Maker builds rack-mounted analog TV station with Raspberry Pi
The 10-inch rack holds a transmitter board, Pi Pico clock and audio monitor, vectorscope, waveform monitor and two SD card record/play units.
A maker known as BorisDigital has built a small analog TV station housed in a 10-inch rack that replicates the functions of broadcast equipment, according to Hackaday. The setup is designed for tuning older televisions.
The rack contains a transmitter board sourced from China, a clock and audio monitor powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico, a vectorscope, a waveform monitor, a monitor, two SD card video record and play units, and an automatic scheduler. All of the units are powered by Raspberry Pi boards, including the Raspberry Pi 5.
The front panels are 3D printed, with different filaments used for the lettering.
Control room experience
BorisDigital worked in a TV transmitter control room in the 1990s, background that informs the layout of the rack.
Hackaday noted that a few years before this article it reported on the last gasp of analog TV in the USA, about a decade after it was switched off where the article was written.
Quick answers
What does the rack-mounted analog TV station contain?
A transmitter board from China, a Pi Pico-powered clock and audio monitor, a vectorscope, a waveform monitor, a monitor, two SD card video record and play units, and an automatic scheduler, all powered by Raspberry Pi boards.
Who built the analog TV station?
A maker known as BorisDigital, who worked in a TV transmitter control room in the 1990s.
How were the rack's front panels made?
They were 3D printed, with different filaments used for the lettering.