The Kenneth Sharp Tardis Console

[fivefingeredstyre]

Hi

I'm probably missing the obvious here, but I have a couple of observations...

Firstly, we are saying in the wiring diagram that on side 3 the bottom lamp remains constantly on; however in this picture (Which we identify earlier as being side 3...) the bottom lamp is not illuminated. Should we not be saying that this is also a flasher?



Also, we identify side 1 as having four lamps; however I've looked back through the pictures we've posted and I can't seem to find a picture showing four lamps, they all seem to be three in number to me...  

Like I said I may be missing something, did we get this from an on-screen reference?

Trying to identify these lamps is like trying to nail jelly to a wall, isn't it

[galacticprobe]

I may be wrong (and Tony will correct me if I am), but if they used the same column and Central Pier - only changing out the three large cylinders to make them red, and replacing the blue and yellow perspex bits for the frosted perspex sides, in this cropped grab from "Planet of Evil"...

...even though the column lights are all off, you can still see four lamps sockets, evenly spaced, on one side of the Central Pier (and from this angle, those lamp sockets are unusually clear - maybe because the blue and yellow perspex pieces aren't criss-crossing there anymore, and we have a clear path by the flat frosted perspex side that replaced them?

But I've pointed out all four sockets, and they appear to be on the same side of the Pier. This could be Side 1 that Tony identified. Again, this is going on the assumption that the same Central Pier was used when the Column was modified... which is entirely plausible since they used the same light tubes in the large cylinders. If not changing out the large light tubes, then why not keep the smaller lights on the Central Pier as well? (Keep the lighting as is, just change the color filters.)

Dino.

[tony farrell]

Firstly, we are saying in the wiring diagram that on side 3 the bottom lamp remains constantly on; however in this picture (Which we identify earlier as being side 3...) the bottom lamp is not illuminated. Should we not be saying that this is also a flasher?

Hi Steve, In the wiring diagram I've said it's unclear whether they're permanently or intermittently on. I repeat I'm not an electrician and you and Dino have gone to a lot of trouble in creating a working diagram which others can build.

So, bearing in mind I'm an electrical idiot, a question: Would it make any difference to the wiring diagram if all the lamps were 'flasher bulbs' and it is therefore a pure fluke that in In Colony in Space the top three lamps on pier side one remain illuminated (at least for the short time they're on screen)?

Secondly, if all the lamps were indeed 'flasher bulbs', is it in the nature of such lamps to flash at different intervals and to stay illuminated for different lengths of time without the need for any additional wiring (the need for which would contradict current photographic evidence)?

Also, we identify side 1 as having four lamps; however I've looked back through the pictures we've posted and I can't seem to find a picture showing four lamps, they all seem to be three in number to me.

I refer my honorable friend to the reply given here: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=6530.msg80951#msg80951

Trying to identify these lamps is like trying to nail jelly to a wall, isn't it

I couldn't agree more!

If someone could answer my two questions relating to wiring, I'd be grateful but, we're already up to four pages and, so far, not a measurement in sight. I really would like to move forward. If it transpires that I'm incorrect about the lamps' staggered four-three-three arrangement (and it was a staggered three-three-three arrangement), then I'll gladly amend the diagram/drawing.  

T

[tony farrell]

I'll leave it until later to allow people the time to reply and then I'll post the next section in which I hope to show how the Sharp Console was constructed and to begin to discuss actual dimensions! 

T

[fivefingeredstyre]

So, bearing in mind I'm an electrical idiot, a question: Would it make any difference to the wiring diagram if all the lamps were 'flasher bulbs' and it is therefore a pure fluke that in In Colony in Space the top three lamps on pier side one remain illuminated (at least for the short time they're on screen)?

It shouldn't make any difference at all, the flashing mechanism would be part of the actual lamp itself. Therefore you could replace all the lamps with those that remain constantly on, or all with Blinkies if you really wanted. It wouldn't make any difference to the wiring.

