Hello, I just picked a 1978 Sears Electronics(Sanyo Canada) 25-inch console color TV with get this-a sensor touch tuner, you just put your finger up to a sensor beside a channel number on the front of the TV and it just goes to that channel. No pushing buttons or turning a knob. I have never seen a tuner like this and think it's very rare. A sensor detects your finger beside the channel number-channels 2-13 and goes to that channel upen detection of your finger-that's it. Also, there's a complex set of knobs, one beside each number to adjust to get UHF channels on the VHF tuner which is just weird too. Well, that's the gimmicky 1970's for you with every manufactorer trying to get you to buy their TVs:-)

I think a friend of mine had a Mitsubishi or somebrand TV in the 80's that had tiny touch pads that sensed skin conductivity or capacitance. It was a table set. Do you have any pictures of yours? The 80's had alot of touch sensitive electronics. I had a friend back then who worked in a tobacco shop and he showed me these lighters that would ignite when your finger crossed a beam of light on the side of the lighter.

Just a small footnote here, I purchased a Mitsubishi TV in the mid 80's I believe. I have also seen the same model with the Electrohome name on it.
Still works today! Now we will return you to your regularly scheduled program:yes:

Hello, I just picked a 1978 Sears Electronics(Sanyo Canada) 25-inch console color TV with get this-a sensor touch tuner, you just put your finger up to a sensor beside a channel number on the front of the TV and it just goes to that channel. No pushing buttons or turning a knob. I have never seen a tuner like this and think it's very rare. A sensor detects your finger beside the channel number-channels 2-13 and goes to that channel upen detection of your finger-that's it. Also, there's a complex set of knobs, one beside each number to adjust to get UHF channels on the VHF tuner which is just weird too. Well, that's the gimmicky 1970's for you with every manufactorer trying to get you to buy their TVs:-)


my gradmother had this exact set, on all day everyday from 78 to 04 when she went into a nursing home, she gave it to her neighbor who used it as a set for the kids in the finished basement. I remember watching the OJ simpson car chase on it as we were having a family gathering that day. all the aunts and uncles flew in for a reunion and we spent most of it glued to the TV! I remember sometimes it would get stuck between 2 channels (both channel number lights would flicker) abd youd have to unplug the set to reset it.

That was a popular design on Sanyo built Sears TV's from the mid '70's through the early '80's. I used to find many of the 19" metal cabinet TV's with that tuner. I even had a tube chassis Sears 25" console with a similar style tuner. I think that one was built by Warwick. Those Sanyo built sets were excellent performers and usually never required major service.

Had a 1983 Sanyo 19 inch with metal cabinet which looked excellent. It needed a purity adjustment since it had splotches as found. I remember pulling in all kinds of interesting DX on that set (knob tuned) without even trying as I set it up. Gave it away, like I do with most of my 80s finds. Last I heard it worked fine...

just dropped by to say hey Electrohome!!

I have one of these consoles, too. Mine works fine, even after sitting in a shed for almost 15 years before I got it.

Hello, I just picked a 1978 Sears Electronics(Sanyo Canada) 25-inch console color TV with get this-a sensor touch tuner, you just put your finger up to a sensor beside a channel number on the front of the TV and it just goes to that channel. No pushing buttons or turning a knob. I have never seen a tuner like this and think it's very rare. A sensor detects your finger beside the channel number-channels 2-13 and goes to that channel upen detection of your finger-that's it. Also, there's a complex set of knobs, one beside each number to adjust to get UHF channels on the VHF tuner which is just weird too. Well, that's the gimmicky 1970's for you with every manufactorer trying to get you to buy their TVs:-)

I forgot to ask. Does yours use a delta gun or inline gun CRT? I've seen both versions.

There were tons of those Sears/Sanyo push button varactor tuned sets; I usually would see the 19" table models. Most were push button, but when you mentioned this I did remember having one once. A neat gimmick, and I like gimmicks! I never cared for varactor tuning, though. Always seemed to have bad contacts somewhere, nobody the brand.

Most (almost all) mid-late 70s European sets had touch sensor tuners and the little knobs hidden behind a door to set each individual (varactor) tuning preset.

touch sensor keypads and preset tuning knobs were finally abandoned in the early 80s when electronic tuning and digital preset memory became the norm, touch sensors are prone to malfunction if used in damp environment or if dirt accumulates around the sensor pads.