[QuadList] Octaplex--Even GE built them, using what look like RCA Octo heads

Mon Mar 7 21:37:26 CST 2011

Don,
   Tim has the machine now. I think it has a made by General Electric tag inside somewhere. 
   Rich

I can honestly recommend the following sites: http://www.labguysworld.com/ and

http://www.youtube.com/user/videolabguy and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oldvtrs/

--- On Mon, 3/7/11, Don Norwood <dwnorwood at digitrakcom.com> wrote:

From: Don Norwood <dwnorwood at digitrakcom.com>
Subject: Re: Octaplex--Even GE built them, using what look like RCA Octo heads
To: "Ted Langdell" <ted at quadvideotapegroup.com>, "Quad List" <quadlist at quadvideotapegroup.com>
Cc: "Richard Diehl" <richcam1 at yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, March 7, 2011, 7:09 PM

Hi Ted:

Very interesting.  Although the date indicates it has been there for 
some time, I had not seen that on Rich's site, and I've not seen that machine 
elsewhere.  It certainly is the same headwheel.  I wonder how Rich 
determined that the machine was made by GE?  The manufacturer's 
number shown on the name plate is the same as what is on my headwheels.  
There is no name on the headwheels either, but they use some parts that are 
identical to other RCA headwheels, and of course, we've seen them on the RCA 
"portable", so I *think* they are RCA, but more info would be helpful.

Reading the description, there is at least one error I believe.  The 
vacuum is not generated by the headwheel.  There should be a 
small vacuum pump in the transport.  The size and weight of the machine is 
not surprising.  It's in line with what Ampex did with the VR-3000.  
It would be interesting to see what date codes are on the components.  My 
guess is that this is a newer design than the VR-3000 which came out in 
'67.

Don Norwood
Digitrak Communications, Inc.
www.digitrakcom.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: 
  Ted Langdell 
  To: Quad List 
  Cc: Richard Diehl ; Don 
  Norwood 
  Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 8:13 
PM
  Subject: Octaplex--Even GE built them, 
  using what look like RCA Octo heads

  Looking on Richard Diehl's website for the Merlin ME68 link, I ran across 
  a GE made 2" Octoplex recorder made on a Navy contract.

  http://www.labguysworld.com/USH-17.htm

  It seems to have used an RCA head...
  http://www.labguysworld.com/USH-17_072.jpg

  As showcased in this April 18, 2010, QuadList post from Don Norwood, 
  subject  Re: [QuadList] RCA 2 
  channel (8 head)

  Hi Steve:

  Both RCA and Ampex built 
  transverse scan recorders with 8 heads.  There were designs that had all 
  8 heads on a single drum as well as designs that had two drums sandwiched 
  together.  There were many different applications for these and machines 
  were manufactured starting in the early '60's.  In 
  addition to the 8 head versions, there were also a variety of slow speed 
  designs which had some unique headwheels, some even utilizing belt driven 
  drums!  I've collected some head assemblies as well as some documentation 
  on some of these systems, and included a few pics below.

  Here's a "late 
  model" RCA, 8 heads on single drum

  That's the second time 
  this head has visited the QuadList.  It was first seen January 13, 2009 
  when Don posted a reply to Re: [QuadList] New Octaplex recorder 
  design accompanied by a track layout for the recording format for the 
  AN AHL-4 machine:

   In 
  the post with this track layout, Don 
  reported:

  "Following 
  up with a little more info, attached is a pic of the head assembly, a pic of a 
  "modern" RCA octaplex head, and the track format specs for the 
  machine.

You can see that the RCA head very closely resembles a quad 
  video head, except that it has 8 transducers on the drum. Additional studying 
  of the manual indicates that the female guide on the early Ampex did not have 
  any vacuum.  Instead, the tape path appears to have placed the guide 
  slightly outside of the normal plane of the tape path, thus causing the tape 
  to travel against the 
  guide.

Don"

  Secretary
  Skype:  TedLangdell
  e-mail: ted at quadvideotapegroup.com

  Looking on Richard Diehl's website for the Merlin ME68 link, I 
  ran  
across a GE made 2" Octoplex recorder made on a Navy 
  contract.

http://www.labguysworld.com/USH-17.htm

It seems to 
  have used an RCA 
  head...
http://www.labguysworld.com/USH-17_072.jpg

As showcased in 
  this April 18, 2010, QuadList post from Don Norwood,  
subject Re: 
  [QuadList] RCA 2 channel (8 head)

Hi Steve:

Both RCA and Ampex 
  built transverse scan recorders with 8 heads.   
There were 
  designs that had all 8 heads on a single drum as well as  
designs 
  that had two drums sandwiched together.  There were many  

different applications for these and machines were manufactured  

starting in the early '60's.  In addition to the 8 head 
  versions,  
there were also a variety of slow speed designs which had 
  some unique  
headwheels, some even utilizing belt driven drums!  
  I've collected  
some head assemblies as well as some documentation on 
  some of these  
systems, and included a few pics below.

Here's 
  a "late model" RCA, 8 heads on single drum

That's the second time 
  this head has visited the QuadList.  It was  
first seen January 
  13, 2009 when Don posted a reply to Re: [QuadList]  
New Octaplex 
  recorder design accompanied by a track layout for the  
recording 
  format for the AN AHL-4 machine:

  In the post with this 
  track layout, Don reported:

"Following up with a little more info, 
  attached is a pic of the head  
assembly, a pic of a "modern" RCA 
  octaplex head, and the track format  
specs for the 
  machine.

You can see that the RCA head very closely resembles a quad 
  video  
head, except that it has 8 transducers on the drum. 
  Additional  
studying of the manual indicates that the female guide on 
  the early  
Ampex did not have any vacuum.  Instead, the tape 
  path appears to have  
placed the guide slightly outside of the normal 
  plane of the tape  
path, thus causing the tape to travel against the 
  guide.

Don"

Secretary
Skype: TedLangdell
e-mail: 
  ted at quadvideotapegroup.com

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