A few years ago, just after digital happened in TV, I was allowed to roam through the storage rooms of a large TV station. There were tons of old monitors, VTR's, rack mounted tube equipment, etc. there.

There were 3 TM-21's there. I was arranging to get one of them, and the chief engineer of the station told me he had promised them to someone else. So, I didn't get one.

The next time I was there, the entire room was empty. All I got was a beautiful old RCA oscilliscope.

Did the service info ever get scanned?

Apologies, between defending the country 14 hours a day and raising a family the time to sit and scan it escaped me. Not gonna happen this weekend either, due to sponsoring the kids Christmas party at the hangar. I’ll get to it eventually, prob just shoot it out to Steve so the museum can host it.

I can tell you what happened to all that obsolete equipment. It went to the dump.
What happens is that somebody higher than the CE decides they need the space (for a new sales office) and they pitch it.
What I've noticed is that TV stations hang on to that equipment because its on the inventory. When I was in TV, I told the management that they should sell it while there is still a market for the equipment. Otherwise it will become so obsolete that NOBODY wants it.
It was well known that the station was cash strapped and I was able to sell some of the equipment to employees (production types) at a fair market price for the station.
I remember the smile on the girl in accounts receivable's face when I brought up a purchaser with a check in his hand and a bill of sale for her to sign.

I had a beautiful TM21 that was on the floor palleted and covered that was in my fire almost 3 years ago. The last time I saw it was only smoked up a little. The fire department went in with a bobcat with claw (without my knowledge) and absolutely destroyed it like a gov't demil with half of the building contents. I only found 2 small pieces of it in the pile they put out in the parking lot. I did find the front door with small damage on it that can be fixed back. I'm still sick over it.

I have since found another replacement with a roll around cart that needs shopping out. The damper tube gets very hot. It will be a nice sidekick along side of my TK41.

Hello All,
Our museum VRCMCT has generously been given two TM-21 monitors. They were used in Hartford CT at channel 3 for many years, and need total restoration (which may or may not happen to both; one, for sure). I took a look inside the top, and saw that all tubes except for the CRT are missing, so a tube hunt in our tube room is needed. Then, there all the electrolytics! Gonna have some fun :yes:! Going to return to check the CRTs later this week, and will proceed from there. Any encouragement will be VERY welcome!
Please see attached pics
Kevin G.

Awesome donations those are.

They definitely deserve a resto. If your museum ever decides that it only needs one I'd be glad to trade a good chunk of change to have the spare in my collection.

Makes me smile when I see some significant items from the past being saved. I love the graphics on the cabinets. Maybe it could be some kind of team effort and restore them both.

2/3/18:
Checked emission of the two CRTs today. The 21FB has very good emission from all three guns. It had been replaced, but couldn't see any date code yet. The 21FJ checked "dead" :tears:, but I'll return next week with a different CRT tester that has a more "gentle" restoration procedure. Didn't use the "brute force" method of my older B&K. I'll also start pulling tubes from storage to use on the FB monitor. More to come! :yes:

2/6/18
Began re-populating the four chassis with tubes today. Still need a few more, but most are in place. Found a 20 amp variac in the back room, so will use that to slowly power up for the "smoke test". That probably won't happen for about two more weeks. Next task is cleaning and checking wiring for no cracks or insulation trouble. It looks clean, except for the time-accumulated dirt and dust.
More pics attached.

Rack mounted TM-21's in our KTLA-TV remote bus mid 60's. The Crown Coaches were purchased in 1964 from the defunct Red Skelton Red-EO-Vision Videotape production co.

-Steve D,

Did the TM21 manual get scanned? I didn't see one at the ETF.

IF anyone wants to sell a TM21 ... I'm looking for one, top priority,
even higher than a 21CT55.

I scanned one that Dave Abramson lent me... which reminds me, it's sitting on my desk at work. I'll get her uploaded here soon and pass a copy along to Steve. I need to mail that back to him ASAP. I purchased Nick William's TM-21. Maybe someone else will come forward with one to sell...

There was one at the ETF the year that Ed Reitan passed on. 2016 maybe? It sold for only $500 IIRC. Do you care if it has a 21AXP22, 21CYP22, or 21FJP22? Obviously the 21AXP22 would be preferable, but you just aren't going to find one. If a 21FBP22 would be acceptable I'm sure you could find one rather quickly.

I would actually prefer one of the all-glass CRTs.