Connecting Digital Converter Box to an old TV

[Rattler]

I admit it, I don't get it. Digitally illiterate. I don't know the
difference between an ohm and a mho.

I have this TV I bought in 1975, RCA XL-100. Still works, why junk it?
Uses a remote control that operates on no batteries, just ultrasound,
I think. Cool.

So, I bought a Tivax STB-T8 Digital converter, has analog passthrough,
a transient benefit, I am told.

The various and several connections on the back of my old TV looks
nothing like the drawings-for-dummies in the pamphlet that came with
the Tivax. I don't know what connects to what. There are coax
connectors, wire connectors, etc.

I took pics of the back of my TV and also the back of the Tivax.

Is there anyone to whom I can email these pics and you could tell me
what connects to what? For all I know, I may need yet another
converter box to allow the Tivax to connect to my TV!

Um, thanks!

 

[Jamie]

I admit it, I don't get it. Digitally illiterate. I don't know the
difference between an ohm and a mho.

I have this TV I bought in 1975, RCA XL-100. Still works, why junk it?
Uses a remote control that operates on no batteries, just ultrasound,
I think. Cool.

So, I bought a Tivax STB-T8 Digital converter, has analog passthrough,
a transient benefit, I am told.

The various and several connections on the back of my old TV looks
nothing like the drawings-for-dummies in the pamphlet that came with
the Tivax. I don't know what connects to what. There are coax
connectors, wire connectors, etc.

I took pics of the back of my TV and also the back of the Tivax.

Is there anyone to whom I can email these pics and you could tell me
what connects to what? For all I know, I may need yet another
converter box to allow the Tivax to connect to my TV!

Um, thanks!

It's very easy in your case.

You should have a F-connector, it looks like an antenna coaxial
type connector that is round with a center pin that has threads on it.

one should be labeled as Antenna/Cable box maybe, and the other as
TV/Tuner.
This device must be connected between your existing antenna coax
that you have now.
So, your existing Antenna/Cable wire goes to the Input of this box
and the output of this box goes back to the TV antenna connection.

Unless you got your self one of those that has component/HD output
only!. you may be in trouble!


http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5"

 

[Rich Webb]

I admit it, I don't get it. Digitally illiterate. I don't know the
difference between an ohm and a mho.

I have this TV I bought in 1975, RCA XL-100. Still works, why junk it?
Uses a remote control that operates on no batteries, just ultrasound,
I think. Cool.

So, I bought a Tivax STB-T8 Digital converter, has analog passthrough,
a transient benefit, I am told.

The various and several connections on the back of my old TV looks
nothing like the drawings-for-dummies in the pamphlet that came with
the Tivax. I don't know what connects to what. There are coax
connectors, wire connectors, etc.

I took pics of the back of my TV and also the back of the Tivax.

Is there anyone to whom I can email these pics and you could tell me
what connects to what? For all I know, I may need yet another
converter box to allow the Tivax to connect to my TV!

I'm guessing that the RCA TV doesn't have coax antenna/RF inputs. What
you'll need is a "balun" to convert the RF-out from the converter box to
the 300 ohm antenna connection on the back of the TV. (Balun is just a
contraction of "balanced-to-unbalanced," balanced twin lead to
unbalanced coax.)

Here's an example
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=WMXFMRPT
(although I know nothing about that site, other than their link was near
the top on the search engine).

Since your antenna is also 300 ohm twin-lead, you'll need a second balun
to connect it to the converter box.
_
( ) Antenna
|
\=== [balun] --- [converter box] --- [balun] === [TV]

where === is the twin-lead and --- is coax or a coax connector.

Baluns come with several different types of connector on the coax side.
You'll almost certainly want one with an "F connector."

When you're hooked up, tune the TV to channel 3 (the usual default) and
turn on the coverter box. You should see the intoductory menu.

For the antenna, almost all DTV is up in the UHF band, so you do not use
rabbit ears. Use a loop or bowtie antenna. An outdoor UHF is better but
you'll probably get *something* (maybe everything) with an indoor
antenna.

Go to http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx for antenna advice and
to http://www.tvfool.com for info on who in your area is broadcasting
DTV, the expected signal strength, and where to point your antenna.

 

[Rattler]

I had assumed pics might spare you a lot of typing, so thanks for
this, each of you!

Let me describe my TV connections and see if it causes you to fine-
tune your answer any...

