• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Gentner Phoenix

H

HadYourPhil

I found one in a storeroom. The card under the top cover seems to have issues, and the output is very low. (Maybe related?) I've always wanted to experiment with one of these. Unfortunately, there is no manual. Anyone have one to lend/give/etc?

And, opinions on how they sound would be most welcome.
 
I loaned one to a local AM station about 6 or 7 years ago to replace an Optimod 9100 until it could be fixed. They liked it so much that they never returned it. When I last checked, it was still on the air. I was never all that fond of the sound, but it manages a fairly competitive level of loudness, if a little muddy sounding to my ears.

I do not have an original Phoenix manual, but there was a Prism II/Phoenix manual that used to be in the legacy manuals section of the ClearOne website. You can download it from

http://www.broadcastboxes.com/gentner/Gentner_Audio_prism2_am_(Phoenix).pdf

There are significant differences, of course, but the concepts are, at least, similar.
 
I have a spare working top board that fits under the cover.
Also somehere i do have the phoenix manual, i assume you are after the schematic ?

Paul.
 
Sorry. I got sidetracked...

The manual referenced above is (as stated) quite different from the Phoenix. And yes, Paul... a schematic would be really helpful.

Does the output run through that board? From the way it is working, I'd say yes.
 
Yes the output of the 4 band out mix is routed through the added am controller board fitted under the top cover, in effect a link is removed on the cx-2 control board (behind the mix pots).

IIRC the am texar prism is called the eagle, and the gentner version called the phoenix.

My manual shows the amc-2 am modulation controller, it consists of vca drive/pre-emp/clipper/vca/output filter for the main audio path.

The amc-3 looks to be a different beast with dual band split filters, i assume this would reduce vca action to the upper band rather than broadband ?

Pm me with your email so i can send you the schematic.

Paul.
 
BROADCAST said:
Yes the output of the 4 band out mix is routed through the added am controller board fitted under the top cover, in effect a link is removed on the cx-2 control board (behind the mix pots).
IIRC the am texar prism is called the eagle, and the gentner version called the phoenix.
My manual shows the amc-2 am modulation controller, it consists of vca drive/pre-emp/clipper/vca/output filter for the main audio path.
The amc-3 looks to be a different beast with dual band split filters, i assume this would reduce vca action to the upper band rather than broadband ?
Pm me with your email so i can send you the schematic.

Paul.
Click to expand...

I'd be interested in the schematic(s), and maybe others here would be, too. Could you possibly post it somewhere, please?
Thanks!

Kind Regards,
David
 
IIRC There were at least two AMC boards for the AM Prisms. I know I have a Phoenix. I actually have one at an AM and it's front plate says Texar, so they changed the name from Eagle to Phoenix prior to becoming Gentner product.

If memory serves me, the AMC-1 didn't have anything resembling the NRSC pre-emphasis (i.e., you had to adjust each band to approximate it) where the AMC-2 had the pre-emph on board. I suppose the AMC-3 was Gentner's interpretation of the output module for the AM Prism.

@HadYourPhil: Next time I'm up there I can see about running off the schematic for the AMC-2 if you still need it.
 
Mine is a Gentner Phoenix. The ID tag on the side is gone, so I can't check a serial number and guess its age.
The AM board is AMC-2 revision A.
 
Phil,
I have emailed you the schemaic of the amc-2.

The amc-2 has 4 versions according to the march 1989 manual,

ebu, custom, Non nrsc and nrsc.

Non nrsc version does not implement any pre emp or 10khz filtering functions, according to the manual.
So that would indicate that the 3 other amc-2 versions do.

David, i will have to upload the schematic when i get chance.
As the schematic was a folded out type, i had to do 2 scans and merge and align them to make 1 file.

Paul.
 
Bad tantalums in mine. Hate those things...

Now to tweak it a bit and see what it'll do. I've never heard one knowingly.
 
Is there a picture of the AMC-2 card in the manual? While the scmatic is a big help, only a fraction of the parts are identified on the board.

I've tested it and the peak limiter is somewhat nasty. I'm certain I can improve it. Failing that, I'll bypass it and put something else downstream. The "audio prism" part works fine.
 
Ended up bypassing the limiter card (although I did like its squeezed-to-death sound!) and ending up with an Audio Prizm. Using it to pre-process a 9200 Optimod. I wanted more prescence for the station's all-news format, and that combination sounds pretty decent!
 
Well... In digging through an old out-of-the-way file cabinet... I find not one but TWO Phoenix manuals. Looks like a bit of light reading awaits!

Do like it as an Optimod pre-processor.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom