RCA ad in Argentina with TK-41
 

Ad from Argentina Reader's Digest (September of unknown year in 60s).

Ad touts RCA capabilities in all things electronic, with illustration of TK-41 used for distant instruction via color TV.

My old station in Illinois went on the air in 1965. About a year later they picked up a used TK-41 from NBC supposedly from the Jack Paar studio. Around 1969 they traded it in to RCA for a new TK-42. Urban legend in the building says it went to Argentina. Be on the lookout for it.

Station was where in IL? Are you saying you think it might still be in the state?

Bet that station wished they kept that TK-41. The RCA TK-42 was a beast to operate and couldn't compare to the TK-41 in providing great living color images.

-Steve D.

At the time it was WCEE-TV in Rockford, IL, ch 23 now WIFR-TV. I started there in Sept 1969 and the camera was already gone to Argentina earlier that year. And we bought a TK-43 to replace it (wrong in first post). Still had the D handles but they were locked down but helped lifting the thing. I got pretty good and pushing that thing around the studio on-air. Always started with a wide shot and pushed off with my right foot on the pedestal. Left hand to pan and right hand on the steering ring. Pasty looking color though. And see the actual TK-41 here;

http://www.oldradio.com/archives/har.../tk41-wcee.jpg

That's a TV camera?

A TK-41 By Any Other Name?
 

OK... IIRC, back in the bad old days of analog, didn't Argentina use PAL-N like Brazil? That is, NTSC architecture but with PAL color. I know Marconi built a 405 line colour camera that though licensed, was basically a TK-41 of otherwise illegitimate parentage. But, did RCA successfully sell in places where the power was other than 60 Hz and/or the color not NTSC? IIRC, RCA did sell color cameras in Australia. Were they PAL? Or, NTSC transcoded to PAL?

73,

W3XWT/4

Hey W3XWT,

Maybe one of the VK members from down under can comment on your question re: TK-41. I recall some earlier postings about the early color experiments in Australia using RCA equipment. You can try a VK search and see what shows up.

-Steve D.

Mfgrs generally do not support weird formats like SECAM or those in Sth America.
Therefore SECAM programs produced w/ PAL gear then transcoded.