The old RCA won out!!!

[radiotvnut]

As some may know, I have an old 19" RCA (CTC97) with rotary tuning. This is the living room TV and I use a VCR to receive the high cable channels. In other words, the channels can be changed via remote and the volume and power must be done at the TV. I don't watch that TV, my Mother does. She's been complaining that the only thing she has against that TV was that she had to get up to adjust the volume.

Today, while I was at the dollar store, I picked up a few $5 universal remotes. I've got this Panasonic cable box with volume control; but, the original remote was ruined by leaking batteries and no previous universal remote would even turn it on. So, I tried the new made in China GE remote and it turned it on and changed the channels! My Mother is now excited that she can adjust the volume with the remote. So, I connect the box to the RCA and guess what? The stupid ass remote controls everything EXCEPT the volume! I tried a current RCA universal remote, no change.

By that time, my Mother was ticked and told me to take that old set out and to get the 19" (modern black box Sharp) set out of her bedroom and put it in the living room. So, I did as she asked. Then, she really got ticked. The black cube Sharp was physically smaller and too much of the wall behind the set (set is inside a wall unit) was showing. At one time, there was a 27" set in the wall unit so the back panel of the wall unit had to be cut out for the rear of the set to fit through. The wall behind there is still painted green while the other walls are another color. Then, I turned it on and she said the picture on the newer Sharp was not near as good as the old RCA and she also said that the Sharp looked to have a smaller screen (they both measure 19 inches).

Then, she had me put the Sharp back in her room and replace the old RCA in it's original location and then she pouted because she didn't have a remote control volume control!

After I was done juggling TV's, I laughed my butt off. It looks like I get to keep my old RCA and we can continue to get funny looks by people who come over that can't believe we are watching a 28 year old TV. I guess I can thank the green wall and the lacking of picture quality by the Sharp!

Whatever happens, I'm not getting rid of the RCA. It has a brighter, sharper picture than anything I've seen in a long time.

[zenith2134]

My mother uses a modern 25" Sharp BPC that looks awful. Looks like it has a weak crt already. She doesn't mind of course.

My ctc-97 is a nice set as well. Good stuff, glad it won!

[Madman007]

Do those same people laugh if you listen to 28 year old stereo components? (I don't know if you have vintage audio gear or not.)

[zenith2134]

Try 48 year old tube stereo components here. People think its neat, but strange.

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by Madman007

Do those same people laugh if you listen to 28 year old stereo components? (I don't know if you have vintage audio gear or not.)

My main stereo is a mid '70's Kenwood receiver that I bought at a yard sale in the early '90's. It now needs dial bulbs and the controls cleaned. Otherwise it hasn't given my any trouble. I have a Technics SL1300mkII TT, a '90's era Kenwood cassette deck and a '90's era Sony CDP connected to it. Yes, some people think I'm weird for listening to such old equipment and they also think I'm strange for listening to vinyl. After all, this is the 21st century.

I've got a small tube type Magnavox console stereo in my bedroom that I used to use until it started giving me trouble. I've got loads of tube radios and record players that I use. I've got a few pieces of misc. tube stereo and hi-fi pieces on my "to fix" list. Nothing major. Just stuff I picked up locally. I can't afford the major stuff. Yes, people think I'm strange for collecting and using that stuff; but, I could care less. At least I'm not going in debt to buy all the modern "must have" gadgets that will probably die in a few years (or months).

[classictv80s]

That's wonderful to hear that you are still using a 1980 RCA as your daily watcher. My 1984 Zenith, which I got at a thrift store for $25, works great in one of my bedrooms except that the remote control sensor has quit. You said something to me the other day about testing the B+ on the Zenith, but I just don't know anything about how to test the electrical on wires or buttons. It's still a shock to me that the remote control functions would just quit all of a sudden. I'm pretty bummed out about it.

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by classictv80s

That's wonderful to hear that you are still using a 1980 RCA as your daily watcher. My 1984 Zenith, which I got at a thrift store for $25, works great in one of my bedrooms except that the remote control sensor has quit. You said something to me the other day about testing the B+ on the Zenith, but I just don't know anything about how to test the electrical on wires or buttons. It's still a shock to me that the remote control functions would just quit all of a sudden. I'm pretty bummed out about it.

I've found more times than not that electronics can just up and die without warning. Just tonight, I was working on the GE EC chassis motel set that I just got and it went completely dead like I'd pulled the power plug.

Actually, the RCA is my Mother's daily watcher. Here lately, my daily watcher has been a '77 Zenith 17" chromacolor II. It would have an A1 picture if the inline CRT wasn't a little soft. I also have a 19" Sony from '85 that sees heavy use and a '69 Zenith tube type B&W console in my work area that gets turned on from time to time.

Maybe you can find someone in your area to fix your Zenith if you are not comfortable with it. Someone on AK would be your best bet since most TV shops don't want to touch these old sets anymore. If you go to a TV shop, try to find an older one.

[classictv80s]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

I've found more times than not that electronics can just up and die without warning. Just tonight, I was working on the GE EC chassis motel set that I just got and it went completely dead like I'd pulled the power plug.

Actually, the RCA is my Mother's daily watcher. Here lately, my daily watcher has been a '77 Zenith 17" chromacolor II. It would have an A1 picture if the inline CRT wasn't a little soft. I also have a 19" Sony from '85 that sees heavy use and a '69 Zenith tube type B&W console in my work area that gets turned on from time to time.

Maybe you can find someone in your area to fix your Zenith if you are not comfortable with it. Someone on AK would be your best bet since most TV shops don't want to touch these old sets anymore. If you go to a TV shop, try to find an older one.

I've actually fixed some stuff. My mother brought home a '90s Hitachi VCR that she dug out of a wastebasket at the high school she teaches at. I opened it up and cleaned the heads with isopropyl and cleaned off some of the other dusty areas, hooked it up and tested it - works great. More recently, I found an older Sony clock radio at a thrift store for $4. There was quite a bit of static when you went to change the dial, plus there was something loose floating around in it. I opened it up and saw that one of the little plastic poles was built a bit too long and had broken off at the very top. I removed the tiny piece and carefully cleaned the dial and switch, it now works fine with no static.