Vintage video monitors - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

ppppenguin · 12th Nov 2007, 2:54 pm

This thread made me look in my files for the circuits of some Peto Scott video monitors.
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...659#post146659

Does anyone else have memories, fond or otherwise, of video monitors from the valve or early transistor days?

My first "proper" video monitor was a multi-standard Rank Cintel 17" model 28842. I still have a photocopy of the service manual. Then assorted Peto Scotts, the little Pye hybrid 082 and I suppose this thread ought to stop around 1970 with the various Prowest monitors. All transistor, they gave great pictures but were hardly well made or reliable. My PM14/1A was on show at the NVCF TV demo in 2006.

Then there's colour. I've seen some early monstrous Bush monitors that must have used a round CRT. Then some rather more compact 19" Bush, crammed full of valves and running horribly hot. The earliest I've actually worked on is the Prowest PM22/7. Again all transistor and again capable of excellent pictures when it was working. Having said that, the Barcos of the time weren't stunningly reliable either.

GMB · 12th Nov 2007, 6:17 pm

No need for a memory of this because it it still sitting behind my PC...

I have a PM-161A made by Ikegami Tsushinki (in Japan).
Is this a well known make?

It's a 625-line monochrome valve monitor which worked the last time it was used. It's big feature for modern use is a flat top - so you can stack things on it, and it now hold all my comms. gear at a convenient eye level. Screen size is about 12-14" (can't quite measure it accurately because of what is in front of it).

It used to give a very clear display - much better than going through a modulator into a TV, so I used it with early computers that generated TV video output.

Never found a circuit for this.

ppppenguin · 12th Nov 2007, 6:28 pm

I've got a 9" Ikegami (marked ITC on the front, presumably Ikegami Tsushinki Corporation) on my bench. c1967, solid state, utterly reliable except for an insulation failure in the LOPT housing a few years ago which I fixed easily. Not exactly high quality, the video is AC coupled and the EHT regulation is poor. Extremely useful as it has external sync (locked to my lab SPG most of the time) and it's connected to the Y output of my 'scope so I can look at all sorts of video related waveforms.

I have the manual and circuit for its smaller 5" cousin, the PM-52T.

Ikegami are still in the video business and make a lot of high quality kit. http://www.ikegami.com/

yagosaga · 12th Nov 2007, 10:22 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppppenguin

Does anyone else have memories, fond or otherwise, of video monitors from the valve or early transistor days? ...
Then there's colour. ...

Hello,

I got a 19" class-A colour video monitor, made by the FERNSEH GmbH. It is a hybrid monitor with valves in the horizontal output unit. The power consumption is 340 watts.

The original price was 18,000 Deutschmarks, in comparison, a Volkswagen in these days costs 4,000 Deutschmarks. Here are a lot of photos:

http://bs.cyty.com/menschen/e-etzold...h/MC47_3BA.htm

Kind regards,
Eckhard

brianc · 15th Nov 2007, 8:27 pm

The TV monitor I remember best was the Pye 2780 (405 only). This was a very well made, solid 14" monitor with a vertical chassis placed round the neck of the tube. Access was very good provided that it was to change a valve otherwise, it was a bit cramped as the components were close to the bell ot the tube. However, they were reasonably reliable - well at least, in about 3 years, I didn't see any smoke! The build style was a bit like the Pye PTV and, when I bought one of these, I immediately thought about the 2780.

I also remember the Bush colour monitors mentioned by Jeff, which were, in the early days of BBC colour, the only true monitors which were used. These did use the huge metal coned RCA tubes with a very large neck - (2.5"?) and ran very hot.

At least in those days, us engineers got to know the equipment we used as when they went wrong, we had to fix them. Nowadays, broadcast kit is so reliable that it is very rarely opened and when it is, it is almost always a board-change - boring!! Sorry, I'm going off-topic so will shut up.
Cheers
Brian

12th Nov 2007, 2:54 pm	#1
ppppenguin Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: North London, UK. Posts: 6,168	Vintage video monitors This thread made me look in my files for the circuits of some Peto Scott video monitors. https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...659#post146659 Does anyone else have memories, fond or otherwise, of video monitors from the valve or early transistor days? My first "proper" video monitor was a multi-standard Rank Cintel 17" model 28842. I still have a photocopy of the service manual. Then assorted Peto Scotts, the little Pye hybrid 082 and I suppose this thread ought to stop around 1970 with the various Prowest monitors. All transistor, they gave great pictures but were hardly well made or reliable. My PM14/1A was on show at the NVCF TV demo in 2006. Then there's colour. I've seen some early monstrous Bush monitors that must have used a round CRT. Then some rather more compact 19" Bush, crammed full of valves and running horribly hot. The earliest I've actually worked on is the Prowest PM22/7. Again all transistor and again capable of excellent pictures when it was working. Having said that, the Barcos of the time weren't stunningly reliable either.

12th Nov 2007, 6:17 pm	#2
GMB Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay) Posts: 3,099	Re: Vintage video monitors No need for a memory of this because it it still sitting behind my PC... I have a PM-161A made by Ikegami Tsushinki (in Japan). Is this a well known make? It's a 625-line monochrome valve monitor which worked the last time it was used. It's big feature for modern use is a flat top - so you can stack things on it, and it now hold all my comms. gear at a convenient eye level. Screen size is about 12-14" (can't quite measure it accurately because of what is in front of it). It used to give a very clear display - much better than going through a modulator into a TV, so I used it with early computers that generated TV video output. Never found a circuit for this.

12th Nov 2007, 6:28 pm	#3
ppppenguin Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: North London, UK. Posts: 6,168	Re: Vintage video monitors I've got a 9" Ikegami (marked ITC on the front, presumably Ikegami Tsushinki Corporation) on my bench. c1967, solid state, utterly reliable except for an insulation failure in the LOPT housing a few years ago which I fixed easily. Not exactly high quality, the video is AC coupled and the EHT regulation is poor. Extremely useful as it has external sync (locked to my lab SPG most of the time) and it's connected to the Y output of my 'scope so I can look at all sorts of video related waveforms. I have the manual and circuit for its smaller 5" cousin, the PM-52T. Ikegami are still in the video business and make a lot of high quality kit. http://www.ikegami.com/

15th Nov 2007, 8:27 pm	#5
brianc Rest in Peace Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Burghfield, Reading, Berkshire, UK, Posts: 1,055	Re: Vintage video monitors The TV monitor I remember best was the Pye 2780 (405 only). This was a very well made, solid 14" monitor with a vertical chassis placed round the neck of the tube. Access was very good provided that it was to change a valve otherwise, it was a bit cramped as the components were close to the bell ot the tube. However, they were reasonably reliable - well at least, in about 3 years, I didn't see any smoke! The build style was a bit like the Pye PTV and, when I bought one of these, I immediately thought about the 2780. I also remember the Bush colour monitors mentioned by Jeff, which were, in the early days of BBC colour, the only true monitors which were used. These did use the huge metal coned RCA tubes with a very large neck - (2.5"?) and ran very hot. At least in those days, us engineers got to know the equipment we used as when they went wrong, we had to fix them. Nowadays, broadcast kit is so reliable that it is very rarely opened and when it is, it is almost always a board-change - boring!! Sorry, I'm going off-topic so will shut up. Cheers Brian