A cheap but very good UHF modulator - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

shaunhw · 25th Jul 2017, 2:01 pm

I recently bought one of these to use as well as my Maplin one which is more expensive, but has given good service and has fiddly dip switches to change the channel number unlike this new one.

Technomate RF Modulator

It has a digital display to show the current channel number, and up down buttons to change it. The channel number is remembered after switch off. It goes right from from channel 21 to channel 69. Has composite in, with L/R audio in, (mono sound only of course) and Scart input also.

It's only 17 pounds with free postage to Amazon Prime members, and works very well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm not in any way connected with Technomate. I though thought it's a decent unit, for the cost, if anyone here was looking for something like this!

Best wishes,
Shaun.

Goldieoldie · 19th Aug 2017, 10:13 pm

Hi Shaun,
Can you change the sound from pal I ( uk ) to pal b/g ( Europe )
Cheers Pete

emeritus · 20th Aug 2017, 11:18 am

If you can find one, the Icecrypt T5000 STB that I bought in the UK has a SCART input and its modulator can be switched to provide UK PAL, B/G PAL and NTSC. The UK instruction manual does not mention these options, but they appear on the installation menu, and I confirmed that B/G PAL setting works using a multistandard TV.

wd40addict · 20th Aug 2017, 1:54 pm

The specs do say "PAL-I, PAL B/G & PAL-K Compatible", however Shaun would have to confirm whether there is actually some way of selecting this!

winston_1 · 20th Aug 2017, 4:12 pm

Cheap and very good just don't come in the same package whatever you are buying. However I think the Maximum range of modulators are very good and reasonably priced. The MT47 covers VHF and UHF and can operate in systems B/G, I, D/K, L, M, and N. The MT57 is similar and can produce Zweiton Stereo on system B/G. Both are double side band and I seem to recall are around the £35 mark.

https://uk.eetgroup.com/i/4320-Maxim...specifications

G6Tanuki · 20th Aug 2017, 4:50 pm

There are plenty of these kinds of modulators around: but most current video sources [tablets, iPhones/iPads, Sky-boxes] are at least HDMI and more often DisplayPort so you need something which will downscale the original content.

dragonser · 21st Aug 2017, 8:52 am

HI,
one modulator I got actually covers the vhf channels as well. you can also change the fm sound spacing by holding down two of the buttons for 3 seconds ... the sound spacing is shown on the display.
it was called a dragonsat ( no connection to me ) .

SiriusHardware · 5th Sep 2017, 6:44 pm

shaunhw, thanks for pre-testing these as I'm intending to use one as one half of my 'analogue teletext time source'

(The idea being to generate a 'local' analogue TV transmission which includes teletext content with the real time and date embedded, so that all of my legacy 'boxes' can find something to set / correct their internal time clocks from).

Most of them have been keeping very poor time (and don't update on the BST switchover) since the real analogue transmissions ceased.

The important thing about the one you have described is that it remembers the channel it is set to during switch off. I might choose to run the project on a simple timer so that it only turns on for a few hours from (say) 0:00 to 03:30 on Sundays, allowing the boxes to correct their time clocks once a week (and to catch the BST time change twice a year as well). If so, I don't want the modulator coming back up on channel 21 every time it is powered up.

25th Jul 2017, 2:01 pm	#1
shaunhw Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Wickersley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 17	A cheap but very good UHF modulator I recently bought one of these to use as well as my Maplin one which is more expensive, but has given good service and has fiddly dip switches to change the channel number unlike this new one. Technomate RF Modulator It has a digital display to show the current channel number, and up down buttons to change it. The channel number is remembered after switch off. It goes right from from channel 21 to channel 69. Has composite in, with L/R audio in, (mono sound only of course) and Scart input also. It's only 17 pounds with free postage to Amazon Prime members, and works very well. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'm not in any way connected with Technomate. I though thought it's a decent unit, for the cost, if anyone here was looking for something like this! Best wishes, Shaun.

19th Aug 2017, 10:13 pm	#2
Goldieoldie Octode Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Petersfield, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 1,017	Re: A cheap but very good UHF modulator Hi Shaun, Can you change the sound from pal I ( uk ) to pal b/g ( Europe ) Cheers Pete

20th Aug 2017, 11:18 am	#3
emeritus Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK. Posts: 5,013	Re: A cheap but very good UHF modulator If you can find one, the Icecrypt T5000 STB that I bought in the UK has a SCART input and its modulator can be switched to provide UK PAL, B/G PAL and NTSC. The UK instruction manual does not mention these options, but they appear on the installation menu, and I confirmed that B/G PAL setting works using a multistandard TV.

20th Aug 2017, 1:54 pm	#4
wd40addict Octode Join Date: May 2009 Location: Stevenage, Herts. UK. Posts: 1,356	Re: A cheap but very good UHF modulator The specs do say "PAL-I, PAL B/G & PAL-K Compatible", however Shaun would have to confirm whether there is actually some way of selecting this!

20th Aug 2017, 4:12 pm	#5
winston_1 Hexode Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: London, UK. Posts: 464	Re: A cheap but very good UHF modulator Cheap and very good just don't come in the same package whatever you are buying. However I think the Maximum range of modulators are very good and reasonably priced. The MT47 covers VHF and UHF and can operate in systems B/G, I, D/K, L, M, and N. The MT57 is similar and can produce Zweiton Stereo on system B/G. Both are double side band and I seem to recall are around the £35 mark. https://uk.eetgroup.com/i/4320-Maxim...specifications

20th Aug 2017, 4:50 pm	#6
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 12,441	Re: A cheap but very good UHF modulator There are plenty of these kinds of modulators around: but most current video sources [tablets, iPhones/iPads, Sky-boxes] are at least HDMI and more often DisplayPort so you need something which will downscale the original content.

21st Aug 2017, 8:52 am	#7
dragonser Heptode Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Carshalton, Surrey, UK. Posts: 707	Re: A cheap but very good UHF modulator HI, one modulator I got actually covers the vhf channels as well. you can also change the fm sound spacing by holding down two of the buttons for 3 seconds ... the sound spacing is shown on the display. it was called a dragonsat ( no connection to me ) . __________________ Regards Peter B

5th Sep 2017, 6:44 pm	#8
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 9,773	Re: A cheap but very good UHF modulator shaunhw, thanks for pre-testing these as I'm intending to use one as one half of my 'analogue teletext time source' (The idea being to generate a 'local' analogue TV transmission which includes teletext content with the real time and date embedded, so that all of my legacy 'boxes' can find something to set / correct their internal time clocks from). Most of them have been keeping very poor time (and don't update on the BST switchover) since the real analogue transmissions ceased. The important thing about the one you have described is that it remembers the channel it is set to during switch off. I might choose to run the project on a simple timer so that it only turns on for a few hours from (say) 0:00 to 03:30 on Sundays, allowing the boxes to correct their time clocks once a week (and to catch the BST time change twice a year as well). If so, I don't want the modulator coming back up on channel 21 every time it is powered up.