#1
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2 inch Hitachi HS124E image orthicon tubes
G'day all.
I have recently bought from Ebay a couple of Hitachi HS124E image orthicon tubes http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=230565349814 , when they arrived I was very surprised to know they were smaller than I expected!!! I was expecting them to be 3 inch but it turns out they are 2 inch in size!!! Till now I thought image orthicon tubes only came in 3 inch and 4.5 inch variety, but after receiving these tubes and doing some research there were indeed 2 inch image orthicon tubes. I haven't found much info on them but from what I have found NHK in Japan invented them around 1965 and they have some advantages over the 3 inch IOs according to some reviews and they were used for medical/industrial purposes and perhaps for space photography. I was wondering if anyone here knows more about these 2 inch IO tubes and exactly what applications they were used for and what kind of cameras used them? Also were these 2 inch IO tubes used in B&W or colour broadcast cameras back in the day or were they used for industrial/medical applications only? Also the IO tube box was a clear plastic cylinder with a funnel and a ball bearing inside, what is that part and what is it used for? I have attached a few images for you all to see including that little plastic part, one of the images I have placed a 3 inch IO beside the 2 inch IO for comparison.
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AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!!!! OI OI OI!!!!! |
#2
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the funnel with the ball bearing was used to show if the tube had been tipped upside down at all during shipment, since the tubes are to always be stored face up to avoid and crap inside falling on the imaging elements
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#3
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That's a very good find, 2" IO are as rare as hens teeth! well done.
I do not know of any cameras that use 2" tubes I expect they were all special purpose. X-ray or astronomical cameras. There were some Image Isocon tubes made for these low light jobs and there were 55mm. ones made, but they to are very rare. The Image Isocons had more electrodes and more pins on the base connector. I have a 4.5 inch image isocon in the collection and the picture shows the tube with a 4.5" IO and a 18mm. plumbicon for scale. Mine has a curved front faceplate and was used in this camera http://www.tvcameramuseum.org/marcon...6/isoconp1.htm If you are able to take some good pictures of your tubes I would be interested in copies of the for my web site when I eventually get round to doing the "tubes" section. Tubes are hard to take with a flash, best to do them outside on a good day to avoid flash bounce back. About the plastic "inversion cylinder" If your tube arrived having been inverted you were intiltled to send it back as unusable, such was the concern for a blemish free target. a serious business considering the cost of the tubes! I the early days the BBC would not buy tubes but had them on "rental" and returned them after a certain number of hours of use. regards Brian www.tvcameramuseum.org |
#4
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An amazing find. I'd never heard of 2" IO. Like the OP I thought they only came in 3" and 4.5" diameters.
This was certainly true for the pre-war Emitrons. The interesting question is whether this rental arrangment was at the insistance of the BBC or the tube makers. |
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