Pocket-size TV signal/tester ???

[hposter]

I still buy the recent CRT sets, mostly analog, and run into the common problem at the garage sales: they show snow, but maybe they work, and maybe they don't!

Is there a video equivalent of the USB Flashdrive/thumb drive, but for, say, a 1 minute video recording, so I could carry it in my pocket, then plug it into the TV coax or RCA Jacks, and watch a bit of Video...or something along this line.

I can't hit garage sales with even a tiny DVD player in my hand, so it would really need to be pocket-size, even a large pocket.

Any help or ideas, would be appreciated... Thanks! Harry

[Carmine]

Anything that produces a signal would have to be battery-powered (unlike a USB or Thumb Drive which uses computer power) so I think that would rule out anything pocket sized.

I bet that with an antenna, you could tune to Channel 6 (or whatever) and perhaps receive some FM radio audio with video interference. At least that would tell you the tuner wasn't entirely dead.

Maybe a portable DVD player with a broken LCD could be tapped at the video output stage?

[jeyurkon]

For the video via RCA jacks for a composite signal, there are many pocket cameras that have video out for viewing the photos.

If you look up the MC1374 modulator datasheet, you'll see on the first page a schematic for a modulator using the MC1374 that would be about the size of a credit card or less. It runs on 12VDC. An A23 battery should keep it running long enough for a few evaluations. The A23 is smaller than a AA battery. You could feed it the signal from a pocket camera that has the video out.

John

[hposter]

Carmine..thanks! I realized that I have to plug in the TV anyhow, so there would be AC available..but then I'd need a power supply inside, enlarging the unit.

John--thank you..very interesting, that some cameras have RCA outputs. Maybe a quick check online, and ebay, will turn up some cheaper, used cameras that would do. I could easily carry the cables, and then just plug-er-in!

Harry

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by hposter

Carmine..thanks! I realized that I have to plug in the TV anyhow, so there would be AC available..but then I'd need a power supply inside, enlarging the unit.

John--thank you..very interesting, that some cameras have RCA outputs. Maybe a quick check online, and ebay, will turn up some cheaper, used cameras that would do. I could easily carry the cables, and then just plug-er-in!

Harry

Old Heathkit and other solid state color (gated rainbow)/crosshatch generators come up for sale all the time. Since you need power for the TV, you could just bring one of those color bar generators and a power strip.
[edit - did I miss a point that you were trying to hide it while hooking it up so no one protests?]

[jhalphen]

Hello Gentlemen, Hi Harry,

Well, well, well, the NYC area is still full of hidden treasures!

To come back to your request, i use several of these very handy pocket NTSC test generators made by B&K.

They come in 2 flavors:
- Model 1211E has RF out + baseband video

- Model 1257 has Video out + Audio out and no RF.

Both offer the same pattern capabilities:
- Color bars (full screen)
- Crosshatch, dots, B&W staircase
- Circle, circle cross, window
Full screen raster: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Cyan, Magenta, White, Black

The units operate off a 9V battery for at least 20 hours.

In my opinion, the first model is the best because of it's RF output.

- often sold as second-hand units or end of the NTSC era, i.e. cheap!

Playing moving video as a test:
I suggest you take a look at the Archos product line. Record a DVD or personal footage to the hard disk, then playout as composite video.
These units are pocket-sized & operate off a Li-Ion battery pack.
Disk capacity goes from 40Gb to over 500Gb.

Best Regards

jhalphen
Paris/France

[bgadow]

I think it was Sencore that made a pattern generator called "Little Huey". I have one, but I think the battery is needs is something weird. I have some later model generators that use wall-warts but could be modified to use a battery pack, I suppose. Or, how about an old camcorder?

[jeyurkon]

Jerome has all the toys!

John

[veg-o-matic]

How about one of those self-contained video games?

veg

[Findm-Keepm]

Two small bar-dot/color bar generators that come to mind are the Sencore Little Huey mentioned by Bryan, and the RCA WR-508A, a 1970's era generator. Like the Little Huey, it used the 4.2 volt mercury batteries - unavailable now, but with some ingenuity and small Li-Ion batteries, not hard to replace. Dad used his RCA with some Nicads duct taped to the unit - he recharged them with a small power supply, and that was maybe once every 6 months. Both the Little Huey and the RCA were single channel operation. They come up on eBay occasionally. I wouldn't worry about corroded battery contacts either- you'll never use them with the unobtanium mercury batteries.

Cheers,

[Findm-Keepm]

Here's one I built back in 2001, but never really used - it's a "Design Idea" from Electronic Design News (EDN) - you can search their archives for "Generator provides 537 NTSC pattern" for the full story. I built mine on one of those Radio Shack perforated boards, powered it up with a 78L05 via a 9V battery. Pretty Stable unit. The schematic shows an old ASTEC modulator, similar to those used on older video games and computers. Don't waste your time - get a VCR RF Modulator and use it. This thing could probably be built into a cigarette pack sized unit, complete with two-channel output!

Cheers,

[drussell]

Originally Posted by bgadow

I think it was Sencore that made a pattern generator called "Little Huey". I have one, but I think the battery is needs is something weird. I have some later model generators that use wall-warts but could be modified to use a battery pack, I suppose. Or, how about an old camcorder?

Bryan, was it you that was looking for the manual for the CG25 about a year ago? The post and messages disappeared but I stumbled upon this discussion and thought it might have been you.

If so, scans of the box, manual, schematic, etc. are available at:

http://www.saturn-tech.com/~drussell..._-_Little_Huey

[Chip Chester]

Here's one for a couple bills or so...
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/73-891
Add a RF modulator and you're good to go...
Or, there are mpeg players like this: http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/83-12522
And likely a few others -- but again, add RFmod.

Chip

[ChrisW6ATV]

Harry-

I would have recommended a device I have called a Diamond MP700, but they seem to be sold out at all of the Web sites I checked. It is a small media player with an SD card slot and composite video/audio outputs, that can display JPEG-type pictures and MP3 or other audio files.

I have mine set up as a basic test pattern generator with things like an Indian-head pattern and color bars stored on it. It can also do a combo of picture(s)-plus-audio, so I have a file that is ten minutes of 400 Hertz audio tone to play while the test patterns are showing. Kworld seems to sell comparable players for under $50; maybe others do, too.

[dr.ido]

Some generic Chinese "MP4" handheld media players output composite video on the headphone jack if a 4 pole 3.5mm to 3 RCA cable is inserted. Quality usually isn't great as it's at the same resolution as the internal LCD. They usually have some internal memory and take SD cards. The one that I have has no brand name on it anywhere.

Another option would be one of those Plug and Play style TV games where the entire thing is built into the controller. They run of AA batteries and have RCA outputs.

Hardwiring an old playstation or N64 RF adapter would be the easiest way to go from that to RF out that I can think off.