Building a 1950s TV Transmitter!

In this video, I built and tested a 1950s analog TV transmitter. In the 50s, color TV was standardized and hasn't changed much since then. Sadly, the FCC required all high power TV stations (at least in the US) to shut down their analog broadcasts. I kind of felt sad that such a cool technology had to go away, so that's why I built this! In this video, I show how I built it and also show some cool tests.
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This video contains no paid promotion or paid product placement.
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LINKS
More Tests on the Transmitter! - • a bunch of stuff ran t...
Transmitter Tutorial - • Build an Analog TV Tra...
HDMI to Composite Converter - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
Modulator - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Amplifier - www.walmart.com/ip/onn-Indoor...
Antennas - (For mine, the shipping was terrible. Any TV antenna will work fine.)
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CREDITS
Analog Shutdowns - • Analog TV Sign Off Mon... (Creative Commons)
FM Radio Transmitter - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... (Creative Commons)
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TIMESTAMPS
[0:00] - Intro
[0:51] - How the Transmitter Works
[1:06] - Parts Needed
[1:19] - Building the Transmitter
[2:48] - Moment of Truth
[3:05] - More Info
[3:57] - Test Clips
[4:09] - Dynamic Range
[4:26] - Final Thoughts
[5:43] - Thanks for Watching!
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MUSIC
Ooyy - Come2gether (epidemicsound.com)
Stonekeepers - When You Move (epidemicsound.com)
Yomoti - Cats Walking (epidemicsound.com)
Chops (chernebeats.com)
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HASHTAGS
#analog #transmitter #1950s
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GET SUBSCRIBED!
Check out my github:
github.com/offsec64

[@SimonVideo]

Here's the link to some more tests! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3eod4qcrMxsZ8k Playlist with cool analog videos coming soon, feel free to bug me about it.

[@Tech_481]

Hey did you ever make that playlist?

[@bitmikealerts_lol]

Can I use just a power injector?

[@bitmikealerts_lol]

Day 3 of asking if you can just use the power injector

[@Ryan-xw4qx]

What kind of range did you get from the transmitter?

[@SimonVideo]

@Ryan It didn't go too far outside if my house.. maybe 50ish feet

[@kennethsvintagejunk2092]

I actually use multiple of those connected with dtv boxes, hooked them up to old fashioned TV sets, to still pretend that I’m still watching analog NTSC

[@SimonVideo]

Awww that's awesome. I need to do that at some point. Glad to see there's still people who enjoy analog!

[@MaxSolar-dd5wq]

This is the way

[@Jacob630]

Ummmm actually it’s analogue 🤓👆

[@ARandomInternetUser08]

@@Jacob630 I disagree.

[@marklucas3140]

Subscribed!

[@eDoc2020]

As another note, your chosen modulator is transmitting on UHF stations. Most American TVs before 1962 were VHF-only (UHF cost extra) so they couldn't actually receive your signal. More importantly for you, rabbit ears are designed for VHF. If you get some UHF (or combo VHF/UHF) antennas you might get a stronger signal and a cleaner image. The most common old-school design you'll find is the loop antenna. That's why most tabletop antennas have a metal hoop on the base, it's not a handle.

[@jimlocke9320]

FCC rules published in 1952 set aside 70 channels for UHF TV, numbered 14-83. My parents bought their first TV set in 1954 with a UHF tuner option to receive the two local UHF channels in addition to the one VHF channel. I venture to say that most TV sets in the area did not have built-in UHF tuners because they were bought before the UHF channels came on the air. Later, both local UHF channels received VHF channel assignments, but additional UHF channels came on the air. The antenna was definitely an issue. My Dad put up a rooftop UHF bowtie antenna in addition to the VHF antenna. He installed a 300 ohm downlead designed for low loss at UHF just for the UHF antenna. The VHF antenna had a separate downlead. The FCC approved a color TV standard in 1950 that was not compatible with existing B/W TV sets. There is some thought that the FCC expected some TV stations to broadcast on 2 channels, one in color and one in B/W. If so, additional channels would need to be allocated and the 70 UHF channels would fill that need. In reality, this standard never really caught on and was eventually dropped in favor of compatible color, where both B/W and color sets tuned to the same channel, but B/W sets displayed a B/W picture and color sets a color picture.

[@eDoc2020]

@@jimlocke9320 In areas like yours where UHF was used people were obviously much more willing to pay for the UHF upgrade of their sets. If there weren't active UHF stations you'd essentially be gambling that one would come on the air soon. I've read that right after UHF was introduced about 30% of buyers bought UHF tuners but after the hype died down the number dropped to nearly zero before the 1962 mandate. If you bought a VHF-only TV but a UHF station came on the air you could buy a "UHF converter". As for the CBS field sequential color system, I believe it was only authorized on an experimental basis. RCA's invention and demonstration of the shadow mask CRT was what made the FCC choose the RCA-developed compatible color system as the final system. If they stuck with the CBS system the split surely would have set back color adoption. Worse yet if color did take over and made B&W TVs become obsolete we would probably see less of them still existing.

[@SimonVideo]

Thanks for the comments/stories both of you.. I never really thought about a different antenna.. I might have to try it with one that has UHF elements.

[@SimonVideo]

@jimlocke9320 that's awesome that you had two antennas 😂.. I'm glad that they went with a backward compatible color signal. It's actually really cool they were able to cram it in, even if B&W TVs looked a little fuzzier with the color signal

[@dougbrowning82]

@@eDoc2020 In those early TVs, the UHF tuner was basically an add on oscillator that converted UHF broadcasts into an IF signal that was fed to the main VHF tuner (who's own oscillator was disabled) for amplification. Not much different to using an external, third party converter that converted UHF to VHF, except there was only one frequency conversion. Originally, TVs used an IF frequency of 21 MHz, but in the mid 1950s, they started transitioning to 41 MHz, especially for sets that supported UHF reception.

[@mrnmrn1]

What I liked about analog TV the most is that it was practically lag-free, what you saw was eseentially real-time if it came from the TV studio (a news report coming though a satelite link to the studio had a few seconds lag even in the analog days). As digital took over, true live TV was gone. Digital terrestrial TV signals need processing before broadcast, the lag can be more than 30s, digital cable TV does additinal processing of the already processed signal which can almost double this lag.

[@SimonVideo]

That's a good point!

[@Felix_Fausto554]

Another nice feature of analog transmission is that even with low signal the information can still reach the spectator most of the times.

[@ValdikSS2]

We used to play TV show games live using our phones, which were also lag-free (analog with circuit switching). The game was called Hugo.

[@Bleats_Sinodai]

Fun fact: the 5-ish seconds lag from live TV broadcasts was purposeful, because it gave the stations a time buffer for things like changing transmitters when something went down, stopping or changing the transmission to something else in case of an emergency or some event they'd rather not show, etc. It's still used to this day, actually.

[@mrnmrn1]

@@Bleats_Sinodai Yes and no. In some cases, they applied delay intentionally for the reasons you said, but mostly for the last reason you mentioned: to give themselves time for censoring the live broadcast. But that was not applied to every live broadcast, and most channels probably don't apply intentional delay on news broadcasts. As ValdikSS2 mentioned, there were TV game shows in which the viewer participated via phone, and if the viewer's TV was too loud, the classic howling-whistling acoustic feedback appeared, which would be impossible if there was a delay in the broadcast, because in that case the feedback would cause echo instead of howling and whistling. You can still experience it with live radio shows, if a listener calls the studio and their radio is too loud, a feedback effect occurs, but because cellular networks also have a lag, it won't cause howling, it will cause an echo with a few tenths of a second repetition time. During field reports where they used an analog satellite link, there was some delay which was unavoidable, due to the distance between the field crew and the satellite, and between the studio and the satellite, about 0.5-3 sec depending on the distances, which became ~5-15s after they switched to digital sattelite connection. Sometimes the intercom of the reporter leaks into the broadcast audio, and you could hear the question the news anchor asked from the reporter, repeated several seconds later. Nowadays the delay beween the studio and the remote crew is so long (especially with internet connection from the other side of the planet), they have to compensate for it by buffering on both sides, but sometimes they mess it up and the news anchor have to wait up to 20-30 seconds for each answer.

[@eDoc2020]

As somebody else here said the dark picture is most likely from the cheap HDMI->composite adapter. To get into the details a bit, American broadcasts have a 7.5 IRE "setup" (black level) while other regions (including Europe and Asia) don't. So a signal level which a Chinese TV sees as dark gray is seen by an American receiver as black and what the Chinese TV sees as black is seen as darker than black by the American receiver. An easy work-around is to increase the "brightness" in your receiver. This will work on almost any analog receiver but might not on all digital-based receivers.

[@SimonVideo]

Interesting! Good to know! I did notice a brighter picture when I used my raspberry pi's composite out.

[@Jordansklar0698]

i love the older 4:3 aspect ration on your video

[@BALtimore2001]

Using this tutorial as a guide, I shall make my own TV station that broadcasts on UHF analog channel 58.

[@TheOne_6]

WBAL 58 lol

[@YellowMediaProductions]

This is actually super cool! I too watched a whole bunch of ATV shutdown videos. It’s crazy that analog tech was shutdown after so long and the snow is indeed a vibe.

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you! I totally agree

[@YellowMediaProductions]

@@SimonVideo sure thing. I subscribed looking forward to seeing future videos

[@SimonVideo]

Hey thanks for the sub!

[@Windows95-likes-old-tech]

@@SimonVideo i agree aswell

[@dougbrowning82]

The analog shutdown was needed to free up bandwidth. One analog channel takes up 6 MHz for a standard definition 4:3 picture with MTS sound. Digital allows four SD channels or one 4K 16:9 channel in the same space. 4K TV was just not going to happen in analog.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

That fuzzy analog TV signal sure brings back some memories. I actually watched the analog-to-digital changeover as it was happening on that special June day back in 2009. It was weird for me to see all those TV channels in use for many decades suddenly turn to snow.

[@SimonVideo]

Ohhh man I bet!

[@Sb129]

Analog sure was fun, I was one of the rare kids who had a portable TV in grade school. On the bus ride home I was able to watch TV channels over the air and at home I had a setup that let me watch cable by hooking it up to the antenna input (back when basic cable was also analog). When I was super little we used to have this boombox with a mini BW TV in it! it was amazing! For an analog signal, I'd use a VCR, you'd even have a convenient way of recording analog at the source so should you choose. Also, for still images, two great ways to make a picture look old with getting a digital camera with a CCD sensor (modern use CMOS) and using the built in Xenon flash.

