Home Brew 1850 Iconoscope Camera - WORKING! - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

jamesinnewcastl · 29th Jan 2026, 8:18 pm

Hi All

Finally - it works, well OK it's not going to win prizes yet, but I have images and video. The first still image is unrecognisable but I attach a copy of the second and a side-by-side to the image projected onto the tube's mosaic. It shows a handsome young chap and beside it the image in which you can just make out my shoulders!

But to prove it is really picking up images here is a video which shows my fingers wiggling excitedly in front of the camera:

https://youtube.com/shorts/LsvwtQH05W0

It's been a three year exercise to get this far off and on, many times I've wanted to give up and do something else but I'm glad I didn't.

I have a long way to go yet. The project has taken this long as I have tried to design all the circuitry myself simply to exercise those design skills that I thought I had and to simply enjoy the journey.

I realised in my first job that a CRT television set contained pretty much every type of circuit there was, if you included teletext and microwave transmission of your video then there was little that was left out!

I'm off to pop some cheap champagne, I'll keep giving updates.

Cheers
James

newlite4 · 29th Jan 2026, 8:44 pm

Well done James for your determination and perseverance in getting this far with quite a complex project. This is probably the first time in 75 years that someone has built an iconoscope camera from scratch. Good to see that the tube is well supported and protected, there can't be many of those around these days.
Top Job,
Neil

jamesinnewcastl · 30th Jan 2026, 4:02 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by newlite4

Well done James for your determination and perseverance in getting this far with quite a complex project. This is probably the first time in 75 years that someone has built an iconoscope camera from scratch. Good to see that the tube is well supported and protected, there can't be many of those around these days.
Top Job,
Neil

Thanks Neil

I do actually have a second tube! Both were sent from America and both made it here intact. The second tube acts a little oddly so I'll not try it again until I have mastered the one in the camera.

The tube supports are thanks to 3D printing which is a massive help in home projects. I have done a fair amount of 3D animation but I go out to professional printers. The deflection yoke is another 3D print.

There is a long way to go still, I also want to make a monitor to go on the camera.

James

29th Jan 2026, 8:18 pm	#1
jamesinnewcastl Heptode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK. Posts: 748	Home Brew 1850 Iconoscope Camera - WORKING! Hi All Finally - it works, well OK it's not going to win prizes yet, but I have images and video. The first still image is unrecognisable but I attach a copy of the second and a side-by-side to the image projected onto the tube's mosaic. It shows a handsome young chap and beside it the image in which you can just make out my shoulders! But to prove it is really picking up images here is a video which shows my fingers wiggling excitedly in front of the camera: https://youtube.com/shorts/LsvwtQH05W0 It's been a three year exercise to get this far off and on, many times I've wanted to give up and do something else but I'm glad I didn't. I have a long way to go yet. The project has taken this long as I have tried to design all the circuitry myself simply to exercise those design skills that I thought I had and to simply enjoy the journey. I realised in my first job that a CRT television set contained pretty much every type of circuit there was, if you included teletext and microwave transmission of your video then there was little that was left out! I'm off to pop some cheap champagne, I'll keep giving updates. Cheers James Attached Thumbnails

29th Jan 2026, 8:44 pm	#2
newlite4 Octode Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,972	Re: Home Brew 1850 Iconoscope Camera - WORKING! Well done James for your determination and perseverance in getting this far with quite a complex project. This is probably the first time in 75 years that someone has built an iconoscope camera from scratch. Good to see that the tube is well supported and protected, there can't be many of those around these days. Top Job, Neil __________________ preserving the recent past, for the distant future.