View Full Version : Sharp Tri Mate


bandersen
03-10-2010, 04:05 PM
I can't recall ever seeing a boombox with a built-in TV like that. I wonder how well it worked :scratch2:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/ele/1637962511.html

Sandy G
03-10-2010, 06:05 PM
Had one of 'em Back in the Day. Mine was a JVC CX-500 US-It had a 4.5" color. Sold it, after Ebay got big, ended up buying one like it back, + its B&W 1st cousin. Good performer. We used to take it up on Yon Hill outside of town, & watch "Hill Street Blues" from a station out of SOUTH CAROLINA. Offa the "Rabbit Ears". FM section on mine VERY sensitive, but had lousy selectivity, but I hooked it up to a pole-mounted FM antenna one day this time of year & was pullin' in stations out of the metro Atlanta area, & outta Charlotte & Raleigh/Durham. Casstte door mechanism fiddly & weak, easily broken. Good clear crisp sound, especially for what it was. Plenty of volume, too-It served as my "Car Washing Buddy" for several years, & 6 "D" cells ran the radio for a good long time. I think you'd be happy w/it.

zenithfan1
03-10-2010, 10:04 PM
I have a little JVC model 3050 that has about a 3 inch screen, am fm psb radio that picks up police sometimes or security somewhere around here. It doesn't have a tape deck but has separate bass and treble controls, lighted dials and like Sandy's, pulls in stations like nobody's business. I wished I had something like this as a kid, but better late than never.

Bob, Maybe you should call him with a reasonable offer and see what he says. The price is way too high but he might just be fishing with the $90 pice tag.

bandersen
03-10-2010, 10:38 PM
Oh, I'm not really all that interested in it - not at that price and it's pretty far away. I just thought some of you guys might find it interestin' :D I suppose you'd need a portable ATSC receiver if you wanted to go mobile with it these days.

zenithfan1
03-10-2010, 10:41 PM
I can carry mine around the block and pick up channel 6, but only around my block.... hmmmmm:D

I did find it interesting, looks like it's got more bells and whistles than mine does.:thmbsp:

bandersen
03-10-2010, 10:52 PM
I can carry mine around the block and pick up channel 6, but only around my block.... hmmmmm:D

I did find it interesting, looks like it's got more bells and whistles than mine does.:thmbsp:

I bet it would work on channel 3 around my block too ;)

kx250rider
03-11-2010, 11:29 AM
Those are fairly good sets, and I've had various versions including JVC, Sony, Samsung, etc. I also have a Sampo exactly like your photo, but COLOR :yes:

Charles

zenithfan1
03-11-2010, 02:40 PM
COLOR?????!! Hot damn! I want me one o' 'dem!



Seriously, I want one........:sigh:

Sandy G
03-11-2010, 03:58 PM
I have one of the Sampo 5" color TVs/radio/cassette units, & it must have lived a hard life...Still works, but it just isn't anywhere near as robust as the JVC style units...Plus its a physically BIG unit, about 18" square, kinda unwieldy, & it doesn't have a carry handle on it. I don't remember its being as sensitive as the JVC unit either.JVC also made the 3050-style unit w/a cassette recorder/player -Think its called a 3070. I have one, but couldn't get it out to see what the model # is. Biggest drawback to those little guys is the AC adaptor is this relatively large bulky heavy box that is sorta a PITA to deal with-but the 3070 all-in-one has a plug-in cord, no fiddly box/wall tumor to deal with. GE made a unit, a very nice looking one at that, w/an AM/FM stereo, microcassette, & 4" color set. I also have a Toshiba CE 035 from April 1983, a 3.5" color set, AM/FM, & microcassette, but it has a shazbat selector pushbutton, you gotta hold it down for the TV to work. Their little microcassette player pops out, & they call it a "Walky", an obvious shot across Sony's "Walkman" bow. In all these little guys, the picture on the color sets have been superb, maybe not QUITE equalling the one on the KV-4000 Trinitrons, but pretty close. Its clear where the development money was spent. But w/nearly 30 yrs hindsight, I DO wish they'd spent another 50 cents on more robust plastics for the cases-These things were expensive-$350-600- & they deserved more than "Big K" level quality cases. Better switches, knobs, etc, would have been nice, too. Kinda hard to find 'em-There weren't many sold in the first place, & it seems like you either get one that was treated pretty nice, or its beat-to-shit.

kx250rider
03-12-2010, 10:48 AM
I have one of the Sampo 5" color TVs/radio/cassette units, & it must have lived a hard life...Still works, but it just isn't anywhere near as robust as the JVC style units...Plus its a physically BIG unit, about 18" square, kinda unwieldy, & it doesn't have a carry handle on it.