[@SimonVideo]

Oh man, that's awesome. I love the bus part Also yeah that's a good idea to use a VCR. I'll have to pick one up. I actually think I have a camera with a CCD too! Thanks for your comment!

[@sw6188]

Good on you for getting all this together and making it work. Just a point - if it was a 1950s tv transmitter it would be full of vacuum tubes. Solid state transmitters didn't really become a thing until the late 1960s / early 1970s. Keep up the interesting projects.

[@SimonVideo]

Yeah I've seen some videos and they look awesome

[@MaxSolar-dd5wq]

The triode and the transistor share similar theories of operation nevertheless; the only difference is that heat matters in different ways

[@Impossible_Fishy]

I think my interest in this came from ham radio, for me it all started with an fm transmitter where I ran a 15 watt pirate radio station, and now I’m here, thanks for making this video

[@SimonVideo]

Oh nice! That 15 watt pirate radio sounds cool for sure.

[@K0IBZ]

Charlie doesn't care about a 50mW TV transmitter, but they might knock on your door with a 15 watt transmitter.

[@MaxSolar-dd5wq]

15 watts? That’d cover all of a suburb!

[@georgeadrianstefan1676]

Glad my country still broadcast in analog format. This is a saver for many poor families that can't afford a modern TV.

[@shabadu9084]

Which country?

[@user-hb8qt2kx6h]

@@shabadu9084 Philippines Canada (Alaska)USA and Romania is what I think

[@RGC198]

Well done making an analogue transmitter. We lost the last of our analogue TV here in Australia in December 2013. It was sad to see it all go. Incidentally, if a low VHF channel is used for analogue TV, the coverage distance can increase quite dramatically, especially during the summer months.

[@SimonVideo]

It's sad they shut down analog.. And yeah, that was one good thing about analog. You might not receive the *full* picture if you're really far away, but at least you'll get something.

[@ShaggyMummy]

Ive thought of doing this too, got myself a bunch of Vintage cameras, even one with a CRT sensor. There is a lot of fun to be had with analog tech

[@SimonVideo]

Ooh nice! The camera would be cool

[@lineyka2013]

I put a HUGE antenna on my modulator and connected a camera far away from my house. Now I watch the image 18 km away

[@SimonVideo]

LMAO that's *definitely* not illegal

[@MaxSolar-dd5wq]

Lol that’s gotta be one stalwart amp you got there

[@SOBINTAXIDRIVER]

That's exactly what I needed, some actual explanation on how to do it. I saw the antenna's man video, but I didn't quite understand the process to build the transmitter, but now this video is helpful. I very recently got a Radio Station/Cassette Player and Recorder/Television station (yep, all in one) with VHF channels pick-up. I really want to make some actual videos with that technique, so this is very, very helpful. Thanks man, I really needed that.

[@SimonVideo]

Glad I could help! That TV recorder combo sounds awesome!

[@imrustyokay]

I have a great respect for people who goes above and beyond to make things actually look like they're broadcasting on Analog. This is great! Kind of reminds me of the Oddity Archive!

[@SimonVideo]

Yeah, I always appreciate when people go the extra mile

[@dougbrowning82]

Many vintage TV collectors have analog rebroadcasting setups. They can be wireless, with antennae, or wired, with coax.

[@aweawd]

When I was in kindergarten, i found an old crt at my grandparents house, and tried to build an analog transmitter, and almost instantly gave up, so thank you for making this! I'm gonna try it!

[@leonardotakanashi333]

Extremely educational video is cool! I live in Brazil, and I remember exactly the day they turned off the analog TV signal in my city (it was in July 2018) and that's why this video brought me a certain nostalgia for when I watched everything with those drizzles. As for the dark image, this is a problem with the receiver (that is, the TV), as modern TVs have a tendency to distort the analog signal a lot, That's why the analog image comes out better on the CRT, as it comes out purer, unlike modern TVs, which try to improve the image, but in the end, they only make it worse. Random curiosity: Unlike the USA, which turned off the analog signal across the entire country in 2009, here in Brazil, the states were gradually making the transition. The first city to turn off the analog signal was São Paulo, in 2016, and then came some capitals, such as Belo Horizonte, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, etc. However, even today, in 2023, some more isolated cities still use the analogue signal, as not everyone in that place can afford to buy a digital TV. Some Brazilian states also campaigned for the transition from digital TV, and donated free converters from the national brand "Multilaser", and these converters came with a fixed modulator on channel 3 or 4, so these converters could be adapted even in TVs that do not have the RCA composite output. Sorry for my English, I used Google Translate in this comment

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you! And thank you for your comment! It's cool they waited a bit to turn off the analog signals.

[@leonardotakanashi333]

@@SimonVideo I forgot one detail, here in Brazil, "satellite dishes" are very famous, which are receivers that receive satellite TV signals, and since the end of the 80s they have been analog. However, with the implementation of 5G, this analog signal will also be turned off, and replaced with satellite dishes encoded with a digital signal. It's sad to know that this medium, which was so successful here in Brazil, will end like this. Satellite dishes were part of the lives of many Brazilians, as there are people who live very far from the transmission towers, and there were also extra channels that did not exist on traditional analog TV.

