Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

Hi, all.

My current domestic head-end has a pair of Taylor 5-way channel filter /
levelers. They are currently tuned to the 5 analog channels, and the
current muxes.

Post-DSO, ( I've not checked the channel allocations )I may well need to
change the channels which pass.

Do they offer a service to re-tune these, or will I have to purchase new?

I could phone them, of course...

--
Ron

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

On Jan 21, 9:23*pm, Ron Lowe wrote:
Hi, all.

My current domestic head-end has a pair of Taylor 5-way channel filter /
levelers. * They are currently tuned to the 5 analog channels, and the
current muxes.

Post-DSO, ( I've not checked the channel allocations )I may well need to
change the channels which pass.

Do they offer a service to re-tune these, or will I have to purchase new?

I could phone them, of course...

--
Ron

The filters are re-tunable within limits; I'd guess within 100MHz.
Taylors will do it. You can do it yourself but really you need a noise
generator and analyser.

Bill

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

On Jan 22, 12:36*am, "
wrote:
On Jan 21, 9:23*pm, Ron Lowe wrote:

Hi, all.

My current domestic head-end has a pair of Taylor 5-way channel filter /
levelers. * They are currently tuned to the 5 analog channels, and the
current muxes.

Post-DSO, ( I've not checked the channel allocations )I may well need to
change the channels which pass.

Do they offer a service to re-tune these, or will I have to purchase new?

I could phone them, of course...

--
Ron

The filters are re-tunable within limits; I'd guess within 100MHz.
Taylors will do it. You can do it yourself but really you need a noise
generator and analyser.

Bill

I've done them with a scalar analyser, but you can only move them
about 2 channels up or down without having to fiddle with the
coupling. between stages.

It's also difficult to get them flat across 8MHz without introducing a
lot of loss.

I'd get Taylors to retune them (if the channel groups permit), but to
be honest It may be just as cheap to buy a new one with the channels
you need.

Tell Taylors it's for UK DTTV so that they set the bandwidth
correctly.

UKM

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

In message
,
UKMonitor writes
On Jan 22, 12:36*am, "
wrote:
On Jan 21, 9:23*pm, Ron Lowe wrote:

Hi, all.

My current domestic head-end has a pair of Taylor 5-way channel filter /
levelers. * They are currently tuned to the 5 analog channels, and the
current muxes.

Post-DSO, ( I've not checked the channel allocations )I may well need to
change the channels which pass.

Do they offer a service to re-tune these, or will I have to purchase new?

I could phone them, of course...

--
Ron

The filters are re-tunable within limits; I'd guess within 100MHz.
Taylors will do it. You can do it yourself but really you need a noise
generator and analyser.

Bill

I've done them with a scalar analyser, but you can only move them
about 2 channels up or down without having to fiddle with the
coupling. between stages.

It's also difficult to get them flat across 8MHz without introducing a
lot of loss.

I'd get Taylors to retune them (if the channel groups permit), but to
be honest It may be just as cheap to buy a new one with the channels
you need.

Tell Taylors it's for UK DTTV so that they set the bandwidth
correctly.

Tuning this type of multi-channel splitter-filter is very much a
'green-fingered' exercise. It is one of those things which, when
compiling the documentation for the factory alignment procedure, is
sometimes difficult to describe concisely (especially when starting with
a virgin unit). It is one of those things best left to the experts.
--
Ian

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

It is one of those things best left to the experts.

- preferably using a Polyskop.

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

On 22/01/2010 15:30, lid wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

It is one of those things best left to the experts.

- preferably using a Polyskop.

Didn't know that R&S still made them, the last time I remember using one
was in the late 70's. Went over to HP spectrum analyser with tracking
generator.

Phil

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:58:14 +0000, phil
wrote:

On 22/01/2010 15:30, lid wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

It is one of those things best left to the experts.

- preferably using a Polyskop.

Didn't know that R&S still made them, the last time I remember using one
was in the late 70's. Went over to HP spectrum analyser with tracking
generator.

I don't think they do, but I always think of the old SWOB when a
filter has to be tweaked. It was a great piece of kit.

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

In message , phil
writes
On 22/01/2010 15:30, lid wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

It is one of those things best left to the experts.

- preferably using a Polyskop.

Didn't know that R&S still made them, the last time I remember using
one was in the late 70's. Went over to HP spectrum analyser with
tracking generator.

For the first few years at work, I used a Polyskop 2 almost every day
(and often for all of the day). It was a true workhorse. Long
afterwards, I 'acquired' it, but then donated it to someone who wanted
it more than I did.

It had two annoying 'faults'. One was that the bearings of the fan motor
would keep drying out, and had to be re-lubricated. The other was that
dust would build-up in the EHT department. Every now and then, soon
after switch-on (presumably before the CRT heater had got properly
going, and there was little beam current), there would be an almighty
heart-stopping CRACK as the EHT arced over. But, deep down, I really did
love it.
--
Ian

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

On Jan 22, 5:31*pm, Ian Jackson
wrote:
In message , phil
writesOn 22/01/2010 15:30, wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000, Ian Jackson
*wrote:

It is one of those things best left to the experts.

I thought I'd just add a bit of detail to my earlier answer. We
routinely retune these filters using a Promax spectrum analyser and a
noise generator. We also alter the input configuration. It is a bit of
a knack, but really there isn't much to it once you get used to it.
The results we get are good in terms of through loss and correct
response. Certainly we don't get problems from filters we've re-tuned,
and I suppose 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'.

We have to accept that these simple passive filters have their
limitations. Certainly a filter that has to be broadly tuned in order
to accept a cluster of four adjacent channels can be problematic.

At Taylors the 'tuner-in-chief' is Mike Rae's daughter, by the way.

Bill

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:31:46 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , phil
writes
On 22/01/2010 15:30, lid wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

It is one of those things best left to the experts.

- preferably using a Polyskop.

Didn't know that R&S still made them, the last time I remember using
one was in the late 70's. Went over to HP spectrum analyser with
tracking generator.

For the first few years at work, I used a Polyskop 2 almost every day
(and often for all of the day). It was a true workhorse. Long
afterwards, I 'acquired' it, but then donated it to someone who wanted
it more than I did.

It had two annoying 'faults'. One was that the bearings of the fan motor
would keep drying out, and had to be re-lubricated. The other was that
dust would build-up in the EHT department. Every now and then, soon
after switch-on (presumably before the CRT heater had got properly
going, and there was little beam current), there would be an almighty
heart-stopping CRACK as the EHT arced over. But, deep down, I really did
love it.

It was a brute to carry about though.

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

In message ,
lid writes
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:31:46 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , phil
writes
On 22/01/2010 15:30, lid wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

It is one of those things best left to the experts.

- preferably using a Polyskop.

Didn't know that R&S still made them, the last time I remember using
one was in the late 70's. Went over to HP spectrum analyser with
tracking generator.

For the first few years at work, I used a Polyskop 2 almost every day
(and often for all of the day). It was a true workhorse. Long
afterwards, I 'acquired' it, but then donated it to someone who wanted
it more than I did.

It had two annoying 'faults'. One was that the bearings of the fan motor
would keep drying out, and had to be re-lubricated. The other was that
dust would build-up in the EHT department. Every now and then, soon
after switch-on (presumably before the CRT heater had got properly
going, and there was little beam current), there would be an almighty
heart-stopping CRACK as the EHT arced over. But, deep down, I really did
love it.

It was a brute to carry about though.

Very true! I seem to recall that it had four flip-out carrying handles
(and certainly needed them). But the one I used was rarely carried, and
lived on a DIY trolley (made from Dexion and 1/2" plywood).

