drh4683
01-24-2016, 12:36 PM
This is a rather unusual find here. It's Motorola's first generation portable color TV with a 14" CRT, built as the TS-924 chassis. This one was built in September, 1969 as a 1970 model. Captainmoody found the TV at suburban Detroit area estate sale last summer and I bought it off of him as he knew it was one I was in search of one for quite some time. Thanks also to Adam for picking it up for me.
From my research over the years, it appears that the TS-924 chassis was essentially a quick paced development by Motorola as they had to answer to market demand and the rest of the industry (particularly Admiral, RCA and Zenith) who had introduced their first small screen portable color TV's in 1967 and 1968. What makes Motorola's version somewhat unusual is that they outsourced the production of their first portable color sets to Japan. However, it's not your typical rebadged Japanese made set with an American name slapped on it like a Sears or Wards. This actually IS a real Motorola designed set from the ground up, cosmetically that is, and they spec'ed out the design to Sharp of Japan to produce it. Electronically, it appears to be a Sharp designed set. There are no US made parts though, it's entirely Japanese sourced. But looking on the outside, it shares many characteristics to that of the US made Motorola sets of the time. It's not entirely clear why they went to Japan, but I'm sure cost savings was the main factor and the US plants were not quite ready to produce portable color sets yet. Now when it came to the next size up, the 16" portable color sets, Motorola sourced those to Admiral, which was the TS-930 and those were made in Admiral's plant in Harvard, IL! Keep in mind that Motorola did eventually start making color portables in their US plants, but it was not until 1970 when they introduced the popular TS-929 hybrid chassis. In the late 60's, Motorola was working on development of the TS-929 as it was to be a universal chassis to fit all screen sizes in portable TV. The whole point of this was to simplify TV production and to lower component inventory at the factories. But as previously stated, they had to come up with something in the interim when the rest of the industry already had something portable on the market. So this TS-924 gets the credit as their first portable color set. To compliment this set, I also have original product introductory documents for the TS-924 that I received from an estate of a retired Motorola engineer a number of years ago.
This one is a nice surviving example. There is a TV shop tag on it from March, 1982. When I discussed the details of the set with Dwight, we believe it was taken in for a repair estimate at the time and the cost of repair was probably declined, the owner took it back and simply put the set on the shelf and never touched it again. It ended up being a simple restoration to bring it back, a few tubes needed replacement as did a few leaky film caps.
It's a heavy solid built set housed in a vinyl clad metal cabinet. The bottom of the set also features a removable metal service cover. It produces a very nice picture as well. And there's NO transistors in this set. It's loaded up full tubes in every direction as can be seen!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1629/24289960420_5965a0a401_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/D1qoZ3)DSC05169 (https://flic.kr/p/D1qoZ3) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1650/24503201171_f51f356e99_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Dkgj2H)DSC05167 (https://flic.kr/p/Dkgj2H) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1616/24585441765_675b7ca55d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DswPhZ)DSC05157 (https://flic.kr/p/DswPhZ) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1548/24289924270_968be543e4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/D1qdeL)DSC05162 (https://flic.kr/p/D1qdeL) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1459/24585444475_e9f2db6c3a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DswQ6H)DSC05151 (https://flic.kr/p/DswQ6H) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1474/24503166311_4a3b2d03a5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Dkg8EF)DSC05159 (https://flic.kr/p/Dkg8EF) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1677/24289926360_57f0d8b4ac_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/D1qdRN)DSC05161 (https://flic.kr/p/D1qdRN) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1589/24503173071_b478f4726e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DkgaFe)DSC05150 (https://flic.kr/p/DkgaFe) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1447/23957288994_0daa668937_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Cv2nmN)DSC05176 (https://flic.kr/p/Cv2nmN) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1579/23957290544_69c9807e48_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Cv2nPw)DSC05165 (https://flic.kr/p/Cv2nPw) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1611/24217737129_064724d860_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/CU3evT)DSC05146 (https://flic.kr/p/CU3evT) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1476/24503209701_ebf63dd4be_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DkgmyM)DSC05145 (https://flic.kr/p/DkgmyM) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1541/24559312336_22e302536e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DqdTVA)DSC05143 (https://flic.kr/p/DqdTVA) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1599/24217857709_653e87676b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/CU3RmR)DSC05131 (https://flic.kr/p/CU3RmR) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1622/23957457724_39c16df905_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Cv3evW)DSC05132 (https://flic.kr/p/Cv3evW) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