[@MarcosWassem]

5:00 I remember analog TV ending in Brazil on December 31, 2023

[@SimonVideo]

That's awesome it went on for that long

[@unoatlarep2.0]

in the Philippines is still up

[@BlueMSX.]

Very nice work both on your transmitter setup and for the video itself!

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you!

[@_j.s_prd]

I was surprised to know that people stopped using analog, in certain countries there's local cable providers who takes digital tv and push it through analog while simultaneously transmitting the same signal for digital too, you can watch international channels like 4k on your old tv, I feel it's a blessing to still be able to see such antique tech being used till now and they still do the trick

[@gvn1111]

Really cool video! Definitely deserves more views! My country switched off analog signal in 2014. At that time I was around 8 years old. I had a CRT TV next to a window in a small area of house. I remember catching signals of the channels. Despite living in the capital, TV signal was poor and it was rare to have any signal without a big antenna on top of the block's roof because between Tbilisi TV tower and my house there is a small hill blocking the signal. I still remember catching Rustavi 2 and Public Broadcaster signals on that tv. It was the last time I saw an analog broadcast on that specific TV. Although that TV can catch FM radio signal when switched to 0 (AV) channel.

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you! That's awesome, thanks for sharing

[@gvn1111]

@@SimonVideo 😊

[@NaoPb]

Interesting. I like how you managed to fit information in such a short video, nice. And I also like the editing.

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you!

[@bairfamilyfarm1336]

ATSC was probably the worst thing that happened to rural viewers. We went from light snow that could be fixed by minor antenna adjustments on NTSC to a signal that made ear bleeding cracking and squealing noises with choppy video and “no signal”. We also went from 2 dozen station that were a different program to 20 channels that were the same 5 stations on 4 different frequencies. And only 3 of them maintain a good signal.

[@SimonVideo]

Yeah it's fine if you're close to the broadcast towers but for fringe viewers it sucks. ATSC 1.0 is such a fragile signal.

[@MKOFT3N]

This is an amazing way to achieve this film effect

[@SimonVideo]

Agreed!

[@7uhyschannel723]

keep making stuff man, i love the content

[@ryderrepairs]

this video was fantastic, im totally doing this now!

[@dingbatfpv]

I fly drones using the exact same tech on the 5.8ghz band for video link, I love it. I hooked an old camcorder into one of the video transmitters, then used my goggles to record the video without a tape. I also managed to hook one of the video receivers we use in the goggles to an old CRT, then watch people fly in low quality black and white. Analog is the coolest shit man.

[@SimonVideo]

Oh man that's awesome. Yeah analog is still pretty cool.

[@PixelBrushArt]

Admittedly, I expected you to start soldering up a cool little circuit, and not just use bought thingies, but that's still quite cool! Reminds me of how I got my start with electronics.

[@SimonVideo]

Yeah, I actually want to try doing that. Maybe when I have more free time haha

[@Aragubas]

I love the little face you drew in the box x3

[@lugie69]

FCC is truly the worst. We need to take analog back somehow. Also this video is awesome.

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you!!

[@MaxSolar-dd5wq]

It is entirely possible that we could attempt to legislate channels 2-13 to be clear for analog, but they would probably be utilized immediately for 480i streams by big media companies. It’s also difficult to allow the public to use them because of the nature of radio spreading out amidst large areas (and therefore cross receiving occurring.) What I really wish was allowed is that the FCC would allow low power transmission so that people could have fun and not get fined 10 Grand

[@sdjhgfkshfswdfhskljh3360]

I like this technology too and hope people won't forget about it. Also I think it can be preserved well enough by implementing transmitters and receivers in software, with software-defined radio (SDR) technology.

[@ads1035]

If you haven't already, I'd suggest looking into ham radio and slow-scan TV.... both of which are relevant to your work here. Most ham radio operators still use analog formats, since they're so ubiquitous. If you enjoyed building this TV transmitter, you might enjoy building your own ham radios and talking with folks of all ages who are interested in similar topics. Slow-scan TV isn't as popular as it was during the 70s and 80s, but... it still pops up from time to time. Valve teased Portal 2 by including slow-scan TV signals in an update to Portal 1.

[@SimonVideo]

I actually was just messing around with SSTV.. It's really cool! And for sure I want to get my ham license.. I just don't know where to start.

[@ads1035]

@@SimonVideo Here's my recommendation: Start with KZbin! There's a few old timers who have published "getting started" videos right here. Next, study for and take the exam. Then get yourself a cheap Baofeng handheld transceiver, find your local repeaters, and chat with the old timers hanging around them. Once you've made it that far, you've "started," more-or-less, and you can branch out and get into all sorts of stuff. Including stuff your viewers would love to see, like this TV transmitter.

[@MaxSolar-dd5wq]

*Scotty S1 Noises*

[@anonrex565]

This is the best video I have seen regarding the issue of an analog TV transmitter I have seen so far, and probably the best one there is!

[@SimonVideo]

Wow! Thank you! Also thanks for the sub :)

[@anonrex565]

@@SimonVideo You're welcome! :D Keep up with this analog tv/transmitter content, it is very interesting and entertaining!

