E-mail Received,

The Link 101 camera

Brian writes in his email;

Please remember that these notes are from 40 years ago and are subject to confirmation – I will try to contact some others who were involved.

The 106 would almost certainly be identical to the 101 (see below on construction) but I don’t remember making them.

The 105 looked identical to the 101 externally except for an extra BNC to the rear. Internally, the short SPG board which sits between the top runners is replaced by a much longer unit in the same position.

As to uses, the 101 was intended as a surveillance camera and was used, with a cover extended at the front to form a cowl, by Redifusion in their security systems. I seem to remember that the 109 was similar to the 101 but had a Bulgin 5 or 6 pin connector at the rear for remote lift and target. It was intended for cheap telecine work and the like. I was making 101s, 105s and the occasional 109 from about 1964 till 1968. Many of the 101s were fitted with the Redifusion covers. Technically, all I can really remember is that all the cameras operated the tubes in the “high field” mode, the 600VDC being generated by a DC-DC converter using a ringing ferroxcube pot transformer. Mechanically, there were three sturdy aluminum sand castings: a very heavy base, a front with lens aperture cast in and a rear with a drop-through mains transformer aperture cast in. The yoke assembly (again, 2 castings) slid along two chrome plated bars with PTFE bushes pressed into the castings. Altogether a solid construction.

Cheers

Brian Cluff