21" RCA solid state AccuColor TV from '72

[Robb]

Im pretty sure most CRT TV's pre 1985-ish are very very difficult to find period nowadays, nevermind in clean condition.
90% of them have been thrown away, and the 10% remaining are owned by collectors, or just sitting in someone's basement waiting to get thrown away.

I dont even bother looking for 1990-2004 CRT tv sets. 1980-1989 are borderline for me. If they have tuning knobs and is free, i will take it.
I just picked up a 12" 1988 Quasar today for free.
I'll have pics shortly.

[radiotvnut]

In the '90's, I was finding a fair amount of RCA consoles with the upright chassis; but, the metal cabinet sets were rare, even back then. About the only ones who had them were schools.

[truetone36]

I haven't seen a metal cabinet RCA color set in years around here. The only RCA's I have from around this time are a beat up CTC-53 and a XL-100 from about '73. I see quite a few 50's B/W sets in metal cabinets, though.

[Jeffhs]

In my area, a very small town of 3100 population, older TVs of any make don't seem to show up on treelawns or curbs anymore. The last TV I saw in the trash in this area, last year, was a late-model Westinghouse flat screen, near the trash barrels behind my apartment.

I haven't seen any older sets here in some time. The last 1978 color TV I saw, just down the road from me, was an RCA Colortrak 25" console. After that, I saw a couple of large-screen CRT-based portables, but since then, nothing. I guess folks around here are finding other ways, such as recycling, to dispose of their old TVs when they are replaced by flat screens.

Surprisingly, aside from the Westinghouse set I mentioned, I have not yet seen any other flat screen TVs in the trash, either in the neighborhood or in the trash area behind my place. Given the terrible reliability record of many if not most flat screens, most of which are manufactured of cheap parts (electrolytic power supply capacitors that fail after only a year, etc.) by no-name offshore companies, I would think I'd be seeing more of these sets than I've seen so far being thrown out left and right after the warranty expires. My own Insignia 19" flat screen is out of warranty by seven months and still works well, but for how much longer may be anyone's guess. My first DVD player had an electrolytic in it that was supposed to last only nine months before swelling and splitting open, but the part lasted much longer than that; however, something else went wrong with the unit after only three years, not unlike a cheap offshore-built tube-type 12" portable TV I bought new in 1975. That set lasted all of three years, then something shorted and burned up. I junked that set after the failure and bought a Zenith 12" solid-state b&w portable. That set lasted 22 years and was still working when I got rid of it shortly after moving here. Go figure.

[zenith2134]

I don't think pre-'85 sets are 90% thrown away by now.. I routinely see 70s and 80s sets at estate sales, and on eBay and Craigs' there are plenty of 50s-60s tv sets available.
Some models and brands are scarce by region

[TVTim]

Dirty or clean.

Finding the gems is the key.

If it works, a little spray cleaner will do the trick.

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by TVTim

Dirty or clean.

Finding the gems is the key.

If it works, a little spray cleaner will do the trick.

Amen to that. I certainly never expected to get my '73 Chromacolor, let alone have it brought to me so quickly and for a nominal fee. There's also a Chromacolor II non-remote 25" console model J2530E that's out of my reach at the moment, but I told the seller that my offer will still be on the table whenever he comes into the city should he be unable to sell the set locally.

[TVTim]

All but one of the TV's I got were dirty.

I gave them a quick wipe while I was carrying them. After finding out of they worked, then they got a real cleaning. Why waste the time before checking it!?

[Jon A.]

My 1983 RCA CTC115 portable was a bucket of filth when I got it. Nice-looking home, so it probably sat in the guy's garage since the tuner quit. Still got to diagnose that one.

[TVTim]

Originally Posted by KV-1926R

My 1983 RCA CTC115 portable was a bucket of filth when I got it. Nice-looking home, so it probably sat in the guy's garage since the tuner quit. Still got to diagnose that one.

Do you have a video/photos of this RCA?

[andy]

...

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by TVTim

Do you have a video/photos of this RCA?

Just this photo right now.

[TVTim]

Originally Posted by KV-1926R

Just this photo right now.

What a cool little set! Very "space age" looking. I like it!

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by TVTim

What a cool little set! Very "space age" looking. I like it!

I have one of those as well! AC and 12 volt battery operated.

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I have one of those as well! AC and 12 volt battery operated.

Yours must have the switch on the front to toggle the power source. Mine is just AC-powered. All I get is static over the speaker and snow on the screen, it won't pass a signal. Cold joint in the tuner somewhere I reckon.

Fresh pics showing more of the set and that a higher-end point-and-shoot digital camera is inferior to the cheaper analog cameras of yesteryear. I still need to get another one of those; my full-size VHS camcorder is a start anyway.

I found the TV's manufacture date inside.