It needs to be mentioned that back then these cameras were VERY expensive, perhaps 5K each so the real ones were reserved for high asset areas like electronics and car parts etc.... The fake ones were just a deterrent and for the most part served their purpose. I remember box cameras in the 80's mounted on a pan left and right cycle, whether or not they were real i have no idea but they always made an impression on me as a kid.
So glad you made this video! Just got one of these, off an old building that is being demolished. Fascinated by its look. I couldn’t find anything about this brand/company online, aside from one blog post. Interested to learn that some of them did in-fact have real cameras inside.
Not sure if they were Dictograph, but I remember my local Kmart here in Canada having these large round contraptions with three camera lenses each, and they constantly rotated in one direction ... Hung from the ceiling like a ceiling fan would. This was in the late 80's or very early 90's. The housing was black and the lenses were silver/chrome, complete with an oversized red light flashing above each lens.
@@mattd5757 me too! It's crazy cause I've been ten years plus searching and it's funny cause my photos I took ended up on Reddit and some found a pair recently with the photo I took back a few years back haha either it was seen on a Facebook group or my Google maps 🤔
I remember seeing these cameras in the early to mid 1980's and they were panning left to right with the blinking light. I really like the way they looked and it's design. I was working as an employee at K-mart years ago before they closed all their stores. They had one of these cameras in the automotive department. I remember they were getting rid of all of old dated equipment, and I got permission to take the camera home because they were going to put in the compactor and crash it along with other equipment . I was like a little kid in a candy store was so excited. So I got it home and took it apart, and it was a fake I installed a Sony camcorder inside of the unit and it was such a super wide angle picture because of the already long lens of the dictograph camera, the lens was in fact of plastic and real glass but no video component inside. I use to also see these same types of cameras at a science museum and they had around 18 of them in all areas of the museum. I remember I was in one of the museum rooms and I was looking at different science projects that were in glass cases, when I can hear a loud motor noise coming from a Dictograph security camera. So as it was panning back in forth in the museum room I was in, it make a squeaking noice coming from the fan in the lower part of the camera. I remember in 1986 the year that I was there at the science museum and noticed these types of security cameras. One thing I can say was they were all real and had a b/w picture to them possibly a vidicon tube. I can see the images on multiple monitors from the security booth as I left the museum.
I do remember seeing the "panning head" versions of these cameras, I am currently in search for an original auto panning head for this series, but haven't came across one as of yet. It only took me decades to acquire these cameras, so who knows. Thank you for your story, glad you saved one for yourself!
Those are so cool! I really want one real and fake one like you have there. I have four Sanyo 70s CCTV cameras that I got ages ago. I have no clue if they work. But they are new old stock.
If you need help with these I worked with older cctv system slightly newer than these but still vidicon I could probably help you get it up and running
I appreciate the offer. Before I had gotten into the security alarm business, I was an actual TV repair man (when that was still a thing!) I still have new in box vidacon tube's! I remember setting up the bias and target adjustments on the old burel, RCA and motorola tube cameras and replacing tube's due to burn in! I kinda miss those days. But I did get nasty zaps off these old vid tube's too, I don't miss that at all....
@@ArgaTheRexouium sadly its more about how companies lead us to believe it cant be repaired and the lack of parts that are available for the products, often on purpose. More and more people are getting into repair again. The biggest difference is you need a camera microscope, or a fairly accurate macro camera and you need to learn how to surface solder stuff using flow soldering. All the parts are micro and most of the chips these days have advanced logic but most problems can be worked out using an oscilloscope and schematics. Schematics are all on a laptop now and you can follow current paths and simply click on a chip to find out what it is and what its values are. Its getting relatively better with companies like Apple being forced to allow repair, and some states are passing more laws. California, for example, recently passed a law that requires electronics manufactures with a wholesale price of $50 to $99.99 must make appropriate parts, tools and documentation available for three years after the product’s last manufacturing date. For products with a wholesale price of $100 or more, that period increases to seven years.
Companies Like dictograph usually used other major alarm companies like ADEMCO to build their burglary equipment (not all of it but the stuff I had seen), I wouldn't be surprised if the internal chassis was like sanyo, Rca, Burel as the internal electronics supplier. Just my best guess.
These were infamous in the Kmarts I also remember the big circular ceiling air vents and emergency lights would scare the crap out of me
It needs to be mentioned that back then these cameras were VERY expensive, perhaps 5K each so the real ones were reserved for high asset areas like electronics and car parts etc.... The fake ones were just a deterrent and for the most part served their purpose.
I remember box cameras in the 80's mounted on a pan left and right cycle, whether or not they were real i have no idea but they always made an impression on me as a kid.
