07-07-2013, 09:44 PM
(07-07-2013, 08:05 AM)boiss Wrote: I worked for the IBA and was part of the CMAC dev team. I tested personally all the CMAC Codecs for the European operators. This was between 1982 to 1984. in 1983/4 there was only 1 channel on Ku band (No C or S band) called Europe up to 1985, this was a beige screen with the word Europe on it, for most of the day that was it with some news in the evening. System was analogue with sawtooth dispersal signal at 50Hz. There were some frequencies used by the operators for tests but there was no timetable or programming.
I built my own Rx and LNB in 1983 because an LNB cost 3000$ from Sony and had a
3dB noise figure. In 1986 the prices had started to fall whole systems in Europe (Italy) were around 2000$, We put together systems to sell in Italy to a major distributor for 1000$. Taking LNBs from Korea Rxs from Japan and 1.2m turned dishes from the States.
Mike
My 1.8m dish was 'petalised' and bolted together as six identical sections. The actuator was a 'Superjack' which worked on 36V DC from the positioner. Each and every channel had an adjustable 'skew' setting saved in the receiver. There was a company called HiTech Xtravision in Camberley, Surrey that sold this kit at a reasonable price and also decoder kits. It was an expensive hobby in those early days.
