Videokarma.org

Go Back   Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums > Transistor Portable Televisions

We appreciate your help

in keeping this site going.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-25-2015, 11:47 AM
Arcanine's Avatar
Arcanine Arcanine is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Posts: 281
An Analog Treat

I'm still lingering, and still collecting, I just do it much slower now as I have all the models of Sony 5" Portable Trinitron sets I wanted. Now I slowly spend time looking for really clean sets with what I hope are low hours, even if they're a duplicate of another set I already own, saving another and adding it to my collection and having a nicer set to watch never hurts.

Recently I scored a nearly mint condition, almost no hours, KV5100 set. I've never seen one as clean as this one is, and it really shows in how well it works.

I decided to drive down to visit a friend in Chicago, and I knew from seeing the faint signal of it here at home in Lake Geneva, that were was still a UHF station pumping classic TV with an Analog signal from Chicago on Channel 23, called Heros & Icons, so on my way out I grabbed my new KV5100 and lugged it along, since it's a "Portable" TV!

It really took me and my friend back to when we were kids, fussing with the antenna for a better picture to overcome the static. Sitting there on his bed near a big window, messing with the antenna to clear the picture up, watching classic TV shows, the old faded colors of shows of the era, the static that would come and go from the screen, the interference from local noise, meddling with the settings on the TV for just a little better picture.

It was honestly a very nostalgic feeling to see that again. To experience something that, at one time in my life, I never thought twice about having to deal with, where as now, analog TV is all but gone, the massive FCC joke of DTV left in it's place. The feeling of seeing what I grew up with, watching Saturday Morning cartoons on, messing with the antenna rotor box, adjusting the TV for the better picture. Now it's DTV, and you have to have a stupid box, a big antenna, and hope it works, and if you're like me and pretty far from the transmitters, you don't get anything but a black screen, or just distorted pictures.






I just wanted to share this. Remember, analog is laid to it's final rest September 1st, 2015.

Last edited by Arcanine; 07-25-2015 at 11:52 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-25-2015, 12:40 PM
jr_tech's Avatar
jr_tech jr_tech is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,510
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanine View Post
I just wanted to share this. Remember, analog is laid to it's final rest September 1st, 2015.
That deadline has been suspended for many remaining UHF analog stations (except class A)... From another thread:

Quote:
Originally Posted by jr_tech View Post
Effective immediately, the Media Bureau announces that the September 1, 2015 digital transition date for LPTV and TV translator stations is hereby suspended pending final action in the rulemaking proceeding in MB Docket No. 03-185.

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Rele...A-15-486A1.pdf

jr
Nice 5100...one of my favorite Sony sets... had one in the kitchen for years.

.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-25-2015, 05:15 PM
Sandy G's Avatar
Sandy G Sandy G is offline
Spiteful Old Cuss
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Rogersville, Tennessee
Posts: 9,571
Dunno which was WORSE-the death of analog TV, or the death of the Trinitron system..
__________________
Benevolent Despot
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-25-2015, 08:44 PM
Arcanine's Avatar
Arcanine Arcanine is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Posts: 281
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy G View Post
Dunno which was WORSE-the death of analog TV, or the death of the Trinitron system..
Both are pretty bad. I have yet to see a modern TV even be able to nick the surface of the Trinitron Systems longevity and reliability.

I'm 30. When I was a kid, in 1990, mom gave me my first TV. It's a 13" Sony Trinitron set. Single row of lit push buttons on the right side of the TV, with an early front coax plug. Manufactured 1983.

I used it from 1990, every day, many days on 24 hours a day, to 2004 when I replaced it with a larger set. I still own it, and it still works just fine. The larger modern set died in three years. I tossed it to the wind years ago, it was an Akai or some no name trash.

The death of Analog TV as well was a total crock. Completely not necessary. It's money, they wanted to sell the bands for Cell phones because there is big money in that market.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-26-2015, 12:22 AM
dishdude's Avatar
dishdude dishdude is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 821
Sorry guys, I don't miss analog broadcasts at all. All the ghosting, interference and poor reception were miserable. I have an antenna in the attic and pull in all the local channels crystal clear with no adjustment. Something I could never do in the analog days. Just looking at that snowy picture reminds me how bad OTA reception used to be!
Reply With Quote
Audiokarma
  #6  
Old 07-26-2015, 09:37 AM
zeno's Avatar
zeno zeno is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 4,672
I would rather have snow, ghost, fading etc than nothing.
Went from over 20 OTA on rabbit ears to one intermitant station.
Stations from 5 states up to 125 + miles from perfect to watchable.
But whats done is done, free TV ended with NTSC for many. RIP

73 Zeno



Quote:
Originally Posted by dishdude View Post
Sorry guys, I don't miss analog broadcasts at all. All the ghosting, interference and poor reception were miserable. I have an antenna in the attic and pull in all the local channels crystal clear with no adjustment. Something I could never do in the analog days. Just looking at that snowy picture reminds me how bad OTA reception used to be!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-26-2015, 01:19 PM
Sandy G's Avatar
Sandy G Sandy G is offline
Spiteful Old Cuss
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Rogersville, Tennessee
Posts: 9,571
I live in a hilly area. Not too good for TV reception, in a way, but TREMENDOUS in another... I could go up on a local hill, where all the "Big" antennas for the CATV system were, & it was a TV DXer's DREAM. I had my choice of at least 2 stations for the network feeds, & the independents ? I had my pick & choose of them, too. I wish now that I had bothered/taken the time to log ALL the stations you could get up there, but I didn't. Won't even talk about the multitude that came in, audio only.
__________________
Benevolent Despot
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-26-2015, 01:41 PM
etype2's Avatar
etype2 etype2 is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Valley of the Sun, formerly Silicon Valley, formerly Packer Land.
Posts: 1,487
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanine View Post
I'm still lingering, and still collecting, I just do it much slower now as I have all the models of Sony 5" Portable Trinitron sets I wanted. Now I slowly spend time looking for really clean sets with what I hope are low hours, even if they're a duplicate of another set I already own, saving another and adding it to my collection and having a nicer set to watch never hurts.

Recently I scored a nearly mint condition, almost no hours, KV5100 set. I've never seen one as clean as this one is, and it really shows in how well it works.

I decided to drive down to visit a friend in Chicago, and I knew from seeing the faint signal of it here at home in Lake Geneva, that were was still a UHF station pumping classic TV with an Analog signal from Chicago on Channel 23, called Heros & Icons, so on my way out I grabbed my new KV5100 and lugged it along, since it's a "Portable" TV!

It really took me and my friend back to when we were kids, fussing with the antenna for a better picture to overcome the static. Sitting there on his bed near a big window, messing with the antenna to clear the picture up, watching classic TV shows, the old faded colors of shows of the era, the static that would come and go from the screen, the interference from local noise, meddling with the settings on the TV for just a little better picture.

It was honestly a very nostalgic feeling to see that again. To experience something that, at one time in my life, I never thought twice about having to deal with, where as now, analog TV is all but gone, the massive FCC joke of DTV left in it's place. The feeling of seeing what I grew up with, watching Saturday Morning cartoons on, messing with the antenna rotor box, adjusting the TV for the better picture. Now it's DTV, and you have to have a stupid box, a big antenna, and hope it works, and if you're like me and pretty far from the transmitters, you don't get anything but a black screen, or just distorted pictures.

I just wanted to share this. Remember, analog is laid to it's final rest September 1st, 2015.
I can relate to this thread. Very nice KV 5100. I go back to the 40's. IMO the Trinitron is and was the best color TV ever made. We had a KV 7010UA and a KV 1210U that worked perfectly from 1969 to 2006 until my wife gave them away by mistake. (We found replacements.) We still have a KV 1722 with the 114 deflection angle that was purchased new in 1973. Still near perfect today after 42 years of operation. How is that for longevity? I use it every few days, just has a minor purity problem in the upper left hand corner. All three were never serviced once! Reliability in spades. We purchase many other models all in perfect working condition including a KV-5000 and KV-5100. They are on my website with screen shots.

BTW, we lived on the sixth floor of Geneva Towers facing the lake. You might be familiar with that area.

The Trinitron is basically an improved Chromatron.
__________________
Personal website dedicated to Vintage Television https://visions4netjournal.com

Last edited by etype2; 07-26-2015 at 01:52 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 07-26-2015, 01:50 PM
etype2's Avatar
etype2 etype2 is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Valley of the Sun, formerly Silicon Valley, formerly Packer Land.
Posts: 1,487
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy G View Post
I live in a hilly area. Not too good for TV reception, in a way, but TREMENDOUS in another... I could go up on a local hill, where all the "Big" antennas for the CATV system were, & it was a TV DXer's DREAM. I had my choice of at least 2 stations for the network feeds, & the independents ? I had my pick & choose of them, too. I wish now that I had bothered/taken the time to log ALL the stations you could get up there, but I didn't. Won't even talk about the multitude that came in, audio only.
We did the same. Installed a self supporting 35 foot tower anchored in a concrete base. The antenna was the strongest available, the span was about 10 feet with a separate UHF antenna. Installed a 1/2 HP rotor to overcome and break heavy icing in winter. When we had ice storms, would rotate the antenna every few hours to avoid lock up. We were living in Walworth Wi. at the time. Milwaukee and Chicago stations came in crystal clear.
__________________
Personal website dedicated to Vintage Television https://visions4netjournal.com
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 07-26-2015, 03:25 PM
Arcanine's Avatar
Arcanine Arcanine is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Posts: 281
Quote:
Originally Posted by etype2 View Post
I can relate to this thread. Very nice KV 5100. I go back to the 40's. IMO the Trinitron is and was the best color TV ever made. We had a KV 7010UA and a KV 1210U that worked perfectly from 1969 to 2006 until my wife gave them away by mistake. (We found replacements.) We still have a KV 1722 with the 114 deflection angle that was purchased new in 1973. Still near perfect today after 42 years of operation. How is that for longevity? I use it every few days, just has a minor purity problem in the upper left hand corner. All three were never serviced once! Reliability in spades. We purchase many other models all in perfect working condition including a KV-5000 and KV-5100. They are on my website with screen shots.

BTW, we lived on the sixth floor of Geneva Towers facing the lake. You might be familiar with that area.

The Trinitron is basically an improved Chromatron.
Oh! You own that site! I've spent a lot of hours on your site reading and researching the sets you own, and gathering information from stuff you have posted. I love the detailed pictures you take of the sets, and I have used some of your images to recalibrate my sets to look correct.

The little 5" Sony sets are my favorites by far. I own several other unusual sets, all Japanese, but I have never found the motivation to make a site like you did.

I'm down to seeking out "nicer" duplicates of sets I already own. IE: Low to no hours, all accessories with, ect. That's why I purchased a second KV5100. My first one didn't cost much but it's tired. This one is not!

And yeah, Geneva Towers is the tallest building in Lake Geneva. Grand Fathered in before they changed the city laws to "No buildings taller then the trees". I drive past it every day.
Reply With Quote
Audiokarma
  #11  
Old 07-26-2015, 03:30 PM
Arcanine's Avatar
Arcanine Arcanine is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Posts: 281
Quote:
Originally Posted by etype2 View Post
We did the same. Installed a self supporting 35 foot tower anchored in a concrete base. The antenna was the strongest available, the span was about 10 feet with a separate UHF antenna. Installed a 1/2 HP rotor to overcome and break heavy icing in winter. When we had ice storms, would rotate the antenna every few hours to avoid lock up. We were living in Walworth Wi. at the time. Milwaukee and Chicago stations came in crystal clear.
Yeah. Same here. I grew up in Genoa City on Park Street. 615 Park Street was my home address when I was a kid. We moved there in 1988, and had no cable. If you look at Google Street View today, you can still see the massive TV Tower behind the house, still there to this day!

We could aim it at any of the 4 local Cities. Chicago & Milwaukee were choice, but we could spin it around and get Madison, or Rockford as well, so we had a wide variety of local news stations to watch, and endless programming.

You were in this area! You remember the ghosts Channel 2 Chicago (WBBM) used to SUFFER in this area? I even remember when they raised their antenna on the John Hancock Tower to TRY and overcome the ghosting.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 07-26-2015, 10:48 PM
centralradio centralradio is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,097
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanine View Post
Both are pretty bad. I have yet to see a modern TV even be able to nick the surface of the Trinitron Systems longevity and reliability.

I'm 30. When I was a kid, in 1990, mom gave me my first TV. It's a 13" Sony Trinitron set. Single row of lit push buttons on the right side of the TV, with an early front coax plug. Manufactured 1983.

I used it from 1990, every day, many days on 24 hours a day, to 2004 when I replaced it with a larger set. I still own it, and it still works just fine. The larger modern set died in three years. I tossed it to the wind years ago, it was an Akai or some no name trash.

The death of Analog TV as well was a total crock. Completely not necessary. It's money, they wanted to sell the bands for Cell phones because there is big money in that market.
I agree 100 percent Arcanine.Its a corrupt crock of nonsense. I dont want to go off the handle on here of my feelings about it.Radio is next.

I have a similar set like that which was modified hospital or hotel use.They eliminated the UHF selector on it.

Your set has a great pix on it.


Quote:
Originally Posted by zeno View Post
I would rather have snow, ghost, fading etc than nothing.
Went from over 20 OTA on rabbit ears to one intermitant station.
Stations from 5 states up to 125 + miles from perfect to watchable.
But whats done is done, free TV ended with NTSC for many. RIP

73 Zeno
Me to Zeno.The same here.Used to receive about the same amount of stations and now to half of one.

The last great advance for TV was MTS stereo in the 1980's .No more muddy mono TV sound.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 07-26-2015, 11:19 PM
etype2's Avatar
etype2 etype2 is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Valley of the Sun, formerly Silicon Valley, formerly Packer Land.
Posts: 1,487
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanine View Post
Yeah. Same here. I grew up in Genoa City on Park Street. 615 Park Street was my home address when I was a kid. We moved there in 1988, and had no cable. If you look at Google Street View today, you can still see the massive TV Tower behind the house, still there to this day!

We could aim it at any of the 4 local Cities. Chicago & Milwaukee were choice, but we could spin it around and get Madison, or Rockford as well, so we had a wide variety of local news stations to watch, and endless programming.

You were in this area! You remember the ghosts Channel 2 Chicago (WBBM) used to SUFFER in this area? I even remember when they raised their antenna on the John Hancock Tower to TRY and overcome the ghosting.
I will check out the address. I think the tower I installed is still there. Now that you mention it, we used watch Rockford and Madison as well.
__________________
Personal website dedicated to Vintage Television https://visions4netjournal.com
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 07-29-2015, 10:09 PM
Sandy G's Avatar
Sandy G Sandy G is offline
Spiteful Old Cuss
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Rogersville, Tennessee
Posts: 9,571
I want me a 35-40-50' triangular Rohn tower SO bad ! Can't find anybody who will sell one here in Greater Bugtussle, or even TALK about shipping it here..
__________________
Benevolent Despot
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 07-29-2015, 10:46 PM
jr_tech's Avatar
jr_tech jr_tech is offline
VideoKarma Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,510
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy G View Post
I want me a 35-40-50' triangular Rohn tower SO bad ! Can't find anybody who will sell one here in Greater Bugtussle, or even TALK about shipping it here..
I think that Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) sells them and will work with you on shipping:

http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-001943

Not affiliated,
jr
Reply With Quote
Audiokarma
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:00 PM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©Copyright 2012 VideoKarma.org, All rights reserved.