Author Topic: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser  (Read 36986 times)

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Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« on: January 04, 2014, 09:17:20 am »
A teaser video...
Dave knocks on the door of the local Sydney TV transmitter facility. Will they let him in?

 

Offline SeanB

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2014, 09:19:14 am »
More importantly, will they let him take it apart?

Live?

Keeping the smoke in?
 

Offline hikariuk

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2014, 09:34:10 am »
Awww, only a teaser for my birthday?  I shall sulk.

Looking forward to the full video though - it's going to be awesome.
I write software.  I'd far rather be doing something else.
 

Offline maddhatter

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2014, 09:50:41 am »
DO WANT DO WANT DO WANT DO WANT!!!!
I believe in the philosophy of a ruling class, especially since I rule.
 

Offline Towger

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2014, 10:10:15 am »
Dave, I hope you got shots of the power amps. Nothing better than looking at high power RF 'plumbing'. Are they still going to use the existing final stage amps, what's the output power and are they solidstate or value/ tetrode (correct name sp?)?
 

Offline noisebox

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2014, 10:11:51 am »
Looks great, can't wait to see this! Surprised they'd just offer you this stuff though, they don't suspect you of setting up EEVBlog pirate TV station? :) Great score!
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2014, 10:13:18 am »
Nothing better than looking at high power RF 'plumbing'.

Plenty of bum crack shots, don't worry.
 

Offline GK

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2014, 10:31:17 am »
Radio Frequency Systems. I used to personally build and wire those antenna switching frames, in their now no longer existing Broadcast division/factory that was located in Lonsdale, SA.
Bzzzzt. No longer care, over this forum shit.........ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 

Offline JoeN

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2014, 11:07:32 am »
I think this video so far is just brilliant.  In a way, the best one so far.  Dave walks into a TV station with an open door and the guy there, who initially look mean as hell, lets him take as much old equipment as he can carry.  Even more if he had a truck.  Based on being able to talk his way into and out of apparently anything.  Unbelievable!  Great.  Looking forward to the actual opening of this old equipment which was made when I was ten years old.
Have You Been Triggered Today?
 

Offline MartinX

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2014, 11:47:35 am »
Wonderful! Now put that equipment to use and start broadcasting the EEVblog, no one is using that frequency now anyway.
 

Offline jii

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2014, 12:16:38 pm »
Nice! Can't wait for the actual video!

I got one old TV-amplifier after the finnish analog TV was brought down (1955–2007 R.I.P.)
Image probably below? I added it as an attachment and this is my first post the forums, so I don't know
how this thing works  :)

The height of that thing is four car tires :D Looks a bit same than what Dave salvaged?
Mine is waiting for parts salvaging.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2014, 12:23:10 pm by jii »
Radio amateur from Finland.
Working as a product designer.
 

Offline open loop

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2014, 12:58:45 pm »
As a sound track for a pan shot of the old TX station equipment racks,

Sour times by Portishead?

Chorus being:

"'Cause nobody loves me
It's true
Not like you do"
 

Offline Towger

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Re: Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2014, 01:21:00 pm »
Now put that equipment to use and start broadcasting the EEVblog,
Throw a dipole up on the roof of  EEV towers and Dave should get a range of a few K with just the exciter/pre amp stages. The local old dears will be delighted when their TVs start working again. 560+ episodes without a repeat would be somedoing for a modern TV station.

At 34 years old, I would not be surprised if he got the backup TX or even the backup's backup.
 

Offline TheWelly888

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2014, 02:18:28 pm »
The influence of Dave's EEVBlog's YouTube channel in him getting access to the transmitter makes me wonder if the Internet will eventually displace broadcast TV?

Looking forward to the teardown!

You can do anything with the right attitude and a hammer.
 

Offline Radio Tech

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2014, 02:48:59 pm »
Dave that is sweet!   :-+

Cant wait to see the tear down

I had a chance to go in the old channel 7 place here in North Carolina many years ago when they shut it down after building the new one.  It was great.  Had no camera at the time though. Funny thing was I grew up in the shadow of the 1500 foot tower in a old farm house.
Pics of it

http://pages.suddenlink.net/w4ydy/witntv.html

Offline (In)Sanity

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #15 on: January 04, 2014, 03:33:54 pm »
As a general class licensed HAM I have to say I just love the RF stuff.  Can't wait.   

Jeff
 

Offline Frantone

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #16 on: January 04, 2014, 03:38:39 pm »
A teaser video...
Dave knocks on the door of the local Sydney TV transmitter facility. Will they let him in?

LOL!  Brilliantly done!  Just walked through the door....   ;) wink ;) wink ;) Looking forward to the rest.
 

Offline N2IXK

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #17 on: January 04, 2014, 04:26:56 pm »
Can’t wait to see this one!

Hope you at least got some shots of the guts of the power amps and the HV power supply, since you didn’t take them with you. :)

This is a GREAT subject for a teardown, as most electronics folks have never seen or worked with multi-kilowatt RF gear, or “modern” equipment that still uses vacuum tubes. Coax feedlines that look like copper pipes, water cooled dummy loads, all kinds of neat stuff at transmitter facilities, and it is always nice to look at gear that hasn't been built down to a price point, but designed to run 24/7 for years, often unattended.
"My favorite programming language is...SOLDER!"--Robert A. Pease
 

Offline electronics man

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #18 on: January 04, 2014, 04:43:11 pm »
Dave, what was that guys reaction when he founed out who you were and what you wanted.

im looking forwerd to the teardown lots of high power stuff and lots of RF magic.
follow me on twitter @get_your_byte
 

Lurch

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #19 on: January 04, 2014, 05:02:09 pm »
Dave, what was that guys reaction when he founed out who you were and what you wanted.

im looking forwerd to the teardown lots of high power stuff and lots of RF magic.

Well, if you watch to the end of the video I'm sure you will work it out.
 

Offline KarlosVandango

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #20 on: January 04, 2014, 05:04:58 pm »
Hi Dave,
Looking forward to the teardown... What a cheeky tease!!!  ;D
I'm just making this up as I go along!
 

Offline Terabyte2007

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #21 on: January 04, 2014, 05:12:41 pm »
Awesome! Can't wait!  :-+ :-+
Eric Haney, MCSE, EE, DMC-D
Electronics Designer, Prototype Builder
 

Offline wss

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #22 on: January 04, 2014, 05:22:19 pm »
I can't believe they just gave the equipments to you, AWESOME! Can't wait for the videos!!! Really exciting!
 

Offline free_electron

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #23 on: January 04, 2014, 05:34:02 pm »
We really need to get you a new car.. that dinosaur-extact driven thing could use a Mr.Fusion …

I must say i am a bit disappointed though. I was hoping for sledgehammers, discgrinders and other heavy equipment to tear down the power endstage ( especially those huge vacuumtubes. I'd love the sound of those being crushed by a large hammer ) , and maybe a backhoe or two to bring down that large tower ...
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Any comments, or points of view expressed, are my own and not endorsed , induced or compensated by my employer(s).
 

Offline calexanian

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Re: Analog TV Transmitter Teardown Teaser
« Reply #24 on: January 04, 2014, 05:34:45 pm »
A friend of mine had been the engineer at the local ABC station for 30 years. He also worked for the other local tv and radio stations who could not afford full time staff. When Disney bought all the abc stations they cut people from every department and since he was the only one, out he went. Nothing more than a computer generated boiler plate letter saying don't let the door hit you on the way out. Now they pay somebody to come up from LA.
Charles Alexanian
Alex-Tronix Control Systems
 


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