Secondly, if all the lamps were indeed 'flasher bulbs', is it in the nature of such lamps to flash at different intervals and to stay illuminated for different lengths of time without the need for any additional wiring (the need for which would contradict current photographic evidence)?

The rate of flash would be down to the tolerance of the lamps themselves. Its what I meant earlier when I said that I was wondering if there actually was a pattern to the flashing of the lamps or if it was entirely "random" as the lamps would be flashing at different speeds thanks to imperfections in the way they were made.

In all honesty I don't think we are going to be able to draw this one to a close, I think we have the wiring nailed down though...

[fivefingeredstyre]

I may be wrong (and Tony will correct me if I am), but if they used the same column and Central Pier - only changing out the three large cylinders to make them red, and replacing the blue and yellow perspex bits for the frosted perspex sides, in this cropped grab from "Planet of Evil"...

...even though the column lights are all off, you can still see four lamps sockets, evenly spaced, on one side of the Central Pier (and from this angle, those lamp sockets are unusually clear - maybe because the blue and yellow perspex pieces aren't criss-crossing there anymore, and we have a clear path by the flat frosted perspex side that replaced them?

Looks pretty conclusive to me

[galacticprobe]

It shouldn't make any difference at all, the flashing mechanism would be part of the actual lamp itself. Therefore you could replace all the lamps with those that remain constantly on, or all with Blinkies if you really wanted. It wouldn't make any difference to the wiring.

Agreed. If you could get your hands on one of those flasher lamps and look inside, you'd see several elements - thin ones that hold the filament in place, with one of those supplying power to one side of the filament, and then one thicker element touching the other side of the filament. That thicker element is the flasher element and completes the current path through the lamp. As the flasher element heats up, one side of it contracts, which pulls it away from the filament, breaks the current path and causes the lamp to go out. Once it cools enough, it relaxes (the contracted side expanding) and it touches the filament completing the current path again, and re-lighting the lamp. All the wiring on the outside is simply to have a + and - side so current can flow through the lamp and light it.

The rate of flash would be down to the tolerance of the lamps themselves. Its what I meant earlier when I said that I was wondering if there actually was a pattern to the flashing of the lamps or if it was entirely "random" as the lamps would be flashing at different speeds thanks to imperfections in the way they were made.

Again I agree. The only thing I would change in the wording of this (and maybe it could be called semantics), is replacing "imperfections" with the aforementioned "tolerance(s)". Technically, anything that's man-made is "imperfect". Even NASA's most sophisticated instruments - while they do have tolerances they must meet - are made with all man-made components, and they are imperfect.

So the flashing rate for the lamps (on time/off time), as Steve said, all depends on the tolerances of that flasher element I mentioned above. Some will flash faster than others, and if you watch the same lamp for a while, you'd notice that there will be times when the on-time will be longer than others; the same for the off-time. It's never a steady 'on - off - on - off'; you can get rates like 'on - - - off - on - off - - - on - - off - on - off - - on' etc. So any flasher lamp will flash at a totally random rate. (It could even get "stuck" on, or off, for a while. Again I refer to the 'Lost In Space' Robot's flashing lamps, both on his chest and in his head bubble. No pattern at all, and once in a while you'll see one lamp always on, or never on... until a scene change, when someone either has "thumped" the lamp to get it going again, or replaced the lamp.)

In all honesty I don't think we are going to be able to draw this one to a close, I think we have the wiring nailed down though...

Actually, we might be able to consider this one at least "tabled" as far as the lamps go. We know flasher lamps flash at random rates, so there is no specific pattern to them; we know they can be on or off for longer times than at others (which can make them look "steady-on" or "~-off" in the short time this particular TARDIS console column is in shot); we also know they can get stuck on or off (and this I know because I used to play with those flasher lamps almost non-stop when I was a kid - always building "computers" with blinking lights out of cardboard boxes so I could have some 'Lost In Space' things to muck about with, so I know flasher lamps), and that again brings us back to how they look when in shot. So I would call this part "tabled" until someone notices what we think are the "steady-on" lamps flashing.

