>
> Here's a cute but true story regarding setting of knobs to a certain
> position. I was working as a senior broadcast engineer for a TV station
in
> Nashville. Each evening after sign off, we went through a procedure of
> video calibration. This was to account for various level changes that
were
> required through out our operating day and to account for any drift or
aging
> of the tubes in the various pieces of equipment. One evening, as the
> supervisor in charge, I assigned the task to a young engineer. He
completed
> it in some 10 or 15 minutes much to my surprise. A few weeks latter the
> same situation occurred except that I observed him simply setting knobs
and
> screwdriver adjustments to some pencil "pre marked" positions on the
various
> pieces of equipment. I questioned him about this and he responded that "
> they are always the same and I'm in a hurry to get home". Well as things
> would happen, a week or so latter, I carefully erased all the marks and
put
> on new marks. Of course, nowhere near the correct positions. In doing
this
> and knowing his work schedule, I set the trap for him. I was not on duty
> that evening and I knew that the Chief Engineer would be at the
transmitter
> at the next morning at sign on. I understand that he dutifully set the
> knobs on the "marks" and went home. The next morning at sign on things
went
> rapidly "down hill" so to speak. Video levels were high, video levels
were
> low, sync levels were askew and basically all over the place, level wise.
> A call from a very irate Chief Engineer to the studio that morning set
> things stirring and quickly things were corrected in a reasonable manner.
> That afternoon the CE called the young engineer that had done video
> calibration the evening before, into his office. After discussing the
> events and the disclosing the fact that the CE just happened to find out
> about the "pre marks" a serious butt chewing took place. A lesson learned
> that one fellow will never forget. Nary again did "pre set" marks appear.
>
> 73
> Bob, K4TAX
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