[SEDXC] Fun with Surplus Parts

[Jeff Carter]

From time to time, someone offers me a bunch of surplus TV or computer parts.  
I always think it's a shame that some of it can't be put to use as an Amateur 
Radio project.

Today, though, it hit me:  If you have a surplus (but brand new) television 
tuner, and you know Channel 2 runs from 54-60 MHz, and you also know that our 
6 meter allocation runs from 50 to 54 MHz, the high part of the band is FM 
(although narrowband) and the audio portion of a TV signal is also FM 
(although wideband), why can't you rig a 6m FM receiver out of a surplus TV 
Tuner?

This may have been beat to death in QST, etc., but I wasn't born until 1967.  
By this I mean if somebody already did this and it was covered in the March 
1972 QST, I probably didn't see it.  I would, however, appreciate a link to 
this.

If you look on Google, there's a guy who *sort of* did it here:

http://hem.passagen.se/communication/uv916rec.html

His design is more complicated than what I had in mind, because I don't want 
to tune the entire TV Band and as a result you could eliminate all the I2C, 
TTL/Serial and Windows stuff he's done.

Also, there may be a much easier way to get there than using a TV tuner, that 
was just what hit me.  TV tuners can be had for less than $20 all day long.

Ideas? Not all construction projects have to be QRP, and *all* hams could 
potentially benefit, not just those of us with HF privileges.

Jeff
KD4RBG