The wiring - definitely nailed down!

(I hope this babbling is helpful.)
Dino.

[fivefingeredstyre]

Agreed. If you could get your hands on one of those flasher lamps and look inside, you'd see several elements - thin ones that hold the filament in place, with one of those supplying power to one side of the filament, and then one thicker element touching the other side of the filament. That thicker element is the flasher element and completes the current path through the lamp. As the flasher element heats up, one side of it contracts, which pulls it away from the filament, breaks the current path and causes the lamp to go out. Once it cools enough, it relaxes (the contracted side expanding) and it touches the filament completing the current path again, and re-lighting the lamp. All the wiring on the outside is simply to have a + and - side so current can flow through the lamp and light it.

There's a scene in Planet of Evil 4 that backs up what we've been saying about the use of these flasher lamps. When the Doctor is transporting the mutated Kerensky to the Planet in the TARDIS you see Tom Baker actually switch on the TARDIS Console. For a few seconds every lamp on the Rotor is illuminated before a few of them start to flash. This reason they all come on at once is because when they are first illuminated is because the bi-metal element in the blinkies would not have had time to heat up and break contact. After a few seconds they get warm enough and the bi-metal contact starts to make the individual lamps flash. The fact that we see this happen backs up our theory that they indeed use individual flashing lamps rather than a wired sequence giving a controlled flashing sequence...

Actually, we might be able to consider this one at least "tabled" as far as the lamps go. We know flasher lamps flash at random rates, so there is no specific pattern to them; we know they can be on or off for longer times than at others (which can make them look "steady-on" or "~-off" in the short time this particular TARDIS console column is in shot); we also know they can get stuck on or off (and this I know because I used to play with those flasher lamps almost non-stop when I was a kid - always building "computers" with blinking lights out of cardboard boxes so I could have some 'Lost In Space' things to muck about with, so I know flasher lamps), and that again brings us back to how they look when in shot. So I would call this part "tabled" until someone notices what we think are the "steady-on" lamps flashing.

Actually I noticed yesterday that the flashing goes out of the window by Planet of the Daleks, when every light in the Rotor flashes at a constant rate (including the green cylinder lamps). We may be getting ahead of ourselves here, but I'm guessing that between Frontier 6 and Planet 1 they fitted the column lighting feed with a single flasher unit controlling every light. Every lamp flashes on and off together as the rate of flash means that the bi-metal element in the individual flashing lamps doesn't have time to warm up and break contact.

The next time you see the console is in Death to the Daleks 1 and the Rotor isn't illuminated; however the next time (production-wise) you see the Console is in Pyramids of Mars/ The console has been refurbished and the lights are back to their normal configuration (Cylinder lamps remain constantly on and the central pier lamps are flashing randomly). So i'm guessing the flasher unit was removed during the refurb post Death to the Daleks/Pre Pyramids refurb.

Does any of that make sense??

[tony farrell]

Actually I noticed yesterday that the flashing goes out of the window by Planet of the Daleks, when every light in the Rotor flashes at a constant rate (including the green cylinder lamps). We may be getting ahead of ourselves here, but I'm guessing that between Frontier 6 and Planet 1 they fitted the column lighting feed with a single flasher unit controlling every light. Every lamp flashes on and off together as the rate of flash means that the bi-metal element in the individual flashing lamps doesn't have time to warm up and break contact.

The simultaneous flashing of the pier's lamps and the six tungsten filament tubes actually only occurs when the Tardis materialises on Spiridon. In the take-off from the Ogron Planet, the column's lights behave as before i.e., tubes constantly on and pier's lamps flashing randomly.