[@SimonVideo]

@@anonrex565 Sounds good! I plan to do some analog audio stuff with an SDR soon...

[@ansonnoob]

This is an amazing video! You really deserve more subscribers:D

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you!

[@LesStarport]

Something I did recently was hookup a settop box to the AV input on my secondary VCR and ran the output VIA the RF Ariel cable to the TV and after some tuning I got an analogue transmission of digital TV. two analogue channels picked up the signal, (looked almost identical to a VHS) The VCR was acting as a modulator and transmitter. Analogue video is just so fascinating, old and reliable.

[@SimonVideo]

That's awesome! I should try that

[@Neuxmetal]

I did this! I have a collection of crts and did this instead of running cables to all the TV's. I'm hoping I can find a more powerful amplifier to broadcast a little further

[@ExploringNew1]

4:38 I like how you moved the captaions so it doesn't block text. Great work btw

[@SimonVideo]

You noticed! And thank you!

[@PurpleLover101]

Recently purchased a 1960s solid state TV, going to use this tutorial for it as the video connector it takes is so outdated theres no other way. Thanks!.

[@Knickname]

Incredible

[@justusgovaert]

In the Netherlands (Europe) we switched to Digital as the first of Europe in 2006 and in 2021 the last ever analogue signal was transmited over cable television. Here in the Netherlands some kind of television subscription is more popular than in the USA since it is more restricted and protected from watching it without subscription. So in the Netherlands you could get a cheap digital television box from the biggest television subscription provider to receive digital signals if you still where using one of the analog television signals that where left over until 2021 with and old CRT television.

[@Nicholas_Chris]

Excellent explanation I did the exact same thing in 2020 and worked great. When using the RF Modulator I recommend the UHF Band there are low interferences compared to VHF Band. The downside is that UHF has lower range than VHF similar to Wi-Fi 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz. And the coaxial cable should only be RG6 or RG6U. Don't use RG59 or 3C2V cables, you have great signal loss especially on UHF band. Next time I recommend a digital RF modulator, make sure it has HDCP and two inputs. Digital is much better.

[@growingup15]

Man you just gave me the excuse I need to make my own Transmitter now. I have waaaaaaaay too many CRT TVs that are just sitting around not doing anything. Time to change that. Also Hi 32 Year old Millennial here. I love to see younger people getting into tech that I grew up when I was your age and now I feel old 💀

[@SimonVideo]

That's awesome! And hey, 32 isn't bad haha

[@growingup15]

@@SimonVideo :)

[@avamnepohui7260]

Somewhere in this world there was a place where analogue television was turned off very late, 6 years ago, it seems to me, and few people noticed the shutdown, because digital television had been working for 5 years by that time, and was much better than analogue, and people bought set-top boxes or new TVs. But that's not all, after turning off analogue television, a few years later it was turned on again, and it still works - you won't guess why.

[@gymnasiast90]

I didn’t know it was quite so easy! Might give it a try with a (PAL) BG transmitter - I have a 1973 B&W TV with a built-in antenna, and already connected it to digital TV using an SD decoder that outputs to SCART and a modulator. But doing it over the air would be very cool.

[@SimonVideo]

Yeah that would be cool! I was also surprised that it was so easy to make.

[@ExploringNew1]

When you want no privacy at all

[@brandonmartin9298]

The analog receiver on tvs is on there for most cable company or convert boxes because the coaxial leg on the box's send out a analog signal on ch. 3 and 4.

[@MakarovFox]

love analog things

[@bitmikealerts_lol]

I have a setup with my dad's rf transmitter and a phillips antenna, and a memorex portable B&W tv. It's really cool, and sometimes Iput fake emergency alerts.

[@SimonVideo]

Ooooh that sounds awesome! Emergency alerts are a nice touch

[@bitmikealerts_lol]

@@SimonVideo yeah it's really cool, I put local access alert mocks, look up local access alerts online, and also, I put eas mocks, which is not the best idea but my signal has no amplification so, the signal cuts out at 3~4 feet

[@SimonVideo]

@BitMike Alerts Nice! That's so cool.. And yeah, good that you thought of the EAS and range thing

[@K0IBZ]

The EAS tones are exclusively used for real emergencies, and playing these tones over radio can earn you a $8000 fine, also considering the fact that this transmitter is illegal, earning you another at least another $10,000 fine. Watch your output power.

[@kyftvr]

@@K0IBZthey used rabbit ears antenna so it means they will have it only in there home, but the higher megahertz or UHF/VHF the FCC or CSA will be knocking at the door. So he can’t really have a 10,000$ Fine but still these laws are real and make sure u order the right antenna guys.

[@bdkey6195]

Wow! that's cool.

[@F2SOnYouTube]

Welp, time to break the FCC's law!

[@tallyhorizzla3330]

Years ago l bought an AV transmitter unit for an early black and white security camera l had. It operates on the old analog uhf system so l could in theory set up my own analog tv channel,with no competitors! I will have to dust it off and find an oldvideo camera with rca plugs and try it out.

[@SimonVideo]

Oooh nice!

[@user-le9pv9ge3s]

hey so i actually did this! (yes i have much time on my hands) and my sony watchman could actually pick it up! it looks amazing! thanks for the tutorial.

