Camera Rarities 2, Of 3…Three Generations Of GE Cameras
From 1969, here is a photo of three generations of GE’s at Fort Worth’s KTVT.
Starting with the KTVT marked camera, that is a black and white GE PC11. On the left is the GE PC25, their first color camera; this one has a four lens turret while it’s sister has a Rank-Taylor-Hobson zoom lens. The two cameras at the top are GE PE350 color cameras.
The PC and PE prefix means the PC models were built before 1965 and had tubes inside. The PE prefix means, except for the image tubes, there were transistors inside. Thanks to Martin Perry and the KTVT FB page for the photo. -Bobby Ellerbee
Those GE PE350’s had a nasty habit of overheating. Got so bad Engineering had to install miniature fans to keep them from blowing š
We got those PE 350 cameras at KTAB-TV when KTVT Got newer ones. Martin Perry and I were there together at that time. I remember how long it took me to set up the registration before each newscast.
Upgraded 250s were the first camera, I worked with as a paid employee. I think they were essentially 350s. They were replaced with TK-45s a couple of years later if not sooner. I started in 1972 at KTRK in Houston.
The lesson of the picture is never piss off cameras. They are ruthless.
I remember seeing these contraptions that look like radiation guns from the Twilight Zone. We’re these cameras specifically designed for television studios only?
KTVT was the sister station of WTVT, Tampa. WTVT used RCA TK-42s until 1971 when they were replaced with GE PE-400s. Engineers took about a half hour on the chip chart to align the 400s but the results were pretty good.
KHTV Houston, a sister station to KTVT signed on in ’67 with 5 GE 250’s..later when KTVT up graded, Houston got the B&W mobile unit, then later got 1 of the GE color cameras…after GE up graded to 400’s, all Gaylord except Seattle (KSTW) got Phillips LD? Great Memories
Martin Perry.. Several Ch11 folks came to Houston…I am still in touch with them..what is the address for the KTVT former employees page..
I worked at a station with PE350’s. On their best days, they were dreadful.
We had PC-11’s when I first started at KFDA-TV in Amarillo. We went to PE-250’s in 1968, which we soon after buying, upgraded to PE-350’s.
PE-250 cameras uses 3 plumbicons, right?
How did the GE color cams compare to the benchmark RCA s? What was GE’s business plan for these? Comparable performance at a lower price? Thanks.
We had GE at ch 4 Dallas
The one camera on the right with the 1 on it looks like a PE-250 it does not have the wood faux crap on the case.
I wonder who was the lucky recipient of the 2 KTRK-TV RCA TCR100’s, the several thousand carts and a ton of spare parts? I remember them being loaded up an a pickup truck…
The last studio camera i operated was An RCA tk-46. It was at WINM-TV channel 63. A 5 million Watt ERP station. One evening a man and his son cut the guy wires at the tower and it came crashing to the ground. Luck the are alive.
Not technical, but programming. The man crouching at the center of all the cameras is kid show host Icky Twerp of Slam Bang Theater. Started out when Channel 11 was KFJZ-TV, and continued after the calls changed to KTVT. Icky provided us our afternoon ration of Three Stooges. Real name: Bill Camfield, a salesman who doubled as on-air guy. Local legend!
The 350 was the 1st TV camera I ever drove in 1976 @ WKRC-TV.
The guy on the floor reminds me of Dave Garroway.
In New England, a surprising number of stations bought G-E Plumbicon cameras for their first color cameras: WMTW in Poland Spring, ME (2 of them in 1970);WWLP Springfield, MA; WHNB (now WVIT)-metro Hartford; WNAC ( now WHDH) Boston; and WTIC (now WFSB) Hartford.
Joey Bishop and Dick Cavett shows had brilliant color displays. We had a RCA 21 inch COSMOS tv and a sony 12 inch in the bedroom. The Sony pictures really surpassed the RCA and the G.E. Cameras looked great!