What was the first color set to have a Remote?

[Tim]

The last post on the CTC-4 thread regarding the CTC-7 with a remote got me to wondering - what was the first Color set to have a remote control option? Anyone know?

[charliesheen]

i dont know about color,but zenith introduced a wireless remote(flashlight)in about 55 or 56.i had a wire remote on my 58 maggie console.this may not help but thought id let you know.
charlie

[nasadowsk]

I believe the CTC-7s were in fact the first ones with a wireless remote. There's two types - full function (litterally does everything, just about), and the not so full function (more common?). The latter does on/off/channel/mute. Mute actually lets you select the volume on the back of the set from whatever it's set to to nothing.

There's a switch that bypasses the whole scheme when it's acting up (which it seems to always). You still have to pull out the knob on the side of the set to turn everything on, but until it's off, you can turn on/off from the remote. Think of it as a 'master' on/off switch.

The system is ultrasonic, and surpringly, it DOES sometimes work, though I've not gone through mine to make it work really well..

It's kinda fun in a way, and noisy. *click* *click* *click*. The remote has a battery + a few transistors, not the doggie whitsle type.

I have one, yeah, it works, but only when it feels like it
The set itself, however, is just beautiful, though the color sync 'slips out' at odd moments, I'm not sure why - burst transformer needs a twiddle? It's stable enough to watch, though. 21FBP22 though. It can get 25kv onto it, though (!) HV regulation goes south at high brightness, but I'm not surprised. It's not like a 16, that's for sure, but good enough to be good..

[Steve D.]

It was the RCA CTC-7. A very complex 4 function (on-off, volume, channel) remote KRK84A was used on models CTC-7E, AF, AH, AJ. An even more complex CRK1A "all function remote" (on-off, volume, channel, tint, color, bright, fine tune) was used on models CTC-7AM & AN

-Steve D.

[Chad Hauris]

It seems like one of these very early RCA remote systems used a single motor and magnetic clutches to connect the appropriate device (brightness control, volume, tuner, etc.) to the single shaft instead of individual motors on each control as the later systems did.

I have a ctc-31 with remote control and there is a motor to actually move the volume control...you can turn the volume down all the way till the set shuts off but the green remote light is still on...this is the standby mode where the set can be turned back on with the remote.

If the volume is turned down further with the remote the green light goes out and the entire set including the remote receiver is off and you have to manually turn the volume knob to get it back on.

[Tim]

Thanks for the detailed responses. Interesting reading.

[Chad Hauris]

The book "Advanced Servicing Techniques" (John F. Rider, Publisher, 1964)
has a very intersting chapter on remote control technology and the other state-of the art TV tech of the mid 1960's such as transistorized TV's....the book talks about an RF remote control used by GE and also a Westinghouse b/w set that had a small AM radio transmitter in it to transmit the sound to an AM portable radio for remote listening.

[Carmine]

Have to say that the ultrasonic 4 1/2-function remote on my '58 Zenith pretty much works perfectly, and to my knowledge this set has never been recapped. I've never removed the back, it's just worked since I got it from Captain Moody.