Carver TX1-11 Asymmetrical Charge Coupled FM Stereo Decoder
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hatrack71
distracted by everything
Don't know. Depends on how much you like radio I guess.
http://user.cybrzn.com/tjoker/Pictures/CARVER/CARVER TX1-11.htm
http://user.cybrzn.com/tjoker/Pictures/CARVER/CARVER TX1-11.htm
As used in various Carver tuners, one of the greatest benefits was multipath distortion elimination/reduction. Another benefit was being able to receive a weak stereo station in stereo, where other tuners would automatically switch to mono mode.
Some reviews/users have stated that the original TX-11 tuner is sonically inferior to TX-11a and TX-11b for FM. I have a TX-11a, bought because of the multipath feature. It does make more stations listenable compared to regular tuners. I don't listen to FM on it that much anymore because the FM stations have mediocre sound, better to listen on a boombox.
Some reviews/users have stated that the original TX-11 tuner is sonically inferior to TX-11a and TX-11b for FM. I have a TX-11a, bought because of the multipath feature. It does make more stations listenable compared to regular tuners. I don't listen to FM on it that much anymore because the FM stations have mediocre sound, better to listen on a boombox.
Ed in Tx
Super Member
I have one. Bought it new back when I was interested in FM DXing. It's basically a dynamic high blend audio processor that varies the channel separation with audio content. Softer passages get mixed together which cancels the out-of-phase reception and multipath noise. As the audio gets louder the mix gets less and channel separation gets greater. Idea being louder passages with more full separation will mask the noise, softer parts will be mixed together and cancel noise.
Tillerman
Active Member
As mentioned in another post - this device only will help the sound if you are trying to receive a noisy and/or weak station in stereo. I have one, and I use it regularly for a station that is 62 miles from me, that only comes in noisy stereo, when I can get it at all. I would never listen to that much noise, but with the Carver unit switched in, I can listen and it sounds quite good in stereo.
Download the owner's manual and make the adjustment on the back of the unit, if you haven't done it already.
Download the owner's manual and make the adjustment on the back of the unit, if you haven't done it already.
I have one but I've never used it - I'd love to though.
I think I opened it up one day or checked the service manual and it was full of 741 op-amps (or of equivalent calibre/era). So then I thought... hmmm would that improve or completely destroy the sound?
For those that have no clue what this device is, it plugs directly into the FM tuner's audio signal output (phono output jacks) and then performs its magic to reduce the FM multipath (read: radio signal deflections and reflections from the radio station on the way to your aerial resulting in your tuner receiving multiple delayed copies of the same radio signal) caused noise/ghost signals.
In the Carver tuners that use it, I'd guess this works straight after the FM detector circuit, i.e. having as input the L+R and the L-R signals produced by the detector. This is my own assumption based on the references to the circuit and the invention I've read on the internet. I haven't actually checked the Carver tuners' schematics.
In this device, however, you would lose that sonic benefit (i.e. of directly feeding the device with the L+R (left and right channel sound summed - the mono signal) and the L-R (left and right channel signal difference) signals. Instead, since you can only plug this device at the left and right output of your tuner, by necessity, the device must reconstruct the L+R and L-R signals, do its magic and then re-combine them to produce the cleaned up left and right outputs. In other words, you have an additional two redundant stages in your sonic chain. To make matters worse, these are implemented with 741s (or equivalent).
Now, having written all that (which are mostly speculation), if you have a station with particularly poor signal (poor due to multipath effects that is) that you must absolutely tune in to hear, then, yes, I would say that this device could prove to be very useful.
I think I opened it up one day or checked the service manual and it was full of 741 op-amps (or of equivalent calibre/era). So then I thought... hmmm would that improve or completely destroy the sound?
For those that have no clue what this device is, it plugs directly into the FM tuner's audio signal output (phono output jacks) and then performs its magic to reduce the FM multipath (read: radio signal deflections and reflections from the radio station on the way to your aerial resulting in your tuner receiving multiple delayed copies of the same radio signal) caused noise/ghost signals.
In the Carver tuners that use it, I'd guess this works straight after the FM detector circuit, i.e. having as input the L+R and the L-R signals produced by the detector. This is my own assumption based on the references to the circuit and the invention I've read on the internet. I haven't actually checked the Carver tuners' schematics.
In this device, however, you would lose that sonic benefit (i.e. of directly feeding the device with the L+R (left and right channel sound summed - the mono signal) and the L-R (left and right channel signal difference) signals. Instead, since you can only plug this device at the left and right output of your tuner, by necessity, the device must reconstruct the L+R and L-R signals, do its magic and then re-combine them to produce the cleaned up left and right outputs. In other words, you have an additional two redundant stages in your sonic chain. To make matters worse, these are implemented with 741s (or equivalent).
Now, having written all that (which are mostly speculation), if you have a station with particularly poor signal (poor due to multipath effects that is) that you must absolutely tune in to hear, then, yes, I would say that this device could prove to be very useful.
I wonder why that would be since if you are located in a rural place, there should be no multipath issues. Multipath signal noise is created by large tall structures such as tall buildings, pylons, rocks and mountains.
My understanding is that this device primarily aims at reducing the multipath noise and no other kind of noise. Now, if you are targeting a very distant station and have mountains which are at a smaller radius than the station is, in theory, these could cause multipath noise. If this is the case, I feel that a directional antenna would serve you much better and perhaps offer other possibilities also. Then again, installing a directional antenna is a whole different story whereas a device like this just requires plugging it in.
I just read your earlier post further up and that of Ed in Tx.
I misread the circuit function's description at http://www.ham-radio.com/k6sti/tx-11b.htm thinking it referred to noise as caused by multipath alone but that's not the case.
A very useful device then, in more ways than one.
So if you're equipped with a directional antenna as well, that's a rather powerful combination.
I am quite intrigued by the method(s) employed in this invention and I wish one day I'll arm myself with the patience needed to sit and figure it out. It's quite a feat of design.
I misread the circuit function's description at http://www.ham-radio.com/k6sti/tx-11b.htm thinking it referred to noise as caused by multipath alone but that's not the case.
A very useful device then, in more ways than one.
So if you're equipped with a directional antenna as well, that's a rather powerful combination.
I am quite intrigued by the method(s) employed in this invention and I wish one day I'll arm myself with the patience needed to sit and figure it out. It's quite a feat of design.
There's more information on the tuners here:
https://www.fmtunerinfo.com/reviewsA-C.html#carver
Bob likes hifalutin' names for his products; I read somewhere that the name is meaningless but the noise reduction in those tuners works pretty well. I've been tempted to check one out, but they cost over $100 on the used market and my 3BX serves a similar function.
https://www.fmtunerinfo.com/reviewsA-C.html#carver
Bob likes hifalutin' names for his products; I read somewhere that the name is meaningless but the noise reduction in those tuners works pretty well. I've been tempted to check one out, but they cost over $100 on the used market and my 3BX serves a similar function.
