Tag Archives: Ampex Helical Scan VTRs

Scotch Helical Tape Catalog Sheets From 1970

Here are catalog sheets for 3M Scotch brand Helical Scan tape from 1970.

When playing Videotape Detective, these types of sheets are useful for cross-referencing the manufacturer’s label on the bottom of the reel with what type of VTR it may have been used on.

Scotch Helical Tape Sheet-MV21B-Aug-1970.

Shows Scotch 360 1″ and 2″ Helical Scan Tape.

1″ for Ampex VR-4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 series,  Sony EV 200 and 300 series, 2″ tape for Ampex VR-1500 Series, 660B, Sony PV 100 and 120 series.

Click here to view: Scotch Helical Tape Sheet-MV21B-Aug-1970-

 Scotch Helical Tape Sheet-MV22-A-Aug-1970.

Shows Scotch 361 and 363 1/4″, 1/2″ and 1″ Helical Scan Tape.

1/4″ for Roberts VTR-1000 Series, 1/2″ for Sony, Panasonic, Concord, Norelco, Apeco, Shibaden, GE, Bell and Howell, Craig, Diamond Power, 1″ for IVC, Bell and Howell, RCA, GPL, Chester, Panasonic, Craig, Diamond Power and Shibaden.

Click here to view: Scotch Helical Tape Sheet-M-V-22A-Aug-1970

How to Share Your Experience and Knowledge

one of the two tapes of oldest known entertainment program recorded on Quad: The Edsel Show from October 13, 1957
David Keleshian holds one of the two tapes of oldest known entertainment program recorded on Quad: The Edsel Show from October 13, 1957

The content you may have helped record decades ago may not be seen again if the equipment can’t be kept operational and people trained how to safely transfer the content to new media.

Sometimes knowing when and where to tap, tweak or whack got the job done. Knowing the idiosyncracies of equipment shortened the time to find and fix a problem.

RCA TR-70s collected from an institution, prior to restoration to service.
RCA TR-70s collected from an institution, prior to restoration to service. ©Guy Spiller 2009

Your knowledge and expertise in operating and maintaining Quad video tape equipment is invaluable and may be lost forever if not preserved.

Kent playing Astaire show
Don Kent playing a 1959 Fred Astaire program recorded at NBC Burbank in an early and non-compatible RCA Color format on a modified Ampex AVR-1. Image capture from KTLA News story via Don Kent

If you can write, record or demonstrate those kinds of things, we’d like to help preserve them to train future generations of tape operators and maintenence engineers.

There are a number of ways to share what you have.

Some you may be able to do on your own, using your computer to document the things you did or do to keep Quad’s purring along.

If you have access to working Quad decks and a camcorder, it may be possible for you to record specific tips, procedures and techniques.

If you’d be happy to demonstrate or be recorded but don’t have equipment, we may be able to arrange a time and location.

Condensed Ampex Intersync Checkout Procedure Manual
Condensed Ampex Intersync Checkout Procedure Manual found at Ham swap meet.

If you have physical items like manuals, documentation, alignment and training tapes, programs recorded on Quad and other materials related to Quad videotape, please contact our webmaster to see what would be the most effective way of sharing them.