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#1
01-27-2019, 09:52 AM
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 Even though I'm not very old (38 now), I managed to use an old television set for its intended purpose. Moreover, we've become close friends back then. Our house has an attic, but initially the attic had no heating (I made it much later when I grew up), so our family had used the attic not for living but as a lumber room and, from time to time, as a guest bedroom. When I entered my teens, I discovered the need of some private space where the parents don't come very often, as it usually happens in that age. One summer I fitted the attic out, and began to use it as my personal 'summer appartment'. There I found a very old tabletop television sitting on a narrow commode in the corner. It was named Radium (mid-late 50s), my Dad said that it came many years ago from his sister's first husband, and it definitely doesn't work due to the age:  Unlike my Dad, I was a pretty technical boy. I found out quickly that the television works well, and the only thing it really needs is an antenna The picture tube (an unusual metal-cone beast for me then) was rather weak but still being watchable comfortably in a darkened room.I liked my new place, so I decided to live there until the cold chases me away. I found another nice thing there, an army wadded sleeping bag that allowed me to sleep comfortably with no heating right till late November. I liked the television as well. Exploring it deeper, I found out that it's reliable as hell, and it is not afraid of either cold or damp. It has a bare-bones layout - no phenolic PCBs that tend to warp from the cold. Paper capacitors have a metal-porcelain design that makes them reliable and insensitive to moisture. No any modern television could survive and work there beside my 'old chap' Our neighbors, the ones who tried to use or keep televisions in unheated houses, had spoiled the most of them. Russian winters are harsh!The early 90s were a time of booming of music television, a non-usual format for previous Soviet times. Russian division of MTV was established then, along with some domestic music channels. Music meant a lot to me as a teenager, and my lovely television set helped me in a very significant way, involved me to the musical culture. I've spent many nights in my cozy place watching it and listening to its sound, warm and mysterious... P.S. I found out later that the television was made at the factory where my Grandpa worked half his life. He told me a lot of technical details about it. P.P.S. Forgot to mention that the television has an onboard FM radio, imagine how valuable it was for me then!
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To understand