Mine is physically not too much bigger than the one at the top of the thread, and same configuration (stands up with a carry handle, to look like a ghetto blaster). I don't seem to have a picture of it, but here's a JVC version of the identical set:

http://www.deathwishindustries.com/home/What%20Is%20Best/Uncle%20Jacks%20Boomboxes%20aka%20Ghetto%20Blaster s/JVC%20CX%20500%20Front%20W%20Cover.gif

Notice you can't tell it's color unless you see the tri-color badge over near the right of the panel. I bet plenty of these are passed over as B&W sets!

Charles

zenithfan1
03-12-2010, 11:34 AM
THAT is the one I want:yes:

Sandy G
03-12-2010, 02:11 PM
Yep, that's the one I had...

jhalphen
03-12-2010, 08:43 PM
Hi Guys,

The model you want is JVC CX-500US

Photo Gallery below for your enjoyment.

Widen your hunting ground to include Japan, NTSC is still alive & kicking there!
Low VHF channels compatible with US channel plan, i.e. Channel 3-4 RF modulators.

See Yahoo! Japan - Page 1 of 12-13 with Google translation:

http://translate.google.de/translate?prev=hp&hl=de&js=n&u=http%3A%2F%2Flist5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp%2Fjp%2F2 0036-category-leaf.html&sl=ja&tl=en&history_state0=

Other JVC versions produced for different world markets:
- JVC CX-500GB for the UK PAL-BG + I
- JVC CX-500S for France SECAM L only
- JVC CX-500ME for PAL B/G countries + Middle-East SECAM

This 5" color CRT has fabulous resolution for its size screen. Phosphors are dots and not "slots" despite the tube being an "in-line" design and not a true Delta gun.

To be used with an OTA home transmitter: one more reason to build one!

Best Regards

jhalphen
Paris/France

zane
08-15-2010, 08:44 PM
So I had these 2 portable reel to reel players,
figured I would ebay them, out of my collection area.

So by the time I am done looking for them I find 5 of them,
2-1/4" thru 5" reel sizes. I guess I did have a collection.

Anyways, I found this Sharp Tri-Mate 3000, I was clueless
of ownership of it also.
It is in the top left, boombox style shape with microcassette.
Nice looking lil combo. I stuck it with some others and snapped a pic.
It is next to one of my favorites, The Seiko LCD Wristwatch TV.

freakaftr8
08-16-2010, 12:08 AM
Wow Zane! Thats a fine collection of portables!

So I had these 2 portable reel to reel players,
figured I would ebay them, out of my collection area.

So by the time I am done looking for them I find 5 of them,
2-1/4" thru 5" reel sizes. I guess I did have a collection.

Anyways, I found this Sharp Tri-Mate 3000, I was clueless
of ownership of it also.
It is in the top left, boombox style shape with microcassette.
Nice looking lil combo. I stuck it with some others and snapped a pic.
It is next to one of my favorites, The Seiko LCD Wristwatch TV.

site123a
08-16-2010, 12:14 PM
The model you want is JVC CX-500US

Photo Gallery below for your enjoyment.

Widen your hunting ground to include Japan, NTSC is still alive & kicking there!
Low VHF channels compatible with US channel plan, i.e. Channel 3-4 RF modulators.

See Yahoo! Japan - Page 1 of 12-13 with Google translation:

http://translate.google.de/translate...istory_state0=

Other JVC versions produced for different world markets:
- JVC CX-500GB for the UK PAL-BG + I
- JVC CX-500S for France SECAM L only
- JVC CX-500ME for PAL B/G countries + Middle-East SECAM

This 5" color CRT has fabulous resolution for its size screen. Phosphors are dots and not "slots" despite the tube being an "in-line" design and not a true Delta gun.

Does anyone know of any other portable TV that has good resolution at 5"? I recently picked up a Sony Watchman and was disappointed at it's low-res 5" color CRT (not a Trinitron BTW)...

zane
08-16-2010, 12:24 PM
Thanks man, I do enjoy my portables.
I boxed up all my transistor radios yesterday
to make room for my walkman types.

My boombox collection is up to 64.
No idea how many radios I do own now.
Enough to make me smile for sure, in a fantic way.