TVI filters, You guys use them?? POLL!

[ke7trp]

Now that analog TV is out, I wonder if most people removed the TVI filters from the station.  Do you still use them? 


C

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I didn't use them even when we had analog TV.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Me either, though I have several including one of those tunable BUD(not BUDdly) filters. Telephones were more the issue for me back in the 80s-90s. The only complaint I ever had. With fewer landlines in use now, that should be less of a problem too.

I did notice problems with my satellite dish system in VT going black on certain bands when I was running QRO. But the aerials were only 20 feet or so away from the side.

[W7SOE]

Have one, keep meaning to install it......

Rich

[WA1GFZ]

never

[WQ9E]

Never used them, living in a rural area where we all use Direct TV means no TVI problem.

The two interference problems I have run into:

1.  A GFI outlet in the master bathroom would click off when running the Desk KW on 75; the 500 wasn't quite powerful enough   A clamp on ferrite choke took care of that problem.

2.  My Dell laptop interfered with one of the wireless sensors on my home security system.  A choke on the mouse cable took care of that problem.  This was the worst issue because I got this laptop 1 day after an entire rural family had been murdered 20 miles away.  I was down in the basement working and my laptop was upstairs.  My wife came running downstairs because the alarm panel was beeping and while she was running downstairs the monitoring center called to let us know they were getting a fault code.  It was quickly straightened out but it didn't do anything to help us rapidly fall asleep that night.  

As Paul Harvey would say, now for the rest of the story:  the defense and prosecution are still fighting over how to conduct DNA testing but it appears pretty clear that former family members are involved.  Five years from now it will probably make it to trial.

[KA2DZT]

You can just about forget the TVI filters,  with the digital TV you don't need them.  Almost no TV signals are being transmitted on the lower VHF band (chs 2 to ch 6).  Most digital TV is up in the UHF band and the upper VHF band.

But,  you can still cause problems with TV reception if someone nearby is using a TV antenna system with amplifiers.  Your signal can get into the analog signal amp and overload it.

Fred

[ke7trp]

Ok. Mine is out of line right now.  I had the tunable Johnson filter in. I set it up using the 259B.  I ran it for years.  But this time around, I took the thing out of line. 

My main concern is not so much the TVs guys. Its the crappy home theaters that everyone seems to have now. Those are the worst.  I used to BLAST over my own theater but my brother gave me an old carver preamp and now the problem is gone.

I do come over my sony computer speakers pretty good.  They are in the bedroom.  I just turn them off when not in use. The TVI filter does not seem to help this at all.

Do you think the filter will help with the home theaters?  My guess is not.

I do see that there is a new type of filter on the market. This one has a band switch and changes the filters low and high pass to just the band you are on. This type might actualy help.  They are low power and rated at 500 max. 

C

[Knightt150]

TVI is a thing of the past now the new PLASMA tv.s cause us problems. I have a very strange signal on 7160 kc that I think is a plasma tv. Dose anyone know what frequency or harmonic a plasma tv send out.

John W9BFO

[Ed/KB1HYS]

Have one, don't use it, 'cept maybe for parts? 

I do get into PC speakers, and the cordless phone (both cheap consumer junk).  The PC and various wall warts make RFI so I called it even.

Neighbors haven't complained yet, but the Big Amp is not on the air full time yet.

[WD8BIL]

TVI? Whatsthat? Anything like a coffee filter?

[Bill, KD0HG]

Do you think the filter will help with the home theaters?  My guess is not.

I do see that there is a new type of filter on the market. This one has a band switch and changes the filters low and high pass to just the band you are on. This type might actualy help.  They are low power and rated at 500 max.  

C

A traditional TVI filter won't help your home audio gear, but installing ferrite cores on the theater power cords and audio leads will likely help. You need to decouple that electronics from its 'antennas'.

[ke7trp]

Yeah.. Thats a given. But you must gain access to the gear and that proves to be impossible sometimes.

C

[The Slab Bacon]

good point!! I still have my trusty B&W low pass TVI filter in place. I never gave it a moments thought to remove it with the onslaught of digital TV.

Out of sight is out of mind!! Next tome I'm back in the area where it lives, I'll have to evict it and give that living quarters to a lowly barrel connector.   

[KM1H]

With the FCC giving away a lot of VHF TV to wireless you might need those filters.

I doubt if the low or high band FM VHF users will appreciate hearing you either, especially the cops and fire folks.

I always run filters, one at the output of the TX and another at the amp, I also use coax fed antennas with ferrite chokes. Being LOS to several commercial sites I dont need the hassle from them or neighbors finicky electronics. There are also quite a lot of analog TV's that are susceptible even with external DTV boxes.

[w1vtp]

Never.  Got one of them thar B&W LP filters back when I was a teen.  Never used it.