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Outside Broadcast Vans

Page history last edited by Alan Hartley-Smith 3 years, 4 months ago

 

 

 

 

Types of OB vans

 

Marconi provided two types of outside broadcast van 1) a complete television system and 2) a sound system only.

 

Currently major restoration activities on these is being carried out by the Broadcast Engineering Conservation Group

 

The following table shows the number of OB units shipped between 1950 and 1975.

 

 

System  UK  Export  Totals 
Television  32  104  136 
Sound  16  16 
Totals  32  120  152 

 

The 120 export units were shipped to a total of 26 countries

 

 

Introduction

 

Television Outside Broadcast units (1963) click here

 

 

Models of OB vans, and communications 

 

Model number

Description

Comments

Date (approx.)

Details

BD604

OB Van, 3 x MkIII cameras

Ash wooden frame by Marshalls of Cambridge

 4 sold to the BBC as Mobile Control Rooms

1953 - 1959

here

BD846

OB Van, "TV reporting Van" (roving eye) MkIII camera

Possibly built for the BBC

1955 - 1956

here

BD891

OB Van, 3 to 4 MkIV cameras

7 ton Bedford chassis built by RTS

Some supplied to Channel 10 Sydney

1960 - 1964

here 

BD892A

OB Van, 2 x MkIII (or maybe MkIV) cameras

 

1955 - 1961

here

BD892  OB Van, 2 Camera    <1960 here 
B4400  Television OB unit, 2-camera    < 1965 here
B4401  Television OB units, 3-4 camera    < 1965 here

B4401

OB Van, mono, 4 x MkV I.O. cameras

Bedford chassis, possibly built by Bonallacks

Supplied to the 1969 European Games in Athens

1966

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here 

 

and

 

here

 

 

 

 

 

 

B4402

OB Van, colour, 4 x MkVII cameras

Bedford chassis, built by RTS

Supplied to Yorkshire TV

1969

B4403

OB Van, mono, 4 x MkV cameras

 

1969

B4404

OB Van, colour, 2 x MkVII cameras

 

1969

B4406

OB Van, 2 x MkIX/IX P cameras

Stonefield chassis

Sold to Granada TV and Tripole Lybia

1976

B4409

OB Van, colour, 4 x MkVIII cameras

Bedford chassis built by Smiths at Great Bentley.  Also built with a Mercedes chassis for RTBF Brussels.

Sold to Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia

1976

B4410

OB Van, Mono, 4 x MkV cameras

Bedford chassis built by Smiths at Great Bentley.

 

1976

?

OB Van, colour, 3 x MkIV cameras*

Sold to Smith Kline and French

?

 

?

OB Van, colour, 3 x MkIV cameras*

Sold to Intertel

?

 

B3099

Portable Television Radio-camera    1960 here
BD421  SHF Vision and Sound Link    1960 here 
TM112  SHF Vision and Sound Link    c. 1964 here
         
  Television Outside Broadcast Vehicles    < 1969 here

*  OB Van connected via an umbilical cable to a second Van housing the Ampex Video Tape Recorder

 

Some of this material is by courtesy of the UK Museum of the Broadcast Television Camera with additions  

 

 

 

Further information

 

This article written by Keith T.D. Hughes describes the major points to be considered when designing an outside broadcast van.

 

The design of a novel colour OB unit by A.O. Moore 1979 click here

 

2/3-Camera OB unit for the ITN by I. Buffham 1984 click here 

 

The design of a colour OB unit by D. Saric 1974 click here

 

Going to work in a Rolls Royce by P.R. Berkeley click here

 

Outside Broadcast Unit planning by K.T.D. Hughes click here

 

Mobile television click here

 

 

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