Ferguson Videosafe. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Snarf81 · 13th Sep 2019, 9:19 pm

Hi all,

I came across two NOS Ferguson Videosafe 'Anti-Theft' doofers today.

I'm just wondering how many people remember these things, and if you have any stories of them actually
warding off thieves. Haha.

Regards
Richard.

Richard_FM · 13th Sep 2019, 11:06 pm

I remember one of them was featured in an episode of Juliet Bravo concerning a gang of VCR thieves who used a canal boat as a base.

Welsh Anorak · 14th Sep 2019, 3:38 pm

It's easy to forget how valuable and sought after VCRs were then. Never seen one of these, but I have come across a cover that prevented toys and so on being put into the machine.
I had a customer whose young child was always putting things in the 'letter box' on the VCR. Exasperated she had a handyman come and fit a shelf well out of the horror's reach. Unfortunately, the machine didn't work in its new position, so I was called in. Yes, inside was the handyman's masonry drill bit...

Snarf81 · 14th Sep 2019, 8:24 pm

Oh, I remember those things Glyn!
I remember seeing those covers for sale in Poundstretcher back in the late 80s. Haha.

Mentioning toys and so on being put into the cassette slots, I remember being banned from using our family piano key toploader Baird vhs VCR by my parents when I was little for 'firing' my Masters of the Universe figures up in to the air by pressing the eject key. That ban lasted until one of my parents couldn't be bothered to get up out of the chair and operate it.
I tried 'firing' my figures from my Grandparents Sanyo betamax toploader, but that was too gentle and smooth and didn't fling the figures very far.

When I got hold of a Ferguson 3V22 last year, one of the 1st things I did was fire off a few figures for old times sake. Oops.

TonyDuell · 14th Sep 2019, 8:47 pm

I am pretty sure there was a Maplin project to make a motion sensor alarm inside an empty VHS cassette shell. You loaded it into the machine and it went off if the machine was moved. It didn't lock in place and could be ejected normally though.

Somewhere I should have the one I made in the mid 1990s...

Welsh Anorak · 16th Sep 2019, 12:09 pm

Yes - the little windmill that damped the eject would frequently fail.

13th Sep 2019, 9:19 pm	#1
Snarf81 Heptode Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Rogiet, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. Posts: 615	Ferguson Videosafe. Hi all, I came across two NOS Ferguson Videosafe 'Anti-Theft' doofers today. I'm just wondering how many people remember these things, and if you have any stories of them actually warding off thieves. Haha. Regards Richard. Attached Thumbnails

13th Sep 2019, 11:06 pm	#2
Richard_FM Nonode Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,002	Re: Ferguson Videosafe. I remember one of them was featured in an episode of Juliet Bravo concerning a gang of VCR thieves who used a canal boat as a base. __________________ Hello IT: Have you Tried Turning It Off & On Again?

14th Sep 2019, 3:38 pm	#3
Welsh Anorak Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Wales, UK. Posts: 6,916	Re: Ferguson Videosafe. It's easy to forget how valuable and sought after VCRs were then. Never seen one of these, but I have come across a cover that prevented toys and so on being put into the machine. I had a customer whose young child was always putting things in the 'letter box' on the VCR. Exasperated she had a handyman come and fit a shelf well out of the horror's reach. Unfortunately, the machine didn't work in its new position, so I was called in. Yes, inside was the handyman's masonry drill bit... __________________ Glyn www.gdelectronics.wales

14th Sep 2019, 8:24 pm	#4
Snarf81 Heptode Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Rogiet, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. Posts: 615	Re: Ferguson Videosafe. Oh, I remember those things Glyn! I remember seeing those covers for sale in Poundstretcher back in the late 80s. Haha. Mentioning toys and so on being put into the cassette slots, I remember being banned from using our family piano key toploader Baird vhs VCR by my parents when I was little for 'firing' my Masters of the Universe figures up in to the air by pressing the eject key. That ban lasted until one of my parents couldn't be bothered to get up out of the chair and operate it. I tried 'firing' my figures from my Grandparents Sanyo betamax toploader, but that was too gentle and smooth and didn't fling the figures very far. When I got hold of a Ferguson 3V22 last year, one of the 1st things I did was fire off a few figures for old times sake. Oops.

14th Sep 2019, 8:47 pm	#5
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,208	Re: Ferguson Videosafe. I am pretty sure there was a Maplin project to make a motion sensor alarm inside an empty VHS cassette shell. You loaded it into the machine and it went off if the machine was moved. It didn't lock in place and could be ejected normally though. Somewhere I should have the one I made in the mid 1990s...

16th Sep 2019, 12:09 pm	#6
Welsh Anorak Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Wales, UK. Posts: 6,916	Re: Ferguson Videosafe. Yes - the little windmill that damped the eject would frequently fail. __________________ Glyn www.gdelectronics.wales