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Found a 1966 Motorola Color TV Combo!

I was on my local estate sale route this weekend and came across a very nice 1966 Motorola color TV combo unit. It was in the living room since new in an all original untouched home built in 1967. The home was quite a place and wanted to share some photos of it too. Today being Sunday, they were wheeling and dealing on everything. I got the Moto combo for $20 bucks! I was pleased to see it still works, granted all I could do was see a snow, but that's always a good sign when you get to that point right off the bat. They had the stereo going during the sale and it sounded good.
As I looked under the lid of the stereo, there were all the papers for the TV including a "Consumer Product Employee Repair" invoice. I also saw other Motorola parts and components around the house, so it became pretty obvious that the gentleman who lived here worked for Motorola.

The original owners of the home have passed on, but the grandson who was very close to his grandparents was there helping with the sale. I had the pleasure of speaking to him for quite some time as he discussed everything about his grandparents, the TV, and the home. His grandfather was an EE at Motorola for 38 years and retired in the mid 80's. Grandma was a stay at home wife and had their house built in 1967 when Mr. Feeney was ultimately promoted as a purchasing manager in the consumer division. The grandson told me that Motorola was a great place to work and treated their employees very well, he also worked at Motorola after he got out of the military himself. He brought me in the basement and showed me some of the power supplies and circuits that his grandfather designed and also the custom alarm system he installed after the house was built. He told me that the house was the "ultimate party house" and his grandparents were always throwing huge parties. He said one of the parties he remembered was so big that the Arlington Heights fire chief stopped by and said the house was exceeding maximum occupancy and it was "unsafe". Mr. Feeney offered him a drink and he didn't hear anymore about it! The house overlooked a nice lake in back and had their own little dock and sail boat as well.

The grandson offered to help move the TV out to my truck which was a great help. At first sight, this thing appears to be a massive back breaker, but to be honest, it wasn't that bad all things considered. I've moved much heavier units! We still had to catch our breath once we finally got it set on the truck.

Once I got it home, I checked everything out and see the TV is a TS-918 chassis and indeed has a GOOD original 23EGP22, both with matching June, 1966 date codes. It has a bright picture so the TV component probably wasn't used a whole lot. I was told that the phonograph was always being used though. It has the typical cataracts which I will need to "hot wire" to repair safely.

It also came with the original 1966 Motorola color TV brochure. This one is called the "Granada".

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5744/...ec19a3a8_h.jpg DSC04675 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5679/...49fa8725_h.jpg DSC04673 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5822/...8ce65362_h.jpg DSC04682 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/720/2...6970d366_h.jpg DSC04637 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5786/...83136e75_h.jpg DSC04636 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5678/...ee49b7f4_h.jpg DSC04669 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5712/...deb18703_h.jpg DSC04671 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/613/2...39c44254_h.jpg DSC04638 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5773/...fee14939_h.jpg DSC04668 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/644/2...ca6d5b4a_h.jpg DSC04683 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5811/...40ce0d94_h.jpg DSC04639 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5695/...f598174b_h.jpg DSC04687 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/653/2...ad222d7b_h.jpg DSC04633 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5647/...75f69fca_h.jpg DSC04625 by drh4683, on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5769/...e3dea149_h.jpg DSC04694 by drh4683, on Flickr

What a cool house, I can imagine some cool parties going on there. A nice high quality looking motorola for sure! I always thought the motorola control layout was interesting

With your great write-ups, Doug, it really is just like being there! A great set and history; I'm really glad it found you. They'll never build houses quite like that again, will they?

Cool Combo! We had one as a loner set - reliable as can be. HV liked to snap a bit in the summer, but otherwise a solid performer. I necked ours once moving some sets around - so Dad had me scrap it, as he didn't wanna buy/trade for/steal a 23EG CRT.

Just think - that was probably a set that the mOOn landings were watched on - serviced in Nov 1969, 46 years ago....tomorrow!!!

Looks a bit like my 65 Motorola.

Nice set! However, I am liking that house a little more.. LOL!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgadow (Post 3148453)

With your great write-ups, Doug, it really is just like being there! A great set and history; I'm really glad it found you. They'll never build houses quite like that again, will they?

Motorola must've paid their salaried personnel pretty good!
That house wasn't exactly cheap to build, even back then. Also considering the lake frontage lot.
AFAIC, A little too much use of fieldstone, rocks etc. and some of the furniture, yuck!
Hardly seems like decor, for a party-hearty fellow Irishman. :D

LOL! That home is a bit over the top, but what the heck!

BTW, that '67 Moto I got this Summer has it's original 23E as well.. Somehow it still has like new emission, but is delaminating slightly..

I like that the stereo section is completely separated from the TV section, and each section has it's own speakers. I also like that the TV is still working on tubes but the stereo is all solid state.

Interesting piece of furniture!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcanine (Post 3148482)

I like that tricky AC interlock plug, with the receptacle for the stereo power.
That cord would've been great for service calls, for soldering gun or test equipment power. In some homes the receptacles, were rather inconvienent to get to. :thmbsp:

What a great story! I can hear the Ray Coniff Singers as I look at those pictures.
I wonder what was in that garage over the past 48 years-:scratch2:

My goodness! That house is a time capsule! I especially love that stair case, the carpet on it is just the right shade. Some of that furniture, however, is a little on the eccentric side. I also like that wall paper in the kitchen. I enjoy seeing houses like these, which is more often than not, posts such as this. I always think "How did that house survive the disco era, then the 1980s new wave, then the just plain ugly 90's, without being remodeled?"