I would imagine that in the fictional world of Dr Who, this simultaneous flashing was to show that the Tardis was being piloted by the Timelords (i.e., a remote-controlled landing). In terms of a 'practical effect', it isn't the first time that something has been added to the console for dramatic purposes and it wouldn't be the last:

The cylindrical housing for the dematerialisation circuit isn't present when we first see the console covered in wires in Claws of Axos (ep 3) but has been fitted for episode four. In the Time Monster (ep 4), the production crew go to the trouble of drilling a hole in control panel 3 and properly fitting a microphone whilst (in the very next recording block for) episodes five and six, the microphone is sat on the panel with only its wires through the hole.

Similarly in The Time Monster, we see a drop-down hatch in use on the Console presumably so that a stagehand can operate the 'time ram' dial from underneath the Console out-of-sight of the camera!



So constant tinkering seems to have been the norm! Anyway, back to the pier's lamps:

The next time you see the console is in Death to the Daleks 1 and the Rotor isn't illuminated

It is actually briefly seen lit (tubes constant, lamps flashing) behind Jon Pertwee as he twirls the beach umbrella - within a second or two the Tardis succumbs to 'a mains power failure' and crash lands on Exillon - thereafter the Console is in darkness!

however the next time (production-wise) you see the Console is in Pyramids of Mars/ The console has been refurbished and the lights are back to their normal configuration (Cylinder lamps remain constantly on and the central pier lamps are flashing randomly). So i'm guessing the flasher unit was removed during the refurb post Death to the Daleks/Pre Pyramids refurb.

I know from the various e-mails Steve has sent me that he's a big fan of this Console so, I'm obviously going to have to be very careful with what I say in this thread!  

With respect, I think that after spending three pages discussing the pier's lamps, we've exhausted this particular subject. I'd very much now like to move on to part two. To this end, whilst I nip away for a while, I'll post this 'work in progress' drawing:



Pay particular attention to the three black strips equally spaced around the circular base - these are significant!

T

[tony farrell]

At the end of page one of this thread (referencing screen grabs from The Pirate Planet and Claws of Axos), I pointed out the different ratios between the diameters of the Console's collar, the column's cylinder and the the diameter of the circular black base.




(Given the fact that the outer cylinder had obviously been remade between the two stories, you may remember that we took the diameter of the hole in the console's 'collar' as our constant dimension i.e., 100 units.):

For Pirate Planet:-
Where 760 pixels = 100 units,
the diameter of the Perspex cylinder = 700/760 x 100 = 92.105 units and
the diameter of the black base = 570/760 x 100 = 75 units.

For Claws of Axos:-
Where 476 pixels = 100 units,
the diameter of The Perspex cylinder = 438/476 = 92.017 units and
the diameter of the black base = 352/476 = 73.950 units.

I then went on to point out that at 73.950 units and 75 units respectively - and given the appearance of a slight discrepancy between the diameter of the mirrored disc and the diameter of the black base in the later Baker picture  - the black base seemed to have been fractionally increased in size between the two stories (possibly a later thin 'skin' was added to disguise some damage to the original - MK1A - black base).

Predictably - given that I belong very firmly to the 'rivet counter gang'   - I went in search of photographic evidence to back this hypothesis up. What I found doesn't support the suggestion that the black base acquired an additional layer or 'skin' but it does, nevertheless, explain the apparent difference in diameters of the black bases between the two stories!

Back to the Console's debut in Axos:



The second picture shows that this isn't a trick of the light, and that there is something present:



And it is visible in Planet of the Daleks as well:



But, the 'clincher' comes from Horns of Nimon:



The column's circular black base was fitted with three, equally spaced, narrow black strips. It is the presence of these strips which accounts for the apparent discrepancy in the diameter of the base seen in the screen-grabs from Axos and Pirate Planet; the angle from which the column is seen determines whether the viewer can see these strips or not.

So, the Sharp Console's Central Column looked like this (again, the multi-directional panels have been omitted for clarity and all lamps are lit to show their positions):



T

[fivefingeredstyre]

The simultaneous flashing of the pier's lamps and the six tungsten filament tubes actually only occurs when the Tardis materialises on Spiridon. In the take-off from the Ogron Planet, the column's lights behave as before i.e., tubes constantly on and pier's lamps flashing randomly.

I would imagine that in the fictional world of Dr Who, this simultaneous flashing was to show that the Tardis was being piloted by the Timelords (i.e., a remote-controlled landing). In terms of a 'practical effect', it isn't the first time that something has been added to the console for dramatic purposes and it wouldn't be the last:

They also flash when the TARDIS leaves at the end of the story. Also the console room roundel lights are illuminated during the Frontier reprise and after we see the TARDIS spin through space the roundels are darkened as though the back lighting has been switched off... It's documented that the final scene in Frontier was filmed in a hurry during the making of Planet, but i'm guessing it was on different days, hence the discrepancy in continuity. It also could be that the Console was fitted with a flashing sequencer as well as the blinky central pier lighting, and that this sequencer was rarely used?

[fivefingeredstyre]

Similarly in The Time Monster, we see a drop-down hatch in use on the Console presumably so that a stagehand can operate the 'time ram' dial from underneath the Console out-of-sight of the camera!



So constant tinkering seems to have been the norm!

You know, I was wondering what that was

[tony farrell]

Watch the sequence where Roger Delgado chains Katy Manning to his Tardis' console (ooh, a bit of Saturday teatime bondage!)  . The hatch on the underside of the 'time ram' dial is open throughout!

Interestingly, the construction of the hatch reveals something of how the Console was made as does the 'socket' for the dematerialisation circuit. More of that in my next post (ooh, a bit of mystery!)  .

So, so far in this thread (with thanks to Jonathan, Steve and Dino for their help), we've pinned down the actual construction of the column, we've established the correct positioning of the pier's flashing lamps, we have a practical wiring diagram which matches the photographic evidence and, now, we've identified the presence of three strips on the column's circular base.

As far as I know these four points are new knowledge; at least they are to me.

So gents, much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, no more on electrics for now please!

Let's recognise that we're making new discoveries and - if you'll bear with me while I redraw the couple of diagrams I still have to replace following the death of my old laptop - I think we'll be in a position to show exactly how Kenneth Sharp's team made this console.

T

[galacticprobe]

I totally agree, Tony. And good catch to all on noticing those joining strips on the column's black base, and the "trap door" for operating the "Time Sensor" (as it was called in the story) to cause the time ram in "The Time Monster". (As a sometimes Rivet Counter, Tony, I'm right up there with you, and all of these new details being uncovered are new to me.)

One thing I would like to suggest, if I may, is that we stick to images and stories containing this console (at least in pre-Season 14 terms) for references, such as column diameter, etc. Too many years (and stories) passed between "Axos" and the Season 16 "Pirate Planet", and with so many changes made to the console when it re-appeared in Season 15, it could almost be considered a completely new console by the time of "Pirate Planet". But from "Axos" through to Season 13, the console had only minor alterations done to it, and for a "Pertwee era console", this is what we should restrict the reference material to. (Season 15 to 18 would be references for a "Tom Baker Era Console".)

So, is this agreeable, or am I out of line with this thinking?

Dino.

[fivefingeredstyre]

I'd agree to a point; however I think the basic time rotor body and console frame were the same right through to season 19. With regards to the time rotor I'd say the only thing that were changed were that the 3 x 4" green cylinders were replaced with red ones and the three sets of coloured panels were replaced with a flat opaque perspex sheet, the rest of the rotor body remained the same to the finish. I'd suggest the later variant is good enough for references at least...

(The red version of the rotor always reminds me of rhubarb, for some reason... )

As for the console table itself, It looks to me that the panels and instruments just get pretty much butchered after Death to the Daleks; however the basic bodywork appears to remain constant, at least until Logopolis. I'm guessing Tony's extrapolated measurements may prove me wrong, of course...

The console is pretty much a wreck by the time Baker passes it on to Davison (Two (not so) careful owners ) so I would question what reference we could glean after season 18?