https://mcr21.org.uk/ Skip to content MCR21 banner logo * * * * * Home * About Us * About MCR21 + About MCR21 + Work in Progress o 1 Preparation o Restoration work document + Television Gets Mobile + Tech. Equipment o Monitors o Philips EL3503 deck * History + Historical Context + MCR21 Programmes + Holiday Helicopter + BBC Reports * Documentation + The Vehicle + Technical Handbooks + Technical Data + Original equipment + Sound Mixing in MCR21 + Video Mixing in MCR21 + Published Articles * Get Involved + Our Supporters + Donate + Volunteer + Wish List * Picture Gallery + 1963 Pye Pictures + Philips Camera + MCR21 Crew Picture + MCR21 Videos * Events Menu Close * Home * About Us * About MCR21 + About MCR21 + Work in Progress o 1 Preparation o Restoration work document + Television Gets Mobile + Tech. Equipment o Monitors o Philips EL3503 deck * History + Historical Context + MCR21 Programmes + Holiday Helicopter + BBC Reports * Documentation + The Vehicle + Technical Handbooks + Technical Data + Original equipment + Sound Mixing in MCR21 + Video Mixing in MCR21 + Published Articles * Get Involved + Our Supporters + Donate + Volunteer + Wish List * Picture Gallery + 1963 Pye Pictures + Philips Camera + MCR21 Crew Picture + MCR21 Videos * Events * * * * [ ] Welcome to our website for the 1963 BBC MCR21 OB Van mk6 2 600x300 ChurchillFuneral600x300 Outside Wembley Stadium in 1963 mk6 1 600x300 boatrace600x300 mcr 2 600x300 mk6 4 600x300 motdp2 mk6 3 600x300 motdp3 motdp1 MATCH OF THE DAY 60th Anniversary BTTT and MCR21 Project - Video Review of the Year [AMU-1024x620-1] This is the Telephone exchange and Sound Mixer On the left is the Engineering Managers desk, it has the 15 line manual telephone exchange. The outgoing sound lines and good talkback facilities. On the right is the Sound desk. It has 20 channels divided into 3 groups, provision is made for PA outputs and extensive monitoring. There is no provision for equalisation, it is a flat response mixer. In case of power failure the whole sound chain of the MCR reverted to battery operation. The Engineering Managers desk had the manual telephone exchange and good talkback facilities. Read more on the Sound systems [monstack-1024x620-1] These pictures were taken during construction at Pye's factory MCR21's Monitor Stack Just seven monitors were deemed to be sufficient, one for each camera, two for engineering and production previews and in the centre the 17 inch transmission monitor. Associated with each 14 inch monitor is a BBC designed waveform monitor. Top centre is an Optical PPM, also a BBC design. The idea being that the sound super visor can see the PPM in the same eye line as the transmission monitor. To either side are the clock and the dual standard off air check receiver. This receiver with 405 line VHF and 625 line UHF was installed in advance ready for the start of the 625 line the following year. Read our latest Newsletter [camera-ocps-1024x620-1] The Vision Enginneers control desks MCR21 had 4 Pye Mk6 cameras and these are the Operational Control Panels (OCP) for them. Two desks are provided each with a bench seat, seating two engineers each. From left to right:- Vision supervisors control panel and two OCPs for cameras 1 & 2. The Tektronix 515 oscilloscope in the middle. On the right, OCPs for cameras 3 & 4, at the end is a blank panel for a future caption scanner OCP. Each Camera has a dedicated picture monitor and waveform monitor. Read our latest Newsletter [mcr-2-1024x620-1] . A publicty photograph with 2 cameras This is one of series of pictures taken by Pye to promote their ability to produce a complex, yet flexible outside broadcast van to a detailed BBC specification. Pye made ten of these, they were known by Pye as "Main Fleet Scanners". Finishing with MCR28 they were the last of the line of BBC monochrome OB Vans. They were significantly more advanced than earlier OB vans. Many new innovations were used for the first time, laying the ground work for the colour installations that were to come in just a few years time. See more about the MCRs Copyright BTTT & MCR21 2020 .............................................. OceanWP Theme by Nick [oceanwate year="2015"] Robin Writes:- I remember this show vividly! Billed in RT as a live report at a brief stop for drivers and cars on The RAC Rally. In reality we saw no cars at all as they were delayed and as we went off air after VT inserts and a load of woffle, all the cars arrived, much to the fury of the production team! The joy of live events tv Robin writes:- OB inserts featured in this new series of Cilla. They were done on the cheap on the back of other, usually sport OBs in a nearby location. So racing from Worcester and Cilla insert later, also from Worcester. Format was that Cilla would announce live that cameras were in such a street in x town and if you live there come out in the street and say hello to Cilla live. Cue floodlights, PA system and microphones. People came out and were interviewed down the line live. [radio-times-insert-1024x915] Robin writes:- They were OB inserts for The Engelbert Humperdinck Show also starring the Young Generation dancers. These were directed by Stewart Morris. The first was on 24[rig] and 25th January at Horsted Keynes station [renamed Generation Gap] on The Bluebell Railway in Sussex. It involved a steam train entering the station with Engelbert "driving" it and as it stopped all the carriage doors opened and the YG dancers emerged and did a routine on the platform with Eng singing foreground. It was not a happy shoot with many timing problems of getting the train to arrive fast and stop on a precise mark. Then after numerous takes the engine needed refilling with water from a distant tank with another massive delay. We were all glad when it was over. Second shoot with the same cast was unbelievably on the main car production line at Vauxhall's Luton car plant on 6-7th March. How they agreed to it I'll never know but it involved more singing and dancing in and out of the moving production line with all the workers more interested in the dancers than putting the cars together! We saw lots coming off the end of the line with leaks and faults. Ah happy days! Robin Writes:- I was on 21 at this time along with the two regular cameramen, Keith Williams [acting sup] and Martin Wyatt. We did five separate two day shoots of location inserts into this drama strand, an anthology of murder mystery type shows, linked by Rupert Davies playing a character called Baker. There were 13 episodes hence the title Bakers Dozen. It was a high budget production and read like a who's who of prominent British actors of the day. But during the shooting the title was changed to The Man Outside and this was the title they were transmitted under. 12-14 January 1972 first episode "Last Target" This starred Michael Redgrave and Ann Todd. Shot in Chenies and Latimer. I've found photos I took of this showing Martin Wyatt with EMI 2001 mounted on what I'm pretty sure is a Chapman Titan crane. Ann Todd is sitting on the bench. [MO1-1024x694][MO2-1024x687] Ken Osbourn writes:- I was there - it was known as "Operation Vague One" and involved the RAF participation in the repatriation of the body of the Duke of Windsor to England. I think that the actual date of the live event was 31/5/1972. https://youtu.be/Eurv2p8TvdQ I have no idea whether the pictures in the YouTube link are those from Lo21. The Duke of Windsor was formerly Edward VIII, King of the UK and Emperor of India from 20th Jan 1936 until his abdication on 11^th Dec of the same year. He died on 28th May 1972 in Paris, so the 29^th would fit in with a rapid deployment of Lo21 to RAF Benson.