9" Motorola Portable questions
 

Hey guys,

I have a TV exactly like this one: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F113479404114

I was curious if anyone knew when this model came out? I have some vintage computing equipment and was hoping the equipment doesn't predate the TV.

The second question is a little more strange. The TV powers up and operates fine... but it has this... funky smell. It's not a burning or something's on fire smell.. just... unpleasant.. like dirty socks. Doesn't seem to change intensity the longer the TV runs. Should I be worried?

Many thanks!

Sets is from abt 1968. I had one in the olden days. Used it under
the dash of my '72 Toronado https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YEVmUJgJ9c then later built it into my bed. VERY
well made & good running set.

Smell may be just dust but I would open it & see if anything is too hot to
touch. Also run it in the dark & look for arcing around the HV.

73 Zeno:smoke:
LFOD !

The smell is probably old cigarette funk, people smoked like mad back then and it got into everything, even 60 year old sets can still have the smell.

It's funny- Cigarette smoke now makes me basically gag & choke, but the smell of Burley Tobacco curing in the barn is one of the more pleasant smells I know of. When we'd "Grade" it-work it off around Thanksgiving--THAT was always pleasant as well.

I have a blue one. made September 1967.

Yup nothing like that smell, even most non smokers like it. And Burly smells
good when smoked straight in a pipe. When I go to the tobaccy store I dont want to leave. Grab a big cigar & hang around & smoke it with the guys.

73 Zeno:smoke:
LFOD !

The Epay set is a lot newer model, probably from the early '70s, Made in Taiwan. Good set, just the same.

Thanks guys.

The reason I ask on the date is I have this vintage machine called a TV Typewriter, and it dates to 1973/1974. I also have some computer gear from a company called SWTPC, and they actually used this exact model of TV in their advertising, like here: http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/Catalog1976CP/Page26.jpg

So I know it's period appropriate for the latter equipment, which came out in 1975, for sure. I just don't know if it reaches back far enough for the former in 73/74. I've been looking all over the thing for anything with a date code but no luck. I love the look of it though. It certainly looks the part of early 70s. I don't want to sound hopelessly picky - just, this is for an historical display and it's important to me to have a TV that would have been around when this TVT was out.

Yeah come to think of it, that smoking smell makes sense. I'm a IT person by trade and have sometimes helped individuals out with their home computers. Some of these people were smokers, and the interior of the PC had a thin layer of what I assume is tar or something similar in there. It was awful. Stunk to high heaven when you fired them up. The TV doesn't have quite such a smoky smell but yeah.. it's got the same sort of foulness. Like burnt toejam. :)

I'm a little bit afraid to taking this thing apart -- brittle plastic and such. Also have gotten 'bitten' a couple times by CRTs. Not the most painful thing ever - felt more like deep muscle pain after you've been vaccinated. But not pleasant, and I don't want to push my luck! ;)