From my research over the years, it appears that the TS-924 chassis was essentially a quick paced development by Motorola as they had to answer to market demand and the rest of the industry (particularly Admiral, RCA and Zenith) who had introduced their first small screen portable color TV's in 1967 and 1968. What makes Motorola's version somewhat unusual is that they outsourced the production of their first portable color sets to Japan. However, it's not your typical rebadged Japanese made set with an American name slapped on it like a Sears or Wards. This actually IS a real Motorola designed set from the ground up, cosmetically that is, and they spec'ed out the design to Sharp of Japan to produce it. Electronically, it appears to be a Sharp designed set. There are no US made parts though, it's entirely Japanese sourced. But looking on the outside, it shares many characteristics to that of the US made Motorola sets of the time. It's not entirely clear why they went to Japan, but I'm sure cost savings was the main factor and the US plants were not quite ready to produce portable color sets yet. Now when it came to the next size up, the 16" portable color sets, Motorola sourced those to Admiral, which was the TS-930 and those were made in Admiral's plant in Harvard, IL! Keep in mind that Motorola did eventually start making color portables in their US plants, but it was not until 1970 when they introduced the popular TS-929 hybrid chassis. In the late 60's, Motorola was working on development of the TS-929 as it was to be a universal chassis to fit all screen sizes in portable TV. The whole point of this was to simplify TV production and to lower component inventory at the factories. But as previously stated, they had to come up with something in the interim when the rest of the industry already had something portable on the market. So this TS-924 gets the credit as their first portable color set. To compliment this set, I also have original product introductory documents for the TS-924 that I received from an estate of a retired Motorola engineer a number of years ago.
This one is a nice surviving example. There is a TV shop tag on it from March, 1982. When I discussed the details of the set with Dwight, we believe it was taken in for a repair estimate at the time and the cost of repair was probably declined, the owner took it back and simply put the set on the shelf and never touched it again. It ended up being a simple restoration to bring it back, a few tubes needed replacement as did a few leaky film caps.
It's a heavy solid built set housed in a vinyl clad metal cabinet. The bottom of the set also features a removable metal service cover. It produces a very nice picture as well. And there's NO transistors in this set. It's loaded up full tubes in every direction as can be seen!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1629/24289960420_5965a0a401_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/D1qoZ3)DSC05169 (https://flic.kr/p/D1qoZ3) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1650/24503201171_f51f356e99_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Dkgj2H)DSC05167 (https://flic.kr/p/Dkgj2H) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1616/24585441765_675b7ca55d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DswPhZ)DSC05157 (https://flic.kr/p/DswPhZ) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1548/24289924270_968be543e4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/D1qdeL)DSC05162 (https://flic.kr/p/D1qdeL) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1459/24585444475_e9f2db6c3a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DswQ6H)DSC05151 (https://flic.kr/p/DswQ6H) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1474/24503166311_4a3b2d03a5_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Dkg8EF)DSC05159 (https://flic.kr/p/Dkg8EF) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1677/24289926360_57f0d8b4ac_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/D1qdRN)DSC05161 (https://flic.kr/p/D1qdRN) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1589/24503173071_b478f4726e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DkgaFe)DSC05150 (https://flic.kr/p/DkgaFe) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1447/23957288994_0daa668937_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Cv2nmN)DSC05176 (https://flic.kr/p/Cv2nmN) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1579/23957290544_69c9807e48_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Cv2nPw)DSC05165 (https://flic.kr/p/Cv2nPw) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1611/24217737129_064724d860_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/CU3evT)DSC05146 (https://flic.kr/p/CU3evT) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1476/24503209701_ebf63dd4be_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DkgmyM)DSC05145 (https://flic.kr/p/DkgmyM) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1541/24559312336_22e302536e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DqdTVA)DSC05143 (https://flic.kr/p/DqdTVA) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1599/24217857709_653e87676b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/CU3RmR)DSC05131 (https://flic.kr/p/CU3RmR) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1622/23957457724_39c16df905_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Cv3evW)DSC05132 (https://flic.kr/p/Cv3evW) by drh4683 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/135332734@N02/), on Flickr