Why It Was Called “Walkie Lookie”
Why It Was Called “Walkie Lookie”
Yes, this portable wireless Vidicon camera had a lot of potential for broadcasters, but guess who else was interested in it! That’s right…the Army. RCA had a long history with military radio, radar, television and more but having “eyes” at a forward position was what interested the Army in this unit. Having used RCA Walkie Talkies for years, the obvious nick name for this equipment pack was the Walkie Lookie. Experimental versions came along in 1949. In a related note, the RCA TK30 field camera was RCA’s top priority for release because of commitments to the Army. The TK10 studio camera was supposed to be the first to debut to broadcasters but the military’s need put the TK30 first in line. The TK10 was held back so that RCA could supply the Army with TK30s in early 1946. NBC got their first TK30s in June of 46 and the TK10s debuted in late 1946.
And the name apparently had influence on Ikegami with their Handy Lookies… HL series cameras… the first of which also had back packs.
I was also in the Army with an Ampex truck. USAAMS (U. S. Army Artillery and Missle School) in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 1966-67. We made training videos for helicopters, basic electronics classes, etc. for closed circuit playback. I might still have my Ampex training manual around, somewhere.
The Tupi-TV, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has tested a device like this, during transmission of Rio Carnival parades in 1960, but not acquired.
I believe DuMont did some field tests with the army around 1939 or so.
I was with a TV unit at Ft. Bragg N.C. from 1969-1971. We had a three camera remote truck that was packaged by Ampex.
When I started in AFRTS in 1973, we worked almost exclusively with American designed and made equipment . . .RCA, Ampex, Gates, Tektronix, Grass Valley etc. How does that compare with current logos on studio and field gear?
….and I thought wearing a full size Stedicam brace was hard on the back…..
The picture may have been rough but at least there was no delay…..