I've been blessed!

[old_tv_nut]

Waking up this thread because a brain cell must have just fired - I just realized an interesting thing about my CTC-5.

It has a UHF tuner but was bought and used in Chicago, which (I believe) didn't have a UHF station until 1964.

It's model 21-CT-7855U. I believe "U" means the UHF is factory original. So was the UHF sold as a feature to prevent obsolescence? Or, were there any UHF stations receivable in Chicago this early?

A secondary question: does anyone know if these sets sometimes had a UHF tuner added at a later date? Do (any) VHF-only CTC-5's have a plugged hole for the UHF shaft?

[old_tv_nut]

AHA - there was early UHF in Milwaukee (although I haven't found the details of HAAT and ERP):
https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/television/
Now I wonder if the original owners also had a big fringe area antenna for this set, or did the UHF capability go unused until 1964.

[etype2]

Just talking off the top of my head, from memory, I’m sure Milwaukee’s Chanel 18 was on prior to 1964, I think the 50’s. I can’t imagine WFLD 32 came after Ch. 18. In another thread, I just posted that Congress mandated UHF tuners be included in sets starting 1965. My CTC-15E has a space for a UHF tuner. Have no idea about the CTC-5.

[etype2]

Just checked, ch 18 first air date was 1953. Ch 32 first air date was 1966 according to Wiki.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by etype2

Just talking off the top of my head, from memory, I’m sure Milwaukee’s Chanel 18 was on prior to 1964, I think the 50’s. I can’t imagine WFLD 32 came after Ch. 18. In another thread, I just posted that Congress mandated UHF tuners be included in sets starting 1965. My CTC-15E has a space for a UHF tuner. Have no idea about the CTC-5.

The first UHF channel in Milwaukee was channel 25, a CBS affiliate in 1953.
The second one was channel 19, an independent that showed, IIRC Dumont programming. The educational UHF channels came out in the 1960's.
Originally they proposed one more UHF channel 31, which never materialized.
I have a late 1953 model RCA with the big Roto-matic tuner which came from the factory with 19,25 and 31 strips. Those tuners were very good.
Later on, the channel locations were changed to channel 18 and 24.

[Electronic M]

I have 2 CTC-5 sets same model except one doesn't have UHF.... The non-UHF set has no provisions for adding a tuner on the cabinet... I think the metal tuner/control subchassis is different too.

[etype2]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

The first UHF channel in Milwaukee was channel 25, a CBS affiliate in 1953.
The second one was channel 19, an independent that showed, IIRC Dumont programming. The educational UHF channels came out in the 1960's.
Originally they proposed one more UHF channel 31, which never materialized.
I have a late 1953 model RCA with the big Roto-matic tuner which came from the factory with 19,25 and 31 strips. Those tuners were very good.
Later on, the channel locations were changed to channel 18 and 24.

I grew in Milwaukee from the 40’s to 1979. Never saw a channel 25. When my parents bought our first b/w set in 1954, CBS was channel 12 WISN. It’s possible that CBS operated on channel 25 prior to 1954.

I think you meant channel 18 independent. Edit: There was a channel 19 which went dark in 1958. Never saw it. Possibly because the rabbit ears antenna could not pick it up or it was a low power station. It was WOKY, which I remember was only on the radio. Picked it up on my crystal set. Channel 18 was received with strong reception.

[old_tv_nut]

Thanks to all. From the page I posted, the first UHF in Milwaukee broadcast from an FM radio tower on a downtown hotel (that is still there at 509 W Wisconsin Ave.). It's hard to imagine it was high enough or powerful enough for reliable reception in Chicago when the CTC-5 was purchased.

[jr_tech]

My Jan 54 Radio Electronics lists in Illinois:
WTVP 17 Decatur
WEEK 43 & WTVH 19 Peoria
WTVO 39 Rockford
Any of those close enough to Chicago?

jr

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

My Jan 54 Radio Electronics lists in Illinois:
WTVP 17 Decatur
WEEK 43 & WTVH 19 Peoria
WTVO 39 Rockford
Any of those close enough to Chicago?

jr

Rockford is close enough. It was (is?) common for bars and a few homes to have an antenna capable of picking up Rockford to avoid sports blackouts, don't know if there would have been anything desirable on the Rockford station in 1954-1957 or not.

[old_tv_nut]

About 70-75 miles to Rockford from the approx location of the set in Chicago; 125 mi to Peoria; 155 to Decatur.

[jr_tech]

Perhaps another possibility, from the same list: WSBT 34 South Bend.

jr

[old_tv_nut]

I have an ad for the exact model of CTC-5 I have. It features Mrs. Robert Calvert of 222 Nelson Road, Scarsdale, NY, touting how beautiful and easy to tune the pictures are, and that they have not needed a service call in a year.

I looked up the street view of that address, and I'm sad to report that no TV antenna is visible.

[Steve D.]

[QUOTE=old_tv_nut;3222568]I have an ad for the exact model of CTC-5 I have. It features Mrs. Robert Calvert of 222 Nelson Road, Scarsdale, NY, touting how beautiful and easy to tune the pictures are, and that they have not needed a service call in a year.

Wayne,

I have a CTC-5 Deluxe chassis model. It has a 21FBP22A/21GUP22 replacement tube. Fortunately it has an RCA metal to glass tube mounting conversion kit. This allows the installation of the new tube to the existing mounting receptacles w/o using the 21AX plastic shield. The original yoke was retained.These kits are extremely rare and I have never seen another. Sorry I didn't post these photos earlier.

[etype2]

I’m getting the bug for resuming my Television DX addiction. I live in the Phoenix NW valley. Las Vegas, LA and San Diego are easy day trips. Thinking about a 35 foot tower with a Televes Boss Mix on a rotor. Heard good things about the antenna. 90 miles is the theoretical limit but I’ve seen exceptions under certain atmospheric conditions. This antenna is supposed to be exceptional for long range. At the same time it removes the noise and won’t overload on strong signals.

Edit: My elevation is 1200 feet.