Early Television
  • What's New
  • About Us
  • Classifieds
  • Parts for Sale
  • Resources
  • Index
  • Search
  • Contact Us
 
 
  • Mechanical TV
    • Gallery
    • Database Summary
    • Sets at the Museum
    • Restoration
    • Broadcasting
    • Advertising
    • Roger DuPouy's Site
    • Peter Yanczer's Site
    • Gerolf Poetschke's Site
    • Eckhard Etzold's Site
  • Early Electronic TV
    • Gallery
    • Database Summary
    • American Sets at the Museum
    • British Sets at the Museum
    • Restoration
    • Broadcasting
    • Technical Information
    • Other Equipment
      • Antennas
      • CRTs
      • Test Equipment
      • VHF Boosters
    • Advertising
    • Gerolf Poetschke's Site
    • Eckhard Etzold's Site
  • Postwar TV
    • American Postwar TV
    • British/European Postwar TV
    • Postwar TV in the Rest of the World
    • Restoration
    • Postwar Broadcasting
    • Technical Information
    • Other Equipment
      • Accessories
      • Antennas
      • CRTs
      • Test Equipment
    • Advertising
    • Eckhard Etzold's Site
  • Early Color TV
    • Gallery
    • Database Summary
    • Color TV Systems
    • Sets at the Museum
    • Restoration
    • Broadcasting
    • Technical Information
    • CRTs
    • Advertising
    • Pete Deksnis's Site
    • Ed Reitan's Color Television History
    • Eckhard Etzold's Site
  • CRT Rebuilding
    • Rebuilding Tubes at the Museum
    • Donations
  • The Foundation and Museum
    • Early Television Foundation
    • About the Museum
    • Directions to the Museum
    • Friends of the Museum
    • Equipment Donations
 
Early Television
Early Television
Early Television
Early Television
Early Television Early Television

Early Electronic Television

RCA TRK-12/120

Early Television

(click on picture for high resolution image)

Screen Size 12 inch
Year Made 1939-40
Quantity Manufactured 1779
Original Cost $600
Number Still in Existence See Early Electronic Database
Cabinet Reinished
Chassis Restored

 

American TV set manufacturing numbers RCA Dealer Sheet (courtesy of Eric Coon)
1945 modification RCA Begins Conversion of Television Sets
1946 Article in Radio and Television News RCA Service Company card
Fifth chassis RCA's assembly line
Instruction card Technical information
Invoice (courtesy of Dave Abramson) TRK-12 in an airplane
Magazine advertisements TRK-12s in hospitals during WW2
Owner's manual TRK-12 on the bench
Popular Mechanics article Unusual set using a TRK-12 cabinet
Projection version Valentine Day card

The TRK-12 was introduced, along with 3 other less expensive sets, at the 1939 World's Fair in New York. The TRK-12 cost $600, more than the cost of a modest car at the time. The picture tube was mounted vertically, with a mirror in the cabinet lid, because it was so long that, if mounted horizontally, the cabinet would have been almost three feet deep. Here is the

The set had four chassis: one for the television circuits, one for the television power supply, one for the radio and one for the radio power supply.

RCA's service manual for this set described how the set should be viewed:

The location of the receiver should take into consideration the viewing by the whole family group plus a party of friends. A minimum viewing distance from the screen to the first row of chairs might be on the average two to four feet...Seating might be arranged as follows: first row 3 chairs; second row 4 chairs; third row 5 chairs

The TRK-12 has a socket on the rear to allow connection of an external phonograph, such as the RCA model R-100.

Early Television

Early Television

More Pictures

Invisible text to format smartphones. xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


 
Advertisement
 
Early Television Museum
5396 Franklin St., Hilliard, OH 43026
(614) 771-0510
info@earlytelevision.org