Thread: Getting Started
View Single Post
Old 8-Dec-2009, 1:13 AM   #5
andy.s.lee
Janitor
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 54
Complete Google Earth Transmitter Icon Collection

Quick links: Download the files from here (TV Fool) or here (FM Fool).

Please note that in order to use the Google Earth Transmitter Icon Collection, you must have the following:
  • Google Earth 4.0 or later
  • A very good 3D graphics card
  • Lots of RAM
  • Fast internet connection


If you need general help with Google Earth, you might find some useful information at the following places:
Google Earth on Wikipedia
Google Earth home page


STEP 1: Download the zip file. It should have a name like FCC_TV_yyyy-mm-dd.kmz.zip or FCC_FM_yyyy-mm-dd.kmz.zip, depending on the type of icons included and the date the database snapshot was taken.

Unzip the file to get the original *.kmz (Google Earth) file.




STEP 2: Open the *.kmz file in Google Earth.

As soon as the file is opened, you should see an aerial view of the world with several red and green dots marked on the landscape. Those dots mark the locations of the transmitters in the area (red=analog channels, green=digital channels).

In the folders on the left side of the screen, the icons have been placed into separate Digital and Analog folders. You can toggle an entire group of icons on or off by clicking the checkbox next to the folder name.

TIP: There are a LOT of icons to display in these files. Trying to display all the transmitters on screen at one time can really slow down some computers and graphics cards. It might help to turn off the transmitter display first, zoom into an area of interest, and then turn the transmitter display back on.

If you are looking for a specific transmitter, they are sorted alphabetically by callsign within each folder.



STEP 3: To view additional information for any of the transmitters, just click on the icon or click on the name in the folder list. This will open a pop-up balloon that includes the station's channel number, transmit power, height (above ground and above sea level), plus a link into the FCC's online database query tool.
andy.s.lee is offline