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Old 20th Jul 2019, 10:13 pm   #1
TV_Madness
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Default Surviving early colour receivers

I'm sure this topic has been done to death, however it would be interesting to know just how many early colour receivers are still in existence. Obviously an exact figure cannot be given, however it would be interesting to hear people's theories.

For simplicity sakes, Let's stick with a particular era of colour. First generation for example (think Philips G6, Bush CTV25, Baird 700 etc.)

There are clearly a number of these in the hands of collectors, however what estimate would you give as to how many?
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 6:44 am   #2
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

The numbers of survivors seems to be fairly low. Because of the size they weren't kept as spare sets like the mono sets were. Apart from that most sets I can remember were used until they were considered beyond economic repair then often stripped out for the cabinet if it had doors.

In the late 1970's the firm I worked for were not refurbing them for re rent despite there being a demand for decontrolled sets. They were considered too old complex and unreliable. Most were sold off to the trade the odd one would make the showroom as a second hand sale if it was in good condition with a good tube.

By the early 1980's they became quite a rare sight and were scrapped as the trade buyers had moved on to the single standard sets.

The big ex rental clearance places were almost giving them away just to get rid if the adverts in Television magazine are anything to go on.

I have a couple, a Thorn 2000 and a Pye. The odd one appears on e bay from time to time but mostly from other collectors who are reducing their collections rather than previously undiscovered sets.

I have been looking for a Dual standard GEC for years now, no luck so far...
Rich.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 12:35 pm   #3
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

I got the impression the dual standards dropped out of favour in the trade once single standards were common & moving towards solid state circuits.

I Imagine a lot of early adopters were quick to replace them with newer models before they started to give much trouble, & subsequent owners eventually gave up having to call someone out to fix them.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 1:24 pm   #4
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

I don't think people had the space to just shunt the old tv off to another room, at the time there was no other use for them as tv games were still years off and housholds usually had only one aerial installed, i remember going to one of those trade warehouses to obtain one for myself, it was packed with hundreds of sets offloaded by the rental companies, to find such a thing today would be a real bonanza.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 2:14 pm   #5
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

It hurts to think back, I started in this trade in the early/mid 70's. We were (amongst others) Sony, Panasonic, Tandberg, Grundig dealers. We took stock of the then new 5010 chassis. A twenty six inch 110 degree shadowmask set. Just to give an idea of the state of the trade in the corner of the workshop was a Thorn 2000. It was given to me but I binned it liking the Sony1330 more. How wrong I was, and all the G6 sets and K70's I have necked. Even Tandberg CTV1\2 sets. What was I doing. Didn't feel guilty throwing 697 sets, (Pye) but others I almost cry with anger or should that read sadness? All gone.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 5:34 pm   #6
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

I have 2 GEC sets one 2028 19 inch and a 2030A a 25 inch with the posh cabinet both dual standard. Been looking for a pye 19 inch dual standard for years no luck as yet
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 7:27 pm   #7
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Did any servicemen back in the day consider the significance of these early British colour receivers? I suppose It is understandable that a lot of these sets was skipped as soon as they were seen as obsolete junk.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 7:45 pm   #8
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

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Originally Posted by OldTechFan96 View Post
Did any servicemen back in the day consider the significance of these early British colour receivers? I suppose It is understandable that a lot of these sets was skipped as soon as they were seen as obsolete junk.
I can only speak for myself, it was a job not a hobby, sets costing too much to repair were scrapped or a few kept for spares if it was thought useful. Space to store old sets costs money for no return, it was a business after all.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 7:56 pm   #9
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Them were the days, you could get a hot bath from one of the cabinets...

Crutch busters I have to say non seemed relevant to me back then, similar to Frank, was in the trade back then, umpteen call outs a day, just another telly, I didn't like dual standard anything if I'm honest and not too much that followed apart from the Japanese stuff and the ITT CVC5 etc.

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Old 21st Jul 2019, 8:05 pm   #10
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

I remember one of our aunts gave us a second hand first generation colour receiver (a dual standard hybrid) in the mid 1980's when our 12" Thorn portable monochrome receiver finally gave up the ghost. I can remember it was a huge heavy cabinet and it belted out a lot of heat and had that particular hot electronics/dust smell when running. My dad didn't like it very much due to this, and it was soon taken to the dump to be replaced by an up to date Sony set. which carried on going into the 2000's

I presume most first generation sets went the same way. The cabinet size and weight were an obvious issue as well as the heat dissipation, reliability and ease of use when better electronics and CRT technology progressed.

