Space Commander compatibility

[Jon A.]

I'm squirreling away ultrasonic remotes like a squirrel squirrels away nuts... haha. Anyway, I'm just wondering which Zenith sets will work with my Space Command remote. Rather spartan design, but my favorite nonetheless. I know that not all features of this remote would work with sets it might be compatible with. I have seen other variants of this remote, one with a single volume button, others lacking the zoom button.

[radiotvnut]

That one should work on most of the average Zenith remote TV's made between '76-'77 and '81, when they switched to IR. My Uncle's '81 Zenith used a similar remote, minus the zoom button. I've also seen some later CCII's that used this remote and I actually need a remote like this with the zoom button for a '78 19" System 3.

[zeno]

All from memory so IIRC's apply here
1) origional remote was a light gun only used 1 year.
Looks like a ray gun from a 50's sifi movie. Highly
collectable buy itself.
2)Ultrasonic "clickers" used tuned rods hit by little metal
hammers. Used up to mid 70's at least to G line. 1-4
buttons, on/off vol, mute, channel, channel up & down & I
think tint on a few. No standardization of tones,
you could swap rods around from the junk box.
Only repairs were wire spring that held the rods broke
& a few hammer assy's.
3)Battery ultrasonics. Like your pix. IIRC all Zoom & space phone
sets used them. Used til at least M line, abt 6 years.
Tones were finally standardized. If you use a full 0-9
key as a sub for yours you can "random access" channels.
4) IR remotes first used the year they went to JVC as a VCR
supplier. First gen used an expensive J battery but it
would sometimes last 5+ years. The codes were standardized
for many years except a 9" POS import & maybe some
combos.
We limited repairs on electronic remotes to battery conectors
& smashed transducers. Also stocked all the battery
covers & gave them away to our "good" customers. J battery
ones would also grow crystals on the connectors & go
intermittant just clean them. All others were sold exchange
for abt. $25 made about $6 on them.

A hand unit collection would be a fun sideline collection. If
you do Zeniths try to find the Space Command cross reference
guide. it had pictures of all the remotes & part #'s & subs.
IIRC RCA also had a similar book.
Enuf

73 Zeno

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by zeno

A hand unit collection would be a fun sideline collection. If
you do Zeniths try to find the Space Command cross reference
guide. it had pictures of all the remotes & part #'s & subs.
IIRC RCA also had a similar book.
Enuf

73 Zeno

Oh sweet, I've got to try to find those guides. I just have the one Zenith right now, and two RCAs, among the others.

There's one thing I don't understand though, what do you mean by standardized and non-standardized tones?

[zeno]

Originally Posted by KV-1926R

Oh sweet, I've got to try to find those guides. I just have the one Zenith right now, and two RCAs, among the others.

There's one thing I don't understand though, what do you mean by standardized and non-standardized tones?

In other words the on button on one model may work
the channel on a different model set.

Watch e-bay for the book, I see a lot of old paper there.
Also try a wanted ad here............
Maybe if someone has one you can at least get a copy of it.

73 Zeno

[Jon A.]

Crap... that probably rules out the possibility of my remote working with an early flat-chassis Chromacolor.

[zeno]

Honestly I dont remember if the battery ones worked on
the old clicker sets, it could have. I know we would have
tried it...............
If not it may be possable to mod one, depends on how it
was designed. Give me the model or chassis # off
the TV that uses the one in the pix & I can see what
makes it tic if I have the manual.

73 Zeno

[Jon A.]

That's another issue, I don't have the TV. That remote was a 5 dollar eBought special. Thanks anyway though. Ironically, I don't yet have any sets that will work with any of my ultrasonic TV remotes.

[Findm-Keepm]

Originally Posted by KV-1926R

Oh sweet, I've got to try to find those guides. I just have the one Zenith right now, and two RCAs, among the others.

I think George at Talon has one of those Zenith parts guides. He came up with some pretty cool info on some knobs I was looking for for a 20Y1C38 Zenith. He mentioned he has data to about 1974, so your remote may be too new.

I have a bunch of Zenith microfiche info from about 1988 on, so I'm too new I think.

I can't find George's email right now, but they have the address on their website.

Cheers,

[Findm-Keepm]

Well, Talon doesn't have any modern SC Remote data - they stop in the 1960s:

Brian,

No, we disposed of most of our Zenith lit long ago. Some remnants were saved, but nothing that new. Attached is one guide we have, from the 60s.

Thanks for the inquiry,

George, Sales

I have only silver cased Zenith infrareds from the System 3 era. No sets, just two remotes, both without battery covers.

Cheers,

[Jon A.]

Thanks for the info all. I recently watched a video of a 1978 13" Chromacolor II that uses the clicker remote, last year for the clicker according to the person who made the video, who also said that only lower-end sets were using them by then. He also said that the electronic ultrasonics came out in 1976. I saw a Space Command remote guide on eBought, looks to pre-date anything of my collecting interest. Last, but not least, I just scored a clicker that I know will work with those early flat-chassis Chromacolors, 8 bucks plus shipping, no competition at the end of the auction. Got to love going after the stuff that most collectors don't want. All those remotes on there, probably the reason a lot of our sets come without remotes. I'm gathering these in advance, awaiting the matching TVs for the most part.

[AdamAnt316]

zeno is right about non-standardized tones. I once found a silver/black Space Command remote with four rectangular-top buttons (mid-late '70s?), and decided to try it with my grandparents' early '70s Space Command console TV (now owned by technicolor). The buttons worked, but some or all of them performed the wrong functions from what was labeled on the remote. Later on, I found the actual remote used by this TV (older style, with smaller oval-top buttons), and the functions worked as-labeled.
-Adam

[Jon A.]

The remote you described that didn't work right is the 600Z, used with the 1974-78 Zeniths according to the video. The one I just got is a 600X, an updated version of the one you linked to. Chrome-plated finish, different label, orange power/volume button.

[zeno]

Originally Posted by Findm-Keepm

Well, Talon doesn't have any modern SC Remote data - they stop in the 1960s:

Brian,

No, we disposed of most of our Zenith lit long ago. Some remnants were saved, but nothing that new. Attached is one guide we have, from the 60s.

Thanks for the inquiry,

George, Sales

I have only silver cased Zenith infrareds from the System 3 era. No sets, just two remotes, both without battery covers.

Cheers,

Thats the idea of the book I had but mine was much later &
covered many more hand unit.
Sorry about them battery covers, what an injustice ! If you
had come to me 20 yrs ago I could have given you a strip of them for a few beers. Another oppertunity lost

73 Zeno

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by zeno

All from memory so IIRC's apply here

2)Ultrasonic "clickers" used tuned rods hit by little metal
hammers. Used up to mid 70's at least to G line. 1-4
buttons, on/off vol, mute, channel, channel up & down & I
think tint on a few. No standardization of tones,
you could swap rods around from the junk box.
Only repairs were wire spring that held the rods broke
& a few hammer assy's.

3)Battery ultrasonics. Like your pix. IIRC all Zoom & space phone
sets used them. Used til at least M line, abt 6 years.
Tones were finally standardized. If you use a full 0-9
key as a sub for yours you can "random access" channels.

We limited repairs on electronic remotes to battery conectors
& smashed transducers. Also stocked all the battery
covers & gave them away to our "good" customers. J battery
ones would also grow crystals on the connectors & go
intermittant just clean them. All others were sold exchange
for abt. $25 made about $6 on them.

A hand unit collection would be a fun sideline collection. If
you do Zeniths try to find the Space Command cross reference
guide. it had pictures of all the remotes & part #'s & subs.
IIRC RCA also had a similar book.
Enuf

73 Zeno

I have been doing some research on the subject, so let's see if we can pool some knowledge here. Of course I don't claim to be correct on all of it.

Looks to me like the 600 is a re-named 400, introduced with the Space Command color TVs. The only difference I can see between the 600 and the late-model 400 is the labeling. At least some 600s were marked with color adjustment controls. Overall design for these used up to and including the 1973 model year. The really square 4-button ones, apparently introduced when tones became standardized on some remotes (there were two and three button versions, the latter combining the same functions into the same buttons like the earlier 500s, the other I haven't looked at), like Billy Crystal uses in an early scene from Throw Momma from the Train were used from 1974-78, 1976-78 on lower-end models when Zenith battery ultrasonics were introduced.

Not all Space Phone remotes are ultrasonic, I think just the earliest ones were, according to another post I saw somewhere around here. Also, I just purchased an infrared Space Phone remote, remanufactured, in original Zenith box for 7 bucks. It is from around 1981 according to an ad I saw. I don't normally gather infrared remotes, but this one is unique and cheap enough.

Finally, a question: how could anyone smash a transducer without completely destroying the remote?