TV Pro Gear Delivers 35-Foot Truck to Trinidad

TV Pro Gear has completed building a 35-foot video production truck for GISL TV4 located in Trinidad. The Glendale, CA-based TV systems integrator started with a Gerling & Associates rivet-free trailer and integrated equipment that includes a For-A HVS390 production switcher, Ikegami HDK55 cameras, Panasonic robotic cameras, and more.

TV Pro Gear recently completed a new 35-foot production truck that can withstand the weather conditions of Trinidad.

The truck had to undergo some modifications in order to make it ready to withstand weather conditions that include 40 inches of rain annually. Electric awnings extend out 12 feet and can retract, via computer control, automatically if wind exceeds a pre-determined speed. And a 12 kW diesel generator allows for shooting in the most remote of locations while dual HVAC units are on board to battle hot, humid weather.

Hillary Swanson of TV Pro Gear says that in the past, video trucks required a dedicated “machine room” to house the switcher, recorders, routers, title generator and replay system. “However, due to the continuing process of miniaturization, equipment is getting smaller and smaller,” she explains.

And because of this we were able to install all of the equipment in half-racks underneath the operator consoles.”

The consoles are on stainless steel roller-bearings tracks that easily pull out from the wall for installation and service and basically give the truck the same size working area as larger trucks.

“This savings in overall length was critical because the roads in Trinidad cannot accommodate 40-foot trucks,” she adds.

Other gear includes Black Magic Hyperdeck SSD recorders; Newtek 3Play425 six-channel instant replay; Chyron Dual Channel Lex3 Title/graphics generator; Clear-com wired and wireless Intercom (6-channels); Tektronix 8000 sync and test signal generator with GPS; and a Midas 40-channel digital audio mixer.