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Television Standards Converters, Modulators etc Standards converters, modulators anything else for providing signals to vintage televisions.

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Old 28th Jul 2016, 5:02 pm   #1
JayBee66
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Default Freeview Box with RF Modulator

Can anyone recommend a cheap Freeview Box that has a coax RF output?

I don't need a convertor or anything else as the analogue TV I am going to feed is only about 20 years old.

The TV is a 4 inch screen b&w portable with no SCART so I need a coax input for it.

Many thanks.
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Old 28th Jul 2016, 8:45 pm   #2
mark pirate
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

I would highly recommend a Humax F2-fox T. I have three of them for use on my vintage TV's, keep an eye out on ebay or car boot sales
These are very well made, reliable and have a good picture.

Mark
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Old 28th Jul 2016, 9:42 pm   #3
ntscuser
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

Goodmans GDR11 if you can still find one:

Goodmans GDR11 Review
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Old 28th Jul 2016, 10:20 pm   #4
dave walsh
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

If you can't find a box with an RF option, there's an easy solution. I've got a Sony B+W Portable with 4" screen in Rammy. It sits on an old VCR that doesn't work mechanically. I feed a DVD player in through the VCR Scart to get an RF coax output for the TV. Any old Free View box, with Scart Out, would work in just the same way. I find that WW2 films looks particularly effective in BW "Tiny" Screen for some reason.

Dave W
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Old 29th Jul 2016, 9:19 am   #5
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

Might have one in my 'pile', I'll have a look if you wish. If I've got one and you want it £2 + P&P. Alternatively I've got some UHF modulators the type which plugged into camcorders (phono for video, phono for audio and a rquirement for DC at around 5V), easily adapted.
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Old 29th Jul 2016, 8:06 pm   #6
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

The Ferguson F01SDB that used to be sold by Comet, does have a modulator, but beware: while the early version (with the rectangular remote) has a fully tuneable modulator, the modulator of the later model (with the dogbone remote) has a fixed frequency that, in my area, is occupied by a digital multiplex. The front panels are identical, but the early (tuneable) model has a "D" connector on the back panel that is absent in the later (fixed frequency) model.
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Old 31st Jul 2016, 8:16 am   #7
dglcomp
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

There's one of the goodmans boxes finishing today on ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GOODMANS-F...oAAOSw-YVXnKCL

Used them at work, good boxes.
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 11:19 am   #8
G8HQP Dave
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

See if you can find a second-hand TVonics MFR-200 - see here. I seem to recall reading somewhere that this was designed by the same team who developed the Sony VTX-D800U.
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Old 1st Aug 2016, 3:32 pm   #9
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

This one has a modulator.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THOMSON-FR...cAAOSwIgNXmJcO.
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Old 2nd Aug 2016, 8:10 pm   #10
dglcomp
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

I personally wouldn't trust Thomson boxes, they don't seem to have good reliability. Their sky+ boxes were generally regarded as pretty poor and the less that can be said about their TopUp TV recorders the better.
Although the fact that this one still supposedly works could be a good sign.

Another option, if you have a satellite dish, is to get an old sky box.
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Old 2nd Aug 2016, 9:13 pm   #11
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

Having read reports of exploding capacitors due to overheating (as my son's first supermarket own-brand one did, easily fixed), I stood the Ferguson and Icecrypt STBs I got for analogue switch-off on their ends, generally attaching them to the side of their sets with self-adhesive Velcro. The logic was that standing on end with the circuit board vertical would promote better convection cooling than if it were horizontal. No further failures so far (that's tempting fate!) .
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Old 3rd Aug 2016, 1:28 pm   #12
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

I use an old VHS video to feed RF to my 1987 NEI telly: Digibox go's to video via SCART then to telly via RF lead, bit Heath. Robinson. but it works..
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Old 3rd Aug 2016, 4:43 pm   #13
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

Keep a lookout for the Goodmans boxes in Alba disguise as they were used in the Government's £40 digital upgrade for elderly people. Many are in cupboards unused. The electrolytics bulge as expected giving rise to unstable pictures and hum bars. Change the 1000/16 and the main smoother and all will be well.
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Old 8th Aug 2016, 9:51 pm   #14
Karl_M0KRL
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

Sony PS1 modulators work well and can be picked up for pennies normaly. Phono inputs for sound and picture and single 5v supply. Karl
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Old 10th Aug 2016, 2:58 am   #15
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

If you want something neat on the cheap you can always pull the modulator out of an old VCR and build your own. Trickiest part is making sure you get the supply voltage right, some are 12v, some 5v. You might even be able to fit it inside a Freeview box.
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Old 10th Aug 2016, 10:23 am   #16
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

I did find one in my 'pile' but I note the OP hasn't responded to any of the above suggestions so the 'inquiry' has most likely been solved or 'gone away'.
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Old 10th Aug 2016, 4:48 pm   #17
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

Agree with #2 ; someone has just given me two Humax, excellent build quality.
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Old 16th Aug 2016, 12:59 am   #18
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Default Re: Freeview Box with RF Modulator

I also agree with #2 but it is worth remembering that the Humax power supply is prone to capacitor plague. I've had to repair at least two of mine. In all cases the rogue capacitor was fairly easy to spot. Classic bulging top.
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