The 50th Anniversary of the Space Commander!

[markthefixer]

According to the article, don't dawndle, they're not kids anymore....

[El Predicta]

Great article. I recently acquired a Zenith 21" flashmatic console, no flashmatic remote. Anybody got one for sale?

Larry

[polaraman]

El Predicta,

There is a Flashmatic remote on Ebay right now. I could find the listing to post.

polaraman

[drh4683]

This must be a big topic around here. They had Eugene Polley on WGN 720 talk radio this afternoon talking about his invention and how it was when he worked for zenith, and how zenith gave up auto radio to Motorola. Sounds like he's doing pretty good for being 90.
From what I understand, Robert adler is "tired" of being assosiated with the remote after all these years. Polley has a much more friendly personallity. I dont know if its recorded and available to hear over the internet, but you guys should listen to it if at all possible. (I havnt checked it out on line yet)

[Jeffhs]

Doug, I looked high and low in your post for picture 18, of the Zenith sign in suburban Chicago, but did not see it. Seems as if the upload didn't take.

BTW, I had a Zenith SC300 19" portable B&W TV years ago (trash find in my old neighborhood), but someone either swiped the hand unit or it was lost before I got to the set. The pic of a Zenith SC300 remote in your timeline of Zenith TV remote control hand units reminded me of my set, which unfortunately developed an AGC problem when the horizontal-output tube went gassy the year after I got the TV. I put the set in my basement and bought a Zenith 12" b&w portable the next day. That set lasted 22 years and was still working almost like new (except for the detent mechanism of the UHF tuner) when I got rid of the set in 2000 (no room).

I would have liked to see the remote functions working on my SC300 Zenith, but since I did not have the hand unit I could not test the remote receiver. I think the TV's former owner must have removed the VHF tuner's motor drive (gears, motor and all), or had the drive system removed by a TV shop, just before he or she put the set out on the curb as I could turn the channel selector freely, with no resistance whatsoever. When I looked inside the set some time later, I saw no evidence of a motor drive system, so the latter must have either been removed or somehow disabled.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the failure of the remote control system was the only reason this TV was trashed; the owner may not have wanted it anymore without the remote, or figured the set was junk simply because the remote didn't work any longer.