Anybody Collect 5" Portable TVs? - Videokarma.org TV - Video

compucat · #1 04-25-2005, 11:53 AM

Hi there. I just discovered AK about a week ago and laved reading all the TV collecting posts. I love the '40s sets but am glad to hear people are collecting right up through the '70s. I was wondering if anyone else shares my enthusiasm for '70s and early '80s 5" portables, black and white or color. I dont just mean Orbitels or those Sharp robot style sets. I like the more "everyday" ones too. They were marvels in their own right with small CRTs built-in radios, self-contained batteries and so truly portable. Many were very well designed such as the Sharp Sidekick I am working on now. It is the larger 5" not the 3" with the oval screen mask. Am I the only one interested in these or are there others? I would love to hear your thoughts and see pictures of your sets.

Sandy G · #2 04-25-2005, 02:20 PM

I like the smaller little guys, but have a few 5 inchers. Still looking for a nice Trinitron 5". My very 1st TV ever was a 5-303W Sony from like 1962. There is something kinda neat about these bigger "little" guys...-Sandy G.

compucat · #3 04-25-2005, 02:33 PM

I have one of those too. It is in very pristine condition but needs servicing now as I suspect the selenium recifiers finally gave out. It is a great TV and super well made. Not that bad to work on either with a little patience. I even have the luggage style carry case , earphone, antenna connector and indtruction manual with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy G

I like the smaller little guys, but have a few 5 inchers. Still looking for a nice Trinitron 5". My very 1st TV ever was a 5-303W Sony from like 1962. There is something kinda neat about these bigger "little" guys...-Sandy G.

#4 04-25-2005, 03:26 PM

There are a couple of 5-303's on ePay right now, along with this ancient device http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

compucat · #5 04-25-2005, 03:53 PM

I never liked that model. It seems to be rather fragile as almost all of them are missing knobs, trim, etc.

The 5-303W is a much sturdier set judging by the amount that survive in good to excellent restorable condition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by heathkit tv

There are a couple of 5-303's on ePay right now, along with this ancient device http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

#6 04-25-2005, 07:35 PM

There's a friend of the family that has one of the 5-303's (or a similar set). As a kid I used to marvel at it....a similar favorite of mine from Sony was the early 70's Trinitron smaller sets, around 5" to 9"

Anthony

bgadow · #7 04-25-2005, 09:32 PM

I've got a small collection of them, a few Sony's, a Delmonico/Nivico I just bought, one of the Longines Symphonettes, a "mod" style RCA clock tv/radio. Hard to say no when the price is right, considering they don't really take up any space. I'm glad to hear the Sony's are not such a problem to work on, I have one that I bought (bartered, actually) when I was a kid in the '80s, and the audio always had a bad buzz. Last time I turned it on the audio was dead so maybe a cap finally let loose. Thats been several years ago & I kept putting the repair off, figured it to be a can of worms.

andy · #8 04-25-2005, 10:12 PM

I have a KV-5100 5" Trinitron and an 80's TMK 5" color set. I also have a few Watchmans (or is that Watchmen?). Two are B/W sets using Sony unusual flat CRT and the other is the FDL-310 which was Sony's first color watchman. It uses an active matrix screen unlike most of Sony's current crappy hand held TVs.

I might actually bid on that 8-301W. Despite its poor condition, it has all the parts I need to make mine almost perfect (the channel knob number strip, fine tuning knob, antenna, sunshade nut, and external antenna jack lebel).

dewickt · #9 04-25-2005, 10:39 PM

The Sony flat tube, they made them for Magnavox and called it an Escort, very good B/W picture.

#10 04-26-2005, 02:30 AM

Calling Dick Tracy.....Dick Tracy, come in--over

compucat · #11 04-26-2005, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewickt

The Sony flat tube, they made them for Magnavox and called it an Escort, very good B/W picture.

I found the Sony version FD-42A mint in box on ebay a few years ago. It's a beautiful set and a very good picture. Zenith also had a rebadged version of that set. It seems that Sony has gotten out of the miniature TV business but that's a subject for another thread.

andy · #12 04-26-2005, 09:39 AM

There's a Zenith on ebay right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MakeTrack=true

Am I the only one who thinks the 4" sets look like they were built upside down?

#13 04-26-2005, 11:22 AM

I agree, they always seemed upside down to me too. Stupid design.....it would've cost them nothing to have flipped the picture electronically but I suspect that Sony wanted to make it more unusual.

Anthony

dewickt · #14 04-26-2005, 11:36 AM

Due to the slope of the tube the best viewing picture is looking straight at the screen, slightly down into it. Turn the set over and you would have to look up into the screen, I set mine on the table when I use it thus the viewing is at the desired angle to the screen.
It's like the design was hardware driven...

Chad Hauris · #15 04-26-2005, 02:36 PM

Here is one of the mini-tv's we have at the shop, a Sony FD-2A. We got this from an estate sale for $10.00.