Raytheon Monoscope - badly corroded pins

[Toby Thain]

Hi,

Recently bought a couple of Monoscope CK1414F10C tubes in varying
condition. One has quite corroded base pins, anode cap, and target pin,
apparently due to acid disintegration of the original packing foam.

Pics: https://imgur.com/a/ofE78Zs

I believe the pins are likely nickel. Is there a recommended restoration
technique for them? It seems sanding first, but then what treatments or
tinning?

Also: The base pins seem to be 0.09" and the target pin 0.08". Slide on
sockets for the former seem to be fairly easy to find. Target diameter
not so much. And is there a still-available connector that can snap on
to the anode?

Thanks for any assistance!

--Toby

[David Speck MD]

Toby,

If you have access to an SS White Airbrasive micro sandblasting unit, cleaning the pins with a very find grit would probably remove less metal than ordinary sandpaper.  An Airbrasive will also not impart any mechanical stresses to the glass or glass-to-metal seals. 

http://www.airbrasive.com/

Just protect any nearby glass with masking tape, as the Airbrasive unit will etch glass effectively.

I use my unit often.  Some Maker spaces might have one available.

By the way, what is a "Monoscope"?  I've never heard the term before. 

Dave

[Toby Thain]

On 2020-02-14 1:42 PM, David Speck MD wrote:
> Toby,
>
> If you have access to an SS White Airbrasive micro sandblasting unit,
> cleaning the pins with a very find grit would probably remove less metal
> than ordinary sandpaper.  An Airbrasive will also not impart any
> mechanical stresses to the glass or glass-to-metal seals. 
>
> http://www.airbrasive.com/
>
> Just protect any nearby glass with masking tape, as the Airbrasive unit
> will etch glass effectively.
>
> I use my unit often.  Some Maker spaces might have one available.

Hi Dave

Thanks very much for the suggestion! Even the glass etching ability
sounds quite useful for other purposes. (Tangent: I wonder if that could
be used for edgelit projects...)

>
> By the way, what is a "Monoscope"?  I've never heard the term before. 
>

Here's the brochure:

http://www.frank.mif.pg.gda.pl/other/Raytheon/Raytheon_symbolray_an.pdf

And @TubeTimeUS got one working:

http://tubetime.us/index.php/2018/06/04/a-vacuum-tube-rom/

--Toby

> Dave
>
> On 2/13/2020 11:45 PM, Toby Thain wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Recently bought a couple of Monoscope CK1414F10C tubes in varying
>> condition. One has quite corroded base pins, anode cap, and target pin,
>> apparently due to acid disintegration of the original packing foam.
>>
>> Pics: https://imgur.com/a/ofE78Zs
>>
>> I believe the pins are likely nickel. Is there a recommended restoration
>> technique for them? It seems sanding first, but then what treatments or
>> tinning?
>>
>> Also: The base pins seem to be 0.09" and the target pin 0.08". Slide on
>> sockets for the former seem to be fairly easy to find. Target diameter
>> not so much. And is there a still-available connector that can snap on
>> to the anode?
>>
>> Thanks for any assistance!
>>
>> --Toby
>>

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[Mac Doktor]

> On Feb 14, 2020, at 2:11 PM, Toby Thain <to...@telegraphics.com.au> wrote:
>
> Thanks very much for the suggestion! Even the glass etching ability
> sounds quite useful for other purposes. (Tangent: I wonder if that could
> be used for edgelit projects...)

Also a very effective way to give an expensive brass model locomotive enough "tooth" on the surface for the paint to stick permanently. Pickling is always a fall-back.

>> By the way, what is a "Monoscope"? I've never heard the term before.

> Here's the brochure:
>
> http://www.frank.mif.pg.gda.pl/other/Raytheon/Raytheon_symbolray_an.pdf
>
> And @TubeTimeUS got one working:
>
> http://tubetime.us/index.php/2018/06/04/a-vacuum-tube-rom/

I have a couple of these. $15 apiece at a hamfest. I had no idea what they were but they were too cool to pass up. It took me several minutes to figure out what they were after I got home. I finally looked in at just the right angle and as soon as I saw some letters the lights came on.

I think both have leaked, unfortunately. Really did have me going for about five minutes.


Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
"The Mac Doctor"

https://www.astarcloseup.com/

“The book said something astonishing, a very big thought.
It said that the stars were suns, only very far away.
The Sun was a star, but close up.”—Carl Sagan, Cosmos, 1980

[Instrument Resources of America]

The original monoscope tube dates back to the 1930's when RCA first made
its 1898 a 3" diameter electrostatic deflected tube, looking much like
any other 3" inch CRT. Except for the pin in the center of the screen.
It produced a video signal of a 'girls head' when its internal target
plate was scanned. Then came the 1899 a 5" diameter magnetically
deflected tube which produced the 'Indian head' test pattern that many
television stations would broadcast when they ceased their regular
programming for the day, usually around one, or two A.M. I myself, as
I'm sure there must be others here as well, are old enough to remember
seeing this Indian head test pattern being broadcast late at night.
Eventually the 1899 became customizable with just about anything that a
station would want, circles to be used for linearity, height, and
centering adjustments, wedges for resolution and video bandwidth
measurements, plus the stations call sign. The 1899 was replaced by the
2F21 about the mid 40's. These monoscope tubes and their supporting
vacuum tube electronics were called monoscope cameras. Regular
televisions cameras were not used for the purpose of transmitting the
test pattern for fear of burn in on the expensive, image orthicon camera
tubes, and unnecessary added hours of wear and tear. RCA also made a
1698 2" diameter 'character generator' monoscope, (similar to the
Raytheon CK1414 being discussed here,) primarily used by the U.S. army
during the 1950's. For those of you who are curious enough to see a good
pic of the RCA TK-1A 'monoscope camera', and it's 2F21 monoscope tube,
plus some reading material, you can go here,
http://www.chalkhillcom.com/museum/RCA2.htm    I have these tubes as
part of my tube collection, except for the 1899.  Hope that all enjoy
the reading,   Ira.

[David Speck MD]

Thanks to all the respondents about the monoscope tubes. 

We had some pretty smart predecessors.

Dave

[Toby Thain]

On 2020-02-15 10:39 AM, David Speck MD wrote:
> Thanks to all the respondents about the monoscope tubes. 
>
> We had some pretty smart predecessors.
>
> Dave
>
> On 2/14/2020 11:23 PM, Instrument Resources of America wrote:
>> The original monoscope tube dates back to the 1930's when RCA first
>> made its 1898 a 3" diameter electrostatic deflected tube, looking much
>> like any other 3" inch CRT. Except for the pin in the center of the
>> screen. It produced a video signal of a 'girls head' when its internal
>> target plate was scanned. Then came the 1899 a 5" diameter
>> magnetically deflected tube which produced the 'Indian head' test
>> pattern that many television stations would broadcast when they ceased

One of these tubes was recently sold on ebay.

And a Soviet test pattern tube is currently for sale:

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/RARE-soviet-SSSR-cccp-IMAGE-ORTHICON-MONOSCOPE-tube-supericonoscope-iconoscope/223461286120

>> their regular programming for the day, usually around one, or two A.M.
>> I myself, as I'm sure there must be others here as well, are old
>> enough to remember seeing this Indian head test pattern being

>> broadcast late at night. ...  Ira.

>>
>>
>> On 2/14/2020 3:54 PM, Mac Doktor wrote:
>>>> On Feb 14, 2020, at 2:11 PM, Toby Thain <to...@telegraphics.com.au>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Thanks very much for the suggestion! Even the glass etching ability
>>>> sounds quite useful for other purposes. (Tangent: I wonder if that
>>>> could
>>>> be used for edgelit projects...)
>>> Also a very effective way to give an expensive brass model locomotive
>>> enough "tooth" on the surface for the paint to stick permanently.
>>> Pickling is always a fall-back.
>>>
>>>
>>>>> By the way, what is a "Monoscope"?  I've never heard the term before.
>>>> Here's the brochure:
>>>>
>>>>  
>>>> http://www.frank.mif.pg.gda.pl/other/Raytheon/Raytheon_symbolray_an.pdf
>>>>
>>>> And @TubeTimeUS got one working:
>>>>
>>>>   http://tubetime.us/index.php/2018/06/04/a-vacuum-tube-rom/
>>> I have a couple of these. $15 apiece at a hamfest. I had no idea what
>>> they were but they were too cool to pass up. It took me several
>>> minutes to figure out what they were after I got home. I finally
>>> looked in at just the right angle and as soon as I saw some letters
>>> the lights came on.
>>>
>>> I think both have leaked, unfortunately. Really did have me going for
>>> about five minutes.
>>>
>>>
>>> Terry Bowman, KA4HJH
>>> "The Mac Doctor"
>>

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[Paul Andrews]

Different country, but yes I’m old enough to remember seeing this a lot: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_Card_F

[Nicholas Stock]

Me too Paul. Creepy picture.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 16, 2020, at 04:24, Paul Andrews <pa...@nixies.us> wrote:
>
> Different country, but yes I’m old enough to remember seeing this a lot: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_Card_F

>
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[GastonP]

Fortunately, on mine there was only a reticulated circle instead of indians or little girls.

But I remember using it a lot to calibrate linearity of TVs image by that time,

On Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 11:55:22 AM UTC-3, Pramanicin wrote:

Me too Paul. Creepy picture.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 16, 2020, at 04:24, Paul Andrews <pa...@nixies.us> wrote:
>
> Different country, but yes I’m old enough to remember seeing this a lot: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_Card_F
>
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