Sears Roebuck TVs made by RCA

[Jeffhs]

I had a 1964 Silvertone metal-cabinet table model color set in the early 1970s. To the best of my knowledge, this set had the RCA CTC12 chassis, minus the illuminated channel selector indicator or knob, but otherwise the design screamed RCA. Most early Silvertones (and most other brands of color sets made in the '60s except Zenith) used RCA chassis CTC 12 or later. By the early '70s, however, Wells Gardner was manufacturing sets which Sears later sold under their own name. I saw one of those early '70s WG-made Sears sets here on AK not long ago.

[jstout66]

I remember Wells Gardner. It would be interesting to get one of those sets. I remember some they put out in the late 60's that had "panels" like a solid state set, but with tubes. It was interesting that when we had to get a new replacement panel and it would arrive with all the new tubes in place. Pretty interesting design. EVERY-thing was on a panel, including the flyback. I can't remember what year they were made, but I am thinking 1968. The ones we serviced were under the Coronado nameplate, but all the tubes and picture tube were marked Wells Gardner. I even remember 1 set that we went on a service call and the customers kids had shot the picture tube with a BB gun! The set still worked, but we were always nervous on having that tube implode and warned the customer. Anyway.... anyone else remember any Wells Gardner sets they worked on or have now?

[veg-o-matic]

I always thought Wells-Gardner made sets for Montgomery Ward and that Sears sets were made by Warwick Electronics? We used to have a Sears b/w portable from about 1968 and the shipping tag on the box said Warwick.
So who *did* make sets for Wards? I notice in reading my old Consumer Reports that Ward sets were never rated very well. Don't think I've ever seen one mentioned on this forum.
Bob

[Carmine]

I was given a bunch of old Consumer's Reports magazines for the labor of removing them from a basement at an Estate sale. However, the oldest were from about 1979.

I'd be interested in knowing how they rated some of the better known sets; RCA, Zenith, etc. (maybe you could scan???)

I personally find their reviews of more complicated products to be a bunch of biased BS! These guys rated the first '78 Dodge Omni as "unsafe" because if you swung the wheel back and forth repeatedly at speed you could spinout! Funny, they never changed a damn thing about that design in 12-years of building them, yet no one else ever mentioned this problem (and they stopped soon afterwards) Also never mentioned that problem with the VW Rabbit which was an almost identical design (with the same engine)!

Most likely the team of East-coast-socialist toaster & toilet testers had never driven a transverse powertrain FWD car, and decided to gain some cheap publicity with this idiotic "test".

They do a lot of other wierd stuff too, like very different ratings for cars with identical platforms, but different names & trim. Wonder if they do it with TVs too?:dunno:

[rca2000]

From 1988-1992, I worked for the sears service center near cincinnati. So, i was able to find out, by looking at model #s, who made their sets for them. It's been a long time, but I think I can still remember most of them::

Sets that had model#' that began with 528--- warwick.
model #'s that began with 562-- toshiba.
model #'s beginning with 564-- sanyo.
model #'s beginning with 580-- goldstar.
model #'s that began with 143--(mostly stereo equip)-- fisher.
model #'s that began with 721-- samsung.
model #'s that began with 934-- hitachi.

You are looking at the FIRST three digits on the model number-- that is the id #.

Hope this helps someone..