Help get a VR-1000B to NAB --Update--Clarifications and donation link--

Wed Mar 2 14:33:54 CST 2016

Greetings on the first Hump-day in March!

There seems to be some confusion about the nature of the VR-1000B that the Museum of Broadcast Technology wants to display at NAB on the 60th Anniversary of Videotape.

About the VR-1000B involved in this NAB 2016 Display:

This post is to clarify:

MBT has two VR-1000 models:  The one they’d like to display at NAB which is seen here in Sept. 2013:

and another just to the right of this unit’s racks that uses VR-1200 electronics, which was posted about earlier this week.

Confused?:

Perhaps the confusion occurred when a photo of the machine with VR-1200 electronics was posted, but the poster but did not change the subject line or make clear which machine was involved.

A later series of posts attempted to do that including several that were sent by MBT co-founders who aren’t subscribed to the QuadList. Yet. 

(See below for their comments and what I’m doing to subscribe them.)

Because of that, I’ve had some off-list e-mails from people who were confused.  So this e-mails is an attempt to address that.  

Please make sure you DO change the subject line when taking a thread in another direction, and please DO try to caption pictures in such a way that it’s clear what’s pictured. 

Ooopses happen, and I hope we can forgive them and do better moving forward. 

The machine to be displayed as it is now:

This photo shows the VR-1000B to be displayed in operation at MBT, with its two racks of tube electronics to the right of the transport:

What this VR-1000B is equipped with:

Tom Sprague advised in a non-list communication that this machine for NAB has what was “native” to the VR-1000 series:

“One thing I should make clear is that we did NOT modify the machine for color operation."

Yes, the original VR-1000B could not do "direct color," but the official Ampex upgrade path was to install Intersync, Amtec, and Colortec. 

That is what was done at some time in the past, maybe 1964 or 1965? The machine came all wired and all modified for these accessories. 

The machine was in service at least until 1975, so it operated as a color machine for most of its life. 

Tom"

Regarding the “other” machine, Tom advised:

"Yes Ted. David is pictured with the VR-1000HB. This is a VR-1000B converted to high band with VR-1200 components by Ampex of Canada. The conversion was offered as a kit. 

We have had that one working for a while. 

Tom"

MBT co-founder Jay Ballard replied to the post containing the picture of the “other” machine," (which didn’t go out to the QuadList because he’s not yet subscribed.)

In the message CC'd to the poster Jay's MBT colleagues and myself, he said:

Tom has worked tirelessly to get the 1000B working w/o complete documentation.  It  eventually locks up and plays LBC with AMTEC  and Colortec..  We are desperate for an Ampex tube Intersync drawing, V6

I had to rebuild the WFMs, PIXM, and 5 250 V 1 Amp PSUs in between camera repairs.  BTW, it is not the VTR in the picture, but it is to the left of that VTR.

Tom deserves the Order of the Iron Test Pattern for his hard work. Me, the John Frishette award for boozing.

Jay Ballard

Note: (I am attempting to subscribe all four MBT correspondents to the QuadList, as their replies have been held as non-subscribers.  However the admin access right now is not behaving properly.  Bad caps? Off frequency?  Will try again later from a different device.)

Donating:

Getting this example of the first model of video tape recorder to NAB for the 60th anniversary of the unveiling of  commercially successful video tape can be achieved if you and 991 other people contribute $25 or more.

QuadList and long-time engineer, SMPTE Member and author Glen Pensinger kicked the drive off with a $50 contribution on Sunday. 

Chuck Conrad followed with $50 on Monday.  

And 18 hours ago, former Ampex “old timer” and Quad guy Norm Herzog gave $100.

So there’s only  $24,800 to go. 

The Museum needs to have funds in hand by March 30.

33 people a day making a $25 contribution
15 people a day making a $50 donation or 
8.26 people a day giving $100

Where to donate:

The clock is ticking and Museum of Broadcast Technology has reactivated its GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/wmbt.org

What you can do in addition to funding this project:

Please share this with your friends and colleagues, the broadcast engineering and technology societies of which you may be a member. 

Pass the hat at your March organization meetings, (or pass around an iPad set to the go fund me page, so individuals can make contributions while your meeting is in progress.)  

At the least, print out a flyer with this information.  (I’ll try to devise a PDF and post it to the list.)

Use your Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to spread the word.

Your contributions are tax-deductible, and will be recognized by the Museum of Broadcast Technology, and by the Quad Videotape Group which is helping the fundraising effort.

The Museum of Broadcast Technology has been bringing equipment to NAB since 2013, beginning with the smallest quad machine you've ever seen, the Ampex VR – 3000.  In 2014, they brought an RCA TP-10 portable Quad.  

Your help will make it more likely that there’s a Quad machine at NAB on the 60th Anniversary of the unveiling of videotape.

These machines provided work for engineers, employment for television production staff, Ampex employees and their parts manufacturers, and improved the quality of what television viewers have seen since 1956… particularly on the West Coast and then world-wide.

Thanks for your time, interest and help moving this machine from Woonsocket, Rhode Island to Las Vegas and back. 

It will certainly give us all something to talk about and marvel at during the Quad Videotape Group Annual Lunch at NAB at 12:30pm, Tuesday, April 19, 2016.

And a working backdrop for oral histories about your experiences with VR-1000s and other Quad machines.

Cheers!

Ted

Ted Langdell
Secretary
Quad Videotape Group
iPhone: 	(530) 301-2931
ted at QuadVideotapeGroup.com
Skype: 	TedLangdell 

Web:  www.QuadVideotapeGroup.com
Facebook:	https://www.facebook.com/QuadVideotapeGroup

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