Teletext?

[blackwitch]

Hi.

I've been flicking through some pages here. It seems some people are able to use the Teletext adapters. But I thought it had all been switched off?

Can someone explain if its still possible to use the adapter? If so, what content can be found?

Many thanks

[guesser]

It was phased out in the UK with the digital switchover, but is still going strong on the continent.

A teletext signal can be generated (with no additional hardware) using a Raspberry Pi, which can then be fed into the Teletext adaptors via a standalone UHF modulator or VCR.

https://github.com/peterkvt80/vbit2/wiki

[Richard Russell]

Can someone explain if its still possible to use the adapter?

I use my little Test Card Generator (sadly no longer available) as a source of teletext.

[blackwitch]

Thanks, guys.

How could I still utilise a BBC cheesewedge Teletext adapter and use it on the beeb? Is that possible?

[guesser]

Thanks, guys.

How could I still utilise a BBC cheesewedge Teletext adapter and use it on the beeb? Is that possible?

Yep, install vbit2 on a raspberry pi and connect its composite output to the input of a VCR or UHF modulator.
Connect the RF output of the modulator to the antenna input of the cheese wedge, and follow the tuning instructions in the manual. I'd recommend using the ATS ROM.



There's also a way to bypass the modulator and tuner, and just feed the composite signal directly into the adaptor's circuit board. The details have been posted on this forum before somewhere.

[blackwitch]

Oh cool.

Thanks for that.

Would I be able to view teefax on my BBC monitor rather than using a VCR and a TV?

[guesser]

Would I be able to view teefax on my BBC monitor rather than using a VCR and a TV?

Yes the display on the beeb is whatever you normally use. The VCR (or standalone modulator) is to take the place of the TV transmitter, and get the video signal containing the teletext signal from the pi into the teletext receiver since it is expecting to be connected to an antenna with signals coming over the air which of course are long gone

Alternatively you can feed composite into the adaptor directly at a test jumper, but it looks like it requires some amplification/buffering first.

There's a handy link, LK3, which allows you to disconnect the video from the TDA2541, so I've used that to inject composite video from the RPi via a little amplifier to bring it up to the 2V pk-pk that the SAA5030 wants.

That's not something I've tried myself as I have plenty of ways to modulate an RF signal.