A New Compact VHF TV Tuner

A brief review of the performance requirements and other factors influencing the design of VHF television tuners is presented, including some of the unforeseen problems encountered during development of a new design. The basic electrical similarity between tuners of different manufacturers is pointed out, which suggests that significant design improvement might best be obtained by concentrating attention on mechanical rather than electrical factors. Development of a new compact tuner was begun with maximum use of molded plastic parts, reduction of the number of mechanical parts, and suitability for automatic production techniques as the main design objectives. A final design was completed and the tuner is now in production. A description of the novel features of this tuner indicates how the design objectives were reached and greater product uniformity and lower costs realized.