RCA Mystery TV

[earlyjukeman]

Now back to our show: I looked at the Emerson that jr_tech mentioned and that is not it but thanks for trying. It was an RCA just like I described it. It didn't have a big picture tube. Maybe a 12" or a little bigger. The front of the cabinet was much more wood area than glass area as the cabinet was bigger.

Chances of me finding the place where the set was is zero. There are certain houses that made a big impression on me but this wasn't one of them.

I don't know what else I can say about it. If RCA was doing FCC tests in 1948, 1949, could they have made some sets to go in executives and engineers homes? I'm really PO now that I didn't take it. Would appreciate any information that this was for real or that it was absolutely impossible to be real. Wish I could download the image from my mind.

[jr_tech]

Did you check out this PDF on the ETF site?

http://www.earlytelevision.org/image...sequential.pdf

It appears that most the 40s test sets were 3 tube or projection... This is a real headscratcher mystery!

jr

[Eric H]

If it wasn't home made perhaps it was a custom made set for some big wig executive, either from RCA or some other rich cat! (Natalie Kalmus?)

Could have been a 15G based model that would account for the small screen.

I swear I had a smaller than 21" round color set at one time back in the 70's, we kind of figured out that it was probably a Japanese made set that used a large neck but was a rectangular tube.

[cbenham]

There are pictures of RCA color prototype sets and converters in the RCA 'Redbook' which is RCA's Petition to the FCC to adapt the NTSC color system.

One set that your description made me think of is a #2 Converter. This was a 'table-top' looking set that was designed to be used with an existing B&W set.

The converter had all the color circuitry but made use of signals from the B&W set's RF and IF circuits. It would have been the 15 inch CRT. The description says it was used in demonstrations in 1950-51. The description also says there were several cabinet style versions of this converter. Perhaps you were looking at one of the others based on the look of the 241 set? See Attached... Cliff