Hi Gang,

Started to put together an index of the transistor radios covered in the Sams TSM series and noticed
some discrepancies between the Sams Online Index and what's printed on the cover of an actual TSM,
(Transistor Service Manual).

An excellent example is TSM-41. There are 32 models on the cover and 40 on the online index.
Cover: http://www.blackmarketantiques.com/imag ... 090802.jpg
Index: https://samswebsite.com/en/photofact/se ... mit=Search

A number of MONARCH radios show up as MONOCORE and radios marked AIRLINE show up as SEARS.
The STAR-LITE is shown on the cover as FM-620S but on the online index there is no hyphen.
Loads of other errors that could cause a fairly careful person to miss a schematic they might need.

So here's what I would like to ask of willing ARF members...
If you have a TSM and can scan the index from the front or index page, will you send it to me?
Or I can send you the information via email (Excel Spreadsheet) to verify whats in each TSM.
Each schematic will be cross-indexed by Make, Model, TSM#, Page and Date of Publication.
I will gladly make my index file available to other members.

I think this should be a worthwhile project. Just need a little help from those who can offer it.

~ Mitch ~

Some entries in the Sam's on-line index may not be in error. Sometimes manufacturers would bring out a new model with exactly the same chassis. So Sams, rather than subsequently reprinting the same information in a newer volume, would simply show the TSM volume number with the same chassis in the earlier model. I've run into this several times.

Dave

Good point Dave. Hadn't thought of that.
However that doesn't explain some of the other errors I've seen in the index,
like missing hyphens which could really goof somebody up.

~ Mitch ~

I don't know much about the TSM manuals, but Sams made several mistakes in their indeces, sometimes making the same mistake or omission year after year.

Now that's strange...I could see the Silvertone brand as possibly Sears, but Airline was Monkey-Wards label, if I am not mistaken.

Isn't the index in the back pages of each TSM sufficient? The last volume (159) has a 7-page index of the whole series.

.

I just pulled TSM-41 to see what you were referencing.

Starting with volume 24 when Sam's put the "Contents" on the front covers of the TSMs, they only listed model numbers (probably to save space) while the indices and the Table of Contents page listed the model numbers along with their corresponding chassis numbers if that is how the manufacturer had referenced them. So the 40 listings in the index and ToC page of TSM-41 are exactly the same 32 radios as on the front cover; no more, no less.

Sams renamed many brands (some correctly, some erroneously, some through flawed logic) throughout their Photofacts. One change that puzzled a lot of people is when they moved a lot of Motorola listings and placed them under the Quasar name, even though many of the items themselves were around decades before the Quasar name was ever used. I'm not sure why Monacor and Monarch got lumped together, maybe they really are the same manufacturer, or one overtook the other at some point in time?

If you'd like me to scan the full TSM index from the back of TSM-159, I can do that for you. I think it (or a link to it) was already posted in a previous thread here at least once before.

As far as the lack of or presence of a hyphen in a model number (FM-620S vs. FM620S), even the manufacturers weren't consistent with that. You'll have a model number with or without a hyphen on their own service literature, advertising, and in catalogs, while the labels on the radios themselves had it the opposite way. A good all-around table would allow any search engine to find them referenced both with and without hyphens.

In addition to hyphens, I think if you look hard enough, you'll find plenty of models (though maybe not in the TSM series) listed with and without slashes that may make searches difficult as well. I've seen some sets labeled like TR-005 but in the index you would have to find them under TR-005C or TR-005A/B/C. I'm not sure if or how you will have to deal with that if you come across it.

It's also interesting that you chose the brand Star-Lite to use as an example, as their name in advertising, service literature, and on the radios themselves appears as Starlite, Star lite, Star-lite and Star*lite (where the asterisk is a 4-pointed star or cross figure). Again, a well written table would allow a search to find that brand no matter which way it was entered.
.

For anyone interested, here are links to the the index pages for the Sams TSM series. 9 pages long, out of the back of volume 159 (last of the series).



http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5247/70299201.jpg
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/645/69567720.jpg
http://img573.imageshack.us/img573/2749/92082088.jpg
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8117/92611050.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7656/62963267.jpg
http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/2917/98786509.jpg
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/971/17028802.jpg
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6254/12625807.jpg
http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/8029/61432411.jpg


(Edited to provide links to high-res scans.)
.

Thank you Jim!

The image(s) are a little small but I can read them OK if I zoom in, (but not too much).
I'll check with my local library to see if they can get a interlibrary loan so I can double check everything.
Or does anybody know of TSMs that I can buy for cheap?

~ Mitch ~

P.S. - The more I look back at all the transistor radios produced, the more I get confused.
So many brand names but I'll bet they were produced by only a few manufacturers.

Sorry, I forgot to uncheck the "resize" box at Imageshack. I should have the high-resolution shots up shortly, will post new links when up.

.

Mitch, I've edited the previous post to give the links to the high-def scans. They should work much better for you.


.

Oh yeah... that's the stuff. - You rock dude!

~ Mitch ~

unfortunatly, anything after I think TR #21 is still under copyright an it's not legal to scan and post even the index.
I'm out of town and will check the # when I get back next week.
It could be the AR-21 but the 100s are still copyrighted.

I just checked my copy of TSM 24, and it's dated June, 1963, so it's contents are 48 years old.

I kinda doubt SAMS would go after anyone displaying their material covering basically vintage and obsolete (AM only) radios.

Actually they have posted here before and informed members that their copyright for any folders after 1963 is still enforcable. Dont know if they care about the index but it is covered also.

I'm not really worried about SAMS coming here and hassling me over an index. Sheesh!
If they do, I'll tell them politely where to file their grievance.

~ Mitch ~

A copyright would include all contents of the publication it covers, including the index. That said, an index only would present them no harm, and could actually be of help to them, if they still sold the volume in question. If not, they would really have no complaint of any merit.

Resurrecting an old thread.

Mitch, did you finish the spreadsheet index of SAM TSMs? If so, are you still willing to share it with others, namely myself?

Yes, that could be handy to have!

.

Here is a link to SAMS master index which includes transistor radio service information published in the TSM series:

https://www.samswebsite.com/downloads/A ... 1_2002.pdf

Dave