Rigger's Diary - cowboys (part 2)

As promised here is the sequel. I took the old girl a nice Panasonic Freeview
box and spent over half an hour trying to show her how to work it. She was keen
to learn and I think she'll be OK. She was astonished and delighted that she
would be able to get BBC4. She was under the impression that it was only
available on satellite. Her TV set is an elderly Hitachi and it didn't
recognise the pin 8 signal or the auto widescreen signal. There was no chance
of showing her how to change the Panasonic from 16:9 to 4:3 and vice versa, so
I left it set for 4:3. This meant that widescreen programmes were streched
vertically, but I don't think it will bother her. As it happens I know her
son-in-law so I'll ring him tonight and mention the problem. The Hitachi needs
a press of the AV button every time the new box is switched on as well, and
this was quite a hurdle during the 'lesson'. I tuned the VCR in and it emerged
that she had never used the VCR since her husband's death simply because she
couldn't figure it out. This had been a real nuisance to her, but I'm not sure
that the VCR lesson, following immediately after the DTT lesson, went home.
Interestingly, the RGB picture from the new box was very much better than the
analogue reception. The difference was striking. This was purely to do with the
TV set, as the analogue signal was OK.
This tale might add something -- I'm not sure what -- to the discussions in
this august journal about the phasing out of analogue TV.
When I removed the old cable that fed the second set I found that Mr Oldham had
left me a lovely exhibit for the Rogues' Gallery. The cable had been joined
using belling plugs and a line connector. The joint was roughly wrapped with
tape and since the cable ran along the inside of the gutter it was under water!
An excellent photograph!

Bill

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/index.html

Bill wrote:
Her TV
set is an elderly Hitachi and it didn't recognise the pin 8 signal or
the auto widescreen signal. There was no chance of showing her how to
change the Panasonic from 16:9 to 4:3 and vice versa, so I left it
set for 4:3. This meant that widescreen programmes were streched
vertically, but I don't think it will bother her. As it happens I
know her son-in-law so I'll ring him tonight and mention the problem.

Does the Panasonic box not have a 16:9 letterbox setting ? That would
solve her problem.

Bill wrote:
Her TV
set is an elderly Hitachi and it didn't recognise the pin 8 signal or
the auto widescreen signal. There was no chance of showing her how to
change the Panasonic from 16:9 to 4:3 and vice versa, so I left it
set for 4:3. This meant that widescreen programmes were streched
vertically, but I don't think it will bother her. As it happens I
know her son-in-law so I'll ring him tonight and mention the problem.

Does the Panasonic box not have a 16:9 letterbox setting ? That would
solve her problem.

Does the Panasonic box not have a 16:9 letterbox setting ? That would
solve her problem.

Well I tried all permutations and nothing seemed to give correct aspect ratio
on both widescreen and 4:3 broadcasts. Maybe I missed something. I must admit
it was Friday afternoon.

Bill


http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/index.html

Does the Panasonic box not have a 16:9 letterbox setting ? That would
solve her problem.

Well I tried all permutations and nothing seemed to give correct aspect ratio
on both widescreen and 4:3 broadcasts. Maybe I missed something. I must admit
it was Friday afternoon.

Bill


http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/index.html

"Bill" wrote in message
...

When I removed the old cable that fed the second set I found that Mr
Oldham had
left me a lovely exhibit for the Rogues' Gallery. The cable had been
joined
using belling plugs and a line connector. The joint was roughly wrapped
with
tape and since the cable ran along the inside of the gutter it was under
water!
An excellent photograph!

When I moved into my shiny brand new house in October I had Telewest come
and deliver the internet to the house - Thats right the whole lot on a huge
hard drive

Anyway, the guy lifted the small hatch the builders had made in the floor to
split the incomming cable (cable was fitted by the builders into the living
room). Once opened the coax cable had been joined with "chocolate blocks"
bent back on it's self and "insulated" with tape!

The TW guy had a fit and took it away to show his boss....

--
Craig

"Bill" wrote in message
...

When I removed the old cable that fed the second set I found that Mr
Oldham had
left me a lovely exhibit for the Rogues' Gallery. The cable had been
joined
using belling plugs and a line connector. The joint was roughly wrapped
with
tape and since the cable ran along the inside of the gutter it was under
water!
An excellent photograph!

When I moved into my shiny brand new house in October I had Telewest come
and deliver the internet to the house - Thats right the whole lot on a huge
hard drive

Anyway, the guy lifted the small hatch the builders had made in the floor to
split the incomming cable (cable was fitted by the builders into the living
room). Once opened the coax cable had been joined with "chocolate blocks"
bent back on it's self and "insulated" with tape!

The TW guy had a fit and took it away to show his boss....

--
Craig

Anyway, the guy lifted the small hatch the builders had made in the floor
to
split the incomming cable (cable was fitted by the builders into the
living
room). Once opened the coax cable had been joined with "chocolate blocks"
bent back on it's self and "insulated" with tape!

The TW guy had a fit and took it away to show his boss....

But surely that makes an excellent splitter if you wrap it with tin foil and
ensure the outer braid is touching it.......????

Anyway, the guy lifted the small hatch the builders had made in the floor
to
split the incomming cable (cable was fitted by the builders into the
living
room). Once opened the coax cable had been joined with "chocolate blocks"
bent back on it's self and "insulated" with tape!

The TW guy had a fit and took it away to show his boss....

But surely that makes an excellent splitter if you wrap it with tin foil and
ensure the outer braid is touching it.......????

"Bill" wrote in message
...
Does the Panasonic box not have a 16:9 letterbox setting ? That would
solve her problem.

Well I tried all permutations and nothing seemed to give correct aspect
ratio
on both widescreen and 4:3 broadcasts. Maybe I missed something. I must
admit
it was Friday afternoon.

Never buy a Friday afternoon aerial from you then eh?