The big question is, can Labguy build a working 1940s television camera in 2013? Let's find out.

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The 1947 RCA 5527 Exerimenter's Iconoscope Tube - Then

       Amateur television will be given a good "shot in the arm" by this new two inch diameter camera tube - The RCA 5527 Iconoscope. The equipment required for its operation is relatively simple and inexpensive. Using electrostatic deflection, the "small ike" eliminates the need for costly deflection coils and circuits as well as keystoning and shading circuits. It has a resolution capability of approximately 250 lines. RCA Ham Tips, Jan. - Apr. 1947

The 1947 RCA 5527 Exerimenter's Iconoscope Tube - Now

       In 1947, RCA developed a low cost television camera tube aimed at experimenters and engineers. Since WWII had come to an end and that thousands of highly trained radar and television technicians would be flooding the market after their military duty had been served. Television was destined to explode onto the scene with a vengence and it did. The RCA 5527 tube, and the earlier 1847, were derivative of small oscilloscope CRTs. Both tubes used electrostatic deflection and electrostatic (beam) focus. Many experimenters built cameras around these tubes throughout the 1950s until the more compact vidicon tube became affordable and rendered the Iconoscope permanently obsolete. Sadly, the 5527 had the most advanced, and the last, photo-mosaic designed at RCA.

       ALL of these 1950s video camera designs were 100% vacuum tube and consumed HUGE amounts of power relative to the function they performed. Several HUNDRED watts was not uncommon for a single camera project. Tube heaters are the culprit in the crime of vacuum tube inefficiency! Each heater, on avaerage burned 3.6 watts. (6.3V @ .6A) There was at least one heater in each and every tube. Some had two heaters in the same envelope! The following project is my answer to this situation. We will use an ancient vacuum tube and modern electronics to see how this will perform. In fact, my camera design was 'paraphrased' from a 1951 ham radio article. The design was all vacuum tube. I converted it, stage by stage, to solid state technology of the mid 1980s. Power consumption dropped from hundreds of watts to less than ten watts (estimated for now).

       A recent video on Youtube, and a good friend in Australia, triggered me to start this project. In Japan, Mr. Yoshio Ozaki constructed a complete camera from scratch around the RCA 1846 four inch Iconoscope tube. He produced a wonderful video about the project as told from the Iconoscope Tube's point of view. The tube referes to Mr. Ozaki as 'father'. Very cute. Great video! [VIEW THAT VIDEO HERE]

       In Australia, my good friend Troy Walters is currently actively involved in replicating the work of Mr. Ozaki. Troy is a highly motivated individual who has successfully constructed many video projects from scratch. He has been a long time contributor to Labguy's World and here, he is considered a valuable asset and awesome ally. [SEE TROY'S ICONOSCOPE PROJECT HERE] Troy has obtained his very own RCA 1846 Iconoscope tube and is in full construction mode as I type. (I better hurry and finish my camera first!)

       I obtained my first RCA 5527 on Ebay about three years ago. It was poorly listed at a great price. The number was not mentioned and the word 'iconoscope' did not appear in the ad. So, most collectors missed this and I was able to snag it for a reasonable price of $300 as I recall. RCA 5527s and 1847s have gone for well over $1,000 in the past. You see why I snapped this one up.

       Familiarize yourself with this camera tube here. It is extremely simple as these things go. Here is the documentation so far:

       [RCA 5527 TUBE DATA SHEET]

       [RCA 5527 INTRODUCTORY APPLICATION NOTE]

       [QST MAGAZINE NOV 1955 ICONOSCOPE CONSTRUCTION ARTICLE]

       The design of any television camera follows a logical progression of goals that must be met in the proper order. These are as follows: