Eclipse Anomalies Create TV Reception Oddities?

I've been using over-the-air antennas the past two years or so to pull in free digital television transmissions from our local TV providers. 

During that time, the channels pulled in on our LED televisions have stayed within the parameters that sites like antennaweb.org outline as being "receivable" in our area -- the TV towers that are within range of our home in Omaha, NE. 

But there have been a couple of anomalies, and they have both coincided with significant astronomical events. One happened this morning and it jogged my memory of a similar instance back in 2015. 

In late Sept. 2015, I happened to be up early one morning and ran a channel scan on our living room TV (something my geeky side does periodically to see if there are any new channels in the market). 

On that particular day, I was able to tune in KAKE from Wichita, KS (digital channel 10.1). Wichita is roughly 330 miles southwest of Omaha. The fact that any antenna in Omaha picked that up was peculiar. The fact that it was a small, set-top bowtie antenna raised even more questions. 

So I did some research: On Sept. 27, 2015, there was a "Supermoon Lunar Eclipse" viewable in the United States. 

This morning, just two days before the "2017 Total Solar Eclipse" (Nebraska is in the "path of totality"), I decided to run a channel scan and see if any distant channels tuned in on my HDTVs. 

I was in the basement, and the 4K UHD set is currently hooked up to a small, bowtie-style antenna (RCA ANT1000) that is affixed to our basement window (which is a pretty difficult placement when it comes to long-range reception). 

Oddly enough, the TV tuned in PBS affiliate KOOD, Smoky Hills Public Television. KOOD is located in Bunker Hill, KS, which sits along the I-70 corridor in that state. It serves the western half of Kansas. 

The TV in our basement was able to tune in KOOD-DT channel 9.1 and its two subchannels (PBS Kids and PBS Create). The signal came in strong and stable this morning. 

(I was also able to receive the KOOD channels via our attic antenna on the HDTV in our living room.) 

Bunker Hill, KS, is about 300 miles southwest of Omaha. Like the Wichita station we received during the lunar eclipse in 2015, it is well out of our range.

These are the only two instances where I have been able to tune in channels that broadcast from so far afield.  

None of our antennas is particularly long range in nature (i.e. they aren't 100+-mile range outdoor mount antennas), and I haven't been able to pick up channels from places like Lincoln, NE, Sioux City, IA, or Des Moines, IA -- which are all closer than Wichita or Bunker Hill, KS. 

The only thing I can surmise is that atmospheric anomalies created by current "eclipse conditions" have an impact on the waves carrying the digital TV signals in our region.  

Check out my previous blog post: "Utah Trip, Part 4 -- Stranded, Slurpees, Trolley Square, Burgers, and a Tonka Truck"

Utah Trip, Part 4 -- Stranded, Slurpees, Trolley Square, Burgers, and a Tonka Truck

I do a good job of making my life seem like it is all "sunshine and puppy dogs" -- on this blog, on my Facebook page, on Twitter...

But sometimes things don't go according to plan, tempers flare, frustration sets in, and you have to find a way to adapt. 

That's the situation we found ourselves in on the Wednesday morning of our trip to Utah. We had already enjoyed three jam-packed days of cycling races, sightseeing, food and fun, and were looking for the opportunity to enjoy another stage of the Tour of Utah. 

We had a late start on Aug. 2, and didn't roll out until around 10 a.m. local time. 

Unfortunately, the cycling action that day wasn't your typical road race. Instead, the day featured a time trial (the first one in several years at the Tour of Utah), and the entire thing took place up in the mountains, meaning access in and out was restricted. 

There were shuttles that would ferry interested spectators to either the "start" of the race, or the "finish line" of the race. The shuttles departed from a parking lot, and would wind their way up to the two different ski resorts that bookended the race. 

The way things were setup, you could either hit the start or the finish -- not both. 

Our crew deliberated what we wanted to do. We couldn't come to a consensus either way, but we settled on going to the finish line since that is where the VIP area was located. 

Unfortunately, when we arrived at the parking lot, the shuttles were done for the day. That fact disappointed all of us in the RV, and it was also disappointing to other interested folks who pulled into the lot while we were there.  

This is as close to the race as we got:

We were tired and unhappy. We had just wanted another day of being able to interact with the riders, volunteers, Axeon team staff, and fans. 

We did eventually regroup (it got ugly there for a bit), and decided to hit a mall and In-N-Out Burger (a destination my niece Veronica had requested the day before). 

First, we stopped for fuel at 7-Eleven (the nieces are too young to remember when Omaha had them, and they wanted to get Slurpees).

I was given a list by the nieces of possible malls to visit. I chose the destination at the top of the list -- Trolley Square Mall in Salt Lake City. 

Apparently, the mall was the site of a mass shooting in 2007 (I just discovered that little tidbit on Google).

Trolley Square Mall, in its present form, is sort of an odd mix of Crossroads Mall and Regency Court in Omaha. There are some nice vendors like Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn Kids, but the historic structure also has a lot of empty bays. 

