[QuadList] NBC Control System

[Phillip G. Shaw]

VTR technical Control, 5th floor tape  NBC Network

The control system was in-house designed & fabricated by NBC Engineering. NBC had crews for construction including a full machine shop. This was the glory days of NABET, engineering & construction were competent and very self efficient. The original build of the TCR custom panel was contracted to a firm in Long Island.

 

The over-bridge, as seen in historic pictures, had a Control PNL(~6RU) that employed DC control for assignment of that TCR.  I.E.  If the operator was assigned to 8H. He simply turned a selector to 8H and several big honking DC Rotary Motor resolvers with mechanical switches performed the following. (The panel also had the independent GRID (Matrix) Control for VandA record inputs to the Machine). 

 

A)    The Program Monitor (VandA) was switched to the Controlling Production Facility

B)     The Gen lock Sync Source (each TCR had an independent Sync Gen) was

Switched to one of the 5 sync standards used by the Production Facilities, this became a single standard (miller time) in ~ 1986

C)    The TCR remote control was assigned to the production facility

D)    The TCR (DC 2 wire) intercom was assigned to the Production pl

E)     If the facility was SC (switching central) the "AVAIL" status & EPIS status was provided to the Channel package.

F)     The TCR's were special and had a control interface between TCR's (I never saw

that system used but it was enabled)

     G)  several other functions that I have forgotten, on air tally etc.

 

I may actually have the only accurate engineering documentation of the control system, only because I was the last engineer to mess with the design, update & change out of the last reel to reel (TR70 b) to a TCR (38).

The DC Control system was located in the old Tape library, as you entered (6 racks in front of the windows over looking radio city)  The 5th floor hallway still had the Old lead video cables (not used but not removed) clogging the cable runs.. Every project was a bear because documentation was handed from the last engineer to the next engineer. (Management had the habit of emptying your budget before you had the time to get the markups to drafting). 

The floor space on the 5th floor included a Control Room (5A) that was kind of an emergency control. I don't think many pll knew it existed, I used it in testing the

Automation (Avail) system of the TCR (Horizontal lock Phase) It was located across

the hallway from SC  (Hallway to west Bldg) behind the TCR recording Machine.

I think the ARPS was installed in this space as the TCR record machine was moved

into the old Maint area (adjacent to TCR32) in ~1989

      

The Burbank SC/ Automation was a Copy of New York, they were a full Network backup, besides their normal tape delay function. I don't think they ever originated

the Network, but they could if NY failed

    

 My fondest memory is of the LAST live boxing event @ NBC and the operation in the TCR area..The present CBS CEO was a NBC sports exec @ the time and had the sales operation setup in the TCR area. Must Play, May Play, options in real time selling Commercials "during" the break. The Operators where changing Carts with the belt moving and before the claws came down,(the time for the belt to rotate 5 spaces) they had to be very very good ! ( I was the RCA support person that would be blamed if the TCR's screwed up, they didn't but NBC lost money in the 6 round fight) Those tape guys where true professionals

 

The Drinking Fountain, in the hallway in front of the TCR's, had a funny history depending on your point of view ( Management vs. Nabet)

 
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