Unusual 1950 TV - Videokarma.org TV - Video

rld-tv01 · #1 05-31-2021, 11:16 AM

Has anyone ever seen an actual Cleervue television as shown in this Jan 1948 advertisement. It reminds me of a Predicta with the swivel screen.

Electronic M · #2 05-31-2021, 12:06 PM

ISTR a topic on this on the antiqueradios.com tv forum a year or two ago. I believe there's atleast one known survivor.

rld-tv01 · #3 05-31-2021, 12:17 PM

Thanks Tom.
Link to CleerVue topic on antiqueradios.com
https://antiqueradios.com/forums/vie...225772&start=0

The above advertisement was from Radio Television Retailing January 1948 Page 61

Tom9589 · #4 05-31-2021, 01:28 PM

Sounds like a Setchell-Carlson to me with the modular approach combined with the Predicta approach although I don't think the Predicta could swivel 180 degrees.

old_tv_nut · #5 05-31-2021, 01:47 PM

Anybody also thinking it would be interesting to visit the maker's address (81 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn) to see if there are any anbandoned artifacts? (The building looks old enough.)

bandersen · #6 05-31-2021, 02:56 PM

Probably wouldn't be too hard to make one from an old RCA chassis. Looks like this uses the same knobs and spacing although the order is different.
The CRT in the 630TS isn't really supported by much and would be relatively easy to put in a separate box.

Electronic M · #7 05-31-2021, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom9589

Sounds like a Setchell-Carlson to me with the modular approach combined with the Predicta approach although I don't think the Predicta could swivel 180 degrees.

The predicta could swivel atleast 90 degrees...I believe there was a stop (to prevent spinning it several hundred degrees and wrecking the cables) but I haven't played with mine recently enough to remember where the stop was.

***Eric H*** · #8 05-31-2021, 03:45 PM

At 3:30 in the Movie He Walked By Night, there's one visible in the storefront window.

https://youtu.be/8rBZ7Hoaf5o?t=212

Tom9589 · #9 06-01-2021, 09:27 AM

With 30 tubes in that small cabinet, it's a wonder the TV didn't spontaneously combust.

bandersen · #10 06-01-2021, 11:21 AM

Here's a shot from the backside. Looks like a crude prototype.

I'm sure it got toasty but same tube count as an RCA.

decojoe67 · #11 06-07-2021, 06:27 PM

I started the thread on it on ARF because I was always fascinated about that set. The one or two that exist seem to be all there is left. I only wish an owner would post a series of pics of it. It appears it either came in blonde or dark mahogany. Rarity is the main attraction to it. It's actually not the most attractive early TV. It would've been better as a smaller 7 incher.