Does anyone out there have a Motorola color portable they would be willing to part with? SS or tube?
If not interested in selling, How about some pictures?

These must be somewhat rare---I have never seen a Motorola tube color portable, just console. Even looking at the Photofacts folders pictures I have not seen one. Most of the tube color portables I own and have seen are RCA, and GE, with a few Zenith and Sears.

Hummmm.... Now that I think about it, I can't remember seeing any either (back in my "shop" days in the 80's) You won't find any SS color portables, as they would be badged Motorola/Quasar In the early 80's I traded a CTC-16 with a new flyback and picture tube for a 19" Quasar Hybrid with remote. Does anybody recall ANY tube portables with a straight Motorola badge? I have never even seen a "roundie" from them. I think they were the first manufacturer with a square tube in 1964 or 1965. I think all their sets were badged Quasar from like 1968 thru 1974 (when they sold Quasar to Panasonic) I do remember the Motorola tube consoles we got in the shop had LOUSY pictures and already had the green halo going on with their picture tubes, and at that time these sets would have been 10-12 years old.

The roundie Motorola's seem to have been earlier, maybe they had some as late as the early 60's-I'm going by some ads I've seen in magazines. The ads introducing their rectangular color sets, I think in late 64, said basically that they had stayed out of the color business until they could do rectangular.

I used to have 2 nearly identical table models from 67, really wish I had kept at least one of them. The front mounted convergence controls were nice, but they both had rotten pictures. These were the big, heavy metal cabinet sets, with legs they'd have been consoles.

They may be badged Motorola/Quasar, But were still made by Motorola, Inc.
My question was to see if anyone had a color portable made by Motorola.
They did make one specific model around 1967 that was about 15" in picture size. I will see if i can find a pic. That one is rare.
As far as SS sets, The 21" Insta-Matic Quasar is one I am looking for also.

i have a service manual depicting that set.
iirc it is a 14" series heater with the upside down crt.

I just remembered. I have seen an early 70's Motorola/Quasar portable. About 8 years ago when I used to help out with the tv's in the "used" store in my hometown we got in a 15" Quasar. (early solid state) I think the code date was 1971 or 2. Anyway, that set just needed the tunar cleaned and some adjustments and it was "good to go". That one, I recall, had a GREAT picture. Thanks Dwight.... now I'll be looking for one too! If I come across one on my end, as I go to alot of estate sales and thrift shops, I will get it for you.

For what it's worth...
I looked through my collection of Consumer Reports and the January, 1969 issue has a report on portable/table model sets, including a Motorola CT668EW. It had a 20" screen as opposed to the rest of the tested sets, most of which had 18" screens.
Does that count as portable?
CR lists models CT650E, CT606C, and CT669E as having similar chassis.
Just as an aside, I find it interesting how badly Motorola, Magnavox, and RCA sets did in Consumer Reports's ratings. I have most of the 60's and you can pretty much count on Magnavox trailing the ratings, along with the never-popular Wards Airline.

Bob

anybody?

I found a Motorola/Quasar early 1970's 18" color portable in a junk shop in Colorado City, TX. in Nov. 2003. There was no electricity in there so couldn't try it out and they wanted like $50 for it so I didn't get it.

I had a 18" color Quasar/Motorola "portable" in the mid 70's to early 80's. Had a fair picture on it with decent sensitivity. Was in a fake woodgrain plastic cabinet and sat on a tee-vee stand that came with it. To this day, I don't know how that thin plastic case withstood the weight of the chassis in that thing. It was HEAVY!

Chad, You should see if they would take 10 or 20 for it or maybe if they would trade something like a newer 20 or 25 inch.
What the heck, It would be worth a shot! Then you would have a motorola portable for your collection as they are getting harder and harder to find now.
Being the cheap hillbilly that I am, Half the fun of getting something is haggling on the price or good old fashioned horse trading!

This place was kind of weird where I saw it...this shop was really ramshackle with no functioning electricity at all, the shopkeeper was an old lady on oxygen in a wheelchair with only a kerosene heater for heat...kind of sad actually. I don't know why she quoted such a high price...might try to see if she would take a little less if I go back. Even though her price was high, maybe she was thinking she could pay some medical bills or something if she could sell one of the TV's...not too many people probably patronize her shop.

I don't know if you all have seen places like this but there are several of them in our area, just absolutely falling apart ramshackle junk shops with no electricity but that are still somehow functioning as businesses. Have gotten several TV's for $10/each from one in Odessa, TX.

Here's a bit of history of Motorola. They mention the rectangular color crt, and also the Quasar name. There are some interesting facts on this web page.

http://www.motorola.com/content/0,,120-285,00.html

Capt M, here's a pic that you might be able to appreciate

Anthony

Cool!

I've been in some odd old junk shops similiar to what you describe. Usually off the beaten path, I don't know how they can pay any bills. I recall an old gas station that had a sign out front that they sold this n that items or whatever, went in & the older women said hello, there were maybe 6 "this n that" items on a table, the rest of the place was shelves of old alternators & water pumps and such. Then there is the local used bookstore, open about 3 days out of the year, you can't get inside because he has too many books. The place I buy most of my stuff from is a ramshackle collection of buildings & storage trailers with lots of lean-to's, most of it has been inaccesible for years because its packed in too tight. Often she will tell me about some radio or tv she picked up since I was in last but we can't find it, too much stuff in front of it. She once had a nice Sylvania console from about 1970 but I've never seen it again, maybe she sold it, maybe its just out of sight?

So the Quasar works in a drawer, ( good idea, bad execution) was a Motorola product? the one my parents bought was nothing but trouble. Sometimes just pulling out and pushing the drawer back in would clear or cause problems.:dunno:

Usually, Once I repair any contact or cracked solder problems with the Motorola works in a drawer sets they perform great and are relatively trouble free.

Hi Capt. Moody, I think that shows that some people do much more through repairs than others. I can't remember if it was trouble free when new. We did replace the crt when it was 3 or 4 years old, it may have become troublesome after that.