My TV has built-in twin telescoping antennae. There is no external
antenna connected. The back of my TV has this:

A coax cable approx 4 inches long, with a male connector, comes out of
my TV set through a hole marked "75 ohn VHF Tuner Input". Nearby is a
female coax connector marked "75 ohm OUT" above it. The 4-inch male
coax is connected to the female connector.

Below the female coax connector are two screw-down connections marked
"VHF ANTENNA". Two 3-inch wires with U-ends come out of the back of
the plastic TV frame nearby, thru unmarked holes, and connect to these
VHF screw-downs.
Labeled between the VHF screw-downs and the female coax connector are
the words "300 ohm INPUT" so I don't know if it refers to the coax
connector above it or the screw-downs below it.

Next to the VHF screw-downs are two more screw-downs marked "UHF
ANTENNA". Nothing attached to them.

You mentioned a bowtie UHF Antenna. Yes, there is one, seemingly
permanently affixed to the back of the set, with wire leads with U-
ends, unattached to anything. So that's what that is! You know, I
don't think that UHF antenna has ever been hooked up to the screw-
downs in the 32 years I've had this TV! LOL!

The Tivax has RF-In coax jack, RF-Out coax jack, chan 3/4 switch, and
some type of RJ+++ jack (like telephones have) labeled "Smart Ant. I/
F".

Does the above information change your detailed prescription any?

Will the connection of a smart antenna change your prescription any?

Thanks.

I admit it, I don't get it. Digitally illiterate. I don't know the
difference between an ohm and a mho.

I have this TV I bought in 1975, RCA XL-100. Still works, why junk it?
Uses a remote control that operates on no batteries, just ultrasound,
I think. Cool.

So, I bought a Tivax STB-T8 Digital converter, has analog passthrough,
a transient benefit, I am told.

The various and several connections on the back of my old TV looks
nothing like the drawings-for-dummies in the pamphlet that came with
the Tivax. I don't know what connects to what. There are coax
connectors, wire connectors, etc.

I took pics of the back of my TV and also the back of the Tivax.

Is there anyone to whom I can email these pics and you could tell me
what connects to what? For all I know, I may need yet another
converter box to allow the Tivax to connect to my TV!

I'm guessing that the RCA TV doesn't have coax antenna/RF inputs. What
you'll need is a "balun" to convert the RF-out from the converter box to
the 300 ohm antenna connection on the back of the TV. (Balun is just a
contraction of "balanced-to-unbalanced," balanced twin lead to
unbalanced coax.)

Here's an examplehttp://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=WMXFMRPT
(although I know nothing about that site, other than their link was near
the top on the search engine).

Since your antenna is also 300 ohm twin-lead, you'll need a second balun
to connect it to the converter box.
  _
 ( ) Antenna
  |
  \=== [balun] --- [converter box] --- [balun] === [TV]

where === is the twin-lead and --- is coax or a coax connector.

Baluns come with several different types of connector on the coax side.
You'll almost certainly want one with an "F connector."

When you're hooked up, tune the TV to channel 3 (the usual default) and
turn on the coverter box. You should see the intoductory menu.

For the antenna, almost all DTV is up in the UHF band, so you do not use
rabbit ears. Use a loop or bowtie antenna. An outdoor UHF is better but
you'll probably get *something* (maybe everything) with an indoor
antenna.

Go tohttp://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspxfor antenna advice and
tohttp://www.tvfool.comfor info on who in your area is broadcasting
DTV, the expected signal strength, and where to point your antenna.

 

[Rich Webb]

I had assumed pics might spare you a lot of typing, so thanks for
this, each of you!

Pictures are always handy, but you may want to consider uploading them
to a free media server and then posting the link, rather than e-mailing
them individually. I've used Imageshack http://imageshack.us/ for a few
odds and ends and can attest that it "works" and is genuinely free.

Let me describe my TV connections and see if it causes you to fine-
tune your answer any...

My TV has built-in twin telescoping antennae. There is no external
antenna connected. The back of my TV has this:

A coax cable approx 4 inches long, with a male connector, comes out of
my TV set through a hole marked "75 ohn VHF Tuner Input".

As Michael said, this is the place. You'll probably need a "bullet" (a
female to female F connector) to mate between the cable from the
converter box and the male end of your input cable.

Next to the VHF screw-downs are two more screw-downs marked "UHF
ANTENNA". Nothing attached to them.

You mentioned a bowtie UHF Antenna. Yes, there is one, seemingly
permanently affixed to the back of the set, with wire leads with U-
ends, unattached to anything. So that's what that is! You know, I
don't think that UHF antenna has ever been hooked up to the screw-
downs in the 32 years I've had this TV! LOL!

That's the antenna you'll need to feed the converter box input. If it's
really a permanent fixture you may want to get a set-top antenna so that
you can aim it to peak the reception. Some set-top antennas (nowadays,
maybe most) have coax cables. If you get one that doesn't, or if you
decide to try the built-in bowtie, you'll need one of those balun
things.

The Tivax has RF-In coax jack, RF-Out coax jack, chan 3/4 switch, and
some type of RJ+++ jack (like telephones have) labeled "Smart Ant. I/
F".

The smart antenna interface can optionally be connected to an antenna
rotor to slew the antenna azimuth based on the selected channel. The
TVFool link above will show you where the digital broadcast towers are
in your region. If the stations you want are clustered near one bearing
(or if you're using an indoor antenna and can get up to tweak it) you
won't need a "smart" antenna. You won't *need* one otherwise providing
the signal strengths are otherwise okay.

 

[Rich Grise]

Pictures are always handy, but you may want to consider uploading them to
a free media server and then posting the link, rather than e-mailing them
individually. I've used Imageshack http://imageshack.us/ for a few odds
and ends and can attest that it "works" and is genuinely free.


As Michael said, this is the place. You'll probably need a "bullet" (a
female to female F connector) to mate between the cable from the converter
box and the male end of your input cable.

Why not just take off the 4" pece, and connect the cable right to the
female on the box?

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Rattler]

Why not just take off the 4" pece, and connect the cable right to the
female on the  box?

Cheers!
Rich- Hide quoted text -

I dunno!

However, thanks everyone for the info. I uploaded a pic to Image Shack
(thanks, Mr. Webb) so let's see if I did THAT correctly. I'll show two
different links for the same image to see which one works:

http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1595wq1.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/496/
img1595wq1.jpg

P.S. The TV news just had one more of those ubiquitous commercials for
DTV conversion. They said you could hook up your converter ahead of
the deadline. But, isn't that only true if you have a converter with
analog pass-through?

 

[Rattler]

Why not just take off the 4" pece, and connect the cable right to the

female on the box?

Wait! I do know! Because it's a shy too short to reach my box when
placed on top of my TV set?

Ok, I get this. Looks easy now. I got caught up in the other
connections on the back of my TV, and the idea that it had to be
harder because I am not an enguneer.


http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1595wq1.jpg

But, let's see if really get it... how about this... the way my TV is
configured now, those two wires that come out of the TV case, on the
left, aren't they simply the leads from my twin telescoping antennae?
And having them connected as they are to the VHF screw-down inputs
simply connects them to a built-in balun inside the TV whose output
appears as the female "75 ohm out" connector? And that is why the
4"cable had to connect to it, to finally connect the antennae to the
VHF tuner?

If yes to all of that, then this cross-connect panel on the back of my
TV is just a typically inelegant way of going out and in and out and
in, allowing a choice of connecting to my VHF tuner by either external
coax cable TV or my internal telescoping antennae? Why I ever got
confused... well, that's me, expecting, uh, elegance. It is elegant,
though, for what it is.

Question: Since my coax tuner input says "VHF", then what tuner do my
UHF screw-downs connect my bowtie to? A UHF tuner inside my TV,
perhaps? And, unlike my VHF tuner, this UHF tuner has no option to
access it via coax?

My converter box came with a male-male coax jumper. Yeah, I'll need a
bullet.

Also, will need a balun for my bowtie. Sounds like a song.

 

[Jasen Betts]

Wait! I do know! Because it's a shy too short to reach my box when
placed on top of my TV set?

Ok, I get this. Looks easy now. I got caught up in the other
connections on the back of my TV, and the idea that it had to be
harder because I am not an enguneer.


http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1595wq1.jpg

But, let's see if really get it... how about this... the way my TV is
configured now, those two wires that come out of the TV case, on the
left, aren't they simply the leads from my twin telescoping antennae?
And having them connected as they are to the VHF screw-down inputs
simply connects them to a built-in balun inside the TV whose output
appears as the female "75 ohm out" connector? And that is why the
4"cable had to connect to it, to finally connect the antennae to the
VHF tuner?