1966. Yeah, that "White" brick was going thru its heyday down here in Bugtussle right around then. I kinda prefer the darker red, but that house would have looked "Funny" w/it. Those massive overhangings never were quite as popular down here as elsewhere. I think they must have been rather EXPENSIVE to design, & construct. And people down here were VERY Cheap"...

I know the ceiling fans in that house are from the late 70s to 1982.. From someone who collects old ceiling fans, those are some neat old Emersons from what I see in those pics... It's defiantly one of those houses to where you felt like you walked into the 60s, and 70s era upon entry... I remember going into many houses like that when our airport bought out old neighborhoods and towns and demolished all the houses through out the 90s.. We got to go into them "Not legally", and see what people had left behind.. Surprisingly alot of interesting things... Unfortunately when someone buys that house next, they are going to renovate it and make it look modern.. That means bye bye old ceiling fans, or anything else that's old.. Will either get thrown away or donated to the local Habitat Restore..

Maybe, just maybe, someone will buy that house and do like Doug did with his: keep it period correct, and love it like the original owners did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by consoleguy67 (Post 3148530)

Maybe, just maybe, someone will buy that house and do like Doug did with his: keep it period correct, and love it like the original owners did.

Oh, I fear the day when I'm in the house buying market (I'm 16). Houses like these are quickly vanishing, and there's going to to be slim pickings in 10 years, if I'm lucky, but more realistically 15-20 years.

Wow, that place is cool, total time capsule!
They could have walked right in and shot Mad Men without changing a thing.

It survived the later decades because the owners got only the best quality finishes and furnishings. They fully realized that it would get no better in later years. Having everything they want, why ever change it if you can maintain in THAT condition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy G (Post 3148518)

I don't think, they were cheap, they didn't have that kind of income. There's a considerable difference in the economy of Illinois, vs Wisconsin and WI. wages are a lot higher than many of the southern states.
10% sales tax, in the city of Chicago, on everything you buy, including food that you have to cook.
The Union skilled trades, in Illinois pay considerally more than the same trades in Wisconsin. Definately, a higher cost of living.
On a side note, I wonder how much that house is going to sell for? :scratch2:

Again Great presentation Doug ! In the days that house was made ~it was the
McMansion of it's day I'm sure.... Brady Bunch style ! I like it except for the Fireplace
the stones are just too big, too jagged... The TV is just fantastic ! a good working
23EGP22 tv ! WOW could be more rare than a C-100 ! Ha Ha ! And that stereo, 3 way
speakers ! That is a Combo I can Live with ! Good Find ! Looking forward to a
Doug Video on the tv with a good 23EGP22 ! !

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Username1 (Post 3148561)

Think about it though, who else could host a rock-climbing party in their own home? It's one of the best ways of bringing the outdoors indoors. It sure beats merely tracking mud into the house, or not fixing roof leaks.

Totally boss house and combo for sure. Motorola's chassis numbering scheme is a little odd to me, the tubed TS-918 coming before the SS TS-915. The car radio-style UHF presets always grab me.

Love the TV, and as always, love the detailed pictures you take, Doug! I snooped on "Zillow" and see the house is in a "pending sale" status for 389K. I hope the owners keep as much of it original as possible, altho I do think they were a little happy with the river rock when they built it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jstout66 (Post 3148573)

That's actually a very realistic price for that house. I was thinking $450-500K for the house, especially with the lake frontage. :thmbsp:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Findm-Keepm (Post 3148458)

It must've serviced by a non-Motorola technician a little later, as there is replacement tubes that are GE and Sylvania.
Another thing, I always did was install a 6LB6 kit, that allowed the set to produce a little more HV, with better regulation.
Another aftersight, after reading the history of the home owner and his employment at Motorola. Did he work there after the acquistion of the TV division in Franklin Park by Matsushita? :scratch2:

That's in beautiful shape! Awesome score! Such an amazing house too, I dream of owning a house like that.

That is a dream house ! With or without the rock climbing jig, at 400K with lake front
patio I would jump on it ! and I would have dinner, and breakfast out there each day !
Maybe even spend my evenings out there and forget about tv....... I bet that's why
that 23EG can still "do it" ! Maybe it was on only for the important stuff..... Like the
Moon landing ! maybe Nixon's resignation..... M*A*S*H's last episode..... HA HA HA !

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieseljeep (Post 3148614)

Another thing, I always did was install a 6LB6 kit, that allowed the set to produce a little more HV, with better regulation.

Interesting, I've never heard of that before.
What was the original tube in those sets, and was that mod applicable to other sets using the same tube?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electronic M (Post 3148623)

Interesting, I've never heard of that before.
What was the original tube in those sets, and was that mod applicable to other sets using the same tube?

Don't know about other makes. The original HO tube was a 6JS6. There was a 10watt resistor that had to added or changed, don't recall. :scratch2: