It's Easter Break, and we at Solarbotics are shuttin' down for the weekend as of Thursday. See you Monday Morning!
Vintage AMPEX VR1200B 2" Quadruplex VTR ...
Solar botics
January 8, 2016
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!
Here's the beast in action:
A photoset of AMPEX VR1200B
An Overview of Ampex History:
MORE POSTS
Postal Strike - Important Note for Shipp...
Update: Looks like Canada Post is doing a rotating strike, so only one city will be affected at a time. This means that, most likely, orders shipped via postal methods will only be delayed 2-3 days. Purolator and UPS options are not impacted, and have no delays. Ok class, fictional robotic history refresher course 101: […]
HexPummer Lanterns!
Our K HP HexPummer has always been a good, steady kit, but once we got our laser-cutter, we started experimenting... and was it ever neat to tuck one of these into a faux Japanese-style lantern! After upgrading two of the four LEDs with super-crazy-mega-bright LEDs, this solar-powered night-activated light show is quite a cool decoration, […]
Wednesday Cool Links: Car Radar and... H...
Ok folks, here it is. Your weekly dose of links. Enjoy it. Love it. Let it soak into your skin. Bask in its magnificence. Bravit, The Multi-flame Candle This link comes to you straight out of 2008, but it's still pretty awesome. This is a candle that has a wick that branches out to create […]
Solarbotics has been operating for more than 25 years, bringing electronics know-how and supplies to both the electronics professional and hobbyist. We'll be happy to help you too!
Solarbotics, Ltd. is not responsible for misprints or errors on product prices or information. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.
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.