AUTOVOX TVC1681 AX32 "THE BLACK CUBE" YEAR 1981.

AUTOVOX TVC1681 AX32 "THE BLACK CUBE" The so called "Black Cube" or even "The Rubberish" (In Italy they called it: "Il Gommoso")
is the AUTOVOX TVC1681 AX32 color television set  with his uncommon cubic design.

Another example of Italian Design "Crazyness".

The tellye has 16 inches color screen with BLACKSTRIPE tube (TOSHIBA) and 32 (16+16) programs with VST MOTOROLA TUNING MEMORY Synthesizer tuning system and search.
A television tuning device having a circuit for continuously scanning at least one frequency band. Scanning can take place at two speeds and controls are provided for starting and stopping the scanning procedure. The scanning speed is automatically changed from high speed to low speed when a television channel is detected to allow ample time for scanning to be stopped manually. Alternatively, the scanning may be stopped automatically. present invention relates to a television tuning device, comprising a circuit for continuously scanning at least one band of receivable frequencies, and having control means for starting and stopping the said scanning procedure and a terminal for applying a switch signal for switching from a first band-scanning speed to a second band-scanning speed slower than the first.
The name usually applied to a unit consisting of circuits of this type for selecting and memorising a given number of preferred channels is "station memory".

Many types of station memories are already being sold on the market which can be divided into two main groups: those with automatic and those with manual television channel searching.
The automatic types are fitted with electronic searching circuits which locate television channels automatically when started by the user. This is done by scanning a given band (VHF or UHF, for example) and stopping on the located channel. Data relative to the located channel can then be memorised by the user in a memory circuit and the same channel recalled whenever required by simply pressing a button which recalls the said data from the memory and supplies it to the channel selection circuit.
This type of circuit is also fitted with components which sense, during search, if a television channel has been tuned into and disable automatic searching to prevent television band scanning from continuing. Most of these circuits are fitted with a phase detector which senses the coincidence between the sync signals received and those regenerated in the receiver (in particular, the flyback signal).
Manual station memories, on the other hand, are fitted with controls which, when activated by the user, start a device for scanning a given television band. These controls also stop the said device when required by the user. When the user sees the required channel appear on the screen, the device is stopped to disable search and enable the channel to be memorised in the appropriate circuit.
In these cases, the simplest way of starting and stopping the search is to fit the circuits with a button which, when pressed, supplies a search-start signal and, when released, stops the searching operation. For best tuning, two buttons are usually provided for band scanning in both directions.

The search tuning starts with pressing the key "S" and  an apparatus for indicating a tuned frequency of a tuner of a radio or television receiver, said tuner comprising a tank circuit employing a voltage controlled variable capacitance diode as a circuit element, which diode is supplied in a reverse direction with a scanning control voltage from a solid state potential memory device, which control voltage is set as a result of tuning of said tuner, said indicating apparatus comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a line, each illuminating the corresponding frequency indicating region out of a plurality of divided frequency indicating regions of a frequency band to be received by said receiver, said regions being arranged in succession to cover said frequency band, and a corresponding plurality of drivers responsive to said control voltage for energizing the corresponding light emitting diode for illuminating the corresponding frequency region to which said tuned frequency pertains. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the frequency indicating regions to be covered by the adjacent light emitting diodes are adapted to be overlapped in part at the ends thereof, so that the frequency in the overlapped portion in the region is indicated by said two adjacent light emitting diodes.Further the RF bands class are also displayed with leds in similar way.

 With this aim in view, the present invention provides a television tuning device comprising a circuit for continuously scanning at least one band of receivable frequencies, manual control means for starting and stopping the said scanning procedure, a terminal for applying a switch signal for switching from a first band-scanning speed to a second band-scanning speed lower than the first, and detection means for detecting the presence of a television channel by comparing the received sync signals with local signals generated in the television receiver, and applying a switch signal to the said terminal for switching from the said first scanning speed to the said second scanning speed in the presence of the said switch signal, so that the band scanning continues at said lower speed until the manual control means produce the stopping scanning procedure.


