The 1850A Iconoscope camera tube was the successor to the 1939 1850 tube. It was used for broadcast quality television and the Iconoscope design was the first successful RCA TV pick-up tube. EMI in the UK originated similar camera tubes. The striking feature of the Iconoscope is the electron gun. The Iconoscope design required the scanning beam to impinge on the same side as the incident light.
The electron gun and Type designation. The scanning coils would fit over this 35 mm neck.
The head cylinder is 160 mm diameter and 155 mm long. The glass is domed for strength. Light enters from the end at the bottom of the image. The top connector on the right is the signal electrode whilst the lower connector is the g4 electron collector (like an anode). The smaller connectors are used in manufacture only. It looks like the getter is fired in this way and the getter material stays contained.
The connectors either side are believed to be part of the getter system during manufacture. They are not used in operation. Photographing pick-up tubes seems to also record the photographer. The shot was taken in a small court yard outside the Washford museum.
A corner of the light sensitive plate. This is a mosaic of isolated cells of light sensitive material and small capacitors to retain the liberated charge until discharged by the scanning beam.
The base and the made in USA lettering.
The cathode and heater is on the right with the first parts of the electron lens.
This we believe houses the getter.
The evacuation pip is on the back of the main cylinder. The gold band looks to be the electron collector g4.
The end window envelope is 160 mm in diameter, and excluding the UX6 base pins is 370 mm tall.
Reference: Data-sheet. Type 1850A was first introduced in 1945. See also1945 adverts.
