mid-sixties Emerson 19" b/w - Videokarma.org TV - Video

zenith2134 · #1 07-18-2014, 07:20 PM

I bought this set off of a tv collector locally. It is a rebadged Admiral tube chassis around '65-'66. In addition to a thorough cleaning, this one didn't need much. New tuner tubes make some big difference! Also, the printed board was dodgy underneath the horizontal output tube so I reworked a bunch of connections there. It is a fantastic performer with a strong crt and great DC resto. The CRT is a Dumont brand(Emerson bought DuMont at some point) and the rest is made by Admiral Chicago. It is very similar to my 19" "all-channel" tube 19" Admiral set which I lost in hurricane sandy. I like the coaxial-style uhf tuning scheme on this one.
It was likely a cheap set in its day, but all these years later the pics speak for themselves(with original filter cans in the p.s.u. and mostly original tubes).
Using my laptop camera, the pics came out very fuzzy. In reality the raster is quite sharp.

Robb · #2 07-19-2014, 02:35 PM

Nice find !

Jeffhs · #3 07-19-2014, 04:49 PM

When I was growing up, we had a Sears Silvertone 17" b&w portable with the same type of coaxial UHF tuner as your Emerson set. The only problem with the Silvertone's UHF selector was that the mechanism wore out within a very short period of time. Don't know why it wore out so soon, as there was only one UHF TV station in Cleveland when the set was new; the station was so weak we couldn't watch it. As much as we did watch the commercial networks, however, I would have expected the VHF tuner to wear out before the UHF, not the other way around.

BTW, just out of curiosity, how do you know your "Emerson" TV is a rebadged Admiral? My best guess is that there are Admiral components on the PC board or chassis; perhaps there is a rubber stamp somewhere on the chassis as well stating "Manufactured by Admiral Chicago" or similar wording.

I didn't realize that Emerson had taken over Dumont at any time. I do know the DuMont name was slapped on a few cheap offshore-made CRT TVs in, I believe, the 1980s or so--probably a cheap attempt to keep the DuMont name alive, even though the company itself had gone out of business decades earlier. Even DuMont's operated TV station in New York, while still on the air today on channel 5, is now known as WNYW-TV and is, IIRC, a FOX affiliate. The station's test pattern (when it was operated by DuMont and was known as WABD-TV) was often used in TV repair books of the 1950s to illustrate common TV picture problems. I used to have a few of those manuals, but lost them in a move.

zenith2134 · #4 07-19-2014, 10:11 PM

Hi Jeff,
Emerson did in fact take over DuMont in the late 1950s, as per my research...right down to the original slogans, etc.
I know that my set is a rebadge Admiral since, it has the '19' symbol on the top right of the crt mask escutcheon , plus the chassis interior has an Admiral Chicago imprint. My other Admiral 19" b/w set had the same '19' emblem on the front upper right, and the same stamping inside.

Due to the relative lack of interest, this must be a garden-variety set. It's funny, how photographs can make or break the unit..much like people. I don't have the best photo capturer, but I invite anyone to come see my tv sets in person. They are all in like-new working condition.

zenith2134 · #5 07-19-2014, 11:30 PM

If I posted a 1989 Daewoo, it would have 2 pages of posts by now. Funny how the tables have turned here, just like the Audiokarma Vintage Solid State forum turning into just "solid state".(As if the audio community needed another generic transistor audio discussion board.)

Jon A. · #6 07-19-2014, 11:31 PM

My first TV, an Admiral, had that kind of UHF tuner as well. It was a 12" screen set with the controls in the usual place on the right though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenith2134

If I posted a 1989 Daewoo, it would have 2 pages of posts by now. Funny how the tables have turned here, just like the Audiokarma Vintage Solid State forum turning into just "solid state".(As if the audio community needed another generic transistor audio discussion board.)

Huh? Whatchoo talkin' about Willis?

zenith2134 · #7 07-19-2014, 11:41 PM

Twas posted right before your post.
Simply put, it has been very evident to me that there has been a shift of interest on the boards over the past year or so. Opinion only. Entitled to it.

Jon A. · #8 07-20-2014, 12:22 AM

Yeah I saw your post pop up as I entered mine, then edited with that quote. I just wanted clarification, wasn't trying to be snarky or anything. I'm not sure what you meant by Daewoo for example, stereo or TV? I suppose the AK big wigs want to cater even to those who are into chinese junk as the site is profit-driven.

zenith2134 · #9 07-20-2014, 10:41 AM

Daewoo tv used as an example=non-US made, ubiquitous, cheaply built, barely repairable crap.

Jon A. · #10 07-20-2014, 11:40 AM

I'd be inclined to think that any TV from 1989 would get almost no attention here. Seems to me that for a TV to get a lot of attention around here it has to be a dumont, stromberg-carlson or pretty much any RCA with a round CRT. Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten the double-ugly Predicta?

jstout66 · #11 07-20-2014, 01:42 PM

Like the Emerson.
Jon A., I agree with you to a point. I think any earlier set will get attention, as they just don't pop up anymore.
Some sets just "trip ones trigger" more than others. For me, I could give a s**t about anything made after 1980. We've had a lot of "old school" members here tune out, because of posts on newer stuff, that was junk when new, and us old f**ts really don't care. But... to each their own.

Username1 · #12 07-20-2014, 02:30 PM

I like Emerson, My first tv was a '58 emerson, and I picked up a modern emerson
just this week 13" with DVD player. I think yer set is very cool too! If YOU like it,
well then it matters. There is plenty of stuff people collect that others would not
bend over for. As long as you like it!

I think its cool even if its just the name, and the insides have been long replaced
by some outsourced company. There's still the history of the name.

.

Jon A. · #13 07-20-2014, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Username1

I like Emerson, My first tv was a '58 emerson, and I picked up a modern emerson
just this week 13" with DVD player. I think yer set is very cool too! If YOU like it,
well then it matters. There is plenty of stuff people collect that others would not
bend over for. As long as you like it!

That's my criteria for getting stuff, I couldn't care less about rarity and don't think a set is of superior quality just because it has tubes. Real dogs were made in both tube and early SS eras. It's the period styling that matters to me.

Fairlane500skyliner · #14 07-24-2014, 11:54 PM

Quote:

I suppose the AK big wigs want to cater even to those who are into chinese junk as the site is profit-driven.

It's also in the best interests of the hobby at large to cater for collectors interested in newer items. Most younger collectors I know prefer sets from the 1970s and 1980s compared to anything newer. If the forums cater for them, there's a chance that they might eventually develop an interest in earlier sets, like I did. If we turn them away from the hobby because their sets are too new or "junk", we may as well throw away the prized sets in our collections, as there won't be any collectors around to take custody of them after we pass on.

Chris