cypherstream
Build Fios, and I will come.
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
 ·Cingular Wireless
| Classic CATV equipment Museum
Check this out, »theoldcatvequipmentmuseum.org/
Cool old stuff like 5 channel systems, 12 channel systems, and 36 channel systems of yesteryear. Pictures of old amplifiers, antenna systems, set top boxes, etc.
Really neat history! |
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JeepMatt
Delaware Fios
Premium
join:2001-12-28
Wilmington, DE
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
| Cypher-
That was awesome! We used to have one of those Hamlin boxes with the slider on it growing up in Central PA - when "Eastern TV" was the provider (before SECV acquired it).
Ahhh..memories. Also, I remember the Hamlin descramblers too...we had one for HBO and Disney Channel.
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"ONE team - ONE city - ONE dream!!" |
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cypherstream
Build Fios, and I will come.
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
·Cingular Wireless
| reply to cypherstream
Yeah that sites pretty cool, pictures say a thousand words!
Fast forward to now, wow what an amazing progression in technology. I was at my Dad's house yesterday and saw those new HD channels Service Electric added (FX HD, Speed HD, Weather HD, History HD, Hallmark Movie HD, etc). The highest frequency of those was 789 MHz, so when they dug up the street and put new pedistals in, they may of upgraded to 860 or 1 GHz. I know they were 750 before.
Rewind back to those 12 channel systems, and later 36 channel systems. That was state of the art. I never had an old box like the slider, but I remember a relative had one of those 36 pushbutton boxes with Service Electric down here. I was really young, but I still remember it.
What was also interesting are those vacuum tube amplifiers. I heard that the performance swings are enormous during climate changes. I remember a guy from our system who's been there for YEARS said that they had a hell of a time keeping up system performance with the amplifier and wiring to Wernersville, PA from the Reading PA Headend, and that's only 8.8 miles! |
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lostinthewest
@QWEST.NET | Just as a side note Service Electric is one of the original systems built in the USA. Your Dad's getting service from a living historical entity. Have you ever checked to see if they have saved any of their old equipment? That could be fun. |
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skyhook
join:2004-06-30
Columbus, OH
| reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream  :What was also interesting are those vacuum tube amplifiers. I heard that the performance swings are enormous during climate changes. I remember a guy from our system who's been there for YEARS said that they had a hell of a time keeping up system performance with the amplifier and wiring to Wernersville, PA from the Reading PA Headend, and that's only 8.8 miles! In the mid 70's we bought out the operator in the Florida Keys who was using (mostly)Jerrold tube amps. The temperature doesn't change much there but I do remember the picture quality, it was horrible in Key West. Cross-mod and noise were apparent and all you could do was beat it down to a level where the customers didn't bitch too much.
We shortly rebuilt the whole system using C-Cor 36 channel equipment.
Names like Entron(Cadillac of tube amps), Theta-com(formerly Kaiser), and, of course, Jerrold, brings back some memories.
And I'm willing to bet that nobody has seen a pressure tap 
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P1-19-33987
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dodgetech2
join:2002-01-01
Gouldsboro, PA
 ·Vonage
edit:
July 19th, @03:56PM
| Ha Ha We had one of those Jerrold Model JRX-3-105 converters back in the early 80's.....you could get the pay channels by holding down 2 buttons at once....
like if HBO was on channel 16.. you would hold down 15 and 17 and channel 16 would come in clear as day..:)
We would use a piece of paper jammed into it to hold them down...... |
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cypherstream
Build Fios, and I will come.
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
·Cingular Wireless
| reply to cypherstream
You see in this pic of the old tube amp mount on the pole:
Those cross arms that the box is mounted to.... I think I've seen some of those on some poles around but telephone lines are now resting on the cross arms. Do you think those cross arms are reminisce from catv systems of yesteryear? I wonder if there are any artifacts on poles today from old CATV systems, bet it old mounts, or other messenger hooks, etc.. |
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Clearpix
join:2008-01-17
Wilmington, DE
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to cypherstream
The platforms are also still used by VZ techs to get safer access to the pole mounted hardware....but they would be a bit lower down the pole...I am sure I left some old side cutters or a screwdriver up there somewhere. If you find them let me know. |
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