Travler portable tv
 

I decided I would start restoration on my Travler portable tv I got recently while I wait in parts for my RCA projection set. I like the colors and it should be a simple restoration. It's missing the back and two side control knobs, but in otherwise nice condition. Anyone else seen many of these?

VERY cool '50's portable TV. I was close to getting the same exact set from a collector friend a while back. The two-tone red, square-ish shape, round speaker opening, and "bulging-eye" look make it a classic "mid-century" piece. Having the "Trav-ler" adds to the uniqueness. They don't show-up often at all, but these metals sets still only have a mild desirability.

I worked on a lot of them. There was a $5 down, easy terms furniture store in the neighborhood, where I first lived that sold a lot of them. Priced at around $120 with UHF. Standard Coil tuner.
For a very inexpensive set, they were rather trouble free. A lot better than the Philco's the same store sold. :yes:

Finished this set today and it was a pretty simple restoration. The picture is pretty good and may become my daily watcher in my shop. It's missing a couple of white knobs on the side, but I've got a couple similar knobs that will pass for now.

Nice! The only 'Trav-ler' I ever remember seein' was just like this one, but the cabinet was all a single color, a brownish bronze (or bronzish-brown).

Looks great. Two-tone really adds another dimension.

The only other Travler tv I have is a 1949-50 16" pushbutton console.

That's probably the last model of the "boxey" style cabinet. The tuner was lower on the older models and the knobs were different. I didn't see too many of those. :scratch2:

Great looking set! Also nice to have something that's not a GE or an RCA though they are great looking too.

I love the metal portables from the late 50's, they were orignally the main focus of my collecting when I started out. It was really a very short period when such sets were made, 57-59 mostly, that pretty much applies to cars of the era too.

I suppose the ads for this TV might have gone like:
"You can travel with this Trav-ler portable TV!" :D

Believe this is your Trav-ler model in this 1957 ad.

-Steve D.

Great ad, cool to see!

Just noticed the tuner and other knobs in a different location than mine!

That's what I was referring to. The earlier models had the knobs as shown.
For a lower end set, they had a voltage doubler design.

May have been a year earlier or later model.

-Steve D.

It really was a marvel of engineering that they were able to cram a 17” picture tube into a 15 7/8” wide chassis...or so says the ad!

It was built with TARDIS technology! :D

IIRC most Travelers were built by Admiral so they use the same knobs.
There are only a few different shaft sizes so you can use most
anything as long as its long enuf.

73 Zeno:smoke:
LFOD !

I didn't see any resemblance to an Admiral set.
I seen a Sonora and a Wards Airline that was similar, even the tube compliment, but it was obvious that it was made by Sonora.
They were still better performers than the low end Ge's.

I have the same model, in a Copper, that I have yet to restore. I've tested the crt, which shows strong emission and no shorts. It has a few of the original Trav-ler tubes which is pretty cool.

Have you noticed that the picture tube is propped up by what looks to be rubber chocks toward the front? One of mine has come loose and needs to be glued back because the crt is just floating in there.

Little paper tube diagram on my HV cage states the chassis is a 740-17.

Theres some indication that the design is based on a Muntz prototype that was purchased by Trav-ler Corp.

Old lawsuit:
https://casetext.com/case/muntz-tv-i...ler-radio-corp

If you look at this Muntz you can see a resemblance:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/153608808023