[QuadList] OT: Lost tapes - moon landing

[C. Park Seward]

We have discussed the possibility of trying to find the original slow scan moon landing tapes. Here is a series of photos showing the difference in quality of the slow scan vs. the scan converted. At that time, the only was to get the image into a broadcast format was to shoot the slow-scan monitor (with slow decay phosphors) with a camera.

I also read that NASA would record a lot of tape for each mission and if the mission was a success, they would re-use the tapes. But I think it was the data tapes, not the special video tape. It's thought the original tape was probably recorded on a modified 660 in Australia.

"For Apollo 11, NASA installed a VR-660 as part of a slow-scan video system for recording at Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station in Australia. The slow-scan television video transmitted from Apollo 11 had a resolution of 250 TV lines at 10 frames per second, where it was then converted using equipment at the tracking station to standard 525-line 30 frames-per-second NTSC video, and then recorded to the VR-660."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampex_2_inch_helical_VTR

Of course the other earth stations were not in view of the moon, thus only Australia could receive the signal from the moon.

Best,
Park

C. Park Seward
Cell: 818-535-2747
Home: 541-476-6657
2" Quad and 1" "C" transfers
The Transfer Lab at Video Park
Visit us: http://www.videopark.com



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