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Old 20th Feb 2015, 1:55 am   #1
BGmidsUK
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Default Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

I found this a couple of weeks ago when I was going through my stuff, wonder how common these were and what they were usually used for, I presume for CATV reception or maybe for the Irish 625-line VHF services?

I tested it and E2 appeared in low-mid Band IV with the Band III channels appearing in Band V, E5, B8, B10, B13, E12 between around E54-E68 (will do a proper check later with the main TV and let you know). So this unit will provide the solution for 625-line sets which have a UHF-only tuner, as I only intend to have a couple of services at UHF to make filtering easier and to incorporate off-air DVB-T signals with the in-house distribution.

This is a very well made unit but I do wonder whether the electrolytics may need replacement for reliable operation .. any info on these convertors is welcome.


Brian
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 3:05 am   #2
kan_turk
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

Hi Brian
These were used in Ireland with imported British sets to allow reception of the 625 line VHF RTE service. The ´standard´ sets available in Ireland were initially VHF only but later all-band VHF/UHF sets became the norm as services expanded and demanded additional spectrum.
Hope this clarifies
John
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 8:28 am   #3
Restoration73
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

These were mainly used to enable UHF tvs to work in blocks of flats with uhf-vhf frequency translation (many systems were wired with old VHF coax in a daisy chain)
I first used one to enable a customer to use an imported U.S. tele-tennis game on ch.A2
to work a UK set(although in monochrome and no sound of course)back in 1979
Note the local oscillator is stable although does not use a crystal.
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 9:09 am   #4
Nuvistor
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

We sold quite a few of these in the 70's for use with VHF translated 625 signals. They worked very well and I cannot remember fixing any. Of course the output was only as good as the input and although capable of excellent results the Flat aerial systems usually let things down.
At least the translated VHF/UHF signals were better than the older 405 VHF signals in the flats but that did not take much to achieve.
Frank
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 9:27 am   #5
Andy Doz
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

A "Coronation Square" converter!

There was a large area of Cheltenham that was cabled and each household had one of these.

Long since gone ....
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 11:43 am   #6
SteveCG
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

There was a similar unit from Labgear which converted UHF to VHF. I remember using a VHF-to-UHF unit whose output was connected to a UHF-to VHF-unit to get a Band III signal from a Band I only modulator. It worked, but I shudder at the mixer images the pair must have produced !
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 12:12 pm   #7
FERNSEH
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

Same thing except the one shown in the attachment is branded as Labgear.

Model CM6022.

DFWB.
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 3:36 pm   #8
SteveCG
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

Fernseh,

Yes, that's the one I was thinking of.
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 3:44 pm   #9
Welsh Anorak
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

Hi
We used to own a TV relay system which supplied a small Welsh village (about 40 houses). We inherited the system which had a mast up a hill with channelised down-converters (UHF to VHF), narrow band amplifiers for each of the three (later four) channels and then combiners in the equipment cabinet on the hill, all phantom fed by a huge constant-voltage transformer half a mile away in the village.
It was then distributed at VHF throughout the village, each subscriber having one of these up-converters in their house. It worked surprisingly well, with the coming of teletext and Nicam causing no problems! We finally closed it down - still working - when digital came and everyone had migrated to Sky.
I still have the masthead equipment described above if anyone's interested, though the up-converters have all gone.
Glyn
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Old 20th Feb 2015, 9:33 pm   #10
Sean Williams
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

They were essential on the cable TV system that was in Stevenage (I grew up there) Loads and loads of chunky coaxes running around the town, and odd lattice masts around the town.

Wish I paid more attention to it now....
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Old 21st Feb 2015, 10:03 pm   #11
1955APREN
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak View Post
We used to own a TV relay system which supplied a small Welsh village (about 40 houses). We inherited the system which had a mast up a hill with channelised down-converters (UHF to VHF), narrow band amplifiers for each of the three (later four) channels and then combiners in the equipment cabinet on the hill, all phantom fed by a huge constant-voltage transformer half a mile away in the village.
It was then distributed at VHF throughout the village, each subscriber having one of these up-converters in their house. It worked surprisingly well, with the coming of teletext and Nicam causing no problems! We finally closed it down - still working - when digital came and everyone had migrated to Sky.
I still have the masthead equipment described above if anyone's interested, though the up-converters have all gone.
These converters where used through the mid wales towns of Newton and welshpool the newtown one being the larger one.It covered BBC1 BBC2 Itv mid ITV n/west it worked but with some pattering at times this got a lot worse when the cable operators tried to add some sky channels to the the network after that a delivery and install job in Newtown was a nighmare not5 liked by mastercare eng's regards Derrick
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Old 22nd Feb 2015, 12:50 am   #12
BGmidsUK
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't know UHF to VHF versions were also available, I assume these would have to be tuneable in order to shift the required channels into either Band I or III. I'll have to look out for one of these!

Wish I'd known they existed in the late 1980s/early 1990s as it would have solved my Anglia reception issues and provided a proper VSB signal to boot! .. probably with noticeably better results than the tuner and E2 modulator I had rigged up in the loft. Mind you, the low-pass filter did at least cut most of the harmonics. There certainly weren't any detectable spurii/harmonics in Band II, III or UHF.


Brian
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Old 22nd Feb 2015, 1:01 am   #13
Peter.N.
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Default Re: Pye Labgear VHF to UHF convertor

We had hundreds of those down here after UHF started as due to the terrain you couldn't get a decent picture from Stockland Hill, An aerial and receiver were installed on the top of the cliffs to receive the Mendip transmitter, it was then converted to VHF and fed to the town via coax.

Peter
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