NOS Zenith Space Command Remote Score

[Robb]

Hey gang, I recently won this Zenith Space Command Remote on ebay.
It is new old stock remanufacture.
Comes with factory packing and carton.
This will work on my 1977 Zenith SG2570P chromacolor TV.
The old one that my parents have is worn and no longer working.

Some pics.







TV

[WISCOJIM]

Seeing that it's a "remanufactured" remote, it must have been previously used or stored in a damp environment to end up with rusty screws holding it together while the box and packaging look to have remained dry.

[Robb]

They probably reused the same screws when it was remanufactured.
No big deal...I'll try and replace them.

[dieseljeep]

Does that remote use that expensive "J" battery?
Haven't seen one in awhile.

[Robb]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

Does that remote use that expensive "J" battery?
Haven't seen one in awhile.

Uses a standard square battery as far as I know.

[jstout66]

Nice score Robb! Man.. I'm getting old. I remember your parents set with that remote when they were new! ( I even unboxed a few) And yes.. your remote uses a 9V, and not the dreaded J battery, which is what the replacement remote uses for my Zenith set. I have an 81 System 3 with "Space Phone" , and altho I couldn't find an exact replacement, I found one on eBay, which did use that damn J battery. Wasn't a big deal at the time, but I don't think they make that battery anymore as I can't find one locally....

[Jeffhs]

I'm not familiar with the "J" battery you mention. Was that a special type, shape, voltage, etc. battery that could only be obtained from Zenith retailers or dealers, or was it readily available in stores when the remotes (and the TVs they were used with) were new? If not, what type of battery, if any, could be used to replace the type J cell?

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

I'm not familiar with the "J" battery you mention. Was that a special type, shape, voltage, etc. battery that could only be obtained from Zenith retailers or dealers, or was it readily available in stores when the remotes (and the TVs they were used with) were new? If not, what type of battery, if any, could be used to replace the type J cell?

It was a 6 volt, alkaline type. Most were Duracell branded.
Some refered to it as a photographic battery. Maybe camera shops still have it.

[drussell]

Yes, the 6-volt type J batteries are still made, I see them once in a while when I'm at several local battery suppliers but you don't usually see them in "regular" stores often anymore. They're used in all sorts of things like TV remotes, cameras/flashes and medical devices...

They look like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Type.../dp/B000UXAL1A

<Doug>

[Robb]

Those J batteries look like a Digital camera memory card. LoL

[Norbert]

This remote control was designed to use a standard 9V (volt) battery. It does not use the "J" battery of which is mentioned. It is important to note that the rust on the screws MAY be in fact an indication that this remote control was stored in a damp location. DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT power it up (by pressing ANY of the buttons) without fully inspecting the condition of the interior as a component may have corroded due to the excessive moisture and perhaps damage another component such as the IC (intergrated circuit) or a transistor(s) which may be VERY expensive to replace if not MORE than the cost of the remote control itself!
I would also be very careful when disassembling the remote control as the plastic case is now 36+ years old if not more! Over the years, plastic can degrade and become brittle. Upon loosening a screw you may BREAK one of the plastic mounts. I CAUTION against this and it may be advantageous for you to insist on using this peice SOLEY as a display item ONLY. This is an ultrasonic remote control and it operates on the principle of sound waves in which the TV receives the signal and it responds to the cooresponding frequency in which to function the varioius controls on the TV set. This system predates the IR (Infared) technology which became more widespread by the early 1980's. If one presses a button (on the remote conrol) a high frequency sound will be emitted from a specially designed transducer that is located on the front of the remote control. This sound cannot be heard by the human ear (human hearing is usually limited to a range of 20-20,000 hertz (hz) and these remote controls are usually tuned to a frequency ABOVE the human hearing range! This extremely high frequency cannot be detected by the human ear under normal conditions, unless research can provide that some people have the ability to hear these frequencies (I cannot verifty this myself, however, it would seem probable based on the current population of some 300 million people in the United States alone that someone may in fact have genetics in which they may in fact be able to hear such frequencies above the normal 20,000 hz limit)
This is a very nice find and I hope you will take care of it. It was made by Zenith Radio Corporation who is now out of business (if you were not aware, the name "Zenith" is all that exists today on consumer products, but it is no longer the company based in Chicago, IL (Illinois) that we (assuming you are old enough to remember) are familiar with. That being said, you should take pride in owning a special peice of American technological history.

[Robb]

^^ Good to know.

thanks