RCA victor remote color tv

[drh4683]

Just picked this set up today. A few weeks ago when I had my chromacolor II up for auction, I had an email if I was interested in his rca table set (this one) as he saw that I collected old sets. We ended up trading my chromaII for this rca. This is a 1968 ctc31 25" RCA table set with the 7 button remote. As much as I love the zenith sc remotes, the rcas are more practical being a transmitted frequency. there is no need to constantly press tint button. I figured these types of sets kindof deserved a thread of its own as these are basically extinct from the tv world. I guess this remote option was very expensive from rca and there were really never a whole lot around to begin with. This tv came from an estate of and elderly couple and it was a "guest" bedroom set (this house was huge and they had tons of $) because of its location, the set bascially has zero hours on it, all original tubes, catarac free crt and its the original. The tube is super bright. The tv looks like brand new.

Anyone else have some rca remote sets? Lets have this be the thread for them.

[drh4683]

dark picture. This set has a green pilot light to tell you the remote chassis is activated. Luckily this set does not have instant on, or else it probably wouldnt be here today.

[drh4683]

this is a completely steel cabinet (plastic back) crt bezle assy. is all metal. the set weights about 90 lb. This is the ctc31D chassis. most parts dated 39-68. I believe this is the last year RCA VICTOR was used on TVs? Didnt they go to the block rca style around 69 or 70? My 1969 ctc38 has block RCA, but I have a 1969 CTC39 with RCA VICTOR?

[PaulC]

Damm. I use to have two of those sets without the remote. One had a solid wood cabinet, that one my father bought new. The other came from a friends grandmother. It had the same metal cabinet and also the rather flimsy roll around stand. I installed the relatively new replacement crt from my fathers set in the metal cabinet. Worked decent for years until an adjustable choke cooked. Sadly both are long gone and I've been looking for one since. I still have a few parts around. I also have the same RCA portable in the background. Came from my grandmother. It sat unused in a bedroom for 20 years until she gave it to me.

Paul

[Eric H]

That's really cool!

Don't you just love finding a low mileage set. especially a rare remote model!

[drh4683]

I remember having one of these sets in the "youth room" at our church years ago. It just sat on a table and nobody would use it. After the sermon, When i was a little kid, I would go downstairs and play around with the set and watch all the tubes glow. I could barely slide it on the table to get to the back to peek inside. You would get that "hot cigarette" smoke smell radiating off the back after it was on a few minutes :D It was just like this set here but didnt have a remote chassis. I asked if I could have it and the pastor said no because I was too little and could get hurt if I was playing around inside of it. Dad had to agree with pastor to look good. He would have let me have it though under normal circumstances. Everyone knew that I liked taking everything apart and was concerned for my safety. Luckily I had a dad that trusted me to be careful when I took stuff apart. Thats how you learn he said. The set ended up getting tossed because nobody else wanted it. DAMN! If I got it, I would still have it today! Even though it was a dirty cigarette set, it would have been alot of fun to tinker with.

[Chad Hauris]

These types of color sets were also common in schools (non-remote versions, though.) These had a auxiliary input panel for video and audio installed on back. As TV-viewing in schools was very little in the 60's through the early 80's, the school sets usually always have very little use on the CRT and have a great picture.

Regarding instant-on, I don't think any RCA tube-type color sets had it, even remote models. The solid state color models from 1968-1974 did have it on the CRT heater.

[PaulC]

Now that I think about it I wondered why there was a missing bulb on the dial face. I also remember my father would occasionally borrow a colorbar generator to converge the set. He would slide off the convergence board and flip it up so the knobs were on top of the set facing you from the front.

Paul

[captainmoody]

About 18 years ago I picked up 4 nice RCA sets, They were called "Mural" tv's and came out of a county building that was being cleaned out.
That was their line of sets intended for Hospitals and institutions.