Solid State Finds - Videokarma.org TV - Video

bgadow · #1 08-07-2007, 01:08 PM

I keep saying I'm not going to drag home any late 70s/80s stuff. Well, I didn't drag this stuff home-my wife did! It was on sale dirt cheap at a thrift store. She called me and I told her, sure, go ahead and get it. At least they're small.

First, and most interesting, is the later version of the Panasonic VintageCollect has. A 1977 7" color portable. Dot matrix crt, AC only, works fine save for some dirty controls.

Second is a 1979 Sears 13" color. Not too exciting. Made in the USA, believe it or not...almost certainly by Sanyo at the old Warwick plant I guess. The crt is inline and made in Japan. Works great.

Third is a 1983 Teknika. Kim thought this was interesting because it is a remote set, original remote included. I had seen a Sams for a 70s Teknika, a 25" I think, that was made by Wells-Gardner. Well, on the back sticker there is a manufacturer code and when I looked in the EIA index there it was, Wells-Gardner. They couldn't have had too much to do with making it, though. The crt (13" inline) is a Toshiba and there is a lot of NEC stuff inside. Nowhere does it say where the set was assembled. Maybe W-G put it all together in Chicago or maybe they were just a go-between. Anyway, it also works, including the remote. Nothing fancy as it uses a pushbutton varactor tuner, 12 position, and the remote just lets you pick channels-no direct entry here. Also has power, mute, volume.

So, there they are...more sets on the pile!

Carmine · #2 08-07-2007, 01:20 PM

A thrift store probably doesn't sell 3 80s CRT sets in a year... and then to a woman? Guy behind the counter probably thought he was on a hidden camera show.

bgadow · #3 08-07-2007, 01:36 PM

Yeah, she said he gave her a look! She just told him about her goofy husband and his weird hobbies. She actually bought them out of TV sets. Maybe that will encourage them to stock more?

polaraman · #4 08-07-2007, 09:05 PM

Goodwill opened a dollar store around the corner from me. This is the first find from there. I picked up this Hitachi CFA440 for $3.00 last week. SAMS 1241-1. This set is from around 1971-72. It is one heavy set. I get a picture but the color is messed up. The CRT tests good. I Will have to troubleshoot the color circuit.

They had another 1978 Magnavox SS color portable that I passed on.

polaraman

Thyratron · #5 08-08-2007, 12:10 AM

[QUOTE=Carmine;]"A thrift store probably doesn't sell 3 80s CRT sets in a year... "

The one here does, usually to me!

Adam · #6 08-08-2007, 01:03 AM

A few years ago when I was in Berkeley, I had found a set on the curb which looks exactly the same as that Teknika, with the same remote control, but it wasn't called a Teknika, it was called a Supra-Macy.

kx250rider · #7 08-08-2007, 11:22 AM

I like that little white Panasonic!

Charles

bgadow · #8 08-13-2007, 12:58 PM

My wife has been on a thrift store kick lately which is fine with me. After the flea market Saturday morning (nothing interesting this week) we went to Goodwill. Hardly any electronics at all, and no TV sets. I did pick up a copy of the American TOP 40 with Casey Kasem from 1979 for $1. Next we went to the Salvation Army. They had rearranged things since I had been in with a larger furniture/appliance dept. I kept expecting to see something interesting but no luck. Then, on the other side of the store past a row of nice Radaranges, sat this TV. Not solid state, which is a good thing! A Wards Airline (Admiral from Taiwan) hybrid portable. This is a better model with auto color and a black matrix tube. I have a cheaper one which JCFitz gave me. They really "muntzed" that one! I sure didn't need this but it was just $10 and it has tubes, is color, might as well save another one.

jln1966 · #9 08-13-2007, 09:05 PM

Is the American Top 40 a record set like they sent to the radio stations? Good find. I have some of those but I got all mine on E-bay. I have never seem them at trift stores. I lots of the shows on cdr. I love listening to them.
John

vintagecollect · #10 08-13-2007, 09:56 PM

...

bgadow · #11 08-14-2007, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jln1966

Is the American Top 40 a record set like they sent to the radio stations? Good find. I have some of those but I got all mine on E-bay. I have never seem them at trift stores. I lots of the shows on cdr. I love listening to them.
John

Yes, that is right. I picked a couple episodes up at an antique mall a few years ago. I never knew these existed and thought they were always sent out via satellite. Then I found a copy of American Country Countdown one day at the flea market. I have since built a collection of ACC & Lee Arnold on a Country Road (I like 80s country) all via ebay. Much easier on the wallet buying locally!

3Guncolor · #12 08-14-2007, 08:31 PM

In the 70's most radio stations did not use satellite's to receive programming.
LP's were the only format that all stations could play.

Thyratron · #13 08-15-2007, 12:11 AM

[QUOTE=bgadow]. Then, on the other side of the store past a row of nice Radaranges. . .

Wow, they had a row of Radaranges?! Were they the early chrome ones?

bgadow · #14 08-15-2007, 11:11 AM

Yes, they were chrome. Late enough to have touchpads. The one I looked at most closely had the owner's manual inside. I figured I better get away from it before my wife saw me admiring it....I really don't think I could get away with one more hobby!

bgadow · #15 10-11-2007, 12:07 PM

Earlier this year a brand spanking new Goodwill opened 10 minutes away. I didn't stop in there for the first time until a few weeks ago and was surprised by the fact they had several tv sets. Nothing overly exciting. There was a later 70s RCA console and a 19" Zenith which looked for all the world like it was mid-70s, but turned out to be a 1983 model. (dual click-stop tuning) Must have been the cheapest thing they made that year. The other set they had also fooled me on age-a 13" that looked mid-70s but was an '80 model. Though it was only $7 I decided to pass. But it ate at me, so last Saturday I went back and got it. The clerk even let me know that it came with a full money back guarantee!

There is just something about this cabinet style that I like, and it doesn't take up much space. Works well, of course. I touched up the controls as they had everything cranked all the way up. It does have a very bright picture. I was able to cure a noisy volume control from the front-there was just room enough to snake the nozzle from the aerosol can into the pot. The VHF tuner needs cleaning badly. They probably just tuned in the local UHF station to test it. The other reason I wanted this set is it was made in the US, in Missouri.

I actually ended up with more solid state stuff today. Someone I know had tenants abandon several sets in their rental property. I was hoping they were older-'89 Emerson 25", '91 Zenith 19" & a 13" Monkey Wards that I guess is late 80s. If they work I'll try to give them away to somebody.