Remote controls
 

The recent thread on that Flash-Matic set that I posted has got me to thinking about the various control methods.

I knew two people with ultrasonic controlled sets who swore that they had poltergeists as their TVs would turn on/off and change channels for no apparent reason. This would invariably happen only at night. No pets with tags on their collars, toilet was far enough away that couldn't cause it...etc. Gotta wonder what else could be making that happen.

Lionel Trains at one time supplied a mechanism based on their E-Unit (a ratcheting solenoid that was used to electrically reverse the locomotive's direction). They made a version of this for television remote control actuators. Is anyone else here a Lionel fan who can corroborate this?

Lionel made many other devices based on this technology for other industries (including the armed forces) but I've never heard any details, does anyone know?

Lets not forget the air operated remotes like the Philco Seventeener used in their New-Matic system.
A hose and a squeeze bulb was used to change the channels.

http://www.vintagetvsets.com/images/newmatic.jpg

Our old Sylvania SuperSet with ultrasonic remote used to change channels when the Hoover vacuum cleaner was making some dogwhistle.

Puzzling - can't think what it might be. Dropped silverware could do it, but it's pretty obvious when that happens. Could it be a whistle in heating ducts?
Maybe someone here has direct experience with some unexpected ultra-sound sources.

How well did that "new-matic" remote work?
Could it adjust volume too or just change the channels? And could the channels only be changed in one direction?

That New-Matic might be in for a lotta channel changing after a Mexican meal! In that case it could be called a Pew-Matic

Or the pew-matic could be used as a "rapid fire" channel changer....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt!