The little TVs were so cool in the late 70's but most people just showed them off, they weren't that much fun to watch. A lot of the third generation Watchman Style had visors or shades so you could see the screen better. JVC was hitting their stride at this time, they kind of had an upscale aura and the equipment had a ton of features.
The JVC 3090 is much louder and great-sounding than you'd expect from an old TV box. Sounds as good as an M70, just not as loud.
I'd love to have the 3090, it was huge and JVC was know for quality back then. They put out that monster with a TV set, back then both the boxes were expensive and the little TVs, so you really had the cream of the crop. The only thing I have similar is my Sanyo MT-4200 but I think it's half the size even though it's an arm breaker.
Back when mobile phones were still in the lab, and big screens at events were a rarity, they were the only way of seeing what was going on at a big event such as the (in)famous Royal wedding in 1981. Watching a programme about that I was surprised how many people in the crowds had small portable TVs. Trying to prove my point, I found this video on Youtube, and sure enough at 1:19 a bloke is there with what looks to be a small portable TV. His D cells probably lasted the entire service and procession. I hope the guys at 2:02 didn't end up with a flat car battery ! Given their appearances in Dixons catalogues throughout the early 1980s they must have been big sellers. You are right that most sets came with a sun visor. The JVC looks as if it might have had one built in. Look at the third photo https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/jvc_radio_tv_cassette_record.html
We didn't have a lot of mass transportation where I grew up but who knows, maybe it was like phones today, everyone was watching them on the train.
the jvc 3090 sounds better than an m70...if you have ever heard an aiwa tpr 950 they sound identical to that....i had both but there gone now
I don't remember that. Given their appetite for batteries and the high cost and low capacity of rechargables back then they were used on batteries for special occasions only. My most memorable use of a pocket TV was the 1999 Eclipse here, when I drove to Salcombe in the path of totality. Since the whole thing was over in minutes it was great to be able to see the build up beforehand from places further afield, and Concorde which was chasing it. A shame it was cloudy there especially as it took me ten hours to get back due to everyone leaving at the same time. That journey was what prompted me to buy a mobile phone. Not a publicity shot for Fun Portables but it was fun having one while waiting for this to happen. When it did happen a lasting memory was seeing thousands of camera flashes go off in the surrounding hills (which will probably amuse Hugo).
