Welcome to Australia's only Vintage Radio and Television discussion forums. You are not logged in. Please log in below, apply for an account or retrieve your password.
Australian Vintage Radio Forums
  Home  ·  About Us  ·  Discussion Forums  ·  Glossary  ·  Outside Links  ·  Policies  ·  Services Directory  ·  Safety Warnings  ·  Tutorials

Historical Features

Forum home - Go back to Historical Features

 Astor Television
« Back · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · Next »
 Return to top of page · Post #: 61 · Written at 8:36:11 PM on 19 May 2014.
TV Collector's Gravatar
 Location: Ballarat, VIC
 Member since 4 January 2011
 Member #: 803
 Postcount: 456

1970 Models.

Astor TD048 - 25" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD049 "Durham" - 23" Wideboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD050 "Durham" - 23" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD051 "Dorset" - 25" Wideboy
Release Date - 1970
Colour Options - Maple, Teak or Walnut
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD052 "Dorset" - 25" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Colour Options - Maple, Teak or Walnut
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD053 "Dorset" - 23" Wideboy
Release Date - 1970
Colour Options - Maple, Teak or Walnut
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD054 "Dorset" - 23" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Colour Options - Maple, Teak or Walnut
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD055 "Dorset" - 23" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor Televisions


Astor TD056 "Royal" - 25" TV/Radiogram combination
Release Date - 1970
Colour Options - Maple, Teak or Walnut
Chassis - Series 8 or 11

Astor TD057 - 21" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD058 - 25" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD059 "Monte Carlo" - 25" Wideboy
Release Date - 1970
Colour Options - Maple with Russian Birch Inlay, French Walnut with Inlay or Palisander with Inlay
Chassis - Series 11

Astor Televisions


Astor TD060 - 21" Table
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD061 - 25" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11
Myer's special model

Astor TD062 - 23" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11
W.A. Motels only model

Astor TD063 "Sherwood" - 24" Wideboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD064 "Dorset" - 25" Wideboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 9D
Fringe reception area chassis

Astor TD065 - 25" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11B
Coin operated model

Astor TD066 - 23" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11
Patersons only model

Astor TD067 "Kalgoorlie" - 25" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11

Astor TD068 - 25" Lowboy
Release Date - 1970
Chassis - Series 11
N.S.W. Stores only

Astor TD069 - Not Produced


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 62 · Written at 10:05:41 AM on 21 October 2014.
SharnRiver's Gravatar
 Location: Melbourne, VIC
 Member since 21 October 2014
 Member #: 1641
 Postcount: 7

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 63 · Written at 10:40:29 AM on 21 October 2014.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7307

SharnRiver,

I've shifted your request to the Wanted and For Sale forum. It will get more attention there in its own thread.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 64 · Written at 4:15:05 PM on 24 February 2015.
Daro's avatar
 Location: Tanawha, QLD
 Member since 22 December 2012
 Member #: 1263
 Postcount: 45

TV Collector said the following:

"This continued until about 1975 with a limited quantity of Astor branded colour TV's based on the Philips K9A chassis. Around 1975 Philips made the decision to no longer continue using the Astor brand"

Astor branded colour TV's?

Are there any pictures of those sets in existence?


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 65 · Written at 4:32:27 PM on 24 February 2015.
Daro's avatar
 Location: Tanawha, QLD
 Member since 22 December 2012
 Member #: 1263
 Postcount: 45

Wasn't one of Astor's portable TV's using an Australianised version of an Emerson TV imported from the US because I remember seeing one out the back of a second hand shop in Dubbo in the early 80's & it clearly had made by Emerson in the rear cover.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 66 · Written at 9:48:05 PM on 24 February 2015.
TV Collector's Gravatar
 Location: Ballarat, VIC
 Member since 4 January 2011
 Member #: 803
 Postcount: 456

No images of the Astor colour TV models has been found so far but I remain hopeful of finding one. The main difference I believe was the Astor models had a silver control panel while the Philips sets were brown.

I'm not aware of any of the Astor portables being made by Emerson but I'm willing to be proved wrong! Do you have any pictures?
The later model portables from around 1965 onwards are definitely all Astor. That just leaves the JSJ and SL models and both appear to be partially or wholly Astor designed and built.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 67 · Written at 9:40:51 AM on 8 June 2016.
Sirwin's avatar
 Location: Beechmont, QLD
 Member since 10 April 2009
 Member #: 465
 Postcount: 109

Hello TV Collector.

I am compiling a database of Australian B&W TVs and this thread has been most helpful, as most of the information I have only covers chassis types, not models. I am a member of Radiomuseum.org and would like, with your permission, use the illustrations with the Astor TV models listed that I would like to add. It would be nice to use the photos also, but most of those I realise are not yours to use.

