[BC] unreliable old equipment query

[Alan Kline]

Tubes...not just CRT's and transmitting tubes, but the smaller tubes 
that were in just about every piece of equipment in the early days. 
Maybe not in video switchers, but everything else. I wasn't around in 
those days, but I'd imagine that a lot of time was spent just figuring 
out *which* tube failed. I'd have to go dig out my old RCA sales 
brochure, but I believe that a TK-11/31 monochrome camera had around 100 
tubes, not counting the image orthicon...

ak

On 12/27/2011 12:55 PM, Donna Halper wrote:
> I am posting this message to several lists, in hopes of getting some
> information.  My Canadian friend Art, who is writing a book with a
> backdrop in late 1940s or early 1950s broadcasting, asked this of me,
> and since technology is not my strong suit, I thought I'd ask you nice
> folks.  I'll pass along your replies to him.  He was reading some old
> articles about technical failures in TV equipment:  "Everyone who was
> working in TV at the time recalls how temperamental and unreliable the
> electronics were, but exactly how temperamental and unreliable is not
> spelled out.  So I am trying to find comprehensive and detailed
> information about the extent of it:  what were the most common component
> failures that would lead to loss of service (not necessarily loss of the
> signal altogether, which was quite rare.)  Essentially anything that led
> to the "We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties" slide appearing fits
> the definition, with the exception of component failure from external
> causes:  a burst water main that shorted out the electronics, or a
> lightning bolt that fried the transmitter don't count.  What were the
> most common components to fail, how long on average would it take to fix
> them, and what percentage of the broadcast hours would the average
> station expect to lose over the course of a month?"  Any guidance you
> can offer will be appreciated!
>
>