[QuadList] Guerilla splices (was RCA types) (Joe Owens)

[Phillip G. Shaw]

Splices Technical:
Editing on Quad:  The Control Track (240HZ) has a 30 HZ frame pulse recorded 
(not to be confused with Color Frame) that the Capstan Servo uses to lock 
the picture to the correct B&W Vertical field sequence.  This frame pulse 
can be used to mechanically splice tapes together with a 50% chance you have 
correct color framing. The result of a bad edit was a color flash at the 
Edit. All tape machines used a Control track frame pulse to lock the servos, 
that is why you can't edit the wrong "field" sequence.



The Machines don't much care about the Vertical interval after Equalizing 
Pulses, this is the area housekeeping is done in NTSC .  The Edit timing 
adjustment for quads was normally done on the Picture Monitor in pulse 
cross, double punch input & demod  and adjust the "Hammer" (equal Pulses) 
such that demod is delayed  ~ 50%

Trivia related:

The Grass Valley 300 Analog Switcher used line 15-16 for switch Clamping, 
those that inserted VITC on that line were rewarded Glitches



Network Trivia:

The Color timing & phase of those times was sloppy but within the window of 
the technology. In 1984 I was the Broadcast Systems design engineer for NBC 
Political Conventions. The Locking Standard at that time was Rubidium (Rub) 
that suffered a drifting figure eight error. The Field Guys would coordinate 
with NBC-NY and be Wolf'ed ( NBC term used for adjusting) into phase (zero 
beat).  The Sync Standards & distribution for CBC & ABC , of the Broadcast 
Pool, became my responsibility. I meet with Engineering/operations of the 
other network to find out how they accomplished phasing between them.



A) On Mondays NBC looked at CBS and adjusted thier NBC Rub's for a Zero 
Beat.

B) On Wednesdays ABC looked at NBC and adjusted their ABC Rub's for a Zero 
Beat

C) On Fridays CBS looked at ABC and adjusted their CBS Rub's for a Zero Beat



You can't make this stuff up & It worked



Phil Shaw