Is anyone having trouble getting your Digital converter box to work with old sets?

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by old_tv_nut

Converter output 75 ohm coax --> balun transformer (75 coax to 300 ohm converter) --> 300 ohm twinlead (usually a short piece with spade lugs built into the 75-300 ohm balun) --> 300 ohm screw terminals of TV.

Are you saying that you hooked up the internal antenna on one side ALSO in addition to the 300 ohm twin lead from the balun?

Yes... however, I have never heard the matching transformers refered to as a "balun", my connections are as you stated with the addition of BOTH legs of the factory internal antenna connected to ONE side of the antenna screw terminals.

[old_tv_nut]

"balun" is short for "balanced (300 ohm twinlead) to unbalanced (75 ohm coax)"

[jeyurkon]

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

Yes... however, I have never heard the matching transformers refered to as a "balun", my connections are as you stated with the addition of BOTH legs of the factory internal antenna connected to ONE side of the antenna screw terminals.

If that helps it sounds like there is something wrong with the balun or the coax.

John

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by jeyurkon

If that helps it sounds like there is something wrong with the balun or the coax.

Thanks John! I have tried a couple of different baluns and it makes no difference. I have not tried new coax, but the cable that I use is brand new. It came with the digital converter box. Perhaps a given cable could act differently on an old set due to an impedance issue that makes no difference on a newer set.

[jeyurkon]

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

Thanks John! I have tried a couple of different baluns and it makes no difference. I have not tried new coax, but the cable that I use is brand new. It came with the digital converter box. Perhaps a given cable could act differently on an old set due to an impedance issue that makes no difference on a newer set.

If you're anything like me, I sometimes bend over the center conductor without realizing it. You can still easily screw the connections together, but it ends up shorted nor not connected. I've done this too many times.

John

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by jeyurkon

If you're anything like me, I sometimes bend over the center conductor without realizing it. You can still easily screw the connections together, but it ends up shorted nor not connected. I've done this too many times.

Yes, but remember that I have achieved a pretty good picture with most of the interference that started this thread gone. I simply added that the picture had what I would call 'snow' in it still, so just as an experiment I touched the set's internal VHF antenna to ONE of the terminal screws a wa-la, the picture got a lot better. Even so, the picture still has a little bit of snow in it and I know that the set can display a crystal clear picture, short of HD that is... LOL! So there is no way that I could have bent the coax center conductor because I have a picture and sound where there would be none if it were open or shorted. Thanks for watching out for me though......

[Tubejunke]

I meant to post this picture of the Philco (with it's shiny new DIGITAL reception) earlier but my pop-up blocker was blocking me from uploading. Sometimes I wish there was something like a tube tester to plug your computer into and find out what is causing the little irritating software issues that arise from time to time. The software I had trouble with is serviced and distributed by my local provider. The 'tech' guy at the office could not even give me a hint as to what was going on with software that he works with on a daily basis! What does Clark Howard call it these days? Customer NO Service...

[Tubejunke]

I STILL need a back cover for the Philco pictured in the last post. There must not be many mid-50's Philcos floating around. I've never had much luck finding a back cover. Thanks to Bryan I found a good CRT when I needed one. I bought the set around 1982 with a booster on the original CRT. It ended up lasting through daily use in that decade and more occasional use until maybe two years ago. The raster had degraded to the point of being very hard to see in a bright room.

The replacement CRT I got from Bryan produced such a bright and crisp picture that I considered using the set much more than 'ocasionally'. The chassis seems to be bullet-proof and perfect for daily use. Simple and SUPER reliable!