Belated Xmas Gift - Raytheon Porthole M1101

[Eric H]

This is really odd, I have a Truetone branded set with a similar chassis, not exact but close, particularly on top, the actual tuner part is even identical but on the Truetone it uses a simple ramp system to move the slugs up and down in a smooth continuous motion, it's as easy as tuning a radio.

The tuner you have is rather difficult to turn and is usually in a set with a large X shaped channel selector knob (example: 10DX4), I would imagine it's a little difficult to turn with that relatively small and smooth knob?

Here's my chassis, some similarity underneath but the top side is much more similar.

Perhaps Rube Goldberg worked at Raytheon for a time?

2nd picture is of a Raytheon 10DX4 tuner, no fine tuning shaft.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Did Raytheon buy Belmont Radio, or what was the relationship there? All these chassis variations are under Belmont in Riders.

[Kamakiri]

Ever see the tuner on a Raytheon Vu-Matic? Oye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-smItbgbU8

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

Ever see the tuner on a Raytheon Vu-Matic? Oye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-smItbgbU8

Okay, that's just insane!
No wonder they didn't stay in the TV biz for long, no way was that cost effective.

Do you have the whole TV and is it working?

[decojoe67]

When I first started collecting I liked the early Raytheon-Belmont TV's, but a collector/repairman swayed me from them because of their crazy tuners. Still, I wish I would've acquired one or two then when they were easier to find.
I agree with the set in question that it's odd that the relatively smooth knob is used with a clicker tuner. It's designed for the continuous tuner. I have a radio though that has a smooth small knob (original and correct) for band selection that is basically useless. It needed some kind of a leverage bar like on the better sets. Even back then there was a good and bad engineering!

[Kevin Kuehn]

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

Ever see the tuner on a Raytheon Vu-Matic? Oye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-smItbgbU8

Yeah, that's just nuts. Apparently someone working at Raytheon had way too much time on their hands, and an open pocket book to boot.

BTW, what's making that clicking noise in your video's?

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Eric H

Okay, that's just insane!
No wonder they didn't stay in the TV biz for long, no way was that cost effective.

Do you have the whole TV and is it working?

The only Raytheon Vu-matic I saw was one with the tuners on the back of the chassis and the set was a hot chassis, series-parallel arrangement.
I don't know of anyone that worked on them. They all told the customers to scrap them.
Their last sets had Standard Coil tuners in them.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Originally Posted by decojoe67

I agree with the set in question that it's odd that the relatively smooth knob is used with a clicker tuner. It's designed for the continuous tuner. I have a radio though that has a smooth small knob (original and correct) for band selection that is basically useless. It needed some kind of a leverage bar like on the better sets. Even back then there was a good and bad engineering!

I see the M-1101 at the ETF appears to have the same fine tuning lever, so I know mines not alone. But I kinda wonder if there was an upgrade tuner available later on. possibly to resolve an inconsistent tuning issue? And somehow it never made it into Riders.

http://www.earlytelevision.org/raytheon_m-1101.html

[Kamakiri]

Originally Posted by Kevin Kuehn

Yeah, that's just nuts. Apparently someone working at Raytheon had way too much time on their hands, and an open pocket book to boot.

BTW, what's making that clicking noise in your video's?

It's the stupid camera. I should probably just pony up for a new one but I'm too cheap when it comes to things like that

[dave1138]

I had a Truetone set with that chassis. The lever is for fine tuning.
Mine worked very well after a thorough restoration and was one of the most reliable sets I have had. I ended up donating it to the 20th Century Technology Museum in Wharton TX, run by a friend of mine and his wife. They have it on for several hours a day playing DVDs of 50s TV shows. It is a huge hit with almost everyone who sees it.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by Kevin Kuehn

Yeah, that's just nuts. Apparently someone working at Raytheon had way too much time on their hands, and an open pocket book to boot.

Raytheon got out of consumer electronics and became a defense contractor. Uncle Sam and the Pentagon would willingly pay for this sort of thing.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Top of chassis cleaned pretty well. It's about time to recapacitate the undercarraige.

[Username1]

~ wow ~

.

[cwmoser]

Your Chassis looks exactly like the one in my Raytheon M-1601 C-1602 console.
The top of my chassis had a few more mouse pee rust spots than yours.

I like the way Raytheon panel stamped the tube id's on the top of the Chassis,
and after you recap the bottom is surprisingly neat looking. I've got a replacement
NOS 16AP4 CRT waiting for me to get motivated. My Raytheon is one of my
favorite portholes.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Originally Posted by cwmoser

Your Chassis looks exactly like the one in my Raytheon M-1601 C-1602 console.
The top of my chassis had a few more mouse pee rust spots than yours.

I like the way Raytheon panel stamped the tube id's on the top of the Chassis,
and after you recap the bottom is surprisingly neat looking. I've got a replacement
NOS 16AP4 CRT waiting for me to get motivated. My Raytheon is one of my
favorite portholes.

Hi CW, I reviewed your restoration thread over on ARF. Your console is a real beauty, and you did a very fine job of restoring it. I noticed your set also has the fine tuning lever, however, Riders does not seem to make mention of it for your chassis number either?