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Old 6th Sep 2014, 2:13 pm   #201
petertheorgan
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

looks like an interesting piece of kit , I am guessing it is a band 1 and band 3 combiner and amplifier , just the thing for powering your vintage television collection
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Old 6th Sep 2014, 4:28 pm   #202
yampy187
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Hi.

Sorry about the poor pic. I have uploaded a better one of the name plate. It has sockets for band I , II and III and one output. 2 gain controls of some description. Uses 2x ECC88 and 2x EF184 (1 gone to air). I have removed it from the cupboard where it was housed so will crack it open later and see what's inside!!

Jan
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Old 6th Sep 2014, 6:59 pm   #203
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Looks like it is still switched on in the original picture! I used to find old distribution amplifiers glowing away in service cupboards that had not seen service in years. Guys were scared to turn them off in case it blacked out TV in the flats. They are usually fed from a multi element B1/3 aerial. Valves are often E88CC long life. John.
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Old 6th Sep 2014, 7:41 pm   #204
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Heh!

Alas at least one of the valves has gone-to-air but nevertheless it's an intriguing example of history that needs to be recorded.
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Old 8th Sep 2014, 11:01 am   #205
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Re the pic in post no. 197

Are the co-ax plugs polythene-type Wolsley?? brand ones ?
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Old 30th Oct 2014, 6:20 pm   #206
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Been hoping to grab a shot of this one for ages, so at last I've caught it.
A 3-element ch5 and what may have been a 12 element ch8 aerial, half of which is missing, situated on a steep hill blocking the view to the Pontop/Burnhope direction. There's absolutely no Pontop UHF aerials in that area, they're all pointing at Fenham.

Brian
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Old 30th Oct 2014, 9:17 pm   #207
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Hi Brian,
I'm pleased you have taken that picture. The aerial array has been up there for more than fifty years. Survived the North-East weather.
You are right, a part of the band 3 aerial has broken off.

DFWB
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Old 31st Oct 2014, 11:37 am   #208
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Re post no. 206:

Straining my eyes ... The Band III element holders look like Antiference, as does the junction box (later Antiference), and also the boom coupler part: all of which might make it an 11 element design. I'm not sure Antiference ever did a 12 element Band III, but am happy to be corrected!

The 3 element is certainly not Antiference. Indeed by comparing element lengths with the Band III aerial, I hope I could be forgiven for thinking it was a Band II aerial. J-Beam perhaps given the element spacing and plain dipole? If the junction box could be seen more clearly (is it a cylinder with a conical end?) then that could answer the speculation.
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Old 1st Nov 2014, 11:47 am   #209
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Hi Steve,

Think you're right about the BIII aerial. The lower 3-element is definately a CH5 BI type as it's larger than BII aerials and lacks the folded dipole. Having said that I've seen some CH5 BI aerials with folded dipoles as well.

I would've thought in that area even 405-line VHF reception would've been difficult, perhaps Rediffusion were popular there in those days? I had relatives in the Walker area of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne who were dependent on it as the City Centre blocked the view to the SW. When it finally closed down high gain UHF aerials sprouted up directed towards Bilsdale.

Cheers,
Brian
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Old 1st Nov 2014, 12:19 pm   #210
SteveCG
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Brian,

I think towards the end of Band III TV aerial production Antiference sold a range of narrow-band (ie in distinction from their semi-widband and wideband Band III designs) which were cut to just cover 2 TV channels, using a folded dipole compared to their 'trumatch' dipole. These were for fringe areas. The Band III aerial in post 206 fits the bill.

