Image request... Hartnell Meters

[celation]

Hey Marc,

I can't see how they'd be LEDs in 1963. Okay - Wikipedia says they were introduced in 1962, but I can't imagine they would have been in general use at that time. They must have cost a fortune - and for something hidden underneath a lens, I can't see that they would have bothered using them instead of bulbs.

The lens heavily distorts the glow of the bulbs, so it the effect is quite odd. It may be that the circle of bulbs surrounded some sort of reflective surface. Very difficult to tell.

Fairly sure the circle on top is paint, too...

There's a good image from the start of The Sensorites where they're pointing to the "telepathic circuits" and saying that it shows that they're still moving, if I remember rightly. Landed on top of something/ inside something etc.. You can see the striations of the lenses I have - good reference.

I think it's just the same technique of overspraying in silver that they've used on the other lenses - as you can see on my first panel - just a more regular pattern. In fact the edge of the lens has been sprayed too (possibly when spraying the box) leaving only a ring of clear lens between.

C.

[type 83]

Well, I could be wrong, it's just the distortion on the lights in the reference picture is like that on the clear pole for your rotor.

[jasononion]

Hi, how about freeze framing the last scene from the last episode on 'Planet of the Daleks'?
Believe its a good clean shot as the Doctor connects with the Telepathic Circuits.
And its in colour

[type 83]

It's a side on shot.
The black boxes have turned black and they are most definitely red

[exleo]

Planet of the Daleks episode 1

[Rassilons Rod]

Fair point about LEDs. As I said I haven't done any work on my console for over a year, much less looked at my references for it.

And just to be clear, I wasn't knocking your work... Just trying to further the discussion and throw in my 2c

And that new post that has appeared, makes me think there is definitely something stuck on top of your lens

EDIT: for god's sakes... Thats a huge disappointment. I just noticed that some of the meters and stuff are just bits of card with an image on them :/

[jasononion]

That was it!
Memory cheats...

[exleo]

EDIT: for god's sakes... Thats a huge disappointment. I just noticed that some of the meters and stuff are just bits of card with an image on them :/

Welcome to the true world of Television production... "build the general shape and decorate it with a few practical pieces and a lot of card and ink" When a camera passes over, nobody will ever know it's not real.... it makes building props quick and therefore cheap, and thats why the builds on a site like this far outstrip those that any TV production ever could...
Be proud of yourselves for being 'Real'.

(EDIT): It's interesting to note that these two images showthe pertwee panel is a completely different layout to the original, smaller shallower meters, smaller lights placed lower down and a lot more space in between everything......

[Rassilons Rod]

(EDIT): It's interesting to note that these two images showthe pertwee panel is a completely different layout to the original, smaller shallower meters, smaller lights placed lower down and a lot more space in between everything......

Well on that point we come back to the idea that was proffered back on the old boards about a new panel being laid on top of the old one, obscuring the surrounds of the lamps (rather than simply removing the surrounds), and making the meters appear shallower...

I never quite bought that idea, but many did and still do

[exleo]

No the Pertwee ones are definately a different type of meter, and if you look between the two images you can see that the four elements are placed closer together and higher up the panel, leaving the larger empty space between them and the now smaller row of 'pingpong' lights. This is a completely new panel, also if it had been a board laid over the top then you wouldn't be able to see the risers that seperate the panels, they would have become shallower too

[celation]

I never quite bought that idea, but many did and still do 

That'll be me then! 

No - I didn't think you were criticising, Marc - keep throwing the cents in. I'm all for furthering the information.

Incidentally - you might well be right about it being something stuck on top. I can't see any pictures where it's scratched from the lens, which can be seen on all the other lenses. If so - I wonder what it was they used...

Unbelievable about the bits of card stuck on. That's the first time I've seen that, and I must have scrutinized that sequence a good few times.

type 83: See the attached picture from The Sensorites. The same concentric circles are on their lenses as are on mine. A fresnel effect, I guess. They could well be red, yes.


exleo: They're exactly the same meters, but only the upper part is seen. The whole meter extends below the console panel, even in the Hartnell/Troughton version. They're the same as I have in my previous picture - you can see one removed and placed on top of the console in The Mind Robber (I think it was...) onwards. They've also had white lettering put on, but look at the background - exactly the same as before as is the screw and the black masking painted on the front. They do seem to have been placed in a different position and deeper set - yes.

C.

[exleo]

Yep I can see how they would have been sunken in
there is definately something on top of the telepathic circuit though and I am wondering if it was something very simple such as a large badge (button for our US friends) just painted silver and stuck on..
And you definately have the right items C. I can remember lights and lenses like that being around very much at the time

[celation]

Yes - badges are a thought - though I can't imagine that they wouldn't have buckled inwards over ten years. Maybe it was something more solid...

[exleo]

the slight doming of the lense would support the centre of the badge, with the rim of the badge being just that little lower down, there would be very little not in contact with the lense, plus Badge back in the 60s were thicker metal compared to what we have in more recent times (cheap and nasty)

[Rassilons Rod]

I am seeing the lens effect you're talking about now, and I agree you have chosen exactly the right thing

But I will say that I don't think that these units were painted with the silver ring either at this point, I know the
bit you mean, it had a triangular nick taken out of it, right? Here I think the image shows something more akin
to a metal bangle or similar.

-Marc