Early remote control - Trucord - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Panrock · 17th Oct 2007, 12:00 pm

This morning somebody brought this remote control along, seeking information about it. But I didn't know so I'm asking here...

It's an early remote control from a telly. It's called 'Trucord', looks 1950s and has only one knob marked 'remote picture control' (contrast or brightness presumably). It has a rather nice twin-coaxial screened cable but no connector on the other end.

Anybody tell us anything about it? What set it was used with and its date etc?

Picture attached.

Thanks,

Steve

Duke_Nukem · 17th Oct 2007, 12:47 pm

Yes, this was an aftermarket add on from the early 50's - I have an advert somewhere. I've seen a few of these for sale over the years, I nearly bought one from a stall but the owner insisted it was a piece of pre-war art deco bakelite and priced it accordingly

.

It goes between the aerial and the tellies aerial socket hence the name "picture control" - it adjusts brightness and contrast!

Actually could be useful - I usually have a variable attenuator twixt standards convertor and relevent telly, and I assume this item would do the same job but in a proper period way !

TTFN,
Jon

Nickthedentist · 17th Oct 2007, 1:04 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duke_Nukem

...but the owner insisted it was a piece of pre-war art deco bakelite and priced it accordingly

.

It's certainly a nice piece of Art-Deco-ish Bakelite though

Mullard · 17th Oct 2007, 7:39 pm

I had an early remote control in the late '60s. I think I bought it from Manor Supplies in London where I then lived. It used a long multi-way cable and had edgewise controls for volume, brightness and contrast, an on/off rocker switch and a spring loaded rocker channel change. I connected it to an old Bush 405 line set. The on/off simply switched the mains, the contrast and brightness pots altered the appropriate DC levels. I arranged the volume pot to alter the bias on the variable mu sound IF amp valve. The tuner was altered to mechanically disconnect the band I/III switch from the cam on the turret tuner and this was then controlled by a small model motor and gearbox with a micro-switch in series with the motor. This switch was operated by a 2lobe cam on gearbox ouptut shaft and hence stopped the motor at 180 and 360 degrees. The momentary switch on the remote shorted out the micro-switch causing the output shaft move on half a rev each time it was pressed. A short bowden cable connected to a crank transferred the motion to the band I/III switch and the wafers in the turret tuner were rearranged to give channel 1 and channel 9 without having to turn the turret. It worked well until I was told that we must have BBC2. Unfortunately, I don't have the televsion or the remote control any more.

I don't think anyone would be bothered to do this today!

John

17th Oct 2007, 12:00 pm	#1
Panrock Nonode Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 2,534	Early remote control - Trucord This morning somebody brought this remote control along, seeking information about it. But I didn't know so I'm asking here... It's an early remote control from a telly. It's called 'Trucord', looks 1950s and has only one knob marked 'remote picture control' (contrast or brightness presumably). It has a rather nice twin-coaxial screened cable but no connector on the other end. Anybody tell us anything about it? What set it was used with and its date etc? Picture attached. Thanks, Steve Attached Thumbnails __________________ https://www.radiocraft.co.uk

17th Oct 2007, 12:47 pm	#2
Duke_Nukem Octode Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 1,268	Re: Early remote control Yes, this was an aftermarket add on from the early 50's - I have an advert somewhere. I've seen a few of these for sale over the years, I nearly bought one from a stall but the owner insisted it was a piece of pre-war art deco bakelite and priced it accordingly. It goes between the aerial and the tellies aerial socket hence the name "picture control" - it adjusts brightness and contrast! Actually could be useful - I usually have a variable attenuator twixt standards convertor and relevent telly, and I assume this item would do the same job but in a proper period way ! TTFN, Jon

17th Oct 2007, 7:39 pm	#4
Mullard Pentode Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Clophill, Bedfordshire, UK. Posts: 127	Re: Early remote control I had an early remote control in the late '60s. I think I bought it from Manor Supplies in London where I then lived. It used a long multi-way cable and had edgewise controls for volume, brightness and contrast, an on/off rocker switch and a spring loaded rocker channel change. I connected it to an old Bush 405 line set. The on/off simply switched the mains, the contrast and brightness pots altered the appropriate DC levels. I arranged the volume pot to alter the bias on the variable mu sound IF amp valve. The tuner was altered to mechanically disconnect the band I/III switch from the cam on the turret tuner and this was then controlled by a small model motor and gearbox with a micro-switch in series with the motor. This switch was operated by a 2lobe cam on gearbox ouptut shaft and hence stopped the motor at 180 and 360 degrees. The momentary switch on the remote shorted out the micro-switch causing the output shaft move on half a rev each time it was pressed. A short bowden cable connected to a crank transferred the motion to the band I/III switch and the wafers in the turret tuner were rearranged to give channel 1 and channel 9 without having to turn the turret. It worked well until I was told that we must have BBC2. Unfortunately, I don't have the televsion or the remote control any more. I don't think anyone would be bothered to do this today! John