Cooperman 0 Posted August 16, 2005 Oh dear Metz, I'm beginning to wish I hadn't asked. Maybe that's one genie you'd rather have left in the bottle. I promise not to mention the 'P' word, ever again. The good thing about old dogs, is they tend to have long forgotten more than can ever be remembered, which means lots of this CCTV stuff appears new and exciting, when we've probably seen it a hundred times before and... the memory is just not what it used to be The late '70's would probably have had you using RCA 1" Silicon Vidicons, or possibly Cohu cameras? (I hope you haven't had problems with them in the past). Ever come across a company called the Reticon Corporation? In those days, the only chip in sight was usually on the paintwork Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cctvfan 0 Posted August 16, 2005 Hi Cooper, I'm not just a fan of CCTV, but addicted to the History Channel too. So you can figure I'd love to find out what those old days were like for a CCTV professional. According to an article I read from one of the security magazines (Sec Sales/Integ ???), people in the old days had to troubleshoot cameras in the field using ****OSCILLOSCOPES**** What did they do with that?? Checking visually color bursts have the right phase?? Or signals below 1V p-p?? Anycase, would be nice if we can see some photos of security cameras (not those for broadcasting) in the old days. I suppose installers in the UK are most qualified to paint this picture for us, given their national success in this field. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MetzLyov 0 Posted August 17, 2005 Coop, sorry man... that "P" word gives me the chills and ruffs up my feathers everytime I see it or hear it... and I appogize bursting this way.... Chances are that there are many people like them and doing business just fine... I just do not care to discuss about them or what they offer or will offer... and actually they are the only company that I feel this way! Well, do not forget, old dogs have gone through what many are learning now and if we learned anything during this time line is based on EXPERIENCE and unwillingness to try something new based on marketing hype - rather facts! Many years ago (seems like yesterday), I remember using the Vidicon tube cameras and even Cohu. I remember that all the majors were trying to figure out this business and were trying to break in... We were going through Vidicon cameras like no tomorrow as they were coming not only as a fixed cameras, but because they were part of many PTZ domes (remember PTZ domes maximum pan was 355 degrees?). Everytime we received a dome, it always had the gears, the cameras and the hand made boards falling apart before the installation and we had to put everything together?... I think those were the days man.... Well now is what is going on and there are many companies and more coming into this market and trying to capture their share... Levon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thomas 0 Posted August 17, 2005 You can check for a few things in an osilliscope. You can look at the S/N ratio, you can see 1v p-p, you can look at the color responce. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cooperman 0 Posted August 17, 2005 cctvfan, you really shouldn't believe everything you read in a magazine It was actually quite unusual to use a 'scope' in the field, after all, how would you monitor test points when the camera is twenty feet up the side of a wall. To be honest, I tended to use my scope more for fault finding on the bench, rather than at the clients premises. In those days, there were no silicon chips or SMT (surface mount technology), so circuit boards were a mass of discreet components, any one of which could go belly up, and dry solder joints were quite common particularly in the power supply section. Oscilloscopes were essentially used for checking the presence of signals at various test and component points, so repairs then were at individual component level, rather than complete board replacement as we do today. Checking colour bursts wasn't really an option .... we didn't have any colour cameras! Just to make you really jealous, I can't even remember how many old magazines and equipment brochures I've still got stored away. Maybe we should start an online museum Metz, we've all got at least one company in our past that leaves a nasty taste, and I'm pleased to say that one of my least favourite went under not so long ago, but hey as they say, life's too short. When I first started out, we didn't have to worry about marketing hype, you could get honest answers from almost everyone in the industry, and nobody ever asked for orders to be confirmed in writing. Vidicon cameras were the norm, and recalibrating or re-tubing cameras was a daily occurence. As it happens domes were'nt really in use here until much later, simply because the techniques for blowing plastic to a reasonable optical standard, simply hadn't been developed yet. As you say, then is then and now is a completely different ball game, but I still constantly see bad practices which were well understood thirty years ago, but more recently seem to have been overlooked by many with less experience. Such is life Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MetzLyov 0 Posted August 17, 2005 Coop... I agree man... Levon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DataAve 0 Posted August 18, 2005 As everyone knows, you can't make everybody happy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loop 0 Posted August 18, 2005 Try here: http://www.usbroadcast.com/bargains.htm CREST TS08-2 2 Channel Video Switcher............................... ...........$25.00 ...or a small workshop could build them for around the same price. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
