23 years. Submarines and submarine tenders.
Don’t miss it, but glad I did it.
Phuck yeah.
“Colors” always has a special meaning to me as it was part of my responsibilities to provide the music and direction on bases and ships I was assigned to in the morning and evening. TV test patterns were what I’d usually wake up to after falling asleep to the tonight show when a “normal” i.e. non-prog Johnny Carson loving person watched.
God Bless America and Bless Donald Trump.
I remember when I was like 6 or 7 years old and when there was no school, I would try to stay up all night until the TV station sign off and watching the National Anthem and flag, then finally the test pattern.
Of course the two tricky parts to that were staying awake with whatever boring movies were on TV and not getting caught by my parents who would tell me to go to bed. 🙂
Hey man why are you watching that Indian movie ?
With the crap they have on TV now the old test pattern would be refreshing. I disconnected from cable years ago, and Fox News as well. Amazing what that will do for your mental health.
I think the test pattern went away around the same time as the tube testing machine…
I can still remember when our local NBC affiliate KHQ would sign off at night right after The Tonight Show about 12:30-1:00 AM in the early morning with a clip from the documentary Victory At Sea, followed by the national anthem and the test pattern. This went on till approximately the early 70’s. The Garland Theater also used to play the national anthem before movies started and people would get up for that as well. And radio station KSPO (country music AM 1230) played the national anthem before Paul Harvey came on at noon. I wish we would still do that today. Maybe not the test pattern but I’m OK with the rest of it.
Some of the UHF channels signed off later (if at all) in the mid 60s.
That’s when I found Laurel & Hardy. Started staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights just for them. As an 8 y.o., I had to turn the sound down so Mom & Dad wouldn’t wake up, but the amazing part was my older brother in the other twin bed didn’t wake up.
One day I had to explain the gouge on a dresser drawer that came from the TV tipping when I was trying to move it.
That damn gouge stared at me for years. Oops.
And in the early morning about 5 or 5:30 AM Jack LaLane would come on followed by Capt. Kangaroo.
I have always loved that iconic Indian Head test pattern, manufactured by RCA in 1947 and was called a monoscope generator. We had one of those at a tech school I attended. The quality, with a profession monitor, was stunning and razor sharp.
They’re here…
The iconic TV test pattern was great, even though I was more impressed with the National Anthem. It brings back memories of innocent times. Definitely remember staying up late Friday nights and watching until the channels signed off. Then at 5:00am Saturday, all the great Warner Brothers cartoons and other kid programs came on. I would watch TV until around 9:00 am, after having breakfast, then I was outside playing the rest of the day. Really miss those times.
23 years. Submarines and submarine tenders.
Don’t miss it, but glad I did it.
Phuck yeah.
“Colors” always has a special meaning to me as it was part of my responsibilities to provide the music and direction on bases and ships I was assigned to in the morning and evening. TV test patterns were what I’d usually wake up to after falling asleep to the tonight show when a “normal” i.e. non-prog Johnny Carson loving person watched.
God Bless America and Bless Donald Trump.
I remember when I was like 6 or 7 years old and when there was no school, I would try to stay up all night until the TV station sign off and watching the National Anthem and flag, then finally the test pattern.
Of course the two tricky parts to that were staying awake with whatever boring movies were on TV and not getting caught by my parents who would tell me to go to bed. 🙂
Hey man why are you watching that Indian movie ?
With the crap they have on TV now the old test pattern would be refreshing. I disconnected from cable years ago, and Fox News as well. Amazing what that will do for your mental health.
I think the test pattern went away around the same time as the tube testing machine…
I can still remember when our local NBC affiliate KHQ would sign off at night right after The Tonight Show about 12:30-1:00 AM in the early morning with a clip from the documentary Victory At Sea, followed by the national anthem and the test pattern. This went on till approximately the early 70’s. The Garland Theater also used to play the national anthem before movies started and people would get up for that as well. And radio station KSPO (country music AM 1230) played the national anthem before Paul Harvey came on at noon. I wish we would still do that today. Maybe not the test pattern but I’m OK with the rest of it.
Best TV sign-off EVER:
https://youtu.be/9NaqNP6XYmU
Some of the UHF channels signed off later (if at all) in the mid 60s.
That’s when I found Laurel & Hardy. Started staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights just for them. As an 8 y.o., I had to turn the sound down so Mom & Dad wouldn’t wake up, but the amazing part was my older brother in the other twin bed didn’t wake up.
One day I had to explain the gouge on a dresser drawer that came from the TV tipping when I was trying to move it.
That damn gouge stared at me for years. Oops.
And in the early morning about 5 or 5:30 AM Jack LaLane would come on followed by Capt. Kangaroo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uGP74qRzSc
High flight…
The Best Ever
I have always loved that iconic Indian Head test pattern, manufactured by RCA in 1947 and was called a monoscope generator. We had one of those at a tech school I attended. The quality, with a profession monitor, was stunning and razor sharp.
They’re here…
The iconic TV test pattern was great, even though I was more impressed with the National Anthem. It brings back memories of innocent times. Definitely remember staying up late Friday nights and watching until the channels signed off. Then at 5:00am Saturday, all the great Warner Brothers cartoons and other kid programs came on. I would watch TV until around 9:00 am, after having breakfast, then I was outside playing the rest of the day. Really miss those times.