Need: RCA Quadruplex VTR playback german Apollo tapes

[apollo16uvc]

Hello ApolloHoax members,

After I have done some digging, and with some suggestions from other people, I have found a german radio station that at the time of Apollo received and recorded audio, biomedical telementry and video from the moon.

Someone who came there some years ago said he saw a RCA Quadruplex Video Tape Recorder (VTR) in bad shape, together with a two inch Quadruplex reel on display. The reel was labled Apollo 16. The reel was in a state of decay, as was the recorder.

I have contacted some people at the radio station, and in September I will get in contact with someone who knows more about the tape archive.

So far I know that they recorded video/audio from Apollo 16, and audio from Apollo 11. But I am sure other missions were recorded too, it was hinted.

I proposed a digitization effort, and have been told that the RCA VTR is indeed in a bad state and would need costly repairs. The main reason why it has not been done already, is that NASA had bigger dishes and thus a better video feed anyway. But I think every chance to digitize historically significant tapes should be taken before the tapes have decayed completely.

I will post more information about the tapes as I receive more information. I also asked for photos, but that email has not been answered so far.

Would anyone here be willing to lend their expertise, parts or perhaps an entire Quadruplex machine to a digitization effort? and possible machines for other formats, if the Apollo 11 audio was recorded on 1/4 or 1/2 inch audio reels. NASA has given third parties money for restoration efforts before, like the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project.

If you wish to contact me personally, PM me and ask me for an Email there.

Here is something that an average Quadruplex recorder will look like:

Video heads:


Regards,
Niels

[Apollo 957]

I can't help, but I heartily applaud, cheer and encourage you from the sidelines for your efforts.

That's some machine, that is.

[apollo16uvc]

I have contacted several audio and video museums in Germany. deutsche-kinemathek and Lichtspiel / Kinemathek Bern replied so far, unfortunately the tapes at Bochum fall outside of their collection policy.

If you know any other museums at Europe that might be interested, link me their website.

I have received a message from an other Lichtspiel / Kinemathek Bern member, that is willing to work with the Quadruplex tapes and machines for this digitization effort. The problem is, the last 3/4 quadruplex machines at Germany were shipped to the USA a few years ago. Flo has the rotational heads and some tapes. There are two Quadruplex machines at Zwitserland. He has several tape machines and knows how to transfer old formats. He has a lab and space where machines can be repaired and tapes can be stored.

There are only 1-2 Quadruplex machines left at Zwitserland at a museum. The museum will most likely let us use them.

If the RCA Quadruplex machine is still at Bochum, it could be very usefull and may be repaired or used for parts.

If you know the location of any Quadruplex machine in Europa, please contact me.

If you know any company or museum that would be willing to help us, please contact me.

[Kiwi]

apollo16uvc: Fellow member dwight might be a useful contact. He is an Australian who works in the TV industry in Germany, has studied a lot of Apollo TV history and written two books about it, and assisted the team who searched for the best Apollo 11 video back about 2009.

Live TV from the Moon http://www.cgpublishing.com/Books/9781926592169.html
Live TV from Orbit http://www.cgpublishing.com/prime/bookpages/9781926837284.html

Dwight is near the top of page 6 of the members list. Click on Members at the top of this page.

[apollo16uvc]

Thank you Kiwi, I will look into it.

I know it is too early to say, but just to get a feel for the available options, how many of you would be willing to fund, only once or every month, this project if we need money to digitize all the tapes?

The tapes do not have to just include Apollo, but can include everything from Sputnik 1 to Russian space missions and earlier NASA manned missions.

Regards,
Niels

[Obviousman]

Thank you Kiwi, I will look into it.

I know it is too early to say, but just to get a feel for the available options, how many of you would be willing to fund, only once or every month, this project if we need money to digitize all the tapes?

The tapes do not have to just include Apollo, but can include everything from Sputnik 1 to Russian space missions and earlier NASA manned missions.

Regards,
Niels

Like Patreon? I'd be in that.

[apollo16uvc]

Thank you Kiwi, I will look into it.

I know it is too early to say, but just to get a feel for the available options, how many of you would be willing to fund, only once or every month, this project if we need money to digitize all the tapes?

The tapes do not have to just include Apollo, but can include everything from Sputnik 1 to Russian space missions and earlier NASA manned missions.

Regards,
Niels

Like Patreon? I'd be in that.

An amount of money paid for each reel? I am not sure if that would work, might involve a lot of administration costs. Possible idea though.

I may be able to secure some monthly funding from a friend that lives in the USA. Not much but everything helps. I have no way to judge costs at the moment.

Right now I am just trying to see the funding options. I think a crowdfund might be the best option.


I have already gotten in contact with several people who have offered their help and services with tapes, machines and what not if the project continues.

[Obviousman]

Patreon allows your supporters to give you either a once-off donation, or a continuing regular donation (e.g. $5 per month). I think it would be ideal for a project like yours.

I'd be happy to support a worthwhile project like yours.

[apollo16uvc]

Big update!

I got in contact with the current head of the Bochum Observatory.

Here are the main notes from the replies:

1. Audio tapes are audible.
2. There are lots of down-link satellite pictures on film.
3. "The 2 inch tapes we have access to the German television WDR ind Cologne." (Not sure what that means. I suppose it means the 2-inch Quadruplex video tapes have been digitized.)

4. There already is access to most of the data.
5. The data is undergoing preparation and research. The project is a scholarly work.
6. The archive is currently not yet open to the public. The head of bochum wants to publish the works himself. Only small parts of the archive may be published until the project is finished.
7. Because of the preparation and research project, access to the tapes and data can currently not be provided.

And for those wondering: I have NOT contacted NASA, ESA or any other agency. I was hoping the archive could be digitized without their help.

As soon as their is an other big update, I will post it.

For the mean while, you can find my growing collection of tapes here: https://archive.org/details/@apollo_16_uvc_s201_as16-123
I am working on some big projects outside bochum.

This includes digitizing a dutch observatory and digitizing network archive tapes containing NASA audio.

I suspect the  network archive tapes are internal recordings of the NASA feed provided to TV and radio networks. If so, they could be of better quality than any amateur recording made from TVs and radio stations.