One of the 'other' problems of the Polyskop 2 was the tuneable UHF range
(300 to 1000MHz). If that was rarely used, the oscillator valve got
cathode poisoning, and you suddenly found that it wasn't working just
when you needed it. A replacement valve apparently cost a medium fortune
(£200?). To forestall this problem, the unit got modified, adding an
external switch to disconnect the heater when not required.
--
ian

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:24:47 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message ,
writes
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:31:46 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

In message , phil
writes
On 22/01/2010 15:30, lid wrote:
On Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000, Ian Jackson
wrote:

It is one of those things best left to the experts.

- preferably using a Polyskop.

Didn't know that R&S still made them, the last time I remember using
one was in the late 70's. Went over to HP spectrum analyser with
tracking generator.

For the first few years at work, I used a Polyskop 2 almost every day
(and often for all of the day). It was a true workhorse. Long
afterwards, I 'acquired' it, but then donated it to someone who wanted
it more than I did.

It had two annoying 'faults'. One was that the bearings of the fan motor
would keep drying out, and had to be re-lubricated. The other was that
dust would build-up in the EHT department. Every now and then, soon
after switch-on (presumably before the CRT heater had got properly
going, and there was little beam current), there would be an almighty
heart-stopping CRACK as the EHT arced over. But, deep down, I really did
love it.

It was a brute to carry about though.

Very true! I seem to recall that it had four flip-out carrying handles
(and certainly needed them). But the one I used was rarely carried, and
lived on a DIY trolley (made from Dexion and 1/2" plywood).

One of the 'other' problems of the Polyskop 2 was the tuneable UHF range
(300 to 1000MHz). If that was rarely used, the oscillator valve got
cathode poisoning, and you suddenly found that it wasn't working just
when you needed it. A replacement valve apparently cost a medium fortune
(£200?). To forestall this problem, the unit got modified, adding an
external switch to disconnect the heater when not required.

We had strict instrructions that it was a two-man lift.
I don't recall the particular failures that you mentioned, we used
them for Bands IV and V and they seemed quite reliable. Those
connectors were a pain though - why they couldn't have fitted standard
N sockets I'll never know.
Sorry to have pulled the thread off-topic.

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

In article , Ron Lowe
scribeth thus
wrote:

At Taylors the 'tuner-in-chief' is Mike Rae's daughter, by the way.

Bill


Who's Mike Rae?


He runs Taylor Bros/transmitters at Oldham..

http://www.taylortransmitters.com/


Google throws up a number of unlikely candidates.


--
Tony Sayer

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

tony sayer wrote:

Who's Mike Rae?

He runs Taylor Bros/transmitters at Oldham..
http://www.taylortransmitters.com/

OK.

Last time I phoned Taylor's, it was a slightly odd experience.
Normally, a company wants to get rid of you as quickly as possible.

The tech guy at taylors seemed to 'have no home to go to' as the
landlord would say. Helpfull, yes. But after half an hour of earfull
on this and that, I felt I had called the local pub bore!

Anyways: I'd rather have the pub bore who knew his stuff than the
corporate drone who wanted the call finished.

--
Ron

Taylor Channel Filters / levelers - re-tuneable?
 

In article , Ron Lowe
scribeth thus
tony sayer wrote:

Who's Mike Rae?

He runs Taylor Bros/transmitters at Oldham..
http://www.taylortransmitters.com/

OK.

Last time I phoned Taylor's, it was a slightly odd experience.
Normally, a company wants to get rid of you as quickly as possible.

The tech guy at taylors seemed to 'have no home to go to' as the
landlord would say. Helpfull, yes. But after half an hour of earfull
on this and that, I felt I had called the local pub bore!

That sounds like Mike;))

Anyways: I'd rather have the pub bore who knew his stuff than the
corporate drone who wanted the call finished.

Indeed!. Very much real world is Mike .. bit like Bill Wright IMHO of
course...
--
Tony Sayer