Hickok 660XC bar generator

[Dave A]

I got this tonight at the Kutztown auction for $10. It is a 1955 Hickok 660XC dot/bar/color generator with it's box. It looks to be a field service unit with the most basic functions for an early color set installation. Hickok has a larger 1955 bench model that is much more useful including some real pre-NTSC bars. What they call bar here is really a crosshatch. The dot is a dot pattern. Color is a separate output of the most basic red/blue/green gradation across the screen...enough to tell you that you have color and not very bright. That may be better on the RF connection.

Any connection is with one cable with a 1/8" on one end and alligator clips on the other. I had to clip them to an RCA video input to get the pics. It has three connections. 1 - just dot/bar with polarity reversal in BW. 2 - 3.56mc out for the color smear. 3 - RF for channels 2-6. I have not tested that yet. All have separate gain/attenuation controls. 9 tubes. All the setup adjustments are under screw-on cover protection.

I read the manual and just plugged it in. It woke up quickly and worked out of the gate. I had to learn a few tricks to get the right displays. The pics have diagonals from my camera not likeing the scan rates. It looks like it was seldom used. I suspect better units came along quickly and pushed this to the curb.