HDTV and old Airstreams

[Zeppelinium]

Originally Posted by Jim & Susan

Hey Zep, I forgot to post this for you. Here's that little Braund Amp I mentioned before. I've got a few more pic's someplace if you need 'em.

Thanks for the research. I am now totally confused. Either I didn't look very closely or mine is "different", but I don't see the 12V going to the "amp." On mine it looks like the cigarette lighter wires are completely separate from what I think is merely a balun matching transformer.

I'd be pretty amazed if there were any active components on that board. I'm thinking mid-1970s, a world where UHF channels were starting to be common but many TVs still had to use a set-top converter. I guess those little boxes were solid-state, even though only a few years before you could't do even 144 mHz with a transistor, you had to use a tiny tube called a Nuvistor, which required B+, grid bias voltage, and filament supply. As you can surmise, I'm still skeptical.

Do you actually see transistors and resistors on your amplifier? And maybe a capacitor or two? Without these components, it can't be an active device.

Zep

[Jim & Susan]

There are definately transistors on the circuit board. I've got a picture on the other computer of how it was originally wired. I'll try to post it tonight.

JIm

[ALANSD]

My antenna seems to be in decent shape, but a couple of the cross bars are loose. Also the cable is cut just before it goes into the trailer. So whaddayathink? Repair it all? Rivet the arms back on it?
I have been using a small rabbit ear type set outside the trailer, which works well..and I have a direct tv set up although I have not yet used it.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Zeppelinium

Thanks for the research. I am now totally confused. Either I didn't look very closely or mine is "different", but I don't see the 12V going to the "amp." On mine it looks like the cigarette lighter wires are completely separate from what I think is merely a balun matching transformer.

Hi Zep,

I agree that it is a balun. I have attached a photo of the powered amplifier in my Excella that I replaced the 2 in series that were in it. Note the 120-volt cord coming out the bottom. The old units combined had less signal boost than this one alone. They were in plastic cases that looked like the early 60s. I think one or both were Radio Shack. One had ins and outs for both 75 and 300 ohms.

I have an almost identical, lower powered, GE unit in the ’67 Trade Wind, but it is in a chrome box. I put it in back in the late 80s when I got the AS, and it still works well. These amps work very will and do not degrade the original signal when not powered. I got both the old and new ones at Wal-Mart.

Vaughan

[HiHoAgRV]

A couple of photos of how I mounted my TV. E-cheapo walmart wall mount and a home-made extender bracket so the TV will swing around for viewing from the bedroom. This also allowed me to put the mounting screws into the refrig bracket.

[Chuck]

got any bigger pics than that? what part is home-made??

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by Chuck

got any bigger pics than that? what part is home-made??

Oh man, questions. I'll have to wait 'till we finish our big road trip to do a take down for photos but here is a verbal. The default bracket that bolts to the back of the TV set is "X" shaped and the swivel assembly hooks to the middle of the X. I replaced the X with an Aluminum (of course) plate painted black the offsets the swivel assembly over 4". This puts the wall mount at the very edge of the TV. The bungee cord in the photo keeps the TV strapped against the wall for traveling.

More photos in a few days.