RCA must have made a zillion of these jokers! - Page 2 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

zenith2134 · #16 09-29-2009, 05:53 PM

I'm not sure but that might be a Canadian market set then Greg. Wasn't a click stop VHF tuner mandated by the FCC? I know UHF wasn't until 1975 but...

Carmine · #17 09-29-2009, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenith2134

I'm not sure but that might be a Canadian market set then Greg. Wasn't a click stop VHF tuner mandated by the FCC? I know UHF wasn't until 1975 but...

The mandate was that the UHF and VHF tuners must use the same "method" of tuning, so continuous was OK, so long as it was both bands.

Typical stupid government mandate I might add! I much prefer a continuous UHF tuner!

BTW, I have a direct access digitally tuned Zenith B&W set (and it's even more rare 19" brother) They are good performers for DXing, and you actually can fine tune them!

zenith2134 · #18 09-29-2009, 10:14 PM

Oh, thanks for the info Carmine. I agree too..... Why is a UHF (or VHF) fine tuner even needed with a continuous tuner?! It really isn't IMO. I guess "Joe-sixpack/average tv watcher" liked the detents.....LOL.

ChrisW6ATV · #19 09-29-2009, 11:59 PM

In a location with plenty of UHF stations, the click-stop tuners were a big improvement over the random, continuous tuners of the past. Most non-detent UHF tuners were not very well marked with channel numbers, and the sets with the UHF tuner and indicator concentric with the VHF were the hardest to use.

ChrisW6ATV · #20 09-30-2009, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenith2134

Why is a UHF (or VHF) fine tuner even needed with a continuous tuner?! It really isn't IMO. I guess "Joe-sixpack/average tv watcher" liked the detents.....LOL.

Fine tuning on non-detent UHF tuners was really just a gear/tuning speed reduction. One thing I have never seen is memory (per-channel preset) fine tuning on a dial/detent UHF tuner. Varactor/push-button tuners fixed that problem.

Charlie · #21 09-30-2009, 08:57 AM

... am I the only one that cannot see the photo in the first post?

I feel like I'm missing out on somethin here!

I do, however, see the photo further down with Spock on the Tandy.

Charlie · #22 09-30-2009, 11:10 AM

Since i can't see the photo of the RCA being discussed, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that it's one of these below... because I do recall seeing LOTS of these over the years!

back when we got our Atari 2600, this little RCA was the only thing we were allowed to connect it to. There was always talk of video games burning out screens. Yeah, perhaps... if you ONLY played the same game ALL the time EVERY day. Funny... i never noticed any burn-in on this RCA.

The set was eventually sold at a garage sale... still working just fine.

radiotvnut · #23 09-30-2009, 11:24 AM

Yep, that's it. My origianl picture must have been removed during the AK to VK transition. The '84 and '77 models were in a white cabinet and the '81 is in a woodgrain cabinet.

ChrisW6ATV · #24 10-02-2009, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie

back when we got our Atari 2600, this little RCA was the only thing we were allowed to connect it to. There was always talk of video games burning out screens. Yeah, perhaps... if you ONLY played the same game ALL the time EVERY day. Funny... i never noticed any burn-in on this RCA.

The video-game burn-in problem was primarily from the early black-and-white game units. They had truly bright white game elements on completely black backgrounds, and many people didn't think to turn down the contrast on their TVs for these games. Also, besides people playing the games for hours at a time, many of them were probably left turned on and displayed even when not being used.

The Atari 2600 was well-known when it was released for having anti-burn-in features, specifically game displays that changed colors at the end of each timed game. Air-Sea Battle was good enough to be a video work of art if left running after a game.

leadlike · #25 10-03-2009, 12:37 AM

My first television was a little 12" RCA B&W. Originally, it was purchased in the late seventies as a second tv in my parent's bedroom. Then it was in the bathroom so my Dad wouldn't miss a moment of the Phillies. Finally, it came to me.

With just the rabbit ears, I could pull in some pretty distant stations. I used it for about five years, when I got my very own color set. My parents still have that little B&W, and my Dad loyally turns it on once a month for a half hour or so to keep those caps formed up nicely.

Phil Nelson · #26 10-03-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Grant

sets sold in the prison store. The cabinet was clear

Clear prison TVs pop up on eBay fairly regularly. One owner thought he had run across some rare factory prototype or custom deal. He wasn't so jolly when I told him it came from the joint and was probably sold for $10 at the pawn shop nearest the prison. I could have sworn these also came with color. Or maybe a seller was just making that up.

Phil

radiotvnut · #27 10-03-2009, 10:48 PM

Here are pictures of the '77 RCA. It is receiving a low power UHF analog station. The vertical problem was caused by bad solder connections. The '81 model looks similar, except that the chassis is of the single board chassis type.

ChrisW6ATV · #28 10-04-2009, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Nelson

Clear prison TVs pop up on eBay fairly regularly. One owner thought he had run across some rare factory prototype or custom deal. He wasn't so jolly when I told him it came from the joint and was probably sold for $10 at the pawn shop nearest the prison. I could have sworn these also came with color. Or maybe a seller was just making that up.

Phil

Yes, there have been color prison (clear-cabinet) TV sets.

dtuomi · #29 10-04-2009, 03:48 PM

I really want that. I think I have one of those monitors around somewhere as well.

David

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa2ise

Speaking of B&W sets from the late 70's, it turns out that the computer monitor that was sold with the TRS80 computer was a modified RCA B&W TV set. The "TRS80" plastic logo on the front hid holes in the cabinet where the TV tuner would have been, and there was a space where a speaker was to mount as well (behind the grillwork under the CRT).

They used a wide bandwidth opto-coupler to get the baseband video from the computer to the hot chassis modified TV set. a 6N135 IIRC.

Of course any computer/TV/Star Trek geek is required to play episodes of Star Trek on one of these monitors...

ha1156w · #30 10-06-2009, 12:24 AM

I've seen them with knobs above the tuners and knobs below the tuners....Had one of those myself back in the stone age, red cabinet, grey front/rear. Think it was a 1981 model. Not the most sensetive of reception being 60 miles outside the transmitters, but then again my 1979 JCPenney B/W 12" wasn't much of an improvement (but had a much cheaper feel to it!).