SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492024-03-18T21:26:18-06:00SparkFun ElectronicsPete-O on A "Sonar-Guided" Greyhound Scenicruiser TeardownPete-Ourn:uuid:d9200443-0332-3a62-7ff7-0cc2e2bee5182018-05-22T06:32:07-06:00<p>773! I remember TV remotes like you describe, the ultrasonic ones. You could jingle your keys in front of the TV and it would change channels. One of the technological marvels that lead me to this ultimate career...</p>
Customer #134773 on A "Sonar-Guided" Greyhound Scenicruiser TeardownCustomer #134773urn:uuid:053180c9-d6ac-7d2b-8d9a-e2d61aadae112018-05-21T13:50:21-06:00<p>(putting on my "old-fogey" hat) Well, sonny... ;-) I was "doing" electronics a couple of years before you were born, Pete...<p>I don't recall ever having seen this toy before, even in the "wish book" (annual Sears toy catalog), so I don't think it was very successful. However, I do recall seeing several that were made with about the same level of sophistication, though none that I had access to had any "sonic activation". One of the dominant memories for toys of this era was that they ate batteeries very quickly, and this was back in the days when carbon-zinc was the "state of the art" in battery technology. Many (most?) toys would chew through a set of batteries in a Saturday's play, even with time out to watch Saturday morning cartoons. (Your hypothetical friend would be thankful if you didn't give the kids any spare batteries, so that it would quit very quickly!)</p><p>I also recall TVs of the time that had a two button remote control. The remote did NOT have a battery or any electronics in it: when you pushed one of the buttons, it would shove back and then release a "clapper" to strike against a small metal rod (the two rods were of different sizes, thus producing different "tones"). The "tones" produced were "ultrasonic", well above human hearing. The TV set had an ultrasonic receiver, and would respond to the button pushes. One would cycle the volume through about 4 or 5 steps, plus "off" (and then "on"). The other would cause the tuner to switch to the next channel. (I think there was a way to select which channels were "active", as most areas only got a few -- where I lived, 4, and this back when most TVs only received channels 2 through 13.) I never got the opportunity to take apart a TV that had this feature, but did have the chance to take apart the remote for one. (I was bedridden in the hospital at the time, and likely used the knife from the food tray as a screwdriver -- "tamper resistant" screws were very uncommon in those days.)</p><p>One other comment: Back in the days when the Greyhound toy was probably made, I'd guess that the typical AM-only transistor radio probably cost nearly twice what the toy did. Plus, this was before the "9-volt rectangular battery" was ubiquitous, and you'd have to hunt a lot to find a replacement battery for the radio (not to mention that it was expensive). I recall being in 3rd grade, and out on the playground for recess -- one of the "rich kids" had a radio (and a functioning battery) and had it turned on, when the news came through that President Kennedy had been shot. I was playing, maybe 20 feet away from the radio, with a Matchbox type car.</p></p>