Topband: Light fiber question

[Bill Wichers]

I see your point, since the signal is undergoing a conversion. My thinking was modulator = baseband to some kind of RF or digital signal, i.e. something very different from the original signal in terms of content of the waveform. I wasn't thinking of using a band-limited section of spectrum being converted to an amplitude-modulated light source as a "modulator" in this case.

What I had meant was that the electrical->optical conversion doesn't have to be a particularly fancy system when you're only trying to run about 200kHz of spectrum over the fiber in the 2(ish)MHz range. The basics I mentioned before and some op amps are all that are needed. The op amps will likely be the limiting factor for dynamic range. 

I do agree with you that a simple run of decent coax is likely to be the better option though.

  -Bill

> Sorry, but by definition that is a modulator and demodulator.
> 
> You have to convert the radio signal to light, and that involves modulating
> a light beam of some type. At the other end, you have to demodulate the
> light into the original baseband.
> 
> You may not recognize it as a modulator/demodulator system, but that's
> what
> it is. You cannot just hook the coax to the fiber optic cable at each end.
> 
> 73 Tom