Featured
Latest
The last of the GEC...
 
Share:
Notifications
Clear all

Forum 141

The last of the GEC's

22 Posts
8 Users
0 Likes
5,109 Views
crustytv
(@crustytv)
Posts: 11869
Vrat Founder Admin
Topic starter
 

Whilst over Malc's last week he handed me a brochure to scan for the above section.The early 80's saw the last sets to bear the name and logo, here are the links  to the new pages added to the GEC section

Brochure 1brochure 2

CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek

 
Posted : 22/10/2016 8:32 pm
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
Posts: 4884
Famed Member Registered
 

Interestingly, GEC, and it's cluster of brand names, seem to be one of the few whose name has not, as yet at least, been 'badge engineered' onto any far Eastern products.

 
Posted : 22/10/2016 8:40 pm
Cathovisor
(@cathovisor)
Posts: 6390
Famed Member Registered
 

My neighbour had an even later GEC TV and VCR like these, as he got them through Hotpoint (in this case, I think the association is via Hotpoint formerly being BTH, and GEC latterly owning BTH). I'm also not sure if they also had stuff marketed under the professional 'GEC McMichael' name as well.

There's a possibility that the 'GEC' intellectual property is owned by someone unlikely to sell it off - think of all those marques that say, BMW might own that were previously British cars.

 
Posted : 22/10/2016 8:43 pm
hamid_1
(@hamid_1)
Posts: 246
Reputable Member Registered
 

I'm pretty sure those last GEC sets were made by Hitachi. I have the GEC McMichael CED videodisc player as seen on the first picture - it's definitely made by Hitachi. The CED video disc system turned out to be a flop in the end. Years of development and huge amounts of money was invested in CED , meanwhile VHS and Betamax video cassette recorders had started to appear a couple of years before CED came out. Those VCRs took the market share that CED was aiming for, and it flopped. Still, the GEC CED player remains a fascinating piece of technological curios. Even more so, now the VCR is passing into history along with CED.

The GEC Hitachi-made televisions were very reliable. Back in the 1970s one of my neighbours worked for Osram-GEC in Wembley, and in the 1980s he received one of those GEC TVs with the butterfly logo as a gift from the company. He was still using it until shortly before the digital switchover in 2012, when sadly he dumped it and replaced it with a flatscreen TV with built-in Freeview.

As for the GEC name not making a comeback, I think there could be a reason. Back in the day, there was the General Electric Company of England (GEC) and General Electric USA (GE). These two companies were unrelated. GEC did not allow GE USA to trade in England using the words General Electric or GE, in case it caused confusion. Likewise, GEC could not trade in the USA. I think General Electric USA did sell products in the UK under a different name (Simplex?), however, after the demise of GEC, the American General Electric company started using their own name and logo in the UK. They acquired the Mazda trademark for light bulbs from Thorn Lighting, then started selling them as GE Mazda and finally GE Lighting. (They acquired a lightbulb factory in Hungary and moved production over there. The old Osram lightbulb factory in Wembley, where my former neighbour once worked, was sold off and is now a housing estate.)

All this boils down to the General Electric USA company is now trading in the UK. I don't think they will allow someone else to use the old GEC name in case it causes confusion.

 
Posted : 22/10/2016 11:23 pm
crustytv
(@crustytv)
Posts: 11869
Vrat Founder Admin
Topic starter
 

hamid_1 said
the GEC CED player remains a fascinating piece of technological curios. Even more so, now the VCR is passing into history along with CED.

You'll like to see this then

gec-4.jpg

CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek

 
Posted : 22/10/2016 11:46 pm
Till Eulenspiegel
(@till)
Posts: 4947
Famed Member Registered
 

The very last GEC branded TVs were in fact made by Tatung in Telford.  Model numbers that come to mind were the C2094 with simple push button tuning. The C2095 was remote control only and the C2096 was remote control with teletext. The 22" models were C2294/5/6.  Without recourse to the service manuals I'm not exactly sure which Tatung chassis were employed but it is likely the non RC models were fitted with the 160 chassis and the remote control models the 170 or 180 series chassis.  Apart from the colour of certain cabinet mouldings there was little attempt to disguise the origins of these sets, they looked like Tatung sets.   14" portable sets were also available, like the big screen sets these were rebadged Tatung models.   All these sets were introduced late 1988.  Not so long after that year GEC pulled out of the domestic TV and video market, the company accepted the fact it was just a waste of resources staying the TV business.  And that was almost twenty-eight years ago!

BTW, I might still have the service manuals for these sets.

Till Eulenspiegel.

