Apollo live video on AMPEX VR-2000B quadruplex tape

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Denspressure

  • 1947
  • What do you, value?
Apollo live video on AMPEX VR-2000B quadruplex tape
« on: August 13, 2017, 08:55:35 AM »
I found someone that seems to have several Quadruplex tape reels with Apollo live feed video. They appear to be a compilation of the most notable events. I have seen some screen recordings of the playing tapes and their quality seems to be excellent. It was a colour recording.

Screenshot of video:


From what I heard, most live video we have now has been recovered from tape copies and telecine film and home recordings.

Because these tapes were most likely used by a TV station, they contain footage before it was degraded by sending it to homes with TV cables. So there is a good chance these recordings will be better than home-made recordings.

He was playing the tapes with an AMPEX recorder he was refurbishing.

I am trying to get in contact with the owner and ask if he could digitize the complete tapes for us and upload the files. Even if it is most likely footage that has already been digitized in some form, the more sources the better.
« Last Edit: August 13, 2017, 09:04:31 AM by Denspressure »
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Denspressure

  • 1947
  • What do you, value?
Re: Apollo live video on AMPEX VR-2000B quadruplex tape
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2017, 05:37:38 AM »
The owner of the small tape has replied, he will digitize it in two weeks.
There was also a big reel, but that one is owned by someone else. The owner of the small reel will ask if he can borrow the big reel.
That is all on that for now.

I have found an other source of reels, this time Apollo 16.
Here is the message that was send to me:

"In 2013 I visited the 20 meter ground station in XXXXXXXX, Germany, now operated by the German branch of the AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite) group, of which I am a member. I was surprised to see an old RCA TR-70B quad VTR on display; in my college years I'd operated this same model as a summer broadcast engineering intern at WMPB-TV in Baltimore. Judging from the English and the crowfoot power outlets, it appeared to be an Australian or New Zealand model; they used PAL as did Germany.

I learned that during Apollo this site had recorded video directly from the moon; the tape on the machine was labeled Apollo 16. However, both it and the machine were in terrible shape and would obviously require a lot of TLC to make functional again. And I don't know if the tapes would be recoverable. I think I was told that additional tapes were in storage. If anybody ever wanted to investigate reading them, I'm sure they'd be happy to help."

I have send him a message back, and hopefully a restoration effort can be put into motion to play and digitize the tapes that recorded signals received from the moon.

I have left out  links and Emails out of this post intentionally because I am afraid they will get spammed, and that it will put them off.

if you have any questions, I will try to answer them or relay them.

Cheers,
Denspressure
« Last Edit: August 14, 2017, 05:39:32 AM by Denspressure »
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