[QuadList] RCA Literature Available

Don Norwood dwnorwood at embarqmail.com
Wed Nov 11 21:41:25 CST 2009


The discussion of the early RCA color system has prompted me to start the 
collection of RCA literature on my website.  This evening, I've posted 
several items related to these discussions and you can access them here 
http://digitrakcom.com/  by going to the Literature page and selecting the 
RCA section.

First, there's a picture of the prototype machine that preceded the VTRX. 
I've never seen this pic on the web, and it's obviously a very early version 
in the lab.  You'll note the very primitive control panel, a headwheel with 
two hoses for the vacuum guide, and the audio heads mounted far beyond the 
standard position.

Then there is an ad featuring the VTRX pre-production model as installed at 
WBTV in Charlotte.  I was fortunate to have met a number of the folks 
pictured in this ad.  You'll see that in the VTRX machine, the audio heads 
were still far down in the tape path.

I've also included some comparison shots of the VTRX and TRT-1A machines as 
well as the two different versions of the color racks that were used with 
the TRT-1 machines.  You can see that the production version now has the 
audio stacks in the standard position.  Also interesting is that while the 
control panel was to the right of the transport in the prototype, it was 
moved to the left for the VTRX, but was then returned to the right side for 
the production model.  Having operated TRT-1's, I imagine it would have been 
somewhat awkward if it had remained on the left side!

And finally, an ad for the production model TRT-1A.

I'll get more posted as time allows.

Don 





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