remember the smell of a new television back then

[oldtvman]

now a days when you buy a set you take it home plug in it, and its just like that set had been there for 5 years( by the way may be all the life you get out of one of these thro-away wonders) i remember back in 1968 when i started working in a rca dealership, you could walk on the show room floor and almost get the same sensation you get when you buy a new car, the sets had a very unique and fresh smell, because of the wood cabinets, and the heat generated from all the tubes burning in. wish they could put that in a spray can

[Eric H]

Well I can't remember any TV's smelling but then all my new sets have been Solid State.

I bought my first VCR back in 83 when I was living with my parents, a top loader Sylvania, it smelled so badly of hot electronics and chemicals my Mom thought it was going to catch fire or something! It never did though and was still working when I gave it away in the early 90s.

[andy]

---

[maxm]

Originally Posted by andy

I've noticed that Zenith consoles all seem to smell the same. At least the ones from the 80's all still have a sort of sweet smell inside.

The Zenith Console my grandparents have has the same sweet smell, I think its from the glue in the wood.

[Nick_the_'Nole]

Pretty much all tube equipment I've found has a similar smell to it, although I wasn't around to know what it was like when it was new. Can't really place what it is, prolly wood and warm capacitors, but it's the same between radios and TVs and everything, with only a little variation due to age, brand, etc. (And I'm not talking about the, um, herbal smell of my '60s equipment either, though that's pretty nice too... ) Big change from the new plastic stuff of today, tho, which smells ozoney at best and 'like burning' many times.

So if we have "new car smell" in a spray can, why *can't* we have "old tv smell?" Somebody call Glade, tell 'em to make a plug-in.

[Army]

Originally Posted by Nick_the_'Nole

So if we have "new car smell" in a spray can, why *can't* we have "old tv smell?" Somebody call Glade, tell 'em to make a plug-in.

Good idea

Man this thread brought back memories that were long buried.

I remember when we got our first color set, musta been around 69 I was so wowed by color.

But I missed the tube going down to a tiny little star of light in the center of the screen. Dad always let me watch it go to bed, before I had to. Fond memories

Cool thread keep it going fella's
Army

[maxm]

There's an antique store near my house that sells restored tube radios from the 30s and 40s. The smell in that store is probably close to what you would get in an electronics store back in the 30s. That nice warm smell of the freshly finished wood heating up, it would be nice to work in there...

[bgadow]

I noticed a great smell at the ETF museum, especially the color room! The 60s RCA color sets have a distinct sweet smell thats endearing. I recall that the local tv store's showroom had a smell to it, it stayed there even after they stopped carrying electronics & stuck to major appliances. Odd, I have a lot of stuff out of that place from when they closed & you can still kinda get a whiff of it. Hard to figure some smells out, a friend of ours has ran a freight salvage store for decades, in 3 separate locations from time to time, & it still smells like it did 20 years ago. His house smelled the same way! Not offensive, just a unique combonation of some sort. Here, I have a tv room (downstairs) and a radio room (upstairs) and I sometimes go weeks at a time without going up there. There is certainly a unique smell, pleasant to me, when I open that door. All that old wood, wax, dust, etc.

[RVonse]

I worked at a tv shop during the late 70's part time while I was going to college. Part of my job was to unbox all the new sets that came in, check them out and set them up on display. I can still remember that first whiff you got when you first pulled the cardboard box off. A very pleasant smell for me.

Along similar lines....a freshly rebuilt car engine has a distinct smell as the paint and oil on the exhaust system begins to bake for the first time.....nothing quite like it! An acquired taste for most, to be sure
:-)

Anthony

[frenchy]

Originally Posted by Army

Good idea
I remember when we got our first color set, musta been around 69 I was so wowed by color. But I missed the tube going down to a tiny little star of light in the center of the screen.

My little Portacolor still does that point of light thing when you turn it off, if you turn down the brightness first. First a single VERY bright point, then it splits into three red, blue and green dots that diverge and then disappear. Cool effect...Frenchy

[Steve D.]

I'm not sure how to discribe the smell of a CT-100 after its warmed up. But it is unique and unmistakable. I have noticed this melding of wood, tube electronics, and perhaps frying dust aroma in all the operating CT-100's I have encountered over the years. Perhaps others can comment.

-Steve D.

[yagosaga]

Originally Posted by Steve D.

I'm not sure how to discribe the smell of a CT-100 after its warmed up. But it is unique and unmistakable. I have noticed this melding of wood, tube electronics, and perhaps frying dust aroma in all the operating CT-100's I have encountered over the years. Perhaps others can comment.

Yes. When I switch on all my tube tv sets together, I can smell this strong hot tube aroma after ten minutes in the whole room. It is a smell that no other electronic devices had. Only tube devices have it, and I like it.

[Steve D.]

Great photo of your collection. And of course, the CTC-5 Aldrich is the centerpiece.

-Steve D.

[yagosaga]

Originally Posted by Steve D.

Great photo of your collection. And of course, the CTC-5 Aldrich is the centerpiece.

Yes, it is the biggest one, just like a refrigerator. And remember the Aldrich was the small tabletop model in 1956.