There was a cool store called Cabin Fever Cards and Gifts that had some cool "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" items, and I picked up a few things:

(As an aside, most of the people killed in the Trolley Square shooting died in Cabin Fever. We didn't know that at the time we were there, obviously.)

We only stayed an hour because we were eventually heading back to Cheyenne, and didn't want to get in too late. 

Our next stop was In-N-Out Burger -- a destination that seems "en vogue" with people whose municipalities don't have the hamburger chain. 

Did I love In-N-Out Burger?

I'm not sure. The burgers and fries were tasty. I wouldn't label it a religious experience in the lexicon of burger restaurants I've visited, but it was pretty solid for a fast food chain deal.

Bridget bought us all these souvenir t-shirts:

So there you go...our time in Utah was at an end.

One more thing...

We kept running into this truck driver on the road who had a Tonka truck strapped to the back of his flatbed trailer. I don't know why he showed up (or why he had a Tonka on the back), but he kept popping up along I-80 (and he'd wave at us every time we saw him):

And...

That's pretty much it. Not much more to tell. We did make it back to Omaha on Aug. 3. 

I had fun. It's so hard to get away from home, and I'm typically reluctant to leave work behind for any length of time.

But I needed a break from the normal routine. I realized this a few hours into the trip. My mind needed a respite from everything that has gone on the past several months in our family. 

It was nice to spend time on the road with Bridget, Emily, Lauren, Julia, Olivia, Veronica, and Danielle. I love these ladies. We've experienced a lot together over the years.

Bridget and I don't have kids of our own, and it means something to be able to spend time and experience new things with our nieces. They'll probably never know just how important it is to us. 

These fleeting moments become more ephemeral as the girls get older.

Since I don't want to end on a somber note, here is a picture of Lauren playing with magnifying glasses on the way home at a Sinclair station:

And here is a picture of a Sinclair hat that Julia and I thought was kinda cool (she ultimately got a Sinclair gas station t-shirt from a surprisingly large selection of Sinclair t-shirts they had on hand...):

Note: I want to give a special shoutout to my nieces Olivia and Emily for providing me with some of the photos that appear in this post.

Missed yesterday's post? Read it here: Utah Trip, Part 3 -- Brigham City, Snowbasin, High School Musical, and Leatherby's 

Utah Trip, Part 3 -- Brigham City, Snowbasin, High School Musical, and Leatherby's

The third day of our Utah trip was a busy one, and we set out early from Ogden for the short drive up to Brigham City -- where the second stage of the Tour of Utah was set to begin. 

We were told that the tour organizers had something special planned for our nieces, and that they wanted us to be there by 8:45 a.m. We were also told that the Axeon team would have special t-shirts to honor my brother-in-law (Sean died in May; he was the team's press officer before his death). 

The race area was quiet when we first arrived. Volunteers were setting up and putting things in place for the day's event. 

At one point Darth Vader walked by, and I had to get a picture -- he requested we do this pose:

The "TOUGH" shirt was designed by DNA Cycling. TOU for Tour of Utah;
TOUGH because the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is considered the most difficult stage race in the country.

Vader then disappeared, and we didn't see him again. Not sure where he was headed, but I'm always happy to see folks from a galaxy far, far away. 

As we neared 9 a.m., Axeon Marketing Director Nick Shuley met up with us. He took us into the VIP area and led us over to the stage (where the cyclists would be introduced, and the announcers would give play-by-play and commentary for the race festivities). 

We were all given t-shirts by the Axeon team that honored my brother-in-law.

Here's the description of the design:
Sean's name, obviously, and the #YD logo. The microphone is because he was the press officer.
The axes are for Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team led by Axel Merckx.
And the 16 hashmarks (spokes/stripes) represent the 16 riders on the team.

"YD" (Why-Dee) is how you pronounce "Weide" -- Sean's last name.

Axeon team owner Axel Merckx and his daughter both sported the #YD shirts.

We had the opportunity to chat with various people involved with the Tour of Utah and the competing teams. The nieces were also asked to pose for numerous pictures. They also had the opportunity to go on stage with the Axeon team (and, according to a post I saw on Facebook, the girls made it on Fox Sports). 

The girls were also able to meet Brent Bookwalter of the BMC team. Their father had worked for BMC in the past (and had promoted Brent's "Bookwalter Binge"), and they had wanted to meet some of the members of that team -- since we'd heard so much about them over the years. 

We were also given passes that allowed us entry into the VIP areas for the rest of the race (which meant free food, drink, and swag -- always a bonus). 

The riders did a couple laps around Brigham City before heading out of town. The course concluded at Snowbasin Resort -- a ski resort located in the mountains east of Ogden. Once again, we had a front row view.

We stayed in Brigham City for a bit before heading out. We met the mayor, a guy named Tyler Vincent (who is up for re-election) and he told us some interesting pieces of information about the town (for example, I didn't know the area was known for growing peaches). He invited us to return for "Brigham City Peach Days" in September and said if we came back, we could park our RV at his collision center (and even use his shower there). 

The girls with Brigham City's mayor.

A local ice cream vendor -- Peach City -- was handing out free samples of ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, and peach), so we decided to partake: 

After loitering around downtown Brigham City for a while, we hit the road in the "Big Fat Rolling Meatball" and plotted a course for Snowbasin Resort. 

Driving up the inclines toward the ski resort tested the endurance of the RV. There were a few points that we thought the vehicle might die, but it just kept chugging along. 

Snowbasin Resort is pretty beautiful. I'm sure the ski resort looks gorgeous in the winter, with a frosting of snow covering the buildings and terrain. 

We had the opportunity to hang out in the VIP area in Snowbasin. We were able to eat lunch (the kettle chips were delicious) and watch the race on TV monitors. The setup gave us a nice view of the riders coming in. (They VIP area was directly adjacent to the finish line.)

BMC's Brent Bookwalter (who the girls had met earlier that day) won the stage:

After the second stage concluded, we left the mountain (it was much easier for the RV to go "down") and headed to the next destination on our journey, which was Salt Lake City. 

Lauren sent a text to us (from the back of the RV) requesting we make a stop at East High School. The educational institution was featured in the Disney movie "High School Musical." 

The girls recreated a dance number from the movie:

It was nearly 100 degrees at that point. The RV was tired. We were tired. It had been an action-packed day, and our road-weary group was ready for dinner. 

Since our accommodations for the evening were on Utah's light rail line, I had the idea to take the train to dinner -- since maneuvering and parking the RV in the city is difficult. 

Bridget liked the idea (she makes me ride light rail whenever we have the opportunity). I'm not sure everyone else liked the plan (completely understandable).  

We were hoping to go to the Red Iguana -- which is a local Utah eatery that focuses on Mexican food, and has a stellar reputation among foodies. It was a straight shot east on the rail line (about two miles). 

When we arrived at the Red Iguana, there was a considerable wait time to get a table. Our contingent was already on the edge, and it seemed we needed to go elsewhere for dinner -- or face a possible mutiny. 

I suggested the restaurant across the street called Leatherby's. I'd already had a tepid reaction to my idea of riding the train to dinner, so I don't know why I thought it'd be a good idea to offer up an alternative dinner spot, but I did anyway. 

It is an ice cream shop that also has a full menu of lunch and dinner options.  

The place looked rather dilapidated inside, and the atmosphere was basically dead when we entered. 

I felt bad that I had suggested it. Not only was the ambiance a bit sketchy, I was a bit leery about what the food quality might be. 

It turns out that Leatherby's wasn't so bad, and by the end of our meal everyone was laughing and having a good time. Maybe delirium had set in, or maybe something funny had been planted in the food. 

(The french dip I had was pretty mediocre, but the other meals looked alright.)

I mean, there were combination locks on both the men and women's bathroom doors. 

This gentleman with the ombré hair came in for an order, and was carrying this baby like a sack of potatoes (the little guy didn't look very comfortable):

My nieces (primarily Veronica) had fun getting prizes out of the vending machines by the entrance, including this little figurine here: 

I will say that the ice cream was good. I didn't order it myself, but the Bridget and the girls let me sample their orders, and the samples were tasty. (Bridget's dessert, "Traci's Peanut Butter Cup" was incredible, she said.) Two of the girls ordered "Play-Doh" flavor.

When we were done, we hopped back on the train and headed back for the RV park. 

Now, there is something I need to disclose about this trip I haven't yet mentioned in the previous two posts on this topic.  

Bridget and I didn't actually stay in the RV on this trip. Considering the fact that there were eight of us -- and that the RV we were able to rent on short notice was smaller than Bridge had anticipated -- the two of us stayed in hotels (near the campgrounds where Dani and the girls stayed in the RV). 

I know, I know... that kills the authenticity (for the two of us) of the RV/camping experience. Judge me if you must, but I slept really well on this trip (something that normally doesn't happen when I am on the road). 

Anyway, after we dropped our traveling companions off at the KOA campground, we headed west toward our hotel, just two stops away on the light rail line.

We missed the correct stop based on some faulty information given to us by the clerk in the hotel lobby, and ended up at the airport. 

The light rail "turns around" at the airport. 

It added a half hour to our return trip, and we were already super tired. While we were walking from the right light rail stop (finally!), we got word that the girls were swimming at the campground. We walked by this restaurant on the way to our hotel. I thought the signage was very apropos:

That pretty much sums up the day. It was a packed morning, afternoon, and evening -- and it seemed at times like the action wouldn't stop... 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog post: Utah Trip, Part 4 

And, if you haven't already, read yesterday's missive: "Utah Trip, Part 2: Logan, Pepperoni Pizza, and Salt Water."