ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Unusual transformer

Paul:

In Dublin and Cork pretty much every home is passed by those old co-ax systems. They're quite neatly done, generally neatly tacked tightly under the facia (just below the roof) and crossing overhead for short distances or else down and underground.. It's quite common in Cork that they run along the back walls of properties just below the cap stone at the end of the garden. They're extremely extensive networks (as extensive as the phone network), as far as I know we've some of the highest cable penetration rates in Europe, you don't see very many antennas on roofs in the cities here. The old coax systems are ok for plain old TV service either analogue or digital but often can't provide 2-way access for internet, voice and interactive services. Which is why, like sky, some of the digital cable systems require the set top box to have a phone line connection for interactive stuff.

Newer housing developments would have underground coax or coax-fiber hybrid and gradually those networks are being expanded to eventually phase out the old systems. NTL are in BIG trouble here though, they bought Cablelink and its 1.9 million customers from eircom (who were forced to sell it in an attempt to break its monopolistic practicies) and part of the licence they agreed to set out requirments for upgrading the network, however NTL worldwide is doing very badly so they stopped investing here. They may loose their Irish cable licences s they've failed to update 90% of the network.

The 2 cable companies also operate a digital terrestrial microwave broadcasting system with a mirror digital television service in the 2Ghz range.. it was originally fully analogue!

Antennas look like this:


or flat ones that look a little like this:


The horrible old analogue decoders used for both cable and microwave:

Visit the site below for the whatabouts of a 1960s era cable TV system in The UK.
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/uax13/cabletv.htm

A pretty in depth history, giving certain technical detail of the system.

{ Edited only to correct link syntax - Paul }

[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 03-23-2003).]

Thanks for posting that link. The article makes for interesting reading.

Update:

It does indeed appear that these circular encased transformers are becoming more commonly used in Britain.

I had caused to travel down to Kent today (that's down in the southeast corner of England, three counties away from here), and I saw three or four very new-looking xfmrs of this type serving one or two houses in rural areas. That's a different utility company in Kent, so it looks as though they've started using them quite regularly.

Paul,
For your information, the can type single phase transformers are quite common up here.
They only seem to be used for 1 or 2 consumers in country areas. Possibly only 10 or 16KVA.

Thanks David. It just came as such a surprise to find this type of xfmr being used here. I'm keeping my eyes peeled down every Norfolk back-lane now looking for more.

The ones I saw in Kent were also feeding just one or two houses. I guess the utilities here have finally decided that it isn't "beneath" them to adopt some American-style techniques where it's beneficial.

Any idea how long these xfmrs have been installed in Scotland?

Update: It's now over year since I posted these pictures, and I've seen quite a few more of these transformers appearing on poles out in the boondocks.

It seems as though the local PoCo has indeed decided to use them for new single-phase xfmrs feeding an odd one or two houses out on their own.