The "Wamoscope" - a Picture Tube That Includes Many Functions
November 1956 Radio & Television News

November 1956 Radio & Television News
November 1956 Radio & Television News Cover - RF Cafe[Table of Contents]

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio & Television News, published 1919-1959. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

Yeah, I thought the same thing... a "Wamoscope?" Was it produced by the Wham-O toy company that makes the Hula Hoop, the Frisbee, the Super Ball, and Silly String? Wham-O was founded in 1948, and this article appeared in a 1956 edition of Radio & Television News magazine, so why not? Actually, Wamoscope is derived from "WAve-MOdulated oscilloSCOPE." Developed by Sylvania Electric Products, it combined a traveling-wave tube with a cathode ray tube in single enclosure. That enabled microwave signals to be fed directly to the CRT for amplifications and processing. Evidently the idea did not catch on since the market was never filled with Wamoscope sets. A brochure for Sylvania's 6762 Wamoscope is shown at the bottom of the page.

See also Simplified Radar to Use "Wamoscope" from the November 1956 issue of Popular Electronics.

The "Wamoscope" - a Picture Tube That Includes Many Functions

The 'Wamoscope' - a Picture Tube That Includes Many Functions, November 1956 Radio & TV News - RF Cafe

Type 6762 "Wamoscope" is shown with a 15·inch ruler to indicate its size. Also shown is the solenoid which fits over the tube to focus it along with the r.f. transducers.

New development combines traveling-wave tube with cathode ray tube in single envelope. Operates in microwave range.

A radically new type of cathode ray tube for radar, television, and other electronic display applications has been developed by Sylvania Electric Products Inc. in cooperation with the Naval Research Laboratory. The new electronic device is called the "Wamoscope," from "WAve-MOdulated oscilloSCOPE."

The new tube combines most of the essential functions of a microwave receiving set in a single tube envelope, eliminating many of the tubes and components required by conventional receivers. In a radar receiver utilizing the "Wamoscope," microwave signals go directly from the antenna into the tube, where, in a single envelope, the signals are amplified, detected, and played on the tube's fluorescent screen. Compared with a conventional radar receiver, this means that the local oscillator, mixer, intermediate frequency amplifier, detector, video amplifier, and their associated circuitry are eliminated. Another important feature is the wide selection of channels possible in the "Wamoscope.' which operates over a microwave frequency band of 2000 to 4000 mc.

Simplified functional diagram of "Wamoscope" tube - RF Cafe

Simplified functional diagram of "Wamoscope" tube showing the elements that operate on the electron beam. Combines traveling-wave and cathode ray tube principles.

The operation of the tube is based upon velocity-sorting the electrons which emerge from the end of the helix of the traveling wave tube section. A d.c. beam is passed down the helix. With an r.f. input. the beam interacts with the r.f. fields on the helix so that the beam is velocity and current modulated in accordance with the amplitude of the r.f. signals. The velocity-modulated beam enters the region where the special electron-optical system is located. By applying a suitable bias voltage to an aperture here, the electrons whose velocity is greater than the d.c. velocity pass through the aperture and are allowed to impinge upon the screen of the cathode ray tube while the slower electrons are reflected.

Initial uses of the new wide-band tube will probably include special radars and military closed-circuit television applications.

Sylvania Model 6762 Wamoscope (p1) - RF CafeSylvania Model 6762 Wamoscope (p2) - RF CafeSylvania Model 6762 Wamoscope (p3) - RF CafeSylvania Model 6762 Wamoscope (p4) - RF Cafe

Sylvania Model 6762 Wamoscope

 

 

Posted June 16, 2020
(updated from original post on 8/2/2016)