Channel F System II WAS sold/released by Fairchild

[FND]

NEW documentation with dated "Channel F System II" being sold in 1978

 

Just received a Channel F System II recently and it came with a

filled out " Purchaser's Record ". The date filled in on the purchase

record is 12-25-78 (Christmas Day) I am guessing it was a Christmas

Present and that was the date used but this would mean it was on

the shelf prior to 12-25-78 which would put it out prior to Zircon

taking over the rights (Early to Mid 1979)

 

This system is boxed and came with the late RED Fairchild Brocher (Fall 1978)

( Link to Red Fairchild 1978 Brochure )

it was also noted on the purchase record that it was purchased at J C Pennys and

the serial number was also noted

 

See below that all the numbers and price tags are in line with the Purchase Record

also note the faded date on the box serial number sticker that says 1978

 

 

 

 

 

[iswitt]

I was not aware that there was still any doubt/argument that it was not released by Fairchild...

[FND]

I was not aware that there was still any doubt/argument that it was not released by Fairchild...

 

All references I have ever seen either on the internet or in guides have always

said it was only released after Zircon acquired the rights to the channel F and never

sold by Fairchild ? Maybe I missed it could you point me to a web site or other information

reference were it says Fairchild released the System II

 

FND

[Rev. Rob]

All references I have ever seen either on the internet or in guides have always

said it was only released after Zircon acquired the rights to the channel F and never

sold by Fairchild ?

 

I ditto this post. It's the first time I've ever heard, let alone seen proof, that the Channel F II was released by Fairchild.

[82-T/A]

Damn, that's pretty cool!

 

About the JC Penny's sticker... I always used to think that it hurt the outside of the box (the value) since it clearly messes up the box, but I think it's kind of cool since it tells a little bit about the story of where it came from.

 

$119 bucks! Damn, in 1978... that was a LOT of money back then.... that would be like spending $500 bucks.

[BassGuitari]

All references I have ever seen either on the internet or in guides have always

said it was only released after Zircon acquired the rights to the channel F and never

sold by Fairchild ?

 

I ditto this post. It's the first time I've ever heard, let alone seen proof, that the Channel F II was released by Fairchild.

 

As do I. I've always been under the impression that the Channel F II was developed by Fairchild, but not released or sold until Zircon took over. But, some of the catalogs dated Summer/Fall 1978 (which refer to "System II") seem to indicate that Fairchild was selling System IIs at one point.

 

I was thinking (erroneously, it turns out) that Zircon took over in '78, and that maybe Zircon just didn't have their name on the Summer/Fall '78 catalogs?

 

FND, you never cease to impress or enlighten.

 

About the price stickers: they don't bother me at all; removing them would probably hurt more. And like you said, they're neat historical references.

[FND]

Thanks Guys,

 

Updated News

 

I am in contact with the original owner of the above system, he still lives at the

same address listed on some of the documentation. He remembers

it was indeed purchased before that Christmas by about a month or so.

 

I asked if he may still have some of the dated envelopes but was told he through them out when he boxed

up the system

 

Stay tuned though as I am still going through the paper work and found a couple interesting items I

will get scanned and post soon

 

BTW

I am still looking for something that will nail down the date that Zircon took over but for now

It seems the best I can come up with is Early to Mid 1979

 

Side Note a couple more BARCO Instructions manuals have been found by another collector so

it looks like I have more items to look for

 

FND

[darthkur]

This is very interesting. I, too, was always under the impression that Zircon was the only entity to sell the System II. Now I wonder, if by some miracle, my System II might be one of those rare Fairchild issued ones.

[e5frog]

Very nice investigation there FND, now I know what to look for when I get a System II... it must be the Fairchild release of course!

[classics]

Does the Zircon box look the same except for the company name?

 

I have a new boxed channel F II in storage, I'll have to see which one it is.

 

Steve

[FND]

Does the Zircon box look the same except for the company name?

