This searches the Website not the forum
Thorn Remote Controls; A guide
Remote Transmitter Reference
Yet another very useful piece of information published in the Thorn section of the blog, also opened up for discussion in the forum.
Thorn utilised a fair number of different remote control transmitter, ranging from the T701 ultrasonic, 8 channel version used in the 4000 series TV Model 2726, to the T736 infra-red unit used in conjunction with the TX100 (and earlier) chassis.
Over the years I’ve seen many requests here and on other forums, folk looking for information pertaining to these devices, with not much to go on. Myself included, though I did manage to track down an ultrasonic remote for one of my early Thorn 9000 TV’s (see here) and its listed at the foot of this page.
It would seem Thorn addressed this back in 1985, stating it had proved almost impossible to define them by model number since, in some cases, changes were made during a production run on the same model.
Below you will find information the ties the transmitter up with its remote control receiver PC number. This together with the photos, should allow identification. OK you’re not going to be able to ring up your local parts centre and order a replacement, but I hope this is of some use to the wider community and guests looking in.
I have a draw with a few period remotes so I’m off to see what I can tally up with this newly acquired information. At least I now know the ultrasonic remote I found for my Multibroadcast (9000 chassis), is a T705, still can’t believe I managed to find that in a box of junk I had long before I got the TV, it was destiny.
Thorn Remote Controls
Remote Control Information
| Type | Associated Control Receiver | Transmitter P/No |
| Ultrasonic | ||
| T701 | PC412 | 01M4-067-004 |
| T705 | PC859 | 90M4-381-001 |
| T707 | PC465 | 01M4-152-003 |
| T708 | PC465 (12 chan) | 01M4-152-001 |
| T712 | PC859 | 90M4-381-001 |
| T714 | PC495 | 01M4-152-004 |
| T718 | PC1005 | 90M4-520-002 |
| Infra-Red | ||
| T720 | PC983 | 06M4-787-004 |
| T723 | PC1515 | 06M4-824-004 |
| T724 | PC1515 (teletext) | 01M4-486-004 |
| T725 | PC1528 or PC1548 | 06M4-860-004 |
| T731 | PC1536 | 06M4-904-004 |
| T734 | PC1544 Frequency synthesis |
01M4-483-001 |
| T736 | PC1515 | 01M4-486-004 |
UltraSonics
In the case of some very old ultrasonic remotes, replacements were not available and were offered a repaired item. These included some such as shown below.
Twenty-three of Thorn remotes I have, more are being added as and when they are found
Note: Information gathered and extracted from June 1985 Ferguson Feedback. Full suite of magazines available in the members only data library.
I saw plenty of T718, T720, T724 and T735, and a few T734. I also handled a T701 once, and a few T705 and T712. My friend who worked for DER often had a T724 in his pocket.
A T724 looks like the remote control my Gran’s TV used. It was a Ferguson 9600? series cosolette, which seemed odd when I was young by looking old fashioned but having a remote control when they were still far from standard.
The set I saw a T720 on was a Baird console set – a similar DER one has been mentioned in a thread on the forum. We had what looked like a T724 on our first DER TX9 set, in fact it stayed with us when the set was replaced (by Multibroadcast), but one looking more like a T734 replaced it when the battery holder came loose and caused some odd triggering of standby. The Multibroadcast TX9 didn’t respond to the channel query key, but the DER did. We did have the occasional loss of response on the Multibroadcast TX9, and I actually acted as a “third hand” for the man from Radio Rentals when he came to fix it.
I’ve two in my possession. As mentioned above the T705 Ultrasonic which goes with the Multibroadcast 773. Then I have one which is just outside the ones listed above, a T737-1. Not yet found what TV’s the T737-1 might go with but I’m going to hang onto it as sods law I’ll need it one day.
[attach]7023[/attach]
@crustytv
I remember doing something up for my sister-in-law many years ago that had a 9000 chassis within, and the remote it came with was indeed the T705.
I’m sure I have some remotes similar to the ones in the picture . i’ll have to have a look when its not raining.
It was always difficult visually identifying Thorn remotes by sight alone because they tended to use the same outwardly cosmetic design for not only different models and indeed different chassis, but they could also alter a model or chassis during production depending on which particular remote system was used. Some of the Fergy Feedback issues also state this fact.
The basic design of the T737-1 looks like some remotes that fitted various models of TX chassis, all of them in fact (TX9, TX90,TX10 and TX100) could conceivably have used this style at one time or other, however I will stick my neck out here and say it was used on a TX100 model because of the 1* key, this means it was likely used on a 12 channel model, the TX9 and 90 did not have that many channels available which leaves the TX 10 and 100 chassis, the TX10 22B5 had 32 channels available but that was a ‘one off’ so I think it is probably a TX100 remote.
I am probably wrong here but I am fairly sure a later Fergy feedback edition will solve this in time.
edit: It is also a non text remote so it will be a basic remote only set, most likely a later XX G2 model
If you want to analyse, test or compare IR remotes and you have a Windows PC with a mic input, you can use Code Manager software (link below) to record the signals from the remote. There is a special USB receiver available but it’s possible in many cases and with a bit of fiddling to use just a mic port and a reverse-polarised IR diode. There is a PDF in the package that covers this, and also what an IR code should look like.
You can save complete sets of IR codes as a file and the sw will scan these for a match when you sample a remote. You do need to ensure that Windows has R/W access to the codeset library or the sampling operation will crash. You can move the library and tell Code Manager where to find it.
https://commbox.com.au/joeytools/
This SW does a lot more than this but it’s very useful to examine and compare IR remotes. It can also save codesets in the Pronto Hex format.
@irob2345
I don’t have a windows computer, so if you could please explain a bit more about the use of the mic port to sample the Infrared from the remote.
Apologies if I am being a bit dim,( must be a pun there) just my usual self.
We wrote some code that records the raw signal from the remote and looks for transitions in the carrier envelope. The aim is to get a very accurate sample because conventional IR receivers stretch the carrier ON time, adding enough error to break some protocols.
If your Mac can run Windows and access the machine’s mic port it will work.
Anyway, here is a screen grab….
[attach]7190[/attach]
we had the T705. We rented from
DER so we had all the latest stuff! I remember holding it to my
ear as you just hear the ultrasonic beep. Maybe that’s why I have tinnitus lol