Regards, Stuart


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 68 · Written at 9:03:08 PM on 10 June 2016.
TV Collector's Gravatar
 Location: Ballarat, VIC
 Member since 4 January 2011
 Member #: 803
 Postcount: 456

Hi Stuart,

I do intend to add the contents of this thread to Radiomuseum, however I have been busy with other things and it has not been a priority. I have already made arrangements with a Radiomuseum member to add this content to the database with due credit to my research and images.

I also am working on gathering information on the various Australian TV models. I have spent several years compiling this information and it's not something I want someone else to claim credit for. Many of the images are either of TV's I own or are scanned from my own paper originals.

However, due to the amount of work involved to create all these model entries, I'm happy for you to create model pages with due credit to my work, but not to upload my images. I will make arrangements for that to be done.

I'm sure that you had the best of intentions with your request, but after some thought and knowing how Radiomuseum operates, I feel that I should not freely give away this work.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 69 · Written at 9:13:35 AM on 11 June 2016.
Sirwin's avatar
 Location: Beechmont, QLD
 Member since 10 April 2009
 Member #: 465
 Postcount: 109

Hi TV Collector.

No problems. I'll start to create the model pages shortly, it'll take a while.

Cheers, Stuart


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 70 · Written at 10:14:44 PM on 12 June 2016.
Damien's Gravatar
 Location: Perth, WA
 Member since 27 April 2016
 Member #: 1916
 Postcount: 19

Hi TV Collector, this is indeed an amazing compendium of knowledge. I'm currently working on a JSK which I'll send Brad a picture of to add here.

Astor JSK Television


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 71 · Written at 9:55:52 PM on 13 June 2016.
TV Collector's Gravatar
 Location: Ballarat, VIC
 Member since 4 January 2011
 Member #: 803
 Postcount: 456

Thanks, glad you found it useful. Looking forward to a picture of your JSK, and good luck with it.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 72 · Written at 12:01:53 PM on 8 August 2016.
Damien's Gravatar
 Location: Perth, WA
 Member since 27 April 2016
 Member #: 1916
 Postcount: 19

I hope I'm remaining on topic enough but I recently received a service bulletin for an FSK and found these great A2 technical illustrations for the SJ which I've framed for hanging. I'll probably mat them. A nice curio of what I can tell might be the first model.

http://i.imgur.com/75lWyet.jpg


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 73 · Written at 9:00:45 PM on 7 July 2022.
AndyLauncestonTV's Gravatar
 Location: Launceston, TAS
 Member since 31 March 2022
 Member #: 2496
 Postcount: 12

G'day TVcollector.

I know it's an old post but I'm new here and this is brilliant info.

If you're still on line, can I ask why Astor continued with point to point wiring for so long after all the other local manufactures had gone to PCB? I came across a lot of their console sets at tip shops in the early 90's. It shames me to tell you where they ended up. I wish I'd kept them but at the time they were cheap and easy to find, 'never thought they'd be rare in the future. I'd love to get hold of a few sets now. They were magnificently built. There was something special about them. They are my most loved vintage TV..... and now I have none )-:


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 74 · Written at 12:40:59 AM on 8 July 2022.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7307

TV Collector posted a few threads like this and it was great to see all the different models. This is a permanent record of how things were with Astor but it is a shame that there aren't knowledgeable people with similar resources on the many other brands. Back in the day, most televisions sold in Australia were made here. There wasn't a need to rely on China back then and it was probably a case that most Chinese people had never seen a television before the 1980s let alone making them for other markets.

Back then, televisions were a piece of furniture - somewhere to put a pot plant or lamp as well as watching the programming. One cannot do all that with today's flat screens.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 75 · Written at 8:33:36 PM on 9 July 2022.
BringBackTheValve's Gravatar
 Location: Linton, VIC
 Member since 30 December 2016
 Member #: 2028
 Postcount: 467

Hi Andy,

I'm a fan of point to point wiring when it comes to valve gear. I have several technical complaints with PCB mounted valves, the top two are:

a) Heat. Badly discoloured PCB tracks around valve sockets sound an alarm and warrant closer inspection.

b) Aggressive replacement of valves, i.e. flexing the PCB beyond its limits, can introduce nasty intermittent faults later on, e.g. fractured tracks, dry solder joints.

And a recent observation I made the last few years when looking at valve guitar amplifiers for sale is that sellers of such gear highlight the fact their goods are point to point wiring, the inference being that this method is superior and very much a selling point.


 
« Back · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · Next »
 You need to be a member to post comments on this forum.

Sign In

Username:
Password:
 Keep me logged in.
Do not tick box on a computer with public access.