Ikegami 2/3” VTR

[BVH2000]

This Sundays Footage Detectives on Talking Pictures TV featured a clip of “latest developments” from 1970.

One of these was an (unidentified) fire brigade using CCTV & VTR to record and observe fires from a camera mounted on a Simon Snorkel lift.

I was intrigued by the clips of the VTR which wasn’t one I immediately recognised. It’s hard to make out in the rather grainy 16mm film but after a bit of searching I think it may be the “mythical beast” of industrial VTRs the Ikegami 2/3” tape width TVR-301 or 401
http://www.labguysworld.com/Cat_Ikegami.htm

Here’s a couple of frame grabs from the programme 

           

The externally accessed locker mounting doesn’t strike me as a particularly hospitable environment for a reel to reel VTR.

Anybody else ever seen or come across one of these ?

[ppppenguin]

The mid 1960s to early 1970s was a time when industrial/CCTV VTR formats proliferated before things settled down to a small number such as EIAJ and A format. I have dim memories of the Ikegami 2/3" machine being mentioned in an article in Practical TV magazine in that period.

I've certainly never seen one in real life.

[BVH2000]

Jeff, thanks for the tip about Practical Television.
A few hours of wading through pdfs there is a brief mention in September 68 at the end of a multi part series on video tape recording bemoaning the plethora of incompatible formats.
Another mention was an executive coach fleet was being fitted with Ikegami VTRs and monitors for passenger entertainment.

I wonder who made the 2/3” tape ? A very limited market. At least 1/2” and 1” tape could be used by any suitable recorder

[ppppenguin]

Neil, thanks for digging out the article. At least I wasn't hallucinating 1/2" tape wasn't universal - there were at least two different types. Low coercivity for Sony CV2100 etc, high coercivity for many other formats. I think that 1" was universal until C-Format made greater demands.

[BVH2000]

Ah - yes the dreaded Sony High Density1/2" tape
Back in the late 90's when I got interested in old video stuff it was a swift steep learning curve about sticky shed syndrome as my latest toy - a Sony AV3420 portapak shrieked and juddered to a halt every 20 sec

A tad more info about the Ikegami - part 1 of the article on video recording in Oct 67 Practical Television reveals this :-


The Ikegami video recorder is currently
entering the British market at £800 (plus £190 or
so for the camera, which has, unfortunately, a
fixed lens system). Its four -head helical -scan system
is again non-standard, using tape 2/3in. wide at
a speed of 9in./sec. A bandwidth of 2.2Mc/s
is claimed and with 7in. spools it runs for 65
minutes per track.

[ppppenguin]

Here's the article: https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Pra...967-10.pdf PDF p10, internal p8.

i remember the AV3420 when it was new in the 1970s. I feel lopsided at the thought of carrying one using the shoulder strap.

[Mike Watterson]

I tried ex-computer 1/2 tape on an EIAJ JVC. It wasn't great, but nearly free. Actual VTR tape was outside my budget in 1981.

[BVH2000]

I recall reading BBC VT Engineers did the converse by building a splitting jig from razor blades to turn gash 2" quad tape into "brand x" 1/4 inch audio tape.

[ppppenguin]

That would have worked badly. 2" quad tape has the magnetic domains aligned across the tape, hence utterly wrong for audio or helical scan video.

[BVH2000]

Here's the article: https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Pra...967-10.pdf PDF p10, internal p8.

i remember the AV3420 when it was new in the 1970s. I feel lopsided at the thought of carrying one using the shoulder strap.

I now have a thought in my mind it was possible to configure the AV3420 case strap to form a kind of back pack arrangement? though it would be more a pain putting it on / off each time you wanted to use the controls.