Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

Hi,

Apologies if this has been asked before so feel free to point me to a thread if it already exists.

I've purchased a PYE K30 TV and now know that it only has an RF input.
As the room I plan to use this in does not have aerial socket nearby for a Freeview box with RF output, I thought about using something like an Amazon Fire Stick as I've seen older posts/videos elsewhere that demonstrate it functioning on a vintage 70s TV but not list how they have achieved this.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can achieve this?

I've checked various websites like Amazon to see if I can a converter box of sorts but to no luck.
The closest I have is a HDMI to composite but there doesn't appear to be anything that could convert this down to an analog signal.

Apologies for the novice like question.

Cheers,

Karl

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

You cold run the composite signal throgh a VCR or a DVD recorder with RF output.

The K30 was available composite input also. The set might be converted if it has an insulated power supply.

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

Thanks for the suggestion
I do have a more modern VCR that has RF Output.
I'm surprised that there isn't a single converter box that can do the conversion but all of the ones I've seen are discontinued.

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

You could use this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SODIAL-Comp...ateway&sr=8-36

With a VCR or modulator with RF out, like suggested.

The adaptor is quite handy

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

Hi i use a beelink gt1 mini in native res using its av output into a cheep e*** modultor on ch 44 works ok or you could input to a vcr and use its inbuilt modulator. the hdmi output may not work into a converter/ modulator due to coppyright controls over the hdmi signal ? The beelink is an android tv box conecting to wour wifi so make sure you have the speed required and a wifi signal at the tv. The tv box is smaller than a credit card so can be hidden out of the way

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

Your particular K30 won't have an isolated power supply so direct video input conversion would not be possible without a lot of work. The easiest and cheapest solution would be an eBay modulator (they can be bought for around £16). You can preset the modulator to any channel you want between ch21 and ch68 and then connect video and audio signals via SCART or Phono.

One of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dragonsat...2cca18cec8daec will probably do the job

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

Hi All,

Thanks for the suggestions.
I picked the TV up this morning and I cannot believe the condition its in.
There is some of the lettering missing on the channel selectors and one of the knobs is missing the level inducator but the cabinet itself has no marks or dents in it
It generally looks like it came out of the factory yesterday.

I did find that the picture was a little too fuzzy, even after letting the tube heat up.
The RF connector on the back seems to be a little loose so I'm guessing this is probably the reason?
A simple fix if the modulator in the TV is loose?

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

The TV doesn't have a modulator....it has a tuner. The aerial socket will probably be separate from the tuner and may just need resoldering….but it's unlikely to improve a 'fuzzy' picture. By fuzzy do you mean defocussed or just noisy (grainy)?

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

I have a Maplin Video to RF converter.

This item seems popular on Amazon and it's by Technomate which have been making good satellite receivers for years

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Technomate-...ateway&sr=8-10

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

Whoops, I meant tuner of course. Trouble with looking at several web pages at once!

The picture doesn't appear to be de-focused but noisy.
It seems that the less noise there is the more interference there is with the sound and vice versa.
If i open the tuner drawer, tune in to a VCR and then close the drawer, 9 times out of ten the picture becomes much more grainy.once the drawer is firmly closed.

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

It's possible the RF channel you're using has a digital multiplex on or near it which will cause a grainy picture, with my sets I have to set my freeview box to output on either channel 21 or 69, but that may different where you live.

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

I found when I was last trying out my Goodmans Freeview box with a modulator that I had to try a few different output channels before I found one without any interference. In the end channel 69 was one that I didn't have a problem with.

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

It was always Ch36, but shoehorning Channel 5 into the mix destroyed the carefully calculated frequency plan. Engineers visited affected areas to retune customer equipment, but that was in the analogue days.

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

I'm out of touch with channel allocations these days but here in the London (Crystal Palace) area I've found that Ch48 gives excellent results. Many of the lower channels are noisy, presumably because of the digital multiplexes. When Channel 5 started on Ch35, most sets were tuned to Ch38 but had to be changed again since Ch38 became digital.

Re: Connnecting a vintage TV to modern sources
 

36 was a bad choice round here, because of the airport ground radar. Does anyone remember when they were finally switched off?