Console TV sets with doors, any with kill switches?

[wa2ise]

I see a fair amount of TVs in cabinets that have doors used to hide the CRT when not in use. Did any manufacturer equip the cabinet with a switch that gets pushed off by the closed door, and when the user opens the door the TV would then turn itself on, as that switch would close the contacts?

[Eric H]

I believe the Philco 48-2500 had a switch on the lid so it shut off when closed.
It's a projection set so it was probably more important it not be accidentally left on when it was shut.

A lot of the sets with doors have a pilot light to let you know it's on but i don't have any with a switch.

[7"estatdef]

All of my 1950 rca sets have doors w/out a kill switch because they also have a phono input that you may not want to have the doors open while listening. I do like the idea as it would save wear and tear on the volume control/ off- on switch.
Terry

[jeyurkon]

My '49-'50 Sylvania console has a switch on the left door, but it's only for the compartment light for the phonograph.

John

[kx250rider]

All of the lift-lid RCA projection set (641-PV, 741PCS, 8PCS41, etc) had a kill switch. Later sets had a jewel light exposed on the face of the cabinet to shine when the TV was on. I can't think of any direct-view TVs of the 40s and 50s with kill switches, though. I'm sure there were some. Some color sets, including many Motorolas, had a loss-of-signal power kill. So if you fell asleep, or left home and forgot to shut the set off, the TV would turn off that night when the station went off the air.

Charles

[TV-collector]

Siemens TV consoles of about 1957/58 had a switch in the door.
The first TV of Poland, a roundy has a lid on the top with speakers beneath.
If you open the lid, you switch-on the set and the knobs get visible.
Wanna see a picture, have this rare set in my collection?

[Cruiseomatic]

My '53 Packard Bell has doors but no switches. Just doors. I guess to hide the CRT when the phono jack is in use but it defeats the purpose when it also covers the 10" speaker aswell.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by kx250rider

All of the lift-lid RCA projection set (641-PV, 741PCS, 8PCS41, etc) had a kill switch. Later sets had a jewel light exposed on the face of the cabinet to shine when the TV was on. I can't think of any direct-view TVs of the 40s and 50s with kill switches, though. I'm sure there were some. Some color sets, including many Motorolas, had a loss-of-signal power kill. So if you fell asleep, or left home and forgot to shut the set off, the TV would turn off that night when the station went off the air.

Charles

I had an Emerson table TV in the late '80s with that feature (automatic shutoff when the station you were watching signed off for the night). Never used the feature very much, but I do think it had something to do with a strange quirk in this set's operation: it would shut itself off during any severe electrical storm, even if the storm did not interrupt my electric service. Strange.

I've never seen a TV with this particular feature since then, although nowadays it would be pointless to have it since most TV stations (except perhaps a few PBS stations on shoestring budgets) operate 24/7, and do not sign off--even for maintenance. The only way I could see this automatic shutoff working in a TV so equipped these days would be if the station were knocked off the air for any reason, and remained such for any appreciable length of time. The shutoff system would interpret this as the TV station having signed off, and would shut the TV off as intended.

[jr_tech]

My '49 16" Zenith has full length doors that can cover the CRT (as well as the speaker). The doors do have grille cloth, so the sound from the radio or record player is only slightly muffled when they are closed. There is no switch, but it does have a pilot light.

jr

TV-collector... post it up, would love to see a picture of the set!

[bgadow]

Originally Posted by TV-collector

Siemens TV consoles of about 1957/58 had a switch in the door.
The first TV of Poland, a roundy has a lid on the top with speakers beneath.
If you open the lid, you switch-on the set and the knobs get visible.
Wanna see a picture, have this rare set in my collection?

Not sure if we have had a Polish set posted on here? Sounds interesting to me!

[Ralph S]

The 1956 21" Magnavox telerama has a kill switch on the upper lid which gives access to all the usual controls. The 24" probably has the same given that they have the same chassis and case design.