Tele-Beam B&W TV Projector

Hi! I’m hoping someone here might possibly have info on a Tele-Beam Model A 912 B&W TV Projector system. I recently pulled one out of storage that I put there back in the early 1980's, that I believe to have been in service prior to that since the 60's at a local school district. Just before it was stored it was actually tested and working. (Unfortunately, it was stored in a barn - although it appears to have survived reasonably well there for the past 25+ years, and is mostly just dirty, with some corrosion on the cables.)

Any info, either historical or technical, would be a great help - not only to put this into proper context, but just *maybe* even to see it operate once again.

The front panel of the tuner unit reads:
TELE-BEAM BY WALTHAM
WALTHAM PRECISION INSTRUMENT CO
BROOKFIELD CONN

The rear plate on both the tuner and the projector read:
TELE-BEAM BY KALART
MANUFACTURED BY
THE KALART CO INC PLAINVILLE CONN
MODEL A 912

I have searched the internet extensively, and other than seeing that Kalart in Plainville used to make AV equipment (but is now an abandoned, EPA monitored toxic lead cleanup site) and finding one reference to a Tele-Beam projector an a publication prepared for NASA in 1966, it’s pretty much devoid of detail on this item.

But this forum looks to be the authoritative place to exchange info on B&W, so if anyone knows, hopefully somebody here will. Any info/input would be deeply appreciated. Thanks!!!

Hi all! Sorry I didn't have a chance to post some pice of this earlier, my camera was unavailable. Here are a couple photos, I haven't even cleaned it up yet (that in itself will be a major project) so I apologize for the appearance.

It appears that this might actually be an example of a "portable" projection TV - since the tuner has handles on both sides, and the projector also had a clearly made-for-use handle.

Everybody who has seen it calls it the "jet engine". My wife thought it was a space heater, when she first saw it. :-)

Thanks again for any input or info on this

[cbenham]

In the late 1960s-early 70s, the company became Kalart-Victor. Victor made film projectors, so perhaps to save their businesses, the two joined together.

I worked on one of the Kalart-Victor Telebeam projectors and it was kind of scarry with 40 Thousand Volts on the CRT Anode. It would make loud 'snaps'
with 3 inch long trails of lightening around the face of the 5 inch CRT.

As I remember, there were lots of circuits to turn it off in a big hurry and only one to keep it on.

Be careful.

Thank you cbenham for your info on this unit, it is appreciated. I can picture the effect that leakage off the anode or CRT face would have, surrounded on all sides by a 3" gap to a grounded chassis... It's lucky this thing doesn't light up like one of those plasma globes. (Except without the nice safe vacuum and glass insulation to keep the watcher safe :-) I'll definitely be sure to keep my hand out of there, under power!

I will be testing it on an isolated, GFI protected circuit with a master kill switch, so I can shut it down pretty quick - although not as quick as an arc can discharge - so thanks again for the warning & reminder, that you ALWAYS need to be careful in this line of work. There's a reason that the word "HAZARDOUS" is stamped on the set back. <BFG>

[Sandy G]

Clean it up, get it working, & relive yr Captain Video days from when you were a kid...but PLEASE, Be Careful...looks like that puppy could BITE...Big time !

[mr_fixer]

That is a impressive piece of Hardware! I've seen pictures of them and their rival the RCA projector. Do you have the hookup cables? or manual? I think the first section I would check is the High voltage, If the flyback coil is gone, you might have a tough time finding a replacement. Logan

[Phil Nelson]

With such extremely high voltage, would this critter be emitting X-rays?

Maybe you should invest in a lead apron -- or at least a tinfoil hat :-)

Phil Nelson

Ouch! - lead lined boxers are on order. :-)

I do have the hookup cables, they are slightly corroded and in need of cleaning, but should still be servicable. I do not have, and have not been able to locate, manuals or documentation of any kind. I would dearly love to get my hands on a set of schematics for this thing, I have the skills and tenacity to take a shot at it, and am just dumb enough not to know better. :-)

But, right now I don't even know if my old 30KVA probe is enough to test the HV in this bugger, although the earlier post indicates NOT. I'm in the process right now of rebuilding my workbench, but once it's done I'll probably get this all set up, stand far away (with my dosimiter clipped to my shirt pocket :-) and bring 'er up real slowly on the variac. If she survived storage intact, she should fire up, as she was operational when stored.

Thanks again for all the feedback!

[John Folsom]

While I don not have any first hand knowledge of this projector, it uses either a 5AZP4 CRT, or less likely, a 4820A CRT. Either way, these CRTs operate at 35-40KV, so you need a 40KV HV probe. It is also likely you are missing an x-ray cover which should shroud the sides of the CRT projector unit. I am not sur what the x-ray exposure levels are when the unit is operating, but long term short range exposure with the missing cover would not be a good idea.

Thanks for the info! I did a quick visual inspection, to see if I could identify any labels or stamps to confirm the picture tube diagnosis, but alas, I could not find anything. There was, however, a label laying in the bottom of the chassis, that I was able to fish out. It (attached) would seem to confirm your recommendations / warnings.

So, thanks again, especially from the parts of me soon NOT to be irradiated!

[Phil Nelson]

Practical question: What could he use to form makeshift X-ray covers while restoring the set? Seems like the HV cages in color TVs are nothing exotic -- plain old steel, or maybe even aluminum. Copper sheet might be easier to form by hand, if that would be equally effective.

Just thinkin' out loud . . .

Phil Nelson

[AnalogDigit]

I think you need one of those early NASA Mercury blockhouses with the goggles when you power that sucker up!

[John Folsom]

I had a 1970s vintage projector based around a RCA 4820A CRT running at about 40KV. They used steel covers for shielding, about .055".

[Sandy G]

I'll wager THAT sumbich'll make TVA chug when he fires 'er up...

Well, hopefully I should be ready, once I do get around to queing this one up to work on. I recently installed a dedicated 20A circuit to my workbench, with a 2KVA isolation transformer and a 2KVA Variac. So I may dim the neighborhood lights, but I shouldn't set the house wiring or the bench on fire, powering this baby up. (lol)

I also gave in to the radiation paranoia introduced in this thread, and will be able to report back definitively (and avoid) any danger, and even report the effectiveness of various attempts at shielding. This is because I picked up a (surprisingly inexpensive) USB radiation detector.

So hopefully I should be able to keep my "gonad dose" safe. (http://www.ncrponline.org/Publications/Statement_3.html)

Seriously, I am still hoping for any feedback regarding schematics, operating manual, etc. for this unit. Knowing what I know now, I can hardly believe I had this thing running when I first got it back in the early 80's. Lucky I didn't electrocute or irridiate myself then!

Thanks for the feedback!