WNJT-TV 52 Trenton Sign-off

[newstarcadefan]

Unfortunately today...the NJN went dark and has been divested by the state of New Jersey to WHYY, NYC Radio, and WNET/Thirteen.

[wmbrown6]

This "SSB" seemed to me to be modeled after the "O Canada" film with a children's choir. Or at the very least, it reminds me of same.

[customagent74]

UR welcome. It was an RCA camera aimed into the lense of the slide proj. and the color came from a color keyer. Sometimes I would change the color for fun. An old "Telecini" was brought out to the TX from the studios and used for 5 years replacing that. It weighed a ton and the iron plate for it's base was 2 tons. We used it just for the slide at sign-on/off,lol. The Chief Eng. at the time liked recycling equip. but this thing was a joke. We then used the "still store" until 24hr. broadcasting.

[customagent74]

I'm the guy who did this sign-off. I started in 1981 and am still here. The slide is on an old slide projector with a small RCA PK-310 camera aimed at it.

It warped because it had AC hum. We later got a used SONY still video deck which worked OK. We went 24hours 1998. After sign-off I would leave the TX site from the remote area in the woods, alone, much like a Lighthouse Keeper from the past. I miss those days. I don't have to worry about drivin in snow and making sign-on. That was stressfull!

[TechnerVideo]

Thank you for solving this mystery after more than two decades! AC hum!

[MrSoberSoldier]

@customagent74 You by any chance remember someone by Rafael? Small Hispanic dude?

[Jerseysson27]

@customagent74 Thank you sir! We are indebted to you. But we want to bring back the sign offs, it is time we did that, we missed that. I want to have our stations back the way they were, only with the digital age now.

[TechnerVideo]

Believe it or not, that is how NJN broadcast it. I always thought it was distracting.

[Nascarboy426]

The signoff that NJN has now scares me to death for some reason.

[PGMEagle]

I bet someone who was in that choir found this on here and said oh my god I looked like a geek back then lol

[JMFabianoRPL]

An NJN signoff no longer feels the same without "New Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerse­eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey..."

[wmbrown6]

From what I hear, WNJT at that point used a 558.5 Hz tone with their SMPTE bars.

[NEPatriot]

One time I picked up from a friend's house in White Plains, WNJM-50 signing off. When the bars came up I heard two tones--not together. One tone would be heard, followed by a second one.

[wmbrown6]

I seem to recall that. If the individual tones weren't 400 Hz and 1 kHz, they were certainly (from my recollection) along those lines.