Hickok Color Bars

[John Folsom]

Hickok was one of a handfull of vendors who introduced NTSC color bar generators around 1955-56. Hickok made two models, the 656XC (pictured) and the 655XC.
Both machines produced dot and crosshatch patterns, as well as NTSC color bars (albeit in an unusual color sequence), but the 656XC also produced a R--Y and B-Y bar pattern, and the 655XC produced a I and Q bar pattern.

[Tomcomm]

John: Your mention of the Hickok color bar generators caused me to remember I had one I used in the '60s when I was first messing with my 21CT55. I dug around in the attic and located it and hauled it to the Lab. Turns out it was a 655X and appeared to be operational less a gassy 5U4 rect and a broken 12AV7 dual triode in the sound section. What interested me was the great wealth of switches for controlling its various video configurations. Seems it will toggle between I or R-Y and toggle between Q or B-Y . A rotary switch selects between COLOR BAR, IQ and B-Y R-Y. A masking tape I stuck on the chassis listed the color bar sequence: GRN YEL RED MAG CYN BLU which agrees with no published logical generated sequence? PROBLEM UNDER CHASSIS: The rear section under the two big xformers has seven pig tail wires coming thru the grommets from the xformers. They were taped and just hanging there disconnected. They are wrapped with plastic tape that I undoubtedly put on 40-50 years ago when it was last operational! The underside photo shows this quite clearly. Is it possible for you or any other member to compare my 655 under chassis with their 655/656 Hickoks and clear-up this mystery for me before I power my 655 up? Any documentation? The 655/656s are excellent examples of the early heroics necessary to produce professional test equipment to design and service the first Roundy Color TVs and should be operational and preserved.

[John Folsom]

Edit: see below