Motorola "works in a drawer" color set wanted

[rcafan]

Many Years a go I bought a Mototola "works in a drawer rectangular color
TV" It wasn't a great set, but is was small and decent. I seem to recall it may have been partially solid state.

I would like to acquire one for my collection, Don't think I have seen one
on Ebay either, Somebody out there possibly can provide a lead or has one to sell. Thanks

[GeorgeJetson]

What does that set look like?,I don't think I've ever seen one before.

[GeorgeJetson]

I googled it and found a video of a 1970 Quasar works in a drawer tv and it just looks like an ordinary console set..why is it called "works in a drawer"?
I was expecting the screen to fold down into a cabinet!

[radiotvnut]

Because the chassis slides out the front, like a drawer. These sets were designed using modules that could be replaced for easy service. The first WID models, which were branded "Quasar" by Motorola, came out in '67 and were fully solid state (except for the HV rectifier tube). Actually, these were the first solid state color TV's that were sold in the US.

There were also tube/transistor hybrid versions of the WID sets. There were still some WID sets built, even after Matsushita bought the consumer electronics division of Motorola in '74. I think the WID concept was phased out by 1980.

[GeorgeJetson]

"radiotvnut"
Thanks for the explanation,I thought it folded up!
Why did Motorola change it's televisions brand name to Quasar?

[bgadow]

Quasar started out as a name just for their modular TV chassis. In 1974/75 Motorola decided to get out of the consumer electronics business and sold those lines to Matsushita (Panasonic.) The Japanese company changed the name of the business to Quasar.

There have been a couple people on VK in the last 6 months or so talking about these sets, maybe one is available? I still have a few chassis' for them, so far unclaimed. rcafan, what part of the country are you in?

[rcafan]

Bryan
I have been trying to contact you for a couple of weeks now regarding the
quasar modules. Please PM
Thanks
Neil

[old_tv_nut]

The Quasar brand name for Motorola TVs was invented by the same marketing guru who came up with the "hole in the handle" electric carving knife. At the time, people weren't familiar with the word, usually couldn't remember how to spell or pronounce it exactly (Koohar? Qohar? kwazer?), but it was unique enough that they could recognize it when confronted with the correct name, and therefore could ask about it at the appliance store without confusing it with anything else (oh, you mean "Quasar").

[reeferman]

I read in a trade journal the name was adopted because Quasars were starting to make a big splash on the astronomy scene (though first discovered late 50's early 60's). It was a catchy name that lent itself to the space race (like RCA did with the PC boards). Most of the ones I worked on were junk, though better than their EGP predecessors.

[heathkit tv]

Quasar et al wasn't the only works in the drawer set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3473760...n/photostream/

[ggregg]

An old time tech told me that starting in about the late 70's or early 80's most Quasars started having problems with oxidation with the connections on the boards which would create all kinds of problems including intermittant issues (ie set was moved and problem went away for a while). Board replacement was expensive and many sets were junked at that time. He hated working on them because you had to go through all the board connections before you knew if you had some other problem or not. He said some shops would not work on them at all after a while.

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by heathkit tv

Quasar et al wasn't the only works in the drawer set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3473760...n/photostream/

That Heathkit set looks way nicer than the Motorola WID sets!

I remeber seeing an ad for some set, possibly CM? where the entire chassis was removed and replaced with a new unit.
This became common later with sets like the Zenith System Three where the "Motherboard" would get swapped out with a new or rebuilt unit.
I swapped a ton of those out under warranty back around 79 or 80 when they first came out, they were a disaster!

[heathkit tv]

That era Heathkits were built like tanks (you're welcome). The copper (copper-like?) coating on the chassis is so doggone purty and the way the boards are modular reminds me of a moderner (Pat Pend on that word) version of a Setchell Carlson. Very military grade overall.

As many of either know or surmised, I'm more of a tinkerer (especially after too many beers) than a profeshinull smoke reinstaller. Other than connections the weak spot of these sets seems to be the power supply as there's something that's Heath specific and made out of unobtainium. The kits were shipped with this already preassembled...always wondered if that was due to liability concerns or that it was uber tricky to get right.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by heathkit tv

the power supply as there's something that's Heath specific and made out of unobtainium. The kits were shipped with this already preassembled...always wondered if that was due to liability concerns or that it was uber tricky to get right.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

Pre-assembled so that the HV could not be misadjusted (required for UL listing, I'm sure), the builder was prevented from making rough solder connections that might cause corona, etc. The IF also was a potted pre-aligned assembly that used a complex LC filter, so the builder didn't have the impossible job of aligning without test gear.

[miniman82]

For as long as I can remember, Grandpa on Mom's side had a Quasar console TV sitting in his living room. I can remember watching cartoons on it as a kid, and I can remember he was pretty proud of it. Didn't even want to junk it when the CRT started to go south, just kept on running it. The remote for that thing was huge as I recall, never had to worry about misplacing it. Gramps on Dad's side was always an RCA man, we still have the last one he bought- a CTC-169 Home Theater.