Would love to see if the one produces video still
So glad you made this video! Just got one of these, off an old building that is being demolished. Fascinated by its look. I couldn’t find anything about this brand/company online, aside from one blog post. Interested to learn that some of them did in-fact have real cameras inside.
those things are FREAKING HUGE.
imagine if one fell on you?
Oh its that TF2 camera!
Not sure if they were Dictograph, but I remember my local Kmart here in Canada having these large round contraptions with three camera lenses each, and they constantly rotated in one direction ... Hung from the ceiling like a ceiling fan would. This was in the late 80's or very early 90's. The housing was black and the lenses were silver/chrome, complete with an oversized red light flashing above each lens.
@@ronsmith4325 I would love to have seen what they looked like.
You mean one of these?
ua-cam.com/video/k6tv_A1bvCs/v-deo.html
looks like something that would be in the simpsons
I'm glad you enjoyed it, there is not very much info out there, if I do find anything more, I will be sure to post it!
Finally I've been waiting for a video on these, thank you so much!
I have waited years to get my paws on one of these cameras, I had to share, glad you enjoyed it.
@@mattd5757 me too! It's crazy cause I've been ten years plus searching and it's funny cause my photos I took ended up on Reddit and some found a pair recently with the photo I took back a few years back haha either it was seen on a Facebook group or my Google maps 🤔
I'll definitely let you know if I get my hands on one! I hope it's the tube camera variant so I can see if we can get an image to appear 🤠
I remember seeing these cameras in the early to mid 1980's and they were panning left to right with the blinking light.
I really like the way they looked and it's design. I was working as an employee at K-mart years ago before they closed all their stores. They had one of these cameras in the automotive department. I remember they were getting rid of all of old dated equipment, and I got permission to take the camera home because they were going to put in the compactor and crash it along with other equipment . I was like a little kid in a candy store was so excited. So I got it home and took it apart, and it was a fake I installed a Sony camcorder inside of the unit and it was such a super wide angle picture because of the already long lens of the dictograph camera, the lens was in fact of plastic and real glass but no video component inside. I use to also see these same types of cameras at a science museum and they had around 18 of them in all areas of the museum. I remember I was in one of the museum rooms and I was looking at different science projects that were in glass cases, when I can hear a loud motor noise coming from a Dictograph security camera. So as it was panning back in forth in the museum room I was in, it make a squeaking noice coming from the fan in the lower part of the camera. I remember in 1986 the year that I was there at the science museum and noticed these types of security cameras. One thing I can say was they were all real and had a b/w picture to them possibly a vidicon tube. I can see the images on multiple monitors from the security booth as I left the museum.
I do remember seeing the "panning head" versions of these cameras, I am currently in search for an original auto panning head for this series, but haven't came across one as of yet. It only took me decades to acquire these cameras, so who knows. Thank you for your story, glad you saved one for yourself!
I bet there's a phony insert whether we take the big phony lens off or not.
"Nothing inside but a circuit board..."
...and a few other little things.
Those are so cool! I really want one real and fake one like you have there. I have four Sanyo 70s CCTV cameras that I got ages ago. I have no clue if they work. But they are new old stock.
Should power up the real camera and show it working (if it still does)
Haha wow, so odd
If you need help with these I worked with older cctv system slightly newer than these but still vidicon I could probably help you get it up and running
I appreciate the offer. Before I had gotten into the security alarm business, I was an actual TV repair man (when that was still a thing!) I still have new in box vidacon tube's! I remember setting up the bias and target adjustments on the old burel, RCA and motorola tube cameras and replacing tube's due to burn in! I kinda miss those days.
But I did get nasty zaps off these old vid tube's too, I don't miss that at all....
@mattd5757 I am in the alarm business too it's what's my youtube channel is about I miss the repairable stuff
@@ArgaTheRexouium sadly its more about how companies lead us to believe it cant be repaired and the lack of parts that are available for the products, often on purpose. More and more people are getting into repair again. The biggest difference is you need a camera microscope, or a fairly accurate macro camera and you need to learn how to surface solder stuff using flow soldering. All the parts are micro and most of the chips these days have advanced logic but most problems can be worked out using an oscilloscope and schematics. Schematics are all on a laptop now and you can follow current paths and simply click on a chip to find out what it is and what its values are.
Its getting relatively better with companies like Apple being forced to allow repair, and some states are passing more laws. California, for example, recently passed a law that requires electronics manufactures with a wholesale price of $50 to $99.99 must make appropriate parts, tools and documentation available for three years after the product’s last manufacturing date. For products with a wholesale price of $100 or more, that period increases to seven years.
You don't think Dictograph built it for Dictograph?
Companies Like dictograph usually used other major alarm companies like ADEMCO to build their burglary equipment (not all of it but the stuff I had seen), I wouldn't be surprised if the internal chassis was like sanyo, Rca, Burel as the internal electronics supplier. Just my best guess.