• Broadcasting

  Grass Valley 100 – getting started

  Posted by Aaron Nemec on August 21, 2015 at 3:22 am

  I recently got a stack of video production equipment for dirt cheap at university surplus. It included a couple GVG switchboards, 100 and 200-2. Anyway, I’m completely knew to this kind of production equipment. The 100 looks much easier to start with and it seems — like many other people — I can’t locate basic information online.

  This old GVG tutorial i found has been very helpful, but not detailed enough for working with a specific model:
  https://www.technicalaudio.com/pdf/Grass_Valley/Grass_Valley_Professional_Video_Tutorial.pdf

  Now, this is silly, but powering up the mainframe is as simple as plugging it in? I noticed the power module inside has a tiny On/Off toggle switch. I don’t want to risk damaging anything.

  Thanks,
  Aaron

  Aaron Nemec replied 10 years, 10 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Tom Matthies

  August 25, 2015 at 2:16 pm

  Connect the panel and plug it in. Unless the power supply or other components are shot, it should start right up. This switcher had a number of options available for it. Make sure that all the boards are in place and seated firmly. There are a number of test/diagnostic modes available for checking the operation. That’s the toggle switch/white button combination mounted on one of the horizontal boards. Flip the toggle switch and press the white button to put it into the diagnostic mode. Unless this switcher has the sync re-generator option, it will need drives from a sync generator for proper operation. All of your input sources will need to be analog and will need to be genlocked together. This switcher (as well as the 200-2) have no ability to frame-sync incoming video. The input video BNC connectors are the loop-through variety. You will need 75ohm terminator plugs on the loops unless you are looping to another source. The switcher should also have a blanking processor to even out the differences in sync/blanking of the input sources. This switcher is generally pretty reliable, but it’s getting old at this point. Some of the components are degraded by age. Keep a close watch on everything when you plug it in. Capacitors are especially vulnerable to old age. This was a real workhorse switcher in the day. The 200-2 is the same only much larger and a bit more modern.

  Not my monkeys. Not my circus.
• 

  Aaron Nemec

  August 27, 2015 at 2:21 am

  Thanks, Tom! This is exactly the info I needed. Very helpful.

  I will go through all of this and keep my fingers crossed. The 200-2 is missing the main power cord to the control panel, so I am hoping I can use some of its parts (bulbs, missing buttons, terminator plugs, etc) to get the 100 spruced-up and going. I think a friend has a sync generator… anyhoo, fun project.

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