 

I have a new boxed channel F II in storage, I'll have to see which one it is.

 

Steve

 

 

All the system II boxes I have seen only refer to the maker as Fairchild there

is no mention of Zircon on the boxes or game systems, The design was finished

by Fairchild and it seems Zircon just used what had already been done

 

FND

[FND]

BTW Here is some more supporting evidence that the system II was released

 

Question 2 from my email interview with Nicholas F. Talesfore

(The full interview can be found HERE)

 

Nicholas F. Talesfore

Manager of Industrial Design / Graphic Design

AT

Fairchild Camera & Instrument, Exetron Division

 

1976 — 1979 (2+ years)

 

2. [My Question]

Its also been said Fairchild never released the system II and it was

not until ZIRCON bought the rights to the Channel F that the System II

was released, I have seen System II's with a Fairchild Warranty Card

so I am not sure if this is correct ?

 

[Nicholas F. Talesfore]

I am sure Fairchild sold System II for a short time but when Fairchild

abandoned the video game market ZIRCON bought all the rights and tooling and inherited

all the customer service. I did work for ZIRCON and added a red trigger button to the hand controller

and pinned the UP/DOWN movement.

 

 

***Edited the last year on Mr. Talesfore work history with fairchild from 1978 to 79 as per his resume

found HERE

Edited June 8, 2008 by FND

[FND]

I have attached a few scans of some new Zircon letters

I have received from the same collection as the Fairchild system II.

 

I put a digital asterik next to the interesting answers.

Looks like Zircon must have been internally calling the

Keyboard carts "system II carts"

 

Note the written statment that the Keyboard controller was

never produced

 

Has an offer ( Aug 26, 1980 ) to give a free Demo 1 cart

with the purchase of four other games, says this was the

first time they were offered but thats not true as they were

part of the close-out sale from late 1979

 

Looks like the offical release of Pro-Football #24 was 8-26-80

 

Also states that games Pro-Football, Galactic Space Wars,

Slot Machine and Checkers will not be found in stores (apparently

mail order only)

 

 

 

 

 

FND

[e5frog]

Nice scans, always interesting to get authentic information.

 

 

I think it was a bit cheap offering only $10 to trade in your FVE100 for a FVE300.

[darthkur]

Nice scans, always interesting to get authentic information.

 

 

I think it was a bit cheap offering only $10 to trade in your FVE100 for a FVE300.

 

 

Yes, I thought that as well. What a rip off. I don't imagine there were many takers on that "offer".

[Crazy Climber]

$119 bucks! Damn, in 1978... that was a LOT of money back then.... that would be like spending $500 bucks.

Yes, expensive but still less then half the price of an Atari 2600

[FastRobPlus]

Nice scans, always interesting to get authentic information.

 

 

I think it was a bit cheap offering only $10 to trade in your FVE100 for a FVE300.

 

 

Yes, I thought that as well. What a rip off. I don't imagine there were many takers on that "offer".

 

Can you elaborate on this? I was confused when I saw that $10 trade up offer. I'm aware the System F II is cost reduced, but is it inferior to the original?

Does anyone know what Zircon gained by offering this $10 upgrade?

Also - if I read correctly, the form says you can trade your current condition Channel F for a Zircon reconditioned System I. This seems like a terrific bargain for an owner of a nonworking System I.

[darthkur]

What the description looks to me to be describing is that you would send in your old console, paying postage to do so, and then would only get a measly $10 discount off towards the full purchase price of a refurbished unit. That seems like quite that bad deal, since after your shipping charges to them for your old unit on top of shipping cost for the "new" unit from them to yourself, you're only getting pennies for your old system. Even if the console is shot it would be good for parts, i.e. controllers, spare dust cover, etc.

[e5frog]

What the description looks to me to be describing is that you would send in your old console, paying postage to do so, and then would only get a measly $10 discount off towards the full purchase price of a refurbished unit. That seems like quite that bad deal, since after your shipping charges to them for your old unit on top of shipping cost for the "new" unit from them to yourself, you're only getting pennies for your old system. Even if the console is shot it would be good for parts, i.e. controllers, spare dust cover, etc.

 

 

That's how I understood it as well, $10 discount when you trade in your System I unit ( which cost about $170 ? ) and by a System II - which is the same apart from a sound upgrade, not only does it have sound on the TV but the hardware is changed a little to allow playing other frequencies of sound other than the three original beeps. That type of sound sounds pretty awful on a System I unit. If they had released the keypad that was planned to be connected to one of the controller ports it would be a pretty good idea to upgrade - to be able to play the K-1, K-2 etc games - but that never happened unfortunately.

 

 

BUT I apparently misread - it's even worse - it's a measly $10 off a reconditioned System I! If you want to repair your System I you could send it in and pay $49.50 for the repair, shipping and handling...

 

Edit: Spleling Erorr

Edited June 10, 2008 by e5frog

[FND]

So its been sometime since I added any information to this thread but sometimes

its a long time before anything new turns up

 

Just recently a new ad has been discovered thanks to a fellow Channel F collector

(Jose A. Monzon) who found this cool Ad with Milton Berle as the spokesmen, Actually

since I saw this ad I seem to remember seeing the Commercial way back when so if anyone

has a link or better yet a copy of this commercial I would love to see it again.

 

OK back to the New News this add is from 1978 by my best guess, as you can see nowhere

does it reference ZIRCON also the phone numbers at the bottom are for Fairchild they are

the same phone numbers that appear on Brochures released by fairchild and can be seen on

my Web site Next even though there is a stack of 23 Videocarts at the bottom of the ad

only 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13 are shown (some are there more then once) all this

along with the fact Milton Berle is the spokesmen would indicate this was a ad put together

by Fairchild and would therby show Fairchild was indeed starting to sell the Channell F II

just prior to selling out to Zircon

 

 

========================================================

 

[e5frog]

Nice pictures, but tiny tiny tiny...

 

Didn't you get a higher resolution scan from Jose? Can't find it on your page...

[Atari2008]

Nice pictures, but tiny tiny tiny...

 

Didn't you get a higher resolution scan from Jose? Can't find it on your page...

 

Here is the higher resolution scan, I hope it works. It's a very interesting read. Thank you Dennis for sharing and for your research!

 

Jose

Milton Berle Channel F Ad.pdf

[FND]

Nice pictures, but tiny tiny tiny...

 

 

I adjusted it for size so it was not to big and I can see it fine here in this thread I wonder why

its so small for you guys, I up loaded it to my directory and maybe somehow what I am seeing is coming

from my own computer ? oh well it seem's our friend Jose has provided a link Have not had a chance

to update my site yet but will soon

 

Found a guy on the web who collects of all things Commercials from the 70's and 80's so I am hopefull

he will have a copy of the Milton Berle Commercial I have done a lot of searching and cant find much

about him doing this commercial just one very short blurb it but otherwise nothing at all. It must of been

a very short run which makes sense since it mentions Christmas Season so again as usuall for that time it

would of run only during the season and from what I can figure out it would of been late 78 just before

the turn over, probably only ran a few times before being pulled dont think Zircon had the money at that

time for T.V. Commercials not to mention the royalties I would think would have to be paid to Mr. Berle ?

[e5frog]

Perhaps it was a boost just to show Zircon that it wasn't a dead system...

 

 

I hope Atari2008 can make a re-scan with higher resolution, the pdf is a bit grainy to get a nice, sharp printout.

[Atari2008]

Perhaps it was a boost just to show Zircon that it wasn't a dead system...

 

 

I hope Atari2008 can make a re-scan with higher resolution, the pdf is a bit grainy to get a nice, sharp printout.

 

I'm going to re-scan tomorrow and see if I can get a higher resolution image.