CTV Logik CTV4298 Teletext CTV

I could be wrong, but wasn't it the TX90? It caused a right stink with Thorn dealerships at the time, as the likes of Dixon's  (or was it Curry's) were selling them a lot cheaper.

That's what I thought Chris, I remember seeing the first one in the electricity show rooms mid 1980s and looking into the back it was clearly a TX90, I do remember all the trouble it caused as they were selling for less than the Ferguson branded sets, the reason I ask I may have stumbled on another rare set, let me post a photo. 

I could be wrong but there was a 20" TX90 and 22" TX100 released about the same time, I think the model numbers were 2001 and 2201. If you were unlucky some 22" sets were fitted with the awful RCA PIL S4 CRT.

Logik branded text plastic chassis TX100.

@michael-dranfield Nice, I didn't realise there was a text model. In my previous post I mentioned 2001 and 2201 these were the Ultra models of course, not Logik.

TX100 TX90

Yes the Ultra versions were produced to appease the Ferguson dealers that had got very pi$$ed off with the Logik sell out. As a small independent I was expected to spend a fair amount every month with Ferguson, the mono portables sold well but the profit on each was small. Even the 37140 / 1 was a small profit item. What I found annoying was that customers would buy from Dixon's and then expect you to install it for peanuts! The Ultra versions could be bought from Ferguson for a bit less so in theory you could compete with Dixons but in reality it meant carrying duplicate stock and competing with yourself. the Ultra sets didn't count towards your expected minimum monthly purchase either...

The Logik sets were the nail in the coffin for me, I closed my account and told the rep not to darken my door again, I think a lot of dealers did the same. I felt sorry for the rep as he was a nice chap.  The Dixon's deal didn't last very long of course and by then Ferguson had upset their dealers. Maybe why they sold out to Thompson and we all know how that ended... In retrospect Ferguson did me a favour as I missed out on the ICCrap!  

We moved on to Sharp briefly they blew up in the shop before you could sell them so we then went to Toshiba. Brilliant sets! And no aliases being sold up the high street! 

You can certainly see from the photo of my 20" Fergy 20E2 below, that the Logik 4298 is identical, just has darker wood and plastic trim.

Looking up my repair thread of the 20E2, I see the Logik brand and the troubles it caused, were also mentioned there. Jim states around 1985 the 20E2 was priced between £229 - £279, it got me wondering what was the Logik retailing at, was it a huge difference?

Michael, the user manual for the 4298 is available as a buy it now on eBay. You may care to purchase it for your set. Just search for Logic CTV4298 Teletext CTV Instruction Manual. No link provided as it's against forum rules.

The Ultra was a Black front with a slightly protruding cloth speaker cover so a bit different from the Logik and Ferguson designs. 

The Ferguson rep told me that Dixons' salesmen were forbidden to tell the public that the Logik was a Ferguson which was laughable when you see how the sets were identical.  I suspected this was Bull$hit so I decided to do a secret shop at Dixons to test this. So wearing a coat with the collar up, a false moustache and dark glasses I entered the shop in stealth mode 🤣  

I mentioned to the salesman that I hadn't heard of Logik and asked if they were any good. I was instantly told they were made by Ferguson and a demonstration was given of how the Logic remote worked a Ferguson and vice-versa. I phoned the rep and told him and he just didn't know what to say... He called in to see me the following week expecting an order and believe me he got one! I did buy a few Ultras from a local wholesaler very cheap they had bought a huge quantity and wanted to shift them quickly so passed their discount on.  I bet Dixons got a hell of a discount but Ferguson Killed the goose in the process...

@crustytv I have to say that 20E2 is a very attractive set - clean lines, well proportioned and pleasing in appearance; the choice of colours of the trim and the 'wood' works well.

@cathovisor As you say a the 20E2 was a smart set. They sold well, worked very well with a good stable picture.

They had quite a long life, probably not quite as long as the TX10 but nevertheless good value really. The Tx90 version struggled a little bit running a 20" tube. LOPT failure was fairly common and late in life they got fairly baked around the frame output heatsink. The TX100 version was better especially if you got one with a 30AX tube. I don't think I changed an EHT transformer in a TX10 that I can remember and definitely never had a LOPT fail in a TX9! 

@crustytv From looking at the adverts from 1986/87

for Dixons and Curry's it seems like there were at least 6 Logik badged variations;

Model 4090 20" colour

Model 4094 20" as above but with remote

Model 4098 20" Teletext

Model 4290 22" colour

Model 4294 22" as above but with remote

Model 4298 22" Teletext

@jcdaze That is the speaker cover design I remember, same as the one on the Ultra sets. Later on they used the same grille as the Ferguson sets, I suppose the cat was out of the bag and they had nothing to lose (apart from the remaining Ferguson dealers...) having seen that advert I don't think the Logic sets were much cheaper than the Fergusons but the finance deal must have hit the rental market.