[@SimonVideo]

That's awesome! Glad you got it working!

[@tr-abandoned]

so underpopular, good work!

[@SimonVideo]

thank you!

[@soundrail1895]

Some modulators have HDMI input on them now. So you probably didn't need the converter but this is excellent info.

[@MichaelWallace-oq3wd]

You’re voice is awesome

[@panconkisu]

I like your thinking. "I did something terribly inefficient. But, hey. It's fun!" I'm looking at radio frequency communication alternatives and yes, it's inefficient considering the internet exists today. But it's fun! nice video, new sub

[@SimonVideo]

😂 it's perfect! Thank you!

[@ARandomInternetUser08]

Not the same thing, but I hooked up an antenna to a VCR I got from a thrift store recently via RF Out on the back of the VCR and then an antenna to an old CRT TV I have, and I'm watching the VCR, "wirelessly", on "Channel 3" on the TV. The antenna from the VCR has to be touching or at least be millimeters away from the antenna/cord that's plugged in the TV because the signal is so weak. It's the only experience with some sort of broadcast "analog TV" I've ever had. I'm only 21, but I love old tech, and I will get an amplifier soon, and maybe even an RF modulator. The TV is a classic old design, rabbit ears too, but I thought I'd never use it again and I needed an antenna for a weather radio I had so I ripped one of the antennas off so it only has one now. I could tape it back on so it really feels like an old TV with an old antenna (don't really need the antenna in the radio anymore). The speaker also got busted a while ago so no sound comes from it, and until a few days ago, I haven't used it for months, but when I did the VCR thing I mentioned before, I realized I had another old radio that could tune into VHF and UHF channels, so I put that near the antenna from the VCR, so that plays the sound, and the TV plays the picture. I love that little setup I have.

[@SimonVideo]

Hey, that works! An amplifier would help for sure. That radio is really nice to have on hand

[@ARandomInternetUser08]

@@SimonVideo I think I have a couple of those old VHF/UHF/AM/FM radios too (one of them even has weather radio stations too) and 2 more small CRT TVS and one big 32" one. I need to start getting more maybe, after I get an amplifier setup. I don't want this old tech to go away. :(

[@davidlemilica]

i was in a hotel in bosnia a few months ago and they still have analog tv there

[@killcar5nbike2]

This is a fun little project that makes a neat effect. I must point out that amplifier was designed to plug into a TV aeriel input, not run as a transmitter. Analogue TV with a decent signal was a crystal clear picture. It was only in poor reception areas it looked like what you have there. The bandwidth was a lot higher for the video than the equivalent digital resolution in pixels was too, that's why even direct A-D or D-A video never looks like true analogue broadcast actually looked. It's also why flat screen TVs looked like crap when we trued to use them on analogue signals and old game consols.

[@DanielBerzinskas]

You didn't notice the crystal clear part was sarcasm

[@killcar5nbike2]

@@DanielBerzinskas did you think of that all on your own? Well done, you've earned yourself 15 minutes with any toy of your choosing and a gold star

[@Felix_Fausto554]

Early digital camcorders add a cool effect too.

[@calzonemaniacsvideocorner0804]

IIRC modern TVs still have analog tuners mainly to accommodate devices like VCRs which using RF can be used on channels 3 or 4

[@SimonVideo]

Yeah a surprising amount of them do

[@acs-system6452]

80s 90s computer video cameras music consoles are my hits

[@artiedewey6117]

Wow!!! How did you figure all this out?? Well presented and entertaining!!

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you! Lots of google searching....

[@Weneedaplague]

Easily available parts and the VERY common hobby of analog signals means this has come across the minds of millions just this year? He did literally nothing but connect some off the shelf products in the intended way. His amplifier probably lacks an attenuator for the specific video signals and boosts every frequency making it very poor. It takes one single ounce of observation to realize stuff like this. Kids have done this since the c64

[@Zeazy]

nice job

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you!

[@wrightmf]

Though you say this video technology lacks clarity of modern technology, I fully understand why you did this. Same reason people build their own stuff whether it be a radio transmitter or an airplane even if it's already been done before. It's totally cool to actually build something that you can own. Like Tyler the Antenna Man, I sometimes use a modulator with antenna for shortrange wireless video. This technique has been around for decades, the transmitter or actually a modulator are designed for in-house TV distribution systems used in places like apartment buildings with a common antenna. Techies found they can use these modulators as low power transmitters, instead of connecting cable to distributers, connect it to an antenna and you are good to go. Its convenient modern TVs still have analog NTSC tuning, these can also be used for receiving amateur television. Example CATV Ch 57, 58, 59 (not Antenna Ch 57-59) receive on 421.25, 427.25, 433.25 MHz which are amateur radio frequencies. Put your TV into CATV mode, connect an outside yagi antenna pointed to a ATV station (if one is in your area) selected to either of those three channels. CATV Ch 58 the most commonly used. NTSC has a fascinating history, yes only a 4:3 aspect ratio, not HD of today's standards. They had to work with what was available. It first began as 60 Hz in 1951 but shortly after they wanted to increase to include a color TV signal. FCC kept that channel bandwidth fixed at 6 MHz, so to squeeze in the chroma signal, they changed scan rate to 59.94 Hz. When computers came along, those video signals set at 59.94 Hz to match available CRT monitors. When flatscreens appeared, they set scan rates to 59.94 Hz to match the computers. It's the same since then (exception certain gaming computers). So that modern HDMI, SDI, whatever scan rate frequency all from legacy created by engineers from early 1950s.

[@SimonVideo]

Really interesting info about the CATV channels and some history. That's cool! Yeah, I always wondered about the 59.97 stuff.. The technology connections video has a lot of good info on it too

[@wrightmf]

@@SimonVideo dive into those early days such as "what happened to Channel 1?" also early pioneers such as Philo Farnsworth and manipulations by David Sarnoff. A whole smorgasbord of stuff like mechanical TV sets interesting but limited. And the technical and political debate on what method to use for broadcast TV (NTSC won). But wait Europe embraced 50 Hz and PAL. French did SECAM. Here's what's interesting: Motion pictures in theaters are 24 fps (or same frame twice to avoid flicker) and yes even still today movies are done 24 fps (exactly, not 23.96). Why not faster rate like TV? Studies have shown if watch a movie at 59.94 people will see it as a TV show and not a motion picture (weird).

[@Knickname]

Simon Tech Tips 🐐

[@SimonVideo]

Yesss 😂

[@Motorsports_4_Life]

I ordered the stuff to do this I’m excited

[@SimonVideo]

Nice! Yeah its pretty exciting.. hope you get it working!

[@Motorsports_4_Life]

Quick question is this legal and do you have discord if so wanna talk on there?

[@SimonVideo]

It's legal as long as the signal doesn't really go past your property line.. also I don't really use discord, sorry

[@Lanausse]

Nice!

[@MrRetroTechOffical]

Nice job! I really liked the video, also I am thinking of doing this myself

[@SimonVideo]

Yesss that would be awesome!

[@MrRetroTechOffical]

@@SimonVideo I don't have all the parts...yet! I have got an antenna and a RF Modulator Just not a booster! I have found one on amazon that is decently priced and has good range, So I will probably order it soon! (also my favourite analog tv shud down I the bbc1 Northern Ireland version) I Hope you had a great Christmas!

[@SimonVideo]

@@MrRetroTechOffical Nice! I'll check that video out. Hope you had a merry Christmas too!

[@MrRetroTechOffical]

@@SimonVideoThe video where I made my transmitter is out!

[@SimonVideo]

Nice! I just watched it.. It's cool that you used a VCR for the source video. Also a video on TeleText would be awesome! I don't really have it where I live

[@estartoons]

Who would've thought such simple stuff to get on Amazon can recreate a portable anologue tv transmitter! You can create a channel in realistic retro style without special effects with just about 100 dollars from purchasing the required materials!

[@user-bp3yz5hy5n]

I need a damn analog tv transmitter

[@lizzie-wizzie]

you can also build a portable one! i did this a week ago. might showcase it on my channel this week or so

[@SimonVideo]

I'd love to see it!

[@realgptv01]

Analog horror ytbers: WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT DOWN

[@deathstrike]

I use a similar rig that I used a vintage candy tin (insulated with a rubber mat inside) to put the electronics in. I use it for my vintage analog portable LCD TV collection. Unfortunately some of the "cheaper" models like Casio lacked any AV input and still rely on channel 3 to receive a broadcast. This setup facilitates a broadcast, and with some of the analog TFT color portables, you can even play classic videogames over the air as NES and consoles up to PS2 still have composite output. Here's a challenge, find a good sized O gauge train building, integrate the electronics into the building, and get a train tv /radio broadcast tower for I think it's still $16.79 at Walmart for the kit. Put a single antenna through the center of the tower and you now have a very good looking "actual" broadcast tower from the 50s.

[@SimonVideo]

Ooooh that's awesome! I really love the idea of the small scale broadcast tower. I just got excited and now I'm about to impulse buy one.

[@CatsRobloxOther2nd]

​@@SimonVideohi, is making a low power analog station legal in some ways?

[@CatsRobloxOther2nd]

​​@@SimonVideoi already have a coaxial coupler as i bought a coaxial cable for the tv cable box downstairs

[@SimonVideo]

I'm not going to outright say if it's legal or not. I think it is, but it's do at your own risk

[@CatsRobloxOther2nd]

@@SimonVideo oh okay well I probably won't ever do it then unless I want the FCC At My Door

[@AlperFix]

turkey still has analog tv! and i experienced analog

[@SimonVideo]

Oh that's awesome!

[@tharii314_x]

My country still heavily relies on Analog TV (PAL) +FM broadcasting and I think that it's fine. It's free to air and especially Radio broadcasts are the kind that's more useful and effective in desperate situations like covering what we are missing from a cricket match during power interruptions for instance.

[@SimonVideo]

That's awesome!

[@j1_dev]

Just wow

[@Oinkelodeon-g8v]

I also think it's amazing

[@Sebanek738]

I like this tutorial

[@Euskera___]

It would be so cool instead of connecting the antena to a tv, connect it to a VCR and record the video on tape, the signal lost effect + real vhs effect woule so cool!!!