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Old 21st Jul 2019, 8:25 pm   #11
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Even the single standard / early solid state sets became undesirable in time.

I remember going to help my Dad unload his car at the local tip, & at the side of the road to it was a line of dumped sets of 1970s vintage, which surprised me at the time as my family had been renting a set not too different looking until a year or 2 earlier.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 9:12 pm   #12
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

I have two, both of which need attention. A 19" Pye CT71 which I restored years ago as seen in this thread which currently has an IF fault though. The other set is a recently acquired 19" GEC 2028 which I've yet to start work on.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 9:15 pm   #13
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

I just sense (or vainly hope) that someone, somewhere will open a room full of NOS dual standard colour televisions, CRTs, boards and other contemporary components all caked in dust and lain undisturbed since the early 70's...
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 9:40 pm   #14
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Quote:
Originally Posted by high_vacuum_house View Post
I can remember it was a huge heavy cabinet and it belted out a lot of heat and had that particular hot electronics/dust smell when running. My dad didn't like it very much due to this, and it was soon taken to the dump to be replaced by an up to date Sony set. which carried on going into the 2000's


Christopher Capener

I Remember that smell well from the Baird set we rented. It was not new when we started renting it in the 70s.
I guess the heat issue may be an issue governing lack of hybrid sets. A lot of PCB's must have been well baked after an extended service life, not to mention set death by more dramatic means before the days of flame resistant PCB's.

Our village vicar had a serious rectory fire after leaving one on unattended. I can remember seeing the charred remains of it in his garden - along with other bits of destroyed furniture. As a kid, it made be a bit paranoid about making sure ours was unplugged at the mains before bed
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 10:03 pm   #15
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Never had any fires with the sets I saw, but there was the “Burning Bush” sets, the Davy lamp mod for those should have kept any flames inside the LOPTX can, the mod for some perhaps came too late.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 11:12 pm   #16
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Quote:
Originally Posted by OldTechFan96 View Post
Did any servicemen back in the day consider the significance of these early British colour receivers? I suppose It is understandable that a lot of these sets was skipped as soon as they were seen as obsolete junk.
Call me a Philistine, the last thing on our mind was the historical significance of worthless junk.

In my defence I did help to "preserve" this set in 1983

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCRy...youtu.be&t=146

I got a message from the producer of the show requesting a " '70s style colour TV". There were several candidates on the Dexion at the depot, I chose this GEC from a decade earlier.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 11:14 pm   #17
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Old 405 sets were luxury items, and survived in large numbers in attics and sheds. I remember my Dad's Aunt in Bootle had one, and a console radio, taking up a large part of the shed. By the time the early colour sets were being scrapped things were moving rapidly. Remote control for one, no one wanted the onerous task of getting out of their comfy chair. Add in the aforementioned weight and bulk together with lack of storage room in modern houses. Also, there weren't that many of them compared with mono at that time.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 11:36 pm   #18
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Sexton Mallard, whatever you inhale or drink I want some, about 40 years ago I used to buy ex rentals and SOMETIMES I would see a G6. If I could have looked into the future, wow. But to have insane images in your head like that, I'm envious. Please don't be offended, but get help.
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Old 21st Jul 2019, 11:48 pm   #19
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

Quote:
Originally Posted by sexton_mallard View Post
I just sense (or vainly hope) that someone, somewhere will open a room full of NOS dual standard colour televisions, CRTs, boards and other contemporary components all caked in dust and lain undisturbed since the early 70's...
I also have that recurring daydream and often wonder if there's a factory unit or old shop lain untouched for decades, it's possible, keep dreaming.
Greg.
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Old 22nd Jul 2019, 12:38 am   #20
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Default Re: Surviving early colour receivers

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Originally Posted by greg_simons View Post

I also have that recurring daydream and often wonder if there's a factory unit or old shop lain untouched for decades, it's possible, keep dreaming.
Greg.
There probably is. in the town of Famagusta in Cyprus in which a section is closed off after the Turkish invasion in 1974.

You can read about it here
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