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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc. |
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17th Sep 2021, 12:08 pm | #1 |
Diode
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Posts: 4
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Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Hi everyone!
Total noob here so please be gentle, haha. For reasons I am not entirely sure of, I have become determined to turn an old, portable Pye TV into a working set. What possessed a woman with no pre-existing knowledge or experience to take on such a project? Who's to say? Must be lockdown-fuelled insanity. Anyway, I digress. Here's the television. She picks up black and white static and I can even hear some radio stations come through on certain channels. I have plugged HDMI input into this converter, so the HDMI is now analogue. So far so good. Now, I want to take that analogue output and turn it into an RF signal for the TV to pick up. I have this RF modulator: And this antenna and amplifier: Anyway, dear reader, I have tried multiple set ups and gone through all the channels and tuning and everything I could think of, but I am not having any luck at all. Am I missing something obvious (likely)? Doing something dumb (even more likely)? Is what I am trying to achieve even possible? Thank you for any kind and patient help you can give me. If you can explain to me like I'm 5 years old that would be very helpful. I am in Australia if that makes a difference. |
17th Sep 2021, 12:34 pm | #2 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,192
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Hello and welcome to the forums.
A bit of searching sugests that the Pye Twelve was made in VHF and UHF versions. Is yours a UHF version? Does the tuning knob rotate freely or does it click into distinct positions? Any chance of a full model number?
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Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
17th Sep 2021, 12:44 pm | #3 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,192
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
A similar model with rotary volume and brightness controls.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/pye_au...25_series.html This is a VHF only model. 13 dots around the tuning knob suggests that yours is also VHF. If yours is a VHF model you'll need a VHF modulator rather than a UHF one. Also I'm not sure whether Australia used 405 lines or 625 lines on VHF. If 405 lines you'll have some difficulty generating a signal.
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Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
17th Sep 2021, 12:50 pm | #4 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 1,567
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Can I ask what model TV it is, so that one can check if it is VHF or UHF receive and what system. The dials may be very different between Australia and the UK but old VHF dials here started with 1 and went to 13 , UHF typically started around 23. If you are hearing some music on some channels I would assume a VHF TV receiver a bit like our old 405 line system.
May be able to suggest what channels on the TV match a channel on the modulator If I can find the manuals on line. Do you have any combinations where the screen goes black or give any vertical bars etc? Adrian Slow typing and searching at this end |
17th Sep 2021, 1:15 pm | #5 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,787
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
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17th Sep 2021, 2:39 pm | #6 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Hi,
It sounds like you are going about it the right way, one thing I’d say is you don’t need the antenna and amplifier, I’d connect the RF output of the modulator directly to the antenna terminals on the back of the TV. It does say it’s a universal modulator, channels 0-75, so if it’s anything like the one I’ve got here then you can use it for both VHF and UHF, just by selecting it on the modulator. Hopefully it has some instructions on how to select the VHF channels, mine has some awful menu that requires certain buttons pressing, which puts it into the menu which is navigated by 2 digit codes... not the most intuitive thing in the world! Regards Lloyd |
17th Sep 2021, 2:51 pm | #7 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,192
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
I found a spec for that modulator and it does both VHF and UHF.
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Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron. |
17th Sep 2021, 3:22 pm | #8 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Aalborg, Denmark
Posts: 97
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
As Lloyd also said, you don't need the antenna and amplifier.
You need a coaxial cable (antenna cable) with F connectors. One of the ends you connect to the TV/VCR F-connector on the modulator. The other end should be connected to the TV. As antenna cables back then were twin leads, you'll need to wire it up to the TV using an adaptor. My suggestion would be to buy an F-connector to BNC adaptor like this: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...le_to_bnc.html and then a BNC to terminal block like this: https://www.gmelectronic.com/connector-tp-006, and then connect two wires from the terminal block to the TV aerial. What is the stated RF output level on the modulator? You might need an attenuator in order not to overload the input. Level below 80 dBµV should be good. |
17th Sep 2021, 3:47 pm | #9 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
One of these would connect the F connector to the TV's twin lead input, hopefully available in Australia, as the shipping from the US is expensive!
Regards, Lloyd |
17th Sep 2021, 4:36 pm | #10 |
Hexode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 396
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Hi
TV is almost certainly VHF only as a UHF only set would have been useless in Australia, or anywhere else for that matter with the single exception of GB who travelled a different path from the rest of the world. Proceeding with this assumption you will need the converter and the modulator only. Connect modulator output (marked TV) to TV antenna input - switch TV to ext ant (switch on rear of TV) -ideally you should have a balun here to go between the coax output of the modulator and the screw terminals of the TV antenna input but it should work without this - set modulator to a low VHF channel - say ch 2. Set TV tuner to ch. 2 - you may have to experiment with this as channel numbErs appear to have worn off Connect converter AV out to modulator AV in (RCA plugs) Connect source device (DVD player or whatever You may have to fine tune TV for best picture/sound Also it is no harm to be aware that some material is copy protected and may not display correctly Hope this helps - it takes longer to describe than to do - honestly Best of luck and please don’t hesitate to ask on here if you run into difficulties Rgds John |
17th Sep 2021, 9:02 pm | #11 |
Pentode
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Stourbridge, West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 115
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
In addition to all of the above I would add that its a good idea to set the original signal HDMI device (DVB-T tuner, blu-ray or DvD player) to output in 576i, as the converter may not do this automatically. It should as it has composite out, but just in case…
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17th Sep 2021, 9:07 pm | #12 |
Octode
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Thetford, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 1,731
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Also, please let us know how you get on. It is always nice to know when there is a successful outcome.
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18th Sep 2021, 2:53 am | #13 |
Hexode
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, UK.
Posts: 453
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
In the third picture it shows a switch for internal and external antenna which is set to internal. Not sure this would completely block a signal applied to the antenna terminals but worth setting it in the external position before connecting the modulator.
It might also be worth trying your setup on another set just to confirm it's working. A modern set will be ok to try providing it still has the option to receive analogue signals via the aerial (more recent equipment may not have this option) |
18th Sep 2021, 4:20 am | #14 |
Triode
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Posts: 39
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Hi Mrs Noob.
This should be easy. You don't need the antenna/amplifier just the modulator. You have an Australian set that would pick up the old VHF channels (0-11 including 5A). You will hear FM station on channels 3,4 & 5 as they were within what is now the FM band. Turn on your modulator - select channel 01 0r 02 using the CH+ - buttons on top of the modulator. Avoid using channels 6,7,8, 11 as they are used for your local digital TV stations Get an antenna cord with F connectors on each end (from Bunnings or other hardware store). Cut off the plug on one end, with a sharp knife cut off a couple of cms of insulation and the underlying metal foil and connect the inner conductor to one of the screw terminals on the back of the TV (select external). Connect up the cord, turn on you video source and turn the channel selector on your TV to Channel 1 or 2 depending on what you have set up. If there is no numbers ... turn the selector until you see a picture. Then fine tune with the larger knurled part of the knob on the outside of the channel selector.
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Best Regards Nigel VK6CPU Perth, Western Australia |
18th Sep 2021, 8:28 am | #15 |
Diode
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Posts: 4
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Just a quick reply to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone! I am really grateful for your expertise, or more importantly, your kindness in taking the time to type it all out.
I have loads of leads to try now so hopefully I can get back to you all very soon with a success story. Lots of love! Thank you! xx |
18th Sep 2021, 1:59 pm | #16 | |||
Diode
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Posts: 4
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
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18th Sep 2021, 3:33 pm | #17 |
Hexode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 396
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Hi
1. Device linked by Lloyd is a balun 2. If you loosen screws on back of set it should be possible to insert the ‘spade’ connections on the balun under the washers/screws & then tighten the screws 3. Method suggested by Nigel applies if you are not using balun and should work fine Either way be sure to move switch to ‘EXT’ Hope this clarifies Rgds John |
19th Sep 2021, 8:38 am | #18 |
Diode
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Posts: 4
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
GUYS GUYS GUYS.
IT WORKED. I'M SO EXCITED. Thank you all SO MUCH for your help! Here's a video of it in action. I am streaming the clip from YouTube. https://vimeo.com/608810670/998f20aa02 |
19th Sep 2021, 11:21 am | #19 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,814
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Congratulations! Pleased it worked
Regards, Lloyd |
19th Sep 2021, 2:37 pm | #20 |
Hexode
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 396
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Re: Getting a Pye TV to pick up signals - would LOVE some help.
Brilliant - great work - it’s very satisfying when a plan comes together - well done
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