 
Posted : 23/10/2016 1:07 am
hamid_1
(@hamid_1)
Posts: 246
Reputable Member Registered
 

Interesting, I didn't know GEC used Tatung as a supplier. I have come across 1980s GEC colour TVs with Hitachi chassis, there's an example here: http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=114865

(See post 12 and 14)

 

There's a list of chassis to model on eserviceinfo which I seem to have missed. It does list Decca and Tatung as well as Hitachi chassis found inside GEC branded sets. http://www.eserviceinfo.com/chassis_model_make/GEC_001.html

 

And thanks to Chris for posting the advertisement for the GEC CED videodisc system. It was originally developed by RCA in America in the late 1970s. RCA hoped to acheive the same success with videodiscs as they had enjoyed with gramophone records, millions of which were sold every year, generating vast profits. But by the time CED was launched, home video recorders had become available for a reasonable price, and videotape rental libraries had sprung up, bringing a massive choice of home entertainment. CED came too late. Furthermore, CED couldn't record, and the discs only played for about an hour per side, so you had to get up and turn the disc over halfway through the movie. Consequently CED never caught on and was quickly forgotten, except by people like myself with an interest in obsolete technology!

More about CED here: http://www.cedmagic.com

(choose an option from the drop-down menu)

 
Posted : 23/10/2016 12:40 pm
colourmaster
(@colourmaster)
Posts: 425
Honorable Member Registered
 

Hi Everyone 

I knew that Hitachi and Tatung supplied GEC with their chassis but i had forgot that they sourced itt for some of their portables . Indeed the two portables in the brochure are itt .

Regards .

Gary.

 
Posted : 23/10/2016 10:08 pm
Till Eulenspiegel
(@till)
Posts: 4947
Famed Member Registered
 

Corrections to my post about the Tatung sourced GEC TVs. In fact according to the service manual issued by GEC  the basic models C2095H and C2295H were introduced in 1985. A year later according to the service manual saw the introduction of the remote control and teletext models C2096H, C2296H, C2097H and C2297H.

Note the suffix "H". Does that indicate UK market model?  Sharp used the same suffix on many of the companies TVs as well.

The C2095/6/7H series received cabinet presentation changes and were recoded as C2001, C2201,, C2201 and C2202. No H suffix.

It might be more likely GEC pulled out of marketing TV sets in either 1988 or 89.

Till Eulenspiegel.

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 11:10 am
crustytv
(@crustytv)
Posts: 11869
Vrat Founder Admin
Topic starter
 

Till Eulenspiegel said

The C2095/6/7H series received cabinet presentation changes and were recoded as C2001, C2201,, C2201 and C2202. No H suffix.

Till Eulenspiegel.  

I'm confused by the above, the C2001, C2201, C2601, C2002, C2202, C2611 all did have the 'H' suffix, as shown below.

Forum 142

Forum 143

Forum 144

Forum 145

CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 11:38 am
Till Eulenspiegel
(@till)
Posts: 4947
Famed Member Registered
 

Hi Chris,  It is confusing but when GEC introduced the last sets to be marketed they dropped the H suffix. Thus coming with a similar type number to those models the company made in their own works in 1977. For example C2001H etc.

The front cover of service manual TP8007 shows the models covered including the C2001.  FST models were also made under the GEC brand. I had very few of these on rental.

 

Till Eulenspiegel.DSC_0095_9.jpg

          

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 12:18 pm
crustytv
(@crustytv)
Posts: 11869
Vrat Founder Admin
Topic starter
 

thumb_gif Cheers for clearing up my confusion David.

Boy it does get very confusing making subtle changes to prior model numbers, I'll have to remember that. I guess I don't help myself as my interest lies mainly in the first decade of colour 1967-1977, certainly my interest pretty much ends around 1978/9. There's a whole world of TV's I'm mostly oblivious to from the 80's decade.

CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 1:02 pm
Red_to_Black
(@red_to_black)
Posts: 1748
Prominent Member Banned
 

It got worse later on, Vestal made Bush models could have exactly the same model number and identical cabinets with 2 or more different chassis fitted, certainly in the case of some of the portables.

Then when Thomson introduced a TX90 chassis, which was nothing like the beloved and long running Thorn chassis of the same designation, both being badged as Ferguson in the UK, although the model numbers were different it could cause problems for repairers and parts suppliers alike when ordering replacement components by chassis type rather than model number.

The Thomson type ended up "unofficially" being referred to as the TX90E.

Another slightly confusing model from the Thomson Badged Ferguson sets at the time was the A51 model sets, the A51F being an IKC2 and the A51N being an ICC7 set, both again looking identical superficially. Thomson did continue with subtle numbering to chassis scheme until the end though, but by then we had gotten used to it

Certain Matsui models like the above Vestal made Bushes also could have more than one chassis type fitted too, even from two different manufacturers!

And not forgetting Philips, which were.... well always Philips grin_gifwink

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 7:34 pm
Cathovisor
(@cathovisor)
Posts: 6390
Famed Member Registered
 

Chris said
thumb_gif Cheers for clearing up my confusion David.

Boy it does get very confusing making subtle changes to prior model numbers, I'll have to remember that. I guess I don't help myself as my interest lies mainly in the first decade of colour 1967-1977, certainly my interest pretty much ends around 1978/9. There's a whole world of TV's I'm mostly oblivious to from the 80's decade.  

What miniscule interest I have in colour certainly comes to an end with the arrival of in-line tubes!

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 7:51 pm
Till Eulenspiegel
(@till)
Posts: 4947
Famed Member Registered
 

The first "Turkish Bush" appeared in 1984, evidently designated as 11AK01.  Story goes Thorn EMI Ferguson set up the production line for Vestel.  The set did resemble a TX100 in some respects.

First TV with a PIL tube to be sold in my shop was the Marconi 4722, that was 1975. For some reason or other at first the public didn't take to the set.

It's forty years ago but I seem to remember GEC marketed their first TV fitted with a PIL tube in 1976 or was it 77?

Till Eulenspiegel.

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 8:53 pm
Red_to_Black
(@red_to_black)
Posts: 1748
Prominent Member Banned
 

I recall the first Turkish Bushes, then there were a few variations of the same chassis, again with the portables also being badged up as other makes a short time later.

As you say they used a stock Mullard/Philips chipset almost textbook circuits for the main chassis (4600/4601 PSU, TDA365X for the frame etc.), as did the Thorn TX 100, apart from the remote control panel which if I recall was based on an ITT/Nokia (later Micronas) SAA12XXX series and MDA 206X eeprom, the text versions used various ICs from a similar ITT/Nokia line up such as the  VAD series.

Several other makes used the same remote IC and eeprom line up such as Hitachi and Salora, the latter of course ended up as part of the Nokia group, while Hitachi also badged up some of the Salora (J,K,L and M chassis) chassis as Hitachi sets.

A tradition Vestal carried on, ie.almost application note circuits stitched together to make a set, at least until up to their very last CRT set (11AK53).

I am not sure they were made by Vestal, or at least as it (Vestal) currently stands, maybe a forerunner/precursor to Vestal ? as the original 2020 and 2020T series later evolved into what was known at the time as the Indiana 100/200 series chassis with a number of variations of the same basic circuitry with maybe a physical change of layout and/or a slightly different chipset depending on model.

It was only after Vestal became more widely known that I saw those chassis re-designated as 11Ak01 and 11AK02 retrospectively.

So whether it was Vestal acquiring the original manufacturer, or whether the original manufacture later became Vestal I don't know, but it seemed more like a streamlining or consolidation exercise to fit the earlier original chassis designation (Indiana X00) into the Vestal numbering scheme such as the 11AK XX for the CRT sets.

As I say your guess is as good as mine.

A very incestuous trade the TV trade.

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 9:27 pm
Cathovisor
(@cathovisor)
Posts: 6390
Famed Member Registered
 

Red_to_Black said
Several other makes used the same remote IC and eeprom line up such as Hitachi and Salora, the latter of course ended up as part of the Nokia group, while Hitachi also badged up some of the Salora (J,K,L and M chassis) chassis as Hitachi sets.

The reason behind that at the time was the embargo on the Japanese producing sets with Teletext. My parents had a Salora 24K77 (I still have it) but the service manual I have is for the Hitachi version!

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 9:53 pm
Red_to_Black
(@red_to_black)
Posts: 1748
Prominent Member Banned
 

That's a possibility Catho,

Hitachi also had badged up the Thomson ICC5 and ICC7 chassis, but they were vastly different from "our" Ferguson versions, and indeed they were more like their European cousins, Hitachi also badged up a Daewoo set around about the same time, while I suppose Sony, Sanyo, Panasonic and Toshiba did have plants in the UK then too, I cannot recall if Mitsubishi had any UK operations (I think they did but cannot remember) but they did have a Euro presence while Sharp had a TV plant in Spain.

I will try to find out more.

On a side Note there were at least one actual Hitachi designed chassis that used the same remote chipset as the Indiana series Bush sets mentioned above, I think it was the GP7 chassis, I used the same modified remote handset to reprogram the eeprom and options for all the sets that used that chipset.

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 10:04 pm
Cathovisor
(@cathovisor)
Posts: 6390
Famed Member Registered
 

Red_to_Black said
Sony, Sanyo, Panasonic and Toshiba did have plants in the UK then too

Toshiba's plant was the Bush factory in Ernesettle (gone), whilst IIRC the Sanyo factory was the Pye factory in Lowestoft?

 
Posted : 26/10/2016 10:40 pm
Till Eulenspiegel
(@till)
Posts: 4947
Famed Member Registered
 

Mitsubishi had a TV and video factory just over the border in Scotland in the town called Haddington. Can't remember the precise dates, I do recall the company decided to cease TV receiver manufacturing and concentrate on VCRs. Works closure was 1998.

Toshiba closed the Ernesettle works in late 2009. The factory where the famous Bush TV22 was made and the burning Bush CTV25.

Till Eulenspiegel.

 
Posted : 27/10/2016 11:54 am
Page 1 / 2
Share: