Tuning apparatus

In a tuning apparatus for a broadcast receiver having a voltage controlled variable frequency oscillator for generating a local frequency signal corresponding to a selected broadcasting station, and being provided with a phase locked loop including a reference signal oscillator, a variable frequency divider for dividing said local frequency with a variable dividing ratio, and comparator means for comparing the frequency and phase of outputs of said reference signal oscillator and said variable frequency divider, respectively, and producing a corresponding control voltage which is applied to said voltage controlled oscillator for determining said local frequency signal in dependence on said dividing ratio of the variable frequency divider;

• the combination of a dial member having a scale thereon with calibrations representing broadcast frequencies over a predetermined frequency band, an indicator movable relative to said scale to cooperate with the latter for indicating the broadcast frequency to which the tuning apparatus is tuned, means defining a series of digitally coded indicia respectively corresponding to a plurality of broadcasting stations which are adapted to be selectively received by the broadcast receiver, said digitally coded indicia being constituted by respectively positioned holes in said dial member, and being spaced apart in correspondence with the spacing of the broadcast frequencies of the respective stations along said scale, pickup means movable relative to said series of digitally coded indicia in synchronism with the relative movement of said indicator and scale for selectively reading said digitally coded indicia, said pickup means including an optical reading member for detecting the number and positioning of the holes constituting the digitally coded indicia being selectively read thereby, and control means for determining said dividing ratio of said variable frequency divider in accordance with the digitally coded indicia selectively read by said pickup means.