Hmm. What do I need?!

[stevehertz]

Ok, just so you know that I'm not a complete dummy.. I'm a former electronics engineer and was once probably one of the biggest collector/restorers of vintage TVs in the UK. The name's Steve Rowley. I sold most of my sets following a divorce in 1991. Quite a few pre-war sets, vision only sets, projection, side by side sets, post war 9'' inch sets etc.

So, fast forwards to now, I have just one (as yet unrestored) very nice condition Bush TV22. I intend to do a restoration and to get the set working as in 'viewing' it again.

Right, my question! We're now into digital broadcasting. I want to buy/create a 'set-up' that receives freeview terrestrial RF broadcasts and by way of a standards converter (and whatever else I may need) feed the correct signal into my Bush TV22 and watch programmes 'off air'.

Looking at the Aurora stuff, I dont think(?) I need that World converter for my needs? I was looking at the SCRF models. Would they do? So, can someone tell me what I need - in total - to do the job described; I mean EVERYTHING. For example do I need an RF front end? what form would this need to be? make/models etc. So to recap, I need a hardware string to accept an off air RF signal and ultimately feed an RF 405 line one into my Bush TV22. What does that hardware 'black box' comprise?

Note! I have a 405 line modulator that I bought from someone associated with BVWS in around the mid/late 80s. It's a largish diecast box and I used to feed it with preprepared '405 line format' video (Steve Ostler prepared the tapes for me) from a Philips 1700 video recorder with video output mod, then hook the output of the modulator up to my vintage sets. This unit has stood for two decades in an outside shed, so not sure how it would work now, anyway..


Thanks!

[oldticktock]

That's it, all you need is the Aurora, it does it all. Just connect up your Freeview, DVD, Sky box etc to the Aurora and away you go. Comes with in built Test Card C ( you can change this to whatever test card you like) and test tone

SCRF405A PAL(625) to 405/25i with RF System A modulator

Chris

[ppppenguin]

As Chris says, the SCRF405A will do almost the entire job. You will also need:

• A source of video and audio (Freeview box, DVD player etc)
• A small power supply, since one isn't supplied with the Aurora. A "wall wart" giving 7-12VDC at >250mA is ideal.
• A lead or adaptor from "F" to Belling & Lee or other aerial connector
• Possibly an attenuator since the output of an Aurora is potentially high enough to overload many sets

In the UK it's easiest to order from Crowthorne: http://www.crowthornetubes.com/radios.htm Probably cheaper too, since it will cost about £175 inc carriage from the US at the moment plus £30 -£40 VAT and fees when imported.

I offer an informal UK/EU support service for Auroras. I'm glad to say my workload has been minuscule.

[HamishBoxer]

Certainly cheaper from Crowthornetubes.

David

[stevehertz]

Thank you so much guys. Appreciated.

[YoungManGW]

On this front, I need to find a 9v 250mA power supply for my Aurora. One would have thought this should be easy to find, but have drawn a blank with Maplins, etc. Does anyone have any ideas please, or maybe one going begging? Thank-you. Regards, Richard

[ppppenguin]

Provided it doesn't drop below 7V or rise above 14V and can deliver at least 250mA it will be fine. It's really uncritical. Even if it goes above 14V briefly it won't do any damage until about 30V (subject to checking, don't deliberately inflict voltages above 15V).

Most of us have something in the junkbox that can meet these specs, often a "wall wart". Doesn't even need to be regulated though it's better if it is. Or a small transformer, 4 diodes, a capacitor and a 7812 regulator. Or a 7805 regulator jacked up a bit with 2 resistors.

[JoshWard]

I use an adjustable voltage regulated 300mA supply for mine, think it cost £3 or £4 on eBay. Should be readily available at Maplin?

[Station X]

Plenty on sale at Maplin, including this one:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/12vdc-0.5a-p...1mm-tip-513515

[stevehertz]

I've got kickin around a Panasonic wall wart PS (STM51V1.5A) with an output of 15V/0.66A, would that do it or is the voltage a tad too high for comfort?

[neil29]

You could try Wilkinsons, as mine came from there and it's regulated .

[julie_m]

Maplin part number XX09K springs to mind. But if there's a market nearby, there may well be a stall selling electrical goods who may have a similar item for less money.

[YoungManGW]

Thank-you for the assistance. 12v 500mA ones seem much easier to find, so good to know that this will be okay.

[stevehertz]

I think my question got lost in the ether, let me put it again:

I've got kickin around a Panasonic wall wart PS (STM51V1.5A) with an output of 15V/0.66A, would that do it or is the voltage a tad too high for comfort?

Thanks.

[ppppenguin]

15V is a bit high. You won't do any damage but things will get hot and may shut down due to overheating.

[Brigham]

On a similar note: is there anything readily available which can drive an Aurora from 625 UHF analogue, without being a 'recorder', and thus tending to require a Colour licence?

[ppppenguin]

Since analogue 625 UHF will be finished in a few months I don't see the point of your question. A freeview box will do the job for DTT without being a recorder and will not need a colour licence unless connected to a colour display.

[julie_m]

Brigham,

If you have some source of 625-line, UHF-modulated signals and can't get at the baseband, I have a Maplin NICAM tuner with audio and video outputs, including fallback to FM mono audio. Yours for postage -- PM if you want it.

[Brigham]

Originally Posted by ppppenguin

Since analogue 625 UHF will be finished in a few months I don't see the point of your question. A freeview box will do the job for DTT without being a recorder and will not need a colour licence unless connected to a colour display.

I'm not really interested in you 'seeing the point' of my question, and as far as my clearly limited understanding extends, a Freeview box will not receive analogue TV, and is therefore doesn't fit the purpose. I had hoped that something a little more professional than a VCR with the head drum removed might once have been available, perhaps as part of a 'stack' system.

Which is why I asked. Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered.

[ppppenguin]

Originally Posted by Brigham

I had hoped that something a little more professional than a VCR with the head drum removed might once have been available, perhaps as part of a 'stack' system.

There are probably a fair number of Rediffusion off-air tuners still around. The sort that I wrote up in "Television" many years ago because they contained an HF modulator that can be readily converted to Band I.

I used one for off-air reception in my lab until recently. I intend to keep it for evaluating modulators. It's nowhere near a proper measuring receiver but it's not bad. I used it to check out the UHF modulator I made from an old Ondigital box.