Found this "capehart" in the alley today

[bandersen]

While driving down the alley behind my place, I spied this little color set and decided to bring to home.

I was made in Taiwan around 1985 I think. Anyone know anything about it ?

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by bandersen

While driving down the alley behind my place, I spied this little color set and decided to bring to home.

I was made in Taiwan around 1985 I think. Anyone know anything about it ?

It is very likely a Taiwan-built set with the Capehart name put on the base of the CRT mask; it is almost certainly not a true Capehart, as none of the real Capeharts were solid state (Capehart's heyday was in the early-mid-1950s). Moreover, the original Capehart TVs never had the words "Cape-Scan" on their front control panels, and none of them, to the best of my knowledge, ever had remote control or were table models.

This set is typical of most TVs today with once-famous TV manufacturers' names on them -- RCA, Zenith, GE, Magnavox, et al. -- but don't let the name fool you. These are simply offshore-manufactured sets. The famous name is, almost literally, slapped on them to fool the buyer into thinking he or she is buying a quality TV. They will find out it is junk when the set breaks down after a year or two, and no service data or parts are available -- same as with today's flat screens.

Does this set work at all or just sit there doing nothing, except possibly click (a power relay opening and closing) or, worse, blow a fuse, when turned on? If the latter, that may be exactly why it was left in the alleyway behind your apartment. It probably isn't worth repairing, otherwise I'm sure the original owner(s) would have kept it and would still be using it today -- on a cable box or with an OTA converter box.

BTW, this is the first remote-control TV I've ever seen with a mute button on the front panel. Most televisions with remotes have that button on the hand unit, not on the set. The idea of the mute button, after all, is to mute the TV sound during commercials, etc. without having to getting up from your chair or couch to do it. Maybe this TV was designed this way just to be different from the competition.

[DaveWM]

I have the same thing but with tuning knobs, makes a great pic, I got it for my wife back as a kitchen set, very little use so the CRT is still very strong.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

...
Does this set work at all or just sit there doing nothing, except possibly click (a power relay opening and closing) or, worse, blow a fuse, when turned on? If the latter, that may be exactly why it was left in the alleyway behind your apartment. It probably isn't worth repairing, otherwise I'm sure the original owner(s) would have kept it and would still be using it today -- on a cable box or with an OTA converter box.

BTW, this is the first remote-control TV I've ever seen with a mute button on the front panel. Most televisions with remotes have that button on the hand unit, not on the set. The idea of the mute button, after all, is to mute the TV sound during commercials, etc. without having to getting up from your chair or couch to do it. Maybe this TV was designed this way just to be different from the competition.

Thanks for the info. I haven't tried powering the set up yet. I'll post more once I bring it inside and pop it open.

Originally Posted by Eric H

Looks like a possible candidate for Video Arcade CRT donation.

Fine by me, but it's only a 13". I think arcade games are 25" ?

[Norbert]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

This set is typical of most TVs today with once-famous TV manufacturers' names on them -- RCA, Zenith, GE, Magnavox, et al. -- but don't let the name fool you. These are simply offshore-manufactured sets. The famous name is, almost literally, slapped on them to fool the buyer into thinking he or she is buying a quality TV. They will find out it is junk when the set breaks down after a year or two, and no service data or parts are available -- same as with today's flat screens.

This is a very interesting observation. Definitely and eye opener for many of us TV collectors who are unaware of this misleading concept that is practiced in the industry today. I would have thought for sure this was a real Capehart, but after reading your post, it makes me wonder now...

[wa2ise]

once-famous TV manufacturers' names on them -- RCA, Zenith, GE, Magnavox, et al. -- but don't let the name fool you. These are simply offshore-manufactured sets. The famous name is, almost literally, slapped on them to fool the buyer into thinking he or she is buying a quality TV.

30 years ago when I worked for RCA Labs we called RCA "Relabeling Corp of America" as we slapped "RCA" labels on Japanese VCRs.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

30 years ago when I worked for RCA Labs we called RCA "Relabeling Corp of America" as we slapped "RCA" labels on Japanese VCRs.

RCA did that? I could see something like this happening after RCA was bought out by Thomson in the late '80s and '90s, but not in the early 1980s. I was very surprised to find this out, but maybe I shouldn't have been, as this may have started just after Thomson took over RCA's television/video plant. I have an "RCA" branded Thomson-built color TV with the infamous on-board tuner, and yes, I did have the set repaired twice, at my expense, for the same problem (broken antenna connector). The ground points around the tuner were resoldered after the second repair. The TV has continued to operate flawlessly since, although it is now in storage after being replaced with a flat screen almost 18 months ago.


I know there have always been private-label TVs (I had one that burned up after just three years), but to put RCA badges on cheap offshore-made VCRs...... I wonder who actually built those VCRs in the first place. I do know that "GE" branded VCRs were made by Panasonic in the mid-'80s; I had one that lasted six years before the heads wore out. Today I have a true Panasonic VCR that has lasted over 10 years, with no problems whatsoever -- though I had a Panny VCR before that one that ate a tape and had to be nearly wrecked to get the cassette out.

Too bad, since that VCR had VCR Plus and would have been a classic by now. Today's DVRs do not have anything like the VCR Plus system, to the best of my knowledge; in fact, the entire system must have been scrapped and forgotten, as I no longer see VCR Plus codes in my newspaper or in TV Guide magazine. I would think today's DVRs would have something similar, in addition to all the other bells and whistles most of them seem to have.



However, as to "RCA" branded cheap offshore-made VCRs, I don't know. Could have been manufactured by literally any one of 1001 offshore companies.

[lnx64]

CRT needs to be straightened up a little. But that's the OCD kicking in.

[AUdubon5425]

I don't know Jeff - the Capehart name was sold off in the late 1950's and quickly became a nameplate slapped onto outsourced product. By the time this set was made there were way more of the "cheapo" Capehart tvs and stereos out there than the old-line quality Farnsworth sets, any of which still in service would have been pushing thirty years old by then.

The Capehart Corporation which IT&T sold the name to in 1956 survived until 1980. Wakefield Industries bought the company and within several weeks laid off 3/4 of the employees and folded themselves in a year or so. Sometime around 1984 or so NATM was using the name and did at least into the early 2000's. NATM is a buyer's group of several discount stores that is still around - Brandsmart and Nebraska Furniture are two of the members I can recall.

[Eric H]

Looks like a possible candidate for Video Arcade CRT donation.

[radiotvnut]

That's a rebadged AOC TV and I think the same TV's were also sold under the Dumont brand. AOC is referred to by many as "Admiral Of China". I'm not sure of the connection; but, I think there was some connection with the old American Admiral brand and I think AOC picked up when American Admiral ceased making TV's in '79.

I saw quite a few AOC TV's in the '90's and I wasn't impressed with them. Most of the ones I found had bad flyback transformers and replacements were usually not available, not even in a generic brand.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

That's a rebadged AOC TV and I think the same TV's were also sold under the Dumont brand. AOC is referred to by many as "Admiral Of China". I'm not sure of the connection; but, I think there was some connection with the old American Admiral brand and I think AOC picked up when American Admiral ceased making TV's in '79.

I saw quite a few AOC TV's in the '90's and I wasn't impressed with them. Most of the ones I found had bad flyback transformers and replacements were usually not available, not even in a generic brand.

AOC Admiral Overseas Corporation.
Admiral corporation opened that plant in Tiawan in the late 60's, to build smaller, lower end products.
Rockwell Corp sold it when they phased out Admiral.

[KentTeffeteller]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

That's a rebadged AOC TV and I think the same TV's were also sold under the Dumont brand. AOC is referred to by many as "Admiral Of China". I'm not sure of the connection; but, I think there was some connection with the old American Admiral brand and I think AOC picked up when American Admiral ceased making TV's in '79.

I saw quite a few AOC TV's in the '90's and I wasn't impressed with them. Most of the ones I found had bad flyback transformers and replacements were usually not available, not even in a generic brand.

AOC= Admiral Overseas Corporation. Which was the Asian arm of Admiral (which has outlived the USA parent company). And survived as an independent company when Rockwell sold off Admiral.

[bandersen]

This is how I found the Capehart along with another newer BPC set. I won't be surprised if it still works like most other stuff I've come across in the alley. A lot gets left behind when folks move.

[lnx64]

A lot are 19" actually. I am basing this on the fact that the CRT in my Samsung in my sig, was the same CRT used in Ms. Pacman, which I see as the most common size actually.