[QuadList] AMPEX VR-5100 WILL IT PLAY OTHER MACHNES TYPE ATAPE...

[J. Mitch Hopper]

Well, I had considerable experience with the 5100's in the late 60-early 70s. The IL Dept. of Ed was still working loosely with the remnants of MPATI and a program called "Early Bird" where WILL-TV in Urbana, IL transmit in-classroom materials between midnight and 5am. Our office put about 50 VTRs in various schools with timers so the teachers could play back programs during the class day. Failed machines would get local service or be brought back to the Springfield studios for repair. Our problems were almost exclusively head-clogs. The component failure rate was actually very low - and the interchange rate was fairly high. Boy, was that a long time ago. Still have a service manual for it.  And yes, the head was a pancake motor, but the reels were belted.
 
J. Mitch Hopper
Custom Video Systems Co.
Rochester, IL
217-498-8438
id at brainmist.com

When I am reincarnated, I'm coming back with a larger hard drive.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ted Langdell 
  To: Quad List 
  Cc: Ted Langdell 
  Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 9:40 AM
  Subject: Re: [QuadList] AMPEX VR-5100 WILL IT PLAY OTHER MACHNES TYPE ATAPE...






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  On May 16, 2014, at 7:06 AM, Chill315 at aol.com wrote:


    Lastly the moveable guides never held interchange.  Be prepared to adjust the guides on almost any old tapes.  Also the top edge guide on these arms would get cuts in them that will do edge damage to the tape.  It is wish you luck on good interchange.



  Don Norwood can offer some comments on recovering Type A tapes using his VR-7900.


  Interchange on Type A machines was the motivation for Ampex to develop "Automatic Scan Tracking" (AST) using piezoelectric elements to support the head and enable it to move and follow the track, as outlined on a number of occasions by one of the developers, Jim Wheeler.  Ray Ravizza was his engineering colleague on the project.


  Their method is outlined here:
  https://www.google.com/patents/US4151570


  The first first production machine to use the new AST was the Ampex VPR-1 (Type A) which morphed into the VPR-2 when  the SMPTE Type C standard was adopted.  


  Ampex made retrofit kits for the VPR-1 to make them Type C machines. Some unconverted Type A VPR-1s exist, and are sought after.


  Ted


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


  Seventh Annual Quad Videotape Group Dinner at AMIA:  7pm, Tuesday, October 7. 2014, Savannah, Georgia
  Eighth Annual Quad Videotape Group Lunch at NAB:  12:30pm on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, Las Vegas Convention Center







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