As for the Band I one, yes I've discovered that a channel B5 and a VHF/FM Band II aerial can be mistaken for each other unless you have one of each side-by-side on the same mounting pole. By the way, Premier Aerials made 3 el Band I designs that used folded dipoles.
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Old 5th Dec 2014, 3:46 pm   #211
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Quote:
Originally Posted by Valve'n'vinyl View Post
Here are some photo's of a 405 VHF antenna on a house where J.Arthur Rank was born and lived here in Hull.
UPDATE : Building work has started and the scaffold was going up yesterday afternoon, I went back on my way to the shops and looked up for the antenna as I always do and was horrified to see it gone...However, I got talking to a hard up labourer on the site and asked if it was still around , he dissappeared and 2 mins later came back with it, I gave him a fiver for it (he wanted £10 !) and The J. RANK house antenna is mine ! I would appreciate any info on the type ,model etc .
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Old 5th Dec 2014, 3:48 pm   #212
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

That's a result, well done! Glad it hadn't been weighed-in yet.
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Old 5th Dec 2014, 3:51 pm   #213
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Valve'n'vinyl

It is an Antiference Antex 'X' type. Since it was in use in Hull I reckon it will be for the Channel 2 (48.25 Mc/s sound, 51.75 Mc/s vision) transmissions from the 405 line BBC TV transmitter that was at Holme Moss situated on the Pennines.
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Old 5th Dec 2014, 7:09 pm   #214
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

The best band 1 aerial ever made fitted lots of the ch 4 type in the 1955/60,s
regards Derrick
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Old 5th Dec 2014, 7:53 pm   #215
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Quote:
Originally Posted by Valve'n'vinyl View Post
The J. RANK house antenna is mine ! I would appreciate any info on the type ,model etc .
I have an identical one here, also Holme Moss Ch2 Antiference Antex Mk5 (you may see it embossed on the backside). Cleaned up and a bit of pruning and you could have a splendid Band II 'X' to enhance your VHF/FM reception.
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Old 5th Dec 2014, 11:31 pm   #216
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Nice. I saw a lot of these down in Cornwall again ch2 but of North Hessary Tor.
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Old 5th Dec 2014, 11:53 pm   #217
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Antiference made a version with a Band 1 Antex and a 4 element Band 3 aerial on the same boom. The Antex could be adjusted through 270 degrees to the Band 3 elements. We fitted a lot of this type as the adjustment suited our area for channels 2 and 9. They worked very well, Winter Hill was line of sight and Holme Moss was not many miles away.
Frank
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Old 6th Dec 2014, 12:56 am   #218
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Holme Moss (Ch2.V) was the transmitter for my native Stockton-on-Tees before the Coronation. The 'X' aerials were few and far between, and were a sign of the 'early adopter' even into the '60s. The last one I can remember was on Dixon's farmhouse in Chapel Rd., Billingham which disappeared in the early '80s, along with the last 'torch' School sign, just outside.
I always look for them in my travels south of the border, where they were once plentiful. I'd put one up, just for fun, if I could find a decent one.
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Old 6th Dec 2014, 12:59 am   #219
Valve'n'vinyl
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicklyons2 View Post
Cleaned up and a bit of pruning and you could have a splendid Band II 'X' to enhance your VHF/FM reception.
yes, since there is no more 405 transmissions I will restore and reuse it as a vhf/fm antenna, I will replace the elements as they are brittle . Thanks to everyone with identifying it . A nice winter project !
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Old 6th Dec 2014, 3:39 pm   #220
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Default Re: 405-Line VHF Aerials in 2013-2014

Valve'n'vinyl

May I suggest that you cut down the existing elements for your Band II aerial. Antiference elements were made out of good material - nothing a clean up with a Brillo pad would not fix for appearances either.

Three points for you:

1) The aerial is a director-dipole design, with the dipole being the rear pair. So remember that the highest frequency is determined by the length of the director (front pair).

2) The design is nearly omnidirectional at the bottom end of the frequency channel. So in its 405 line use the sound signal was picked up from all around. There was directivity though at the higher - vision - end of the channel.

3) Radio amateurs use 50 Mc/s these days. So you could attempt to re-commission the aerial to its full size glory and use it if you were so interested... Although I do see that a couple of the elements are broken near the junction box.
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