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Roku+Agile Modulator- A great Solution.
Recently I picked up a Drake vm2550a to use as a whole-house Transmitter for my vintage sets and portables. Originally, I fed it with from the tuner of a VCR, but I was disappointed with the inability to change channels or video sources from anywhere in the house. A $40 Roku HD streaming box solved that problem. The Roku can be controlled remotely via WiFi using the Roku remote app which is available for any smartphone, and If you happen to be a Time Warner customer, the Time Warner Roku app allows you to tune most of your CATV channels over IPTV. Most other cable and satellite providers have similar streaming services that are included in the cost of your monthly bill. That's not even mentioning the multitude of other on demand video services, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, Crackle, Etc that are available. If you're looking to stream your own video from a PC, setting up a Plex server and installing the Plex Roku app is extremely easy.
It's important that you choose one of the lower end Roku models that still offer composite video and audio output. Used Roku HD's pop up on ebay constantly for under $25. Basically, if you have internet access, wifi, a smartphone, a Roku, and an agile modulator, you can broadcast NTSC video to the entire house, and control it too. Last edited by fsjonsey; 05-25-2015 at 03:01 AM. |
#2
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I've spent the evening sitting on the porch smoking cigars and watching the Portacolor. Thanks to the Roku, I was able to watch the NBA Playoffs, catch a couple of episodes of House of Cards on Netflix, and Watch Glenn Beck on TheBlaze, all without getting up to change video sources. Being wireless itself, the Roku has allowed me to hide the whole modulator setup in a second floor bedroom closet that has attic access. I stapled the dipole to roof trusses in the attic, ran a coax feedline down through the trap door, placed the modulator and roku on the top shelf in the closet, and added a small PC exhaust fan to the case lid of the modulator for extra cooling. The closet has louvered doors, and isn't packed full of clothes, so ventilation isn't that much of an issue. I added the fan to help exhaust hot air out of the top vents of the modulator, just to be safe and hopefully get a few more years out of it. I add small PC fans to most of my vintage sets that have the space as well, most of them draw less than 350ma, so you can add a small 12V transformer and a diode inline with the power switch to power them. It's never been cheaper to keep quasi-irreplaceable vintage components cool, so why not.
Last edited by fsjonsey; 05-27-2015 at 01:09 AM. |
#3
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I want to get an agile modulator too rather than using the standalone consumer modulator I have now. I've got a cute portable B&W I picked up at Goodwill one day for $3 that would be great for watching TV on the patio or while working on projects. I use an HTPC running Emby (Media Browser) which feeds both my HD TV and my 1955 TV.
I like the idea of adding a fan to my TV too. That hadn't occurred to me. The turntable/radio/speaker side of my TV is missing the original back cover so a prior owner used peg board. Since it's not original I wouldn't mind cutting a hole in it to add a fan. Or better yet, maybe it would be even better to put a fan in the opening of the "wall" that divides the 2 halves of the cabinet, pointed directly at the chassis. |
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