[@vitaliemosneag5973]

Hello from Republic of Moldova 🇲🇩🇲🇩🇲🇩! Here, in the Republic of Moldova, analog television transmission stopped completely only last year, in 2022. The transmission was in SECAM D/K, PAL D/K format

[@SimonVideo]

Awww damg! I wish they didn't stop analog transmission..

[@user-ps3dp4cn5p]

I made a tv transmiter with a dvd player a modulator and an apmlier then i conected a big homemade antenna and it transmited a 50 meters

[@QuarTheDev]

Excellent video and tutorial, great work! How did you manage to get the final video feed (the one displayed in analog on your TV) into a digital file and uploaded to KZbin? Did your TV have a built-in video capture mode, or did you use a separate video capture device?

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you! For the capture I used the Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1265

[@QuarTheDev]

@@SimonVideo Cheers! I'm definitely considering recreating your setup for an indie analog horror series I'm working on. Is there any specific software you'd suggest to use alongside this? I've read a bit on how it seems to work well in Windows Media Center, but that's for Windows 7 I believe.

[@QuarTheDev]

I also would like to add, I'm primarily a Fedora Linux user, so any software/compatibility layer in that regard would certainly help. If not, no worries, I dualboot between Fedora and Windows 11 all the time :)

[@borismetodiev3218]

Nice video. I ordered the parts and I am waiting for them. Also do you know what the power output is, and what is the range that this can transmitt, and also how I can increase/decrease the range of the transmitter and also how to increase the power output?

[@SimonVideo]

The range isn't all that far... maybe 50 feet max. As far as increasing output and range, you would have to get a more powerful amplifier. I would stick to a lower output because it's illegal to have it go too far.

[@MaxSolar-dd5wq]

Increasing the range 101: - Measure the antenna to its reasonably frequency (both “ears” being 25% of wavelength) - Match the antenna (Use hairpin match, antenna tuner, etc.) - Increase the transmitter power (do NOT exceed 5 watts without matching the antenna, it’s a fire hazard) - Improving the receiver’s antenna - Connecting transmitter’s ground to a better ground (the ground pin is usually the screw part of the connectors)

[@moonbun69.]

if this was an actual product. take my money

[@Shadow_monnarch]

I know I'm late but it's due to your set up. With the HDMI signal is getting downgraded twice once from the av adapter and a second time from the RF modulator. To fix this I'd suggest skipping the av adapter and just get an HDMI to RF modulator.

[@kibby8823]

I’d love to do this for my analog horror series, if it’s still popular

[@SimonVideo]

ohh yeah that'd be awesome

[@SimonVideo]

Hey everyone! It's been a while...

[@tekno8max872]

wow, muy chulo, bien hecho, quieres un buen reto, intenta hacer el modulador y transmisor con componentes basicos (transistores, capacitores, resistencias, inductores, etc), para una distancia de 1m no necesitas amplificador a si que se simplifican mucho las cosas. avisa me si lo intentas

[@SimonVideo]

Thank you! That would be an interesting project!

[@timothythespartan_official]

SO REAL! How is the transmitter recorded with?

[@ElectronicSearch3.0]

Would I need to have the amplifier plugged into power as well? Or just have the coax to coax? I’m using a ge amplifier and the power is just dc into the side of it

[@MaxSolar-dd5wq]

Yeah, you gotta plug in the amp. Otherwise you won’t get anywhere

[@zero-zw1og]

hey, very cool project! Do you have any recomendations of receivers that could convert this signal to a pc?

[@SimonVideo]

Yeah check out the hauppauge 1265. I just made a video on it too!

[@aliega-studios]

da best ill do it to on my short films

[@tebillusandassorted]

You will make cool friends bc of this dw :)

[@kootunesscrewy]

2:43 I almost thought that was Woody for a sec.

[@BigCJ]

A more powerful, yet more expensive option is to use an agile modulator. Pretty much a large, commercial-grade RF modulator. Blonder Tongue makes some of the best, I recommend the AM60-550b.

[@SimonVideo]

Interesting! Didn't know about those. Do you know why they call it "agile"?

[@BigCJ]

No idea why they're called "Agile". Google search turned up nothing. Perhaps it's because they're more flexible and powerful than regular RF modulators? They can broadcast on VHF 2-13, UHF 14-38, and the first hundred or so cable channels. The output is very clear, beating all consumer-grade equipment. These were meant to be used at TV stations and big apartment buildings. Downsides are that they are rack-mounted, very big, and they also put off a lot of heat.

[@SimonVideo]

Ahhh got it. Yeah looks like it's gonna be a long night of scrolling through eBay 😂 Thanks for letting me know about them!

[@BigCJ]

No prob. Though rare, look for one with Option 5, Stereo Sound. Most of these machines are Mono by default. You'll also need a coax-to-RCA adaptor for the video cable, no idea why they did that. If you keep them cool, they work far better than anything else. I think I spent $70 or $80 for a mono one, and $130 for stereo. Wait for a good deal, my friend.

[@gunier.j.kintgenanimations]

Question: How far did the signal travel; How far away from the transmitter could you get & still receive a picture? I'm gonna be following along at home; I've been wanting to do this for years now!

[@SimonVideo]

Yeah! It probably went 30 feet before getting too fuzzy, but that was going through walls. You can also get it to go longer if you point the antenna in the direction of the transmitter but even then it's pretty unstable