If yes to all of that, then this cross-connect panel on the back of my
TV is just a typically inelegant way of going out and in and out and
in, allowing a choice of connecting to my VHF tuner by either external
coax cable TV or my internal telescoping antennae? Why I ever got
confused... well, that's me, expecting, uh, elegance. It is elegant,
though, for what it is.

yeah, it is a bit ugly like that.

Question: Since my coax tuner input says "VHF", then what tuner do my
UHF screw-downs connect my bowtie to? A UHF tuner inside my TV,
perhaps? And, unlike my VHF tuner, this UHF tuner has no option to
access it via coax?

yes, the UHF screws go straight to the UHF tuner inside the TV.
if you want use coax for uhf you need to use a balun.

the TV has separate UHF and VHF tuner... if you want to use the
passthrough feature of the converter to use the UHF antenna for analog
tv the output of the converter needs to be connected to the UHF input

My converter box came with a male-male coax jumper. Yeah, I'll need a
bullet.

Also, will need a balun for my bowtie. Sounds like a song.

If the converter box outputs UHF then you'll need to use a balun and
hook it to the UHF input, if it outputs VHF you can hook it to
the coax cable (using a bullet coupler)

if it's outputting VHF the passthrough feature won't be much use.

 

[Rich Webb]

P.S. The TV news just had one more of those ubiquitous commercials for
DTV conversion. They said you could hook up your converter ahead of
the deadline. But, isn't that only true if you have a converter with
analog pass-through?

Nope. Most (by this time, probably all) stations are broadcasting both
the conventional analog as well as the digital signals. With the
converter box hooked up, you should get the DTV.

 

[Mark Zenier]

Nope. Most (by this time, probably all) stations are broadcasting both
the conventional analog as well as the digital signals. With the
converter box hooked up, you should get the DTV.

With the warning that many stations are going to switch from their
temporary digital channel and put the digital transmission on their old
analog frequency on the changeover day next February. This will be most
common on channels 7-13.

Mark Zenier [email protected]
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

 

[Rich Grise]

Why not just take off the 4" pece, and connect the cable right to the
female on the  box?

Cheers!
Rich- Hide quoted text -

I dunno!

However, thanks everyone for the info. I uploaded a pic to Image Shack
(thanks, Mr. Webb) so let's see if I did THAT correctly. I'll show two
different links for the same image to see which one works:

http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1595wq1.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/496/
img1595wq1.jpg

P.S. The TV news just had one more of those ubiquitous commercials for DTV
conversion. They said you could hook up your converter ahead of the
deadline. But, isn't that only true if you have a converter with analog
pass-through?

Ah! It first sounded like you had a 4" piece of coax plugged into the F
connector, and the other end just out there flapping in the breeze.

You need a "bullet" two female Fs back to back, to plug into the end of
the coax.

I don't know what comes out of the digital box - you say it has a "3/4"
switch, like a VCR output? In that case, you'll only need to plug into
the cable, and disconnect everything from the screw terminals and the
female F.

Actually, whenever I find out WHERE to get one of Satan's boxes, I'll
face practically the same dilemma.

I wonder if I should start a new thread to ask, "will I need a combiner
for my existing VHF and UHF antennas? Currently, I have to move the
cable between the two wheneverI change ranges. But there's a lot of
overlap - the vhf one goes up to ch. 50 pretty well (It's a wideband
folded dipole on the roof) and my new 4-bay bowtie (total cost: $2.50
for the balun) goes all the way down to ch. 7.
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/images/Bowtie.jpg

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

Wait! I do know! Because it's a shy too short to reach my box when placed
on top of my TV set?

Sorry about that - I just now saw your pix; I had misunderstood about the
4" piece - I had an image of the end that now goes into the TV was just
a male F lying out there flapping in the breeze.

So, never mind.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

Nope. Most (by this time, probably all) stations are broadcasting both the
conventional analog as well as the digital signals. With the converter box
hooked up, you should get the DTV.

OK, I've found the coupons; but WHERE IN HELL DO I GET THE DAMN BOX?????

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Rattler]

OK, I've found the coupons; but WHERE IN HELL DO I GET THE DAMN
BOX?????

I belong to consumerreports.org so looked at the rating there. Also,
it explained the options on each model.

The brick-and-mortar stores in my area carried the same two brands,
neither I wanted, cost 60-80 bucks.

I googled and got my Tivax on thetwistergroup.com after coupon
discount for 15 bucks including shipping. I think the box was 6 bucks
and the shipping was 9 bucks.