011‐WTE‐56‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 54.22" N83° 54' 29.87" W 718 497 1215
2011‐WTE‐57‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 22.67" N83° 55' 37.39" W 724 497 1221
WLMB REPORT APPENDIX A WIND TURBINE LOCATIONS
2011‐WTE‐58‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 01.56" N83° 55' 30.87" W 722 497 1219
2011‐WTE‐59‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 39.37" N83° 55' 34.18" W 723 497 1220
2011‐WTE‐60‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 29.63" N83° 54' 44.94" W 720 497 1217
2011‐WTE‐61‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 19.59" N83° 54' 28.63" W 720 497 1217
2011‐WTE‐62‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 39.85" N83° 54' 33.44" W 720 497 1217
2011‐WTE‐63‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 32.72" N83° 54' 17.86" W 719 497 1216
2011‐WTE‐64‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 25.51" N83° 53' 42.29" W 719 497 1216
2011‐WTE‐65‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 10.32" N83° 55' 37.38" W 724 497 1221
2011‐WTE‐66‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 15.23" N83° 53' 37.29" W 719 497 1216
2011‐WTE‐67‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 00.04" N83° 53' 34.56" W 719 497 1216
2011‐WTE‐680‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 46' 07.97" N84° 00' 58.03" W 722 492 1214
2011‐WTE‐681‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 47' 01.56" N83° 58' 33.12" W 708 492 1200
2011‐WTE‐682‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 32.70" N83° 57' 09.14" W 727 492 1219
2011‐WTE‐683‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 26.89" N84° 01' 16.22" W 743 492 1235
2011‐WTE‐684‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 45' 08.22" N84° 00' 19.32" W 727 492 1219
2011‐WTE‐68‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 44' 22.76" N83° 53' 11.30" W 717 497 1214
2011‐WTE‐69‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 59.76" N83° 53' 07.18" W 716 497 1213
2011‐WTE‐70‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 27.89" N83° 53' 36.11" W 715 497 1212
2011‐WTE‐71‐OE Blissfield MI 41° 43' 26.01" N83° 53' 14.52" W 715 497 1212
WLMB Study Report 03/04/11
APPENDIX B
AREA OF NO RECEPTION
AREA OF NO RECEPTION
AREA OF NO RECEPTION
AREA OF NO RECEPTION
AREA OF NO RECEPTION
APPENDIX C
APPENDIX D
IMPACTED HOUSEHOLD
AND POPULATION COUNT INFORMATION