Broadcast Engineering Conservation Group

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Broadcast Engineering Conservation Group
AbbreviationBECG
TypeCharitable incorporated organisation
PurposeConservation, education
HeadquartersBroadcast Engineering Museum, 41 Capper Avenue, Hemswell Cliff, Lincolnshire DN21 5XS
Coordinates53°23′51″N 0°34′22″W / 53.39754°N 0.57268°W / 53.39754; -0.57268
Websitebecg.org.uk

The Broadcast Engineering Conservation Group (BECG) conserves historic broadcasting equipment. It is based at Hemswell Cliff in Lincolnshire, England and is a Charitable incorporated organisation.[1][2]

The group was founded by people with large private collections of broadcasting equipment, including several Outside Broadcast (OB) vehicles.[3][4][5] It is led by six trustees, many of them working or retired broadcast industry professionals.

In 2021 the group purchased its present building and is converting it into a permanent home for its collection known as the Broadcast Engineering Museum. To date, the museum only opens for visitors on special occasions or for groups by appointment.

A newsletter called Line-Up is published a few times each year and back issues are available on the BECG website,[6] as is a 3D virtual tour.[7]

History[edit]

Members of the group had been collecting and restoring broadcasting equipment and vehicles for many years before forming BECG in 2017. Some of these vehicles have been fully restored, while others are works in progress.

The group was formally incorporated as a charity by six founding trustees in May 2020.

In November 2021, the group bought the former RAF Sergeants' Mess at Hemswell Cliff. The building provides a permanent home for the collection and forms the Broadcast Engineering Museum.[8] As well as the main building, there are east and west wings of similar size and two large function rooms and workshops behind.

This building had been unused for 12 years and needed a lot of repairs. The local authority, West Lindsey District Council, provided BECG with funding towards the repair of broken windows.[9][10]

Since acquiring the building, repairs and improvements have been made by both contractors and volunteers. In the first year vegetation was cut back, uneven ground levelled, leaking roofs repaired, drains unblocked and over 150 broken window panes replaced. A solar PV array was installed on the main south-facing roof and a CCTV system provided.

Two large rooms were converted into videotape and telecine display areas. The videotape area contains several 2" quadruplex and 1" C-format machines as well as more modern formats. The telecine area contains machines capable of scanning 8, 9.5, 16 and 35mm film.

In September 2022, BECG held its first public open days as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme and had about 200 visitors. About half were from the local area and half from further afield.[11]

Collection[edit]

Major items in the collection include:[7]

Videotape equipment[edit]

2-inch quadruplex[edit]

  • Ampex VR-2000
  • Ampex AVR-2
  • Ampex AVR-3
  • RCA TR70B (405/525/625-line)

1-inch C-format[edit]

  • Ampex VPR-3
  • Marconi MR2B in 'table top' format
  • Marconi MR2Bs: editing pair in console format
  • Sony BVH-2000PS
  • Sony BVH-3100PS

1-inch B-format[edit]

Studio cameras[edit]

Film and telecine equipment[edit]

  • Marconi B3402 'island' telecine
  • Marconi B3410 line array telecine
  • Rank Cintel Mk3 'flying spot' telecine
  • Acmade 'Miniola' 16mm editor
  • Ciniola editor
  • Moviola editor
  • Steenbeck 16/35mm flat editing table with magnetic and optical sound
  • Panavision 'Panaflex' 35mm camera from 1972

Audio equipment[edit]

Outside broadcast vehicles[edit]

  • Southern: aka Big Bertha, possibly the oldest working colour OB scanner in the world[12]
  • Yorkshire-Tyne Tees: originally a Yorkshire TV scanner but currently in Tyne Tees livery[13]
  • BBC mobile videotape unit LMVT1 (originally with two Ampex AVR1 quadruplex VTRs)[14]
  • Project Vivat: a re-creation of a 1950s Marconi-equipped BBC OB unit with three working Marconi Mk III cameras; ex-BBC vehicle was originally MCR23.[15]
  • BBC Type 5 colour vehicle LO6 (CMCR20)[16]
  • BBC compact CMCR LO21 (CMCR39)[17]
  • ABC-Thames: originally ABC's monochrome OB truck, converted to colour by Thames TV[18]
  • P5: ex-BBC 27 kVA diesel generator on a petrol-powered truck. One of a series of ten. 1952 Bedford type ML chassis, fitted with 6-cylinder diesel generator in 1953.[19]
  • BBC radio car: one of ten Peugeot 807 cars equipped by dB Broadcast in 2005 for use by local radio stations[20]

Transmitter equipment[edit]

  • A CAT9 (Cooled Anode Triode) transmitter valve[21][22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Broadcast Engineering Conservation Group: charity overview". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  2. ^ Chapman, Alison (17 February 2021). "TV history preserved". Guild of Television Camera Professionals.
  3. ^ Casey, Helen (Spring 2021). "A Rural Surprise". Transport Digest. National Transport Trust.
  4. ^ Slavid, Ruth (15 October 2020). "TV Classics - Vintage Trucks: Broadcasting". Commercial Motor. DVV Media. pp. 36–39.
  5. ^ Borinsky, Jeffrey (Winter 2019). "Carry on Trucking". BVWS Bulletin. Vol. 44. British Vintage Wireless Society.
  6. ^ "BECG Newsletters". BECG.
  7. ^ a b "Hemswell Tour". BECG.
  8. ^ Simpson, Peter (January 2023). "Big Bertha Reborn!". Classic & Vintage Commercials. Kelsey Media. pp. 6–11.
  9. ^ "Broadcast engineering charity receives support to create new museum". Lincolnshire Today. Business Link Magazine Group. 5 December 2022.
  10. ^ Tuckett, Dianne (6 December 2022). "Support for broadcast engineering charity to create new museum". Lincolnshire World. National World Publishing Ltd.
  11. ^ Slavid, Ruth. "Heritage Open Days 2022 – report". BECG.
  12. ^ "Southern Television, OOW999G". BECG.
  13. ^ "Yorkshire Television, Unit 2, NUB327F". BECG.
  14. ^ "BBC Television, Unit LMVT1, TUW171S". BECG.
  15. ^ "Ex BBC Television, Unit MCR23, 390 EXH, "Project Vivat"". BECG.
  16. ^ "BBC Television, Unit LO6 (CMCR20), EHX86V". BECG.
  17. ^ "BBC Television, Unit LO21, GUL644W". BECG.
  18. ^ "Thames Television, Unit 2, GNF951E". BECG.
  19. ^ "BBC Television, Unit P5, NGF728". BECG.
  20. ^ "BBC Radio Car, LT05XAN". BECG.
  21. ^ "Albert Noble, animation and a CAT". Line-Up. No. 5. BECG. May 2022.
  22. ^ "CAT9". The Valve Museum.
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