1951 16" Zenith Porthole Restoration

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by Captainclock

I didn't know they had remotes for TVs this early, I know Zenith's very first wireless remote was the "Flash-o-matic" if I remember right which was basically just a flashlight that you would shine on 4 photoresistors on either one of the 4 corners of the TV that would either turn on the TV change the channel, raise and lower the volume and mute the TV if I remember right, and that was back in 1955 if I remember right, so I take it this "lazy-bones" remote was wired?

Yes, the Lazy Bones remote was a wired system. It afforded remote control of the television, but the hand control unit was tethered to the TV by a long cable. This created a safety hazard if the cable ran across the room to the TV, and the cable itself was not exactly the prettiest thing on earth.

The Flash-Matic, introduced in 1955, IIRC, was Zenith's very first attempt at wireless TV remote control. It worked, but it was fraught with problems, not the least of which being if sunlight or even ambient room light struck one or more of the photocells, the TV would go wild; for instance, the set might start changing channels on its own, the sound volume would go up or down, the set might turn itself on or off without warning...and the list goes on. These problems occurred because the Flash-Matic did not have lock-out systems to prevent false triggering by light sources other than the system's own hand unit, which was, as you noted, simply a flashlight with an exceedingly well-focused beam.

The Flash-Matic was discontinued after only one year, due to these problems. By 1956 or thereabouts, Zenith had developed its "Space Command" wireless remote control system for its high-end TVs. The Space Command system used ultrasonic sound to perform all control functions, including mute, channel up/down, volume up/down and power switching. This system was much more reliable than the Flash-Matic ever was, but it was still susceptible to triggering by outside sounds, such as a dog walking in front of the TV; I heard of one such case where a SC-equipped TV turned itself on in the middle of the night, to the owner's surprise. The owner's dog had walked in front of the set, and the tags on the dog's collar produced sounds of just the right frequency to activate the remote system.

Today's IR (infrared) remote control systems, now used on all TVs, are even more reliable than ultrasonic systems. It is impossible to trigger an IR system with room light or stray light from end table lamps, flashlights (!), etc. I bet TV owners old enough to remember the Flash-Matic all but cheered when IR remotes became standard.

[Electronic M]

Jeffhs, that kit is first generation Space Command, and while overpriced 70% or more IMO, it is still extremely rare (I did not know such an installable kit existed until now) and has significant value as such.