Magnavox 1.8" BW

[Dave A]

Dug out a mint Magnavox BD3902 mini BW set from 1984 or so in the original box. AM/FM/UHF/VHF with a 1.8" crt. It's been hiding for years and with batts inside. I forgot. One scrape and the batts are good. New batt for the quartz clock. Hooked to cable RF and all is well. And a great radio also. Just missing the shoulder strap. Why would anyone buy this?

[etype2]

Nice set. I have an identical Sanyo branded version in working condition.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by Dave A

Dug out a mint Magnavox BD3902 mini BW set from 1984 or so in the original box... Why would anyone buy this?

The relatively few times I have seen these small-screen TV sets being used is in places like store checkout or auto repair counters where the employees have sports on as they work, typically.

I bought one of the tiny-CRT Panasonic TV sets (TR-1010P, I think) new in the early 1980s, mostly for the "cool factor", I suppose, since I do not remember actually watching any whole shows on it anywhere.

I used to watch my Sony FDL-370 3-inch LCD TV set on the bus on the way home from San Francisco 49ers games in the 1990s and early 2000s. I would bring a folded dipole antenna and hang it on the bus windows to get better reception, since the post-game stuff was always on TV channels 2 and 5.

[rspree]

I also have the Sanyo version of this. I've been able to find numerous variations on this 'miniature TV / multiband radio' thing and they've always been in excellent condition. I think I'd have bought one not just to use but because I've always thought little electronic gizmos were pretty cool.

I have a 'Broksonic' like this one. No LCD clock but it does have shortwave band. I've also seen it as 'Unisonic' and 'Normande'. This is the best photo of reasonable size I could find of one of these. Mine is nicer, like brand new.


And I even have a Mustang ORTV-800 car stereo with a built in TV set. What was the last time you saw a car stereo with a vertical hold knob? Again this one is not mine, but mine is also mint, never installed. I don't know if it works, likely the tape player part would at least need a belt, but my concern is more for the condition of appearance, for my display case.

[jhalphen]

Hi to all,

@rspree: over the years, i have compiled an exhaustive list of all the brands & model # of the tiny Radio/TV combos exactly like your Broksonic.
See list below.

Depending on countries, Radio is AM/FM, SW/FM and LW/MW/FM.
TV section is either single-standard (USA) or USA/Euro CCIR & UK.
French model has system L + CCIR.

From experience, they are astonishingly well built and durable. Aside from dirty slide switches & scratchy Pots, most work on their original caps.

1.5" B&W TV + AM/FM Radio :
Continental-Edison RTV-5060, NordMende TR-101 (Model N° 981.106H) (UK/EU/FR) + LW/MW/FM Radio, Emerson VR22, ORION TVR-7120, TMK- 717, Unisonic XL-990 (UK/EU/US), Realistic Portavision 16-103 (US only - AM/FM/AFC), Broksonic CIRT-2097T (UK/EU/US), Hanimex HTV221-1 (EU/UK/US), Nippon FS-714 (US only) AM/SW/FM Radio, Unic RV-9000 (UK/EU/US, Zykkor Model 23 (UK/EU/US) + AM/SW/FM Radio. ToteVision
DE-1505, 1.5" B&W TV, USA, VHF/UHF + AM/FM Stereo Radio.
All built Circa 1982. OEM seems to be ORION in Japan.

Best Regards
jhalphen
Paris/France

[centralradio]

Hi all.Been away for awhile..I have the Unisonic XL-990 here.Radio Shack had their version of the same set at that time too.

Funny to know back then friends and relatives fuss as they say /How can you see the tiny screen.Now they do the same with their smartphones and watch Pluto and other video sites..