Teaching Engineering to non-techs

1. tonsofpcs
   Member

   
   I am the Chief Engineer for my school's student-run volunteer TV station. We are planning to move sometime soon and during the move, we will need to have a trained engineering staff working non-stop, as our automation system is being moved as is our master router (some other items are getting upgraded in the move). The old location will be functional during the move, so long as everything can route properly (as soon as I can, I am going to rewire some decks and TBCs so that I can bypass our master routers and use our old matrix router and patch bays). The problem comes here. Being student run, we are open to all students of all majors (mainly non-techs, due to the majors offered). In recent history, everything has been automated and there has been no manual playback, no manual traffic logging, no manual commercial insertion, etc. Not even the veterans know how to do any of this. I will need to recruit and train an engineering crew as well as some members of the traffic, programming, and production departments so that we can have edited tapes ready to air, airing properly, within spec, technically perfect (illegal video is pretty much the same as no video). I am planning on writing a short (10-30 page) technical manual and running a crash course, following it, for those brave souls who volunteer, but need sources for technical images to put into it, as well as ideas of exactly what I should put into it.
   
   What do you feel is the most important thing to teach an Engineer how to do (and/or not to do)?
   Do you have any ideas on a good way to introduce the concepts of the video waveform, audio levels, and calibration/proc-amp adjustment to non-techs (as well as techs who are unfamiliar)?
   Do you know where I can get technical images to put into the manual?
   Any other ideas?
   
   Note: I feel I have a thorough grounding in all of the issues at hand (well beyond what they will need to know), but if you have any tips for engineers in general, I'll take them.

   Posted 4 years ago #

2. Tom Scratch
   Member

   
   Hi,
   
   Maybe Multnomah County Public Access Cable (TV) can help. Very professional and dedicated staff. Covers Portland OR region. This cable access system beats the pants off of such systems in Anchorage, Seattle, Washington DC (inlcuding No Va burbs); and I have lived in all these cities in the last 10 years and visited and/or worked in the studios and watched the results in my parlor.
   
   Much success to you.
   
   REGARDS ... TOM 8)

   Posted 4 years ago #

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