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Each and every demonstration of large screen television was attended
thousands of people. Depending on the size of the room, the picture was either 6
1/2 feet or 10 feet square. The receiver equipment was generally placed on a
eight foot high stand. The scanning disk was 45 inches in diameter and two
inches thick. It was made of cast aluminum and has 45 three inch diameter lenses
located in three sectors. It weighed 120 pounds and was put in place or removed
using a block and tackle. On one occasion, after a show in Baltimore, the rope
broke as the disk was about to be removed. It fell to the floor with a great
crash and broke into pieces. Most of the 45 lenses were broken also. The disk
was useless and had to be replaced. The next show was in 2 days, in New York and
the replacement disk was in Chicago. Needless to say; for the next show, the
equipment was ready. As they say, "the show must go on"!---and it did!
Some of the places where these demonstrations took
place include: Macy's, New York,,, Abraham & Strauss, Brooklyn,,,
Bamberger's Newark, New Jersey,,, Hoschild-Kohn & Co., Baltimore,,, Litt
Bros., Philadelphia,,, Spear & Company, Pittsburg,,, Edwards & Sons,
Schenectady,,, Sears Roebuck, Rochester,,, Pizitz, Burmingham, Alabama,,, May
Company, Cleveland,,, O'Neil & Co., Akron, Ohio,,, R. H. Block,
Indianapolis,,, Sears Roebuck, Chicago,,, Marshall Field Co., Chicago,,,Boston
Store, Milwaukee,,, Golden Rule, St.Paul,,, Stix, Baer & Fuller, St.
Louis,,, Crowley-Milner, Detroit,,, Poeple's Outfitting Co., Detroit,,, May
Company, Los Angeles,,, Eporium, San Francisco,,, Meyer &Frank, Portland,
Oregon,,, Brandels & Co., Omaha,,, Gimbles, Miwaukee, Easton's Stores,
Canada,,, Garrick Theater, Chicago,,, The Century of Progress Exposition...
Other cities where demonstrations were given include:
Midland and Hamilton, Ontario,,, Medicine Hat, Alberta and Vancouver,British
Columbia,,, Seattle, Washington, Des Moines, Holdridge and Lincoln,
Nebraska,,,Witchita, Kansas. Nashville, Tennesee,,, Reading and Scranton,
Pennsyvania,,, Providence, Rhode Island,,, Boston, Massachusetts,,, Cincinnati,
Ohio.
As I recall, he had a carbon dioxide filled crater arc
lamp with a heated cathode, developed by a fellow named Taylor. I
think this is the same Taylor that later started up his own
transmitting tube manufacturing plant that was very popular in the
30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. Anyway, Taylor had a reputation for
making very good tubes. I believe he designed and made
some special tubes for Sanabria that were similar to the 845
who used about a dozen of them in the final output stage that
drove the lamp. The lamp operated at about 40 volts at 1 ampere.
(40 watts). I think I read somewhere the video driver could put
out about 250 watts. The lamp was in an envelope similar to an
early type #50 tube and somewhere I read that Sanabria had a
habit of over-driving them and he burned out quite a few of the
trying to get more brightness.
The rack on the right is the camera, obviously a flying spot scanner. On
the left is his video amplifier. On the lower shelf you can see 6 tubes,
which are the 845s. Behind them is a panel and behind that is another 6
of the 845s. I've seen his lens disk described as being 3 feet
diameter and as 3 and a half feet diameter in size. Also,
stated in this article is that the lenses were 2 inches in diameter. If
that is correct, I believe the disk had to be larger than 3 feet. All
things considered, a 3 foot disk would be to small.
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