It appeared in Peter Smith's 625 to NBTV 30/32-line converter, CQ-TV 189, year 2000, and also in the NBTVA newsletter around the same time, Vol. 25 No. 3. There are more modern replacements, and generally of at least 8-bits, but they're either expensive and/or in SMD packaging and possibly static sensitive. The CA3306 is in a 18-pin DIL package - easy for us lot.
I've got a few items on my 'NBTV TO DO' list, an update of Peter's converter is one of them. I did make a start on this in 2013, but something must have interrupted me. This has floated to near the top of the list as I'm going to need a source of NBTV soon...quite urgently in fact.
The reason for this posting is a local supplier has around 60 CA3306's in stock, I imagine that once gone, that will be it! They're made by either Harris, RCA or Intersil, though it's pot-luck whichever you get, they should all be the same functionally anyway. Cost? Thai Baht (THB)102.00 each inc. local VAT, =GBP2.37, US$2.98. A 'centralised distribution point' in the UK would make sense and reduce postal costs from Thailand to the UK.
Those interested in getting a few let me know and we'll try and organise things. Anyone care to act as the 'centralised distribution point' in the UK? I will test all before shipping.
As an aside, there was an 8-bit version, the CA3308, but no luck with finding a supplier of those...
Datasheets that I have for the CA3306 attached...
...also one for the CA3308 for interests sake, be sure not to mix them up, the type numbers CA3306 and CA3308 look very similar at a quick glance...
Cricklewood Electronics in the UK list the CA3306, but "Not available at present. Please check at later date." I doubt they ever will be available now...and no price mentioned either...
It appears that the LM1881 FSTV sync-separator is going the same way, it has been replaced by a version that can also handle HDTV. Time to stock up on those while you can...
Steve A.
CA3306_Harris.pdf- (146.79 KiB) Downloaded 668 times
- CA3306_Intersil.pdf
- (352.14 KiB) Downloaded 617 times
- CA3308-RCA.pdf
- (194.73 KiB) Downloaded 635 times
