Hello! I've got an affinity for retro electronics. I've been in the classic arcade collecting hobby for years and working on arcade monitors has given me a deep appreciation of CRT technology and the older the better. That led to me wanting a nice 50's era TV console for quite some time and Saturday my wish finally came true.
I got a 1956 Packard Bell TV/radio/turntable, model 21DK1 (I believe the "21" indicates the CRT size) with a 98D1 chassis. Virtually no info out there on these. I'm not sure if that means this is a particularly rare unit or if that's just par for the course with 60 year old TV's. I'd love it if anyone can shed some light on any aspect of this model (rarity, value, quality, desirability, etc). I don't intend to flip this but on the other hand I'm not sure I'll keep it forever either. I want to enjoy watching some old B+W TV and movies on it for at least the next 2 or 3 years.
Aside from the fact that I'm sure it needs recapping, the tuner is making poor connection (have to jiggle it around to tune the vcr signal), and while I get raster, I don't get an actual picture from the signal, just a completely white screen. The radio works great though. The turntable appears to work electronically (needle is active) but mechanically it does not. I'm not overly concerned about getting the turntable working, but of course I'd like to get the whole unit in tip top shape. And it strikes me as being well cared for, other than some scratches/gouges on the top.
I've purchased the photofact for it as well as "TV Servicing Guide" and "How to Troubleshoot a TV Receiver" books from that era - just waiting for them to arrive now. Of course I've also been researching quite a bit which led me to these forums, among quite a few other resources.
I've also got a 1946 Westinghouse H-110 radio/turntable with a V-2102-3 chassis which doesn't work. It's an heirloom my wife inherited from her mom years ago. It's always sat simply as a piece of furniture (table) in our entry way. But the TV I bought will probably finally motivate me to fix the radio too.
I'll also post a thread in the tech forum if anyone wants to give some advice to someone who's a noob with regard to vintage TV's.
Thanks for letting me joint the community!
