Review-- Last-gasp 5" B&W analog TV featured at Big Lots...

[Whirled One]

While perusing the "Black Friday" ads on Thanksgiving, I noticed that Big Lots (a "closeout"-oriented store chain found in various regions of the USA) was featuring as a *Saturday* early-bird special a combination multi-function portable TV/radio/weather alert/clock/flashlight/etc. device for $10. I figured this might be about the last chance to get a brand-new B&W TV in a store, so, eh, I decided it'd be worth stopping by the local Big Lots store this morning to check it out.

Now, I've seen (and bought a few) of the last-gasp el-cheapo 5" B&W sets when they were closing them out at Best Buy and Comp USA for about ten bucks last year, and to be honest, they were mediocre (at best) in build quality and performance compared with similar 5" B&W sets from even 10 years ago. So, I was pretty surprised when I opened the box of my new ten-dollar-TV and found that the build quality was at least a notch or two better than other recently made 5" B&W sets I've seen.

So, what do you get for your ten bucks? You get a Vector "Stormtracker Elite" model WC300DSV, which combines the following bewildering array of functions into one rather compact portable plastic-cased (black and silver) device:

- 5" B&W TV (analog NTSC)
- AM/FM radio
- Weather radio with SAME weather alert functions
- Digital clock/calendar with alarm
- LED flashlight
- LED lantern
- Universal charger for cellular phones and other devices
- Crank-wind magneto that charges a small built-in rechargable battery (which can operate all functions *except* the TV even if there is no other source of power). There is also a battery holder for 9 "C"-size cells, which of course *can* power the TV in addition to the other functions.

Some details of note:

- Like most cheap 5" TVs of recent manufacture, the TV has a varactor tuner using a variable resistor attached to the tuning knob. *Unlike* most cheap 5" TV's of recent manufacture, however, this one actually has a *geared* tuning knob. So even though the tuner actually uses less than 180-degrees of the full 270 (or so)-degree travel of the variable resistor to cover any of the TV tuning bands, the geared 'fine tuning' knob more than makes up for it. Practically every recently-made 5" B&W TV I've seen simply had the tuning knob directly connected to the shaft of the variable resistor (even on models with a 'slide rule' tuning scale)

- An informal check shows TV picutre quality to be a tad better than most of the other last-gasp B&W sets I've seen. Tuner sensitivity is okay, but not remarkable.

- The AM/FM radio tuner appears to also be a varactor device rather than a variable capacitor, and controlled with a different knob. There is even a digital frequency readout for the radio, even though it's obviously not a digital frequency systhesis tuner. Knob is not geared, but does at least seem to use all of the rotational range of the pot. Still, it's better than the usual direct-tuning knob usually found for the radio tuner on these sorts of things lately. Informal checking on reception of a distant AM radio station shows radio sensitivity is pretty good for a cheap radio of this ilk (but certainly not spectacular). Audio quality is about all that can be expected from a dinky 2" speaker.

- Weather radio tuner does appear to be digital frequency synthesized, and the LCD can display alphanumeric weather alert messages.

- The LCD readout is backlit, but apparently only when using the Weather radio function. The backlight automatically switches off after a period of inactivity.

- the LED flashlight and lantern are pretty "meh" as you'd expect, though they are brighter than I figured and at least the switches for them seem to be conveniently located yet difficult to accidently activate.

- The wind-up charger for the backup battery system seems to work as advertised. I haven't tested to see how long the radio or lights will run on a full "wind". The backup battery will also be charged when an external AC/DC power adapter is connected or when the 9 'C' batteries are installed.

- I haven't messed with the clock functions or tried the universal phone charger. It comes with several adapter plugs for various brands of celluar phones.

- Build quality is okay but is only remarkable compared with the low build quality of most of the last-gasp 5" sets I've seen though. The controls/switches/knobs are reasonably well placed and designed, especially when compared with other last-gasp 5" sets. It does have a nice big easy-to-grab handle on the top, which would help facilitate use of the flashlight and lantern features. There are no A/V input jacks (like some of the other last-gasp 5" B&W TVs) , but it does have an external antenna jack.

- As packaged in the box, there is a promotional "hang tag" attached to the handle. Come to think of it, I can't recall the last time I saw a new TV with a hang-tag on it.

- This particular one has a manufacture date of Oct 2006.

One thought-- this multifunction device is obviously designed with "emergency" use in mind. Given that, what use is an analog NTSC-only TV going to be in an emergency after analog broadcasting is discontinued? Consider how much more expensive it would be right now to build an equivalent device of this sort with an ATSC tuner in it instead...

[Eric H]

Did they have the disclamer that it wouldn't work after 2009 anywhere?
I believe that's the law now, at least I've been seeing it around.

Is the flashlight analog or digital?

[Chad Hauris]

I would think that eventually the technology for for receiving standard definition digital TV or even HDTV could be installed into even a $10 b&w TV.
With the way the price drops on new technology, that doesn't seem too far fetched to me in a few years.

[Celt]

Originally Posted by Eric H

Did they have the disclamer that it wouldn't work after 2009 anywhere?

A regional chain (Fred's) sells Sanyo and a few other brands of old-tech tee-vees. Mentioned them the other day that they needed to put up a sign about "the change". And they were like "whaddya mean???" It's amazing how many people still don't know.

[Whirled One]

Originally Posted by Eric H

Did they have the disclamer that it wouldn't work after 2009 anywhere?
I believe that's the law now, at least I've been seeing it around.

The newspaper circular had the disclaimer, but come to think of it, I don't recall seeing a disclaimer notice in the store. Funny, that, given that even the Goodwill stores around here are attaching big yellow notices to that effect to every TV on the shelf.

Originally Posted by Eric H

Is the flashlight analog or digital?

Well, it's either *on* or *off*, so, yes-- it could be advertised as a digital flashlight.

[Whirled One]

Oh, here are some pictures of this thing...

[Celt]

RCA Vector? Looks pretty handy!

[Sandy G]

We got a Hog Lot's here, too...May just hafta get one meself...

[YamahaFreak]

What's the price on them now?

[OvenMaster]

Originally Posted by Whirled One

One thought-- this multifunction device is obviously designed with "emergency" use in mind. Given that, what use is an analog NTSC-only TV going to be in an emergency after analog broadcasting is discontinued?

My first thought is that the only thing the maker really cared about was getting the customer's money.
Tom

[Whirled One]

Originally Posted by Celt

RCA Vector? Looks pretty handy!

It's funny, but when I put the box in the car I had to do a double-take-- because just for a moment as I looked away from it, I thought I saw the name "Victor" on the box..!

Regarding YamahaFreak's question: The price tag on the box says $12, so that should be the 'regular' Big Lots price for it-- if they have any. I suspect these were bought specifically for this particular one-day sale promotion, so it's likely they won't still have them in stock. They did seem to be moving out the door fairly briskly at the store just in the short period I was there. (though partly due to a few folks who picked up 5 or 6 of them apiece) ...But if your local store does still have 'em, they'll probably be $12, which is certainly still super-cheap.

By the way, after playing with this thing a bit more, I found that the TV tuner sensitivity is actually a bit better than I originally thought. Sensitivity is still not super-impressive, but it is pretty good.

[Keefla]

I was in CVS today and saw a bunch of 5" BW craig sets on the bottom shelf for 22.50, i was gonna get one but thought that given i had bought an almost identical set last summer at Job Lot for 14.99, This one was overpriced.

[ChrisW6ATV]

I would buy one of those 5" B&W TV's, if only there was one that had DC restoration. Apparently as recently as the late 1970's(!), there were B&W sets about 16-17" solid state that did have DC restoration, but none since that I ever saw.

[YamahaFreak]

Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV

I would buy one of those 5" B&W TV's, if only there was one that had DC restoration. Apparently as recently as the late 1970's(!), there were B&W sets about 16-17" solid state that did have DC restoration, but none since that I ever saw.

DC Restoration? (Please excuse my ity)

[old_tv_nut]

Dc restoration means the set keeps a constant black level independent of scene content. In sets without DC restoration, the average video level is constant because the varying DC level is blocked by a coupling capacitor. So if the original scene has lots of DC due to having large bright areas, the set lacking DC restoration will reduce the average level, and all areas will get too dark, and the shadows will be cutoff and just be black blobs. On the other hand, in a scene with lots of dark areas, the DC level will be too high and the scene will show as washed out and foggy.