GE Portacolor Chassis AB-E

[Findm-Keepm]

The 10JA was the last TV marketed as a Porta Color, and some models as the Porta Color II, always in script. The tube sets (H-series, HD, HE, H-4, etc) were off the line before the JA came about. Some carryover of antennas (EP86X1 and others), knobs, and other incidentals, but GE ran the MA/MB, JA, and S-series BW lines simultaneously at the College Park (Portsmouth) plant.

Those "late" tube sets may have sold later, but they were made/out the door before the JA line came about.

Leap forward 4 years, and the AA/AB chassis were being built on the same line as the EC chassis - bad years for quality. The AC and PC/PM chassis were the last "good" sets to come from the College Park plant.

GE was all about innovation at the time the AA chassis came about - they had won their Emmy for VIR, and were pushing their consumer electronics line heavily with their "We bring good things to life" ad campaign. Personal Audio (EA) was a biggie - Sanyo made boomboxes for them, and their kitchen counter-top appliances were taking off - food processors, Microwaves, and their under-cabinet coffee makers and TVs were big.

Like some GE TVs, I too was born in Portsmouth....albeit not in 23705.