[Dave A]

The TK-60 was the first camera I ever ran in 1969 at WCEE-TV (now WIFR-TV) in Rockford, IL.

We only owned one TK-42 color camera and the studio crew would not let the rookie touch it. We used it in the news to show UPI news fax photos. Burst on...burst off...who cares. Early in 1971, the TK-42 went over on its side and was bent up badly but repairable by RCA. We did the news for a week in B&W with the lowly TK-60 until a loaner arrived.

One night, the northern lights were visible in northern IL and we wheeled the TK-60 up the ramp from the studio and out the master control back door by the base of the tower. The engineers cranked up everything that camera had, we turned off the tower beacons (try that today and unmarked black helicopters will arrive soon) and made pictures of the lights that we put on the air.

I remember that if you adjusted the VF brightness, the image would change. I think the VF and the cam shared the HV supply. The camera did make a remarkably sharp picture and the engineers kept the IO's circulating through and stored the standbys in a refrigerator.

We bought the loaner color camera and when the wreck was fixed we now had two color cams and the TK-60 was retired around the same time to storage in the stations barn and when last heard from it had moved to a station in Chicago for more storage.

I want it back! I have been so lucky to get in to broadcasting at the last gasp of B&W and see all the changes since.