grundig: Grundig 5040W; TV Tuner

I own this particular Grundig model (fully-restored), and understand, with a TV tuner adapter (and separate antenna?), it can actually play TV audio. Is that correct? Are such tuners impossible to come by? Mine's not so-equipped. If anyone could provide some insight, it'd be much appreciated. Thanx!

Karl Schmitz

Geneva, IN

USA

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Hi Karl,

It appears that TV sound adaptors were available for this model; however, if you had one today, it would no longer work for TV sound.  Until last year, TV broadcasting in the U.S. used an analog format, with sound on an FM carrier just like FM radio, except at different frequencies than the usual FM radio band.  For example, the sound for Channel 6 was just below 88 MHz, and could sometimes be tuned in at the bottom of an FM dial even without a special adaptor.

With the advent of digital TV, TV sound is no longer broadcast in this way.  You can still play TV sound through any radio or amplifier that has an auxiliary audio input (e.g. a "tape" input) by connecting the audio output from a DTV (digital TV) converter box to the auxiliary input.  DTV converter boxes were sold extensively last year (and are probably still available new in some stores) for adapting old analog TVs to receive over-the-air DTV signals.  If you cannot find one new in a store now, they are widely available on eBay at very cheap prices.

I do not know whether the analog TV channels in Europe had the same frequencies as the U.S. channels did.  So even if you had had one of the original TV sound adaptors for this radio, and had tried to use it while analog TV broadcasting was still in use, the specific channel markings on the dial might not have been correct.

Best regards,

Tom

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Thanx, Tom.  I figured the '09 June analog-to-digital transition would affect it, but didn't think about the Euro TV stations possibly being of a different frequency.  I may try the digital converter idea, just for fun.  BTW, the 5040W w/the TV tuner (and a 5050W) is shown at www.antikradio-restored.de/site05_d.htm.  I appreciate the quick reply.

Karl Schmitz

Geneva, IN

U.S.A.

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