International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

May, 1934 T h INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-one A CINEMATOCRAPHER LOOKS IN ON TELEVISION By Ray Flinsky r seems that all this started in 1885, when an inventor by the name of Nipkow built an ap,. paratus called the electrical telescope, which employed the same theory used in television. During the succeeding years and up to the present time we have been waiting for someone to bring out something by which we could see for ourselves and in our own homes the wonder of television. But this someone was always just around the corner. The nearest we could get to television was to listen with the aid of our own short-wave set, to the buzz saw noises and the voice of the announcer. After listening for several months to the local station W6XS and hearing the familiar titles of our own Hollywood motion picture productions, my curiosity got the best of me and I took the advice of the announcer and sent for the data on their receiver. This information was published in THE INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, March issue. The next step was to gather in the material called for in the diagram. This caused a temporary delay. I found that the cost of the Neon lamp, motor, scanning disc and the numerous other gadgets that were required would put a dent in my income tax report. So I looked around the attic, the neighbors' basements and into the telephone book until I found that by changing the hookup of the diagram a bit and by using a varied assortment of parts, I could at least start operations. Among the parts were a Wurlitzer player-piano motor of uncertain age and speed, a "J" Slipper clutch removed from an ancient developing machine, and a 3-watt General Electric Neon glow lamp, this latter being a maiden aunt to the television Neon tube. For the scanning disc, I first made a plan on paper, from the directions of W6XS and transferred the markings onto a piece of cardboard advertising a well known cigarette. This card I procured at the neighboring drug store. I then punched the holes with a push pin tapered to the correct sizes. The four above mentioned articles, not including the push pin, constituted my televisor. I might add that the televisor is to the television set what the loud speaker is to radio. My receiver contains six type 24 tubes and a type 45 power tube, which are a bit older in the realm of radio than they would care to admit. The resistors and by-pass condensers are of good quality and were obtained by a major operation on the family radio. After assembling this heterogeneous supply of parts, the reader can well imagine my joy (as well as amazement) to see the indistinct, yet discernible figure of a man, dressed in white knickers, swinging a stick and then running like he was in a great hurry. I later discovered that he was a baseball player, but never did find out if he was the Big Bambino or not. After making a few adjustments, the picture came in more clearly and the succeeding programs were received with gratifying results. On a recent visit to W6XS, I looked at pictures received on a television set built by Mr. Harry Lubcke, chief engineer of the Don Lee Television Station. These were about 6x8 inches in size and of a very fine quality. Although the image is only one-third that size on my receiver, I have the satisfaction of knowing that anyone with an interest in radio and access to a small workshop can have a television set at a very low cost, without waiting for the man around the corner. It's off the Press and Going Fast! FRED WESTERBERG'S CINEMATOCRAPHER'S BOOK OF TABLES At Your Dealers All Over the World or Address INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. 1605 North Cahuenga Ave.. Hollywood dfl^H ^Bih "ArtReeves n Automatic Speed Control Motor. Especially designed RIGHT SIDE UP tocusing tube. Twin-fidelity optical unit. Tachometer. Shuttle SILENCED. SINGLE SYSTEM SOUND Built into your Bell & Howell Camera Write for particulars. Cables: ArtReeves Francais Deutsch Espanol Svenska Motion PicTurl/^quipmemTCo. |Td. 6A 5 NORTH MARTEL AVE CABLE ADDRESS ARTREEVES Phone: WYoming 4501 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, USA Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.