It's the first Portable model series of AUTOVOX using the 16+16 Program memory AX32 to feature the tuning system in this kind of tellye.

It has his own original remote with his pretty unique "Location" to put it after use in the cabinet itself.

The cabinet is indeed Rubbish so the Light tone on it has ever that Car tires style color.

Needless to say that the set here in collection was used around 10 Hours per day and it's still functional. (Quality rules)

The set is build with a Modular chassis design because as modern television receivers become more complex the problem of repairing the receiver becomes more difficult. As the number of components used in the television receiver increases the susceptibility to breakdown increases and it becomes more difficult to replace defective components as they are more closely spaced. The problem has become even more complicated with the increasing number of color television receivers in use. A color television receiver has a larger number of circuits of a higher degree of complexity than the black and white receiver and further a more highly trained serviceman is required to properly service the color television receiver.
Fortunately for the service problem to date, most failures occur in the vacuum tubes used in the television receivers. A faulty or inoperative vacuum tube is relatively easy to find and replace. However, where the television receiver malfunction is caused by the failure of other components, such as resistors, capacitors or inductors, it is harder to isolate the defective component and a higher degree of skill on the part of the serviceman is required.
Even with the great majority of the color television receiver malfunctions being of the "easy to find and repair" type proper servicing of color sets has been difficult to obtain due to the shortage of trained serviceman.
At the present time advances in the state of the semiconductor art have led to the increasing use of transistors in color television receivers. The receiver described in this application has only two tubes, the picture tube and the high voltage rectifier tube, all the other active components in the receiver being semiconductors.
One important characteristic of a semiconductor device is its extreme reliability in comparison with the vacuum tube. The number of transistor and integrated circuit failures in the television receiver will be very low in comparison with the failures of other components, the reverse of what is true in present day color television receivers. Thus most failures in future television receivers will be of the hard to service type and will require more highly qualified servicemen.
The primary symptoms of a television receiver malfunction are shown on the picture tube of the television receiver while the components causing the malfunction are located within the cabinet. Also many adjustments to the receiver require the serviceman to observe the screen. Thus the serviceman must use unsatisfactory mirror arrangements to remove the electronic chassis from the cabinet, usually a very difficult task. Further many components are "buried" in a maze of circuitry and other components so that they are difficult to remove and replace without damage to other components in the receiver.
Repairing a modern color television receiver often requires that the receiver be removed from the home and carried to a repair shop where it may remain for many weeks. This is an expensive undertaking since most receivers are bulky and heavy enough to require at least two persons to carry them. Further, two trips must be made to the home, one to pick up the receiver and one to deliver it. For these reasons, the cost of maintaining the color television receiver in operating condition often exceeds the initial cost of the receiver and is an important factor in determining whether a receiver will be purchased.
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a transistorized color television receiver in which the main electronic chassis is easily accessible for maintenance and adjustment. Another object of this invention is to provide a transistorized color television receiver in which the electronic circuits are divided into a plurality of modules with the modules easily removable for service and maintenance. The main electronic chassis is slidably mounted within the cabinet so that it may be withdrawn, in the same manner as a drawer, to expose the electronic circuitry therein for maintenance and adjustment from the rear closure panel after easy removal. Another aspect is the capability to be serviced at eventually the home of the owner.

Even with the apparent simplicity it was a quite sophisiticated set at that time (1981).


AUTOVOX SpA HISTORY

Giordano Bruno Verdesi founded in Rome in 1933 the Industry Italian Radio engineering, IRI, for the production of professional apparates, but this had its single development in 1945 with the war reconstruction post.

Previewing a strong development of the motorization, with Carlo Daroda, it comes up the Autovox SpA, with the specialization car radio production.

In 1953 the company is upgraded and constructed on the way Pays wages to Rome, the new plant for the production of television sets, antennas, car radio, transistor radio receivers, beyond a production of radiosondes and professional apparatuses for the aeronautical meteorology.

With the planning of the first car radio in the world, the leggendaria Bikini, in 1942 it begins a long season of successes like with the car radio Piper, the blue line with the first tuning electronic, the Kanguro the first car extractable stereo, mythical the Shuttle and Challenger the first car radio with the frequency synthesis, represents for Autovox, the flag stones in the development of new technologies, beyond to a complete range of television set (in black and white) of great reliability and from the pretty aesthetic. 

Successively it realizes first in Europe, a color television set with fully transistorized chassis. (CLICK HERE TO SEE).


(To see the Internal Chassis Just click on Older Post Button on bottom page, that's simple !)

Some references and  Notes:

^ AA.VV., Capitolium vol. 43, 1968, p. 14 ^ "L' agonia dell'Autovox, cinquant'anni di fatti e misfatti romani" - Corriere della Sera, 10 aprile 1996 ^ Bruce Weber, Kusisto envisions rainbows ahead, in Billboard, 15 gennaio 1972. ^ Richard Robson, Motorola UK bows cassette units, in Billboard, 1º luglio 1972.
Istituto Mobiliare Italiano, SpA v. Motorola, 689 F. Supp. 812 (N.D. Ill. 1988), su Justia Law. URL consultato il 26 gennaio 2016. ^ Aldo Grandi, Insurrezione Armata, BUR - Rizzoli, 2005, ISBN 978-88-17-00758-0. ^ Il Mondo vol. 36, 1985, p. 65 ^ "ALLA FINANZIARIA PUBBLICA REL IL 54% DELLA NUOVA AUTOVOX" - Repubblica, 8 giugno 1985 ^ "CONVOCATI DAL TRIBUNALE I CREDITORI DELL' AUTOVOX" - Repubblica, 12 novembre 1987 ^ "AUTOVOX, BATTAGLIA VUOLE IL FALLIMENTO" - Repubblica, 19 novembre 1987 ^ "NOVE ' IN CORDATA' PER SALVARE L' AUTOVOX" - Repubblica, 4 luglio 1992 ^ *** ATTO COMPLETO ***, su www.gazzettaufficiale.it. URL consultato il 21 gennaio 2016. ^ nuova autovox: a nissan Italia complesso aziendale Capena | Agi Archivio, su archivio.agi.it. URL consultato il 20 gennaio 2016 (archiviato dall'url originale l'8 marzo 2016). ^ LA NISSAN FAVORITA PER L'ACQUISTO AUTOVOX - la Repubblica.it, su Archivio - la Repubblica.it. URL consultato il 20 gennaio 2016. ^ AUTOVOX, cordata romana per riaccendere l'autoradio, su archiviostorico.corriere.it. URL consultato il 20 gennaio 2016. ^ Nuova autovox:commissariata anche la autovox video system | Agi Archivio, su archivio.agi.it. URL consultato il 20 gennaio 2016 (archiviato dall'url originale il 2 febbraio 2016). ^ Rifiuti: a Roma nuovo impianto e prima centrale biogas | Agi Archivio, su archivio.agi.it. URL consultato il 20 gennaio 2016 (archiviato dall'url originale il 2 febbraio 2016). ^ ACCORDO AMA - AUTOVOX RISCHIO DI ROTTURA - la Repubblica.it, su Archivio - la Repubblica.it. URL consultato il 20 gennaio 2016. ^ "OCCUPAZIONE. L' Autovox licenzia 234 lavoratori" - Corriere della Sera, 11 giugno 1996 ^ Italia lavoro dismette quota in Roma multiservizi | Agi Archivio, su archivio.agi.it. URL consultato il 20 gennaio 2016 (archiviato dall'url originale il 2 febbraio 2016). ^ Studio Multimediale Hangloose, Impianto di selezione e produzione CDR Salario - Ama Roma S.p.A., su www.amaroma.it. URL consultato il 26 gennaio 2016.

Further reading;

P. Toscano - Le origini del capitalismo industriale nel Lazio: imprese e imprenditori a Roma dall'unità alla seconda guerra mondiale - Cassino, Università degli studi di Cassino, 2002, ISBN 888317089X.