Telecaption 4000 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

Hi Ho · #1 05-21-2006, 04:20 AM

I have a nice old Sanyo TV from 1977 which hasn't been used for a few months, mainly because it does not have a remote or the capability to tune in cable channels. I stopped by Goodwill and found a Telecaption 4000. I don't need the caption function but this box has a switched outlet along with volume control and the capability to tune cable channels. It's perfect! Well, almost. There is one small item missing... the remote.

I thought maybe the cheap RCA universal remote I have lying around would work with it. I did the manual code search, cycling through every single code to no avail. I tried adding the device to my Harmony remote. Even with their online database of thousands of products, Telecaption or NCI (the manufacture) is not there.

So, is there anything that will work with this device? All I want is to have a remote for the old Sanyou to use in a bedroom. I found THIS replacement remote for sale but there is no way I'm paying $50! That is a rediculous price!

kx250rider · #2 05-21-2006, 01:31 PM

It might be a proprietary remote with weird frequencies. I would try 2 or 3 different brands of universal remotes, and maybe you'll find one. I recall that the Zenith boxes of the 80s had a weird remote, and no universal seemed to work on those. If no luck with yours, those cable boxes complete with remote are pretty cheap and easy to find on eBay.

Charles

AlwaysLyceum · #3 05-21-2006, 01:48 PM

Yes, definitely ebay--of course, you'd have 2 boxes, but you'd get a remote.

I personally never heard of a Closed Caption Decoder. Interesting.

Hi Ho · #4 05-21-2006, 05:05 PM

I'd never heard of one either but I thought it was worth a shot for $5. The ones on Ebay, with or without remote, are going for $30-$80! A friend of mine is the owner of the local cable company. I'll ask him if he has any old cable boxes lying around.

OvenMaster · #5 05-21-2006, 09:05 PM

I remember seeing decoder boxes in Sears in the mid-80's and being fascinated by the whole process. Wow, words on the screen!

It's a shame how we now take so many things for granted.
Tom

bgadow · #6 05-21-2006, 10:36 PM

I have a remote control box, I think it is a Teknika, which you would hook to your tv to allow remote control. No remote though, so I am in the same boat. I just picked it up for the novelty factor-actually, I think it was given to me. I used to have one of those Jerrold wired remote controls (maybe I still have it somewhere?) and that was pretty neat except that the buttons on the tuner were prone to going intermittent. 20 years ago I was on top of the world, laying in bed with my Jerrold remote control hooked to my Portacolor-now, that was living!

kx250rider · #7 05-22-2006, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi Ho

I'd never heard of one either but I thought it was worth a shot for $5. The ones on Ebay, with or without remote, are going for $30-$80! A friend of mine is the owner of the local cable company. I'll ask him if he has any old cable boxes lying around.

MERCY! I'll have to start grabbing them if they're up that high now on eBay.... I see them for $1 at the Pomona swapmeet sometimes, and they never sell. Next time I find one, I'll dust it off, check it out, and put in here on the swap board.

Charles