I occupy a studio space in a building that is a former movie shooting facility turned into an artist hovel. The building itself is wonderfully old but the hallways are also full of ancient audio and video equipment from the movie days. One of the things that got the attention of our RnD and tech geek was the AMPEX VR1200B Quadruplex videotape recorder from 1966. The machine stands about 5' tall, about the same in width, and weighs 'under 1000 pounds' as the spec sheet puts it. This was one of the first machines to use magnetic tape technology for recording video in the form of 2" quad tape for video, as opposed to film that was used previously.
A couple interesting points about this machine: - 60PSI Air was needed for air bearings and a Venturi system for holding the 2" tape in alignment; - These machines were the workhorses in TV Stations throughout the 60's and 70's. Running these machines required a full time technician!
Sorry. It's been a feverish last 9 months since taking the bull by the horns and taking over development of the NEW Solarbotics website. It's coming along, and will be ready VERY soon. Because of this, we've been concentrating on moving and vetting the new content, which is sort of like new content (but not […]
We've just got our official notification and new price list from Sherline. Implementation date is October 1st, so if you've been on-the-fence thinking about getting a Sherline machine to build your own custom parts, now's the time to do it! After October 1, Sherline parts and accessories are expected to see a 5-30% price increase. […]
Here we go, it’s the W day again. Seems like the previous one was two infinities ago. During that infinite time we had plenty of opportunities to pick the interesting stuff floating around internets, and bring it to you: Headphone Light Show EL (electroluminescent) wire is a cool thing. Add it to the headphones and […]
Grant has taken some time to document how to turn a standard 81:1 GM10 pager gear motor and turn it into a 9:1 version. Why would you want to do that? You tell me - I'd love to know what project you build with a speed demon like that! Read More...
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Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.