[QuadList] RCA TRT 1 Color vs Non Color versions

[allanmc-avtech at comcast.net]

All these memories of the TRT are interesting.   Worked on a pair of them at the Air University on Maxwell AFB, Alabama in the late 1960s.   At that time, our studio was monochrome and my main duty was keeping the IO cameras working  along with the Vidicon film chains.  Once in a great while, the CE would allow one of us young kids to tenderly touch his beloved TRT machines.  But, it had to be only after earning his respect and done under his watchful supervision.   He really babied those 2 machines.  But, I do recall one funny time.   We had a new base commander being shown the TV Studio.   When the two Brass Hats walked behind the TRT machines, the new commander asked about the large cylinder that looked like an air tank.   His outgoing colleague replied that it held the developer fluid for the videotapes.  The CE just winked at me indicating to keep my mouth shut..... and I did.    But, we had a good laugh afterwards. 



At another studio on the far side of the base we also had an Ampex VR1100.  (or was it a VR1000?).  This was also about the time when 1" open gate VTRs were also coming out.    My memory of that smaller studio was that it was color and that the Ampex 2" quad was color as well.   I'd like someone to confirm that since I'm working from a memory more than 40 years ago.  



But, I  do recall fondly being allowed to replace the carbon brushes in the headwheel of the TRT .   I guess I had finally arrived when he allowed me to do that maintenance chore.   



Kids take a lot for granted now!!!    We had a young green horn right out of tech school who thought that he knew EVERY THING..... But, he could not keep his little green screw driver in his pocket.    When he put the working TRT out of service with to many "little adjustments".....I remember the CE taking the screwdriver away and him telling the new kid to keep his distance away from those VTRs .  



Allan 














----- Original Message ----- 
From: Chill315@ aol .com 
To: quadlist @ quadvideotapegroup .com 
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 11:45:51 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: [ QuadList ] RCA TRT 1 Color vs Non Color versions 


I did some more research.  The first TRTs had a tube type Proc Amp.  It appears from the picture that it was a version of the TA-9 Stab Amp.  This unit does not have any real color controls.  The only one is the Chroma level control.  There were other things that I have noticed.  Early machines did not have frame pulses.  They had field pulses.  This was changed about 1960 when the SMPTE standard was adopted.  The early modulators had a different set of frequencies for color.  Then Low Band color was standardized.  It has been interesting to look at the instruction book.  The only thing that is missing is the capstan servo. But all the rest is there.  I see the differences between the A and B versions.  A lot of improvements.  Some are in the RF path but control, servo, power supplies, and MDAs appear to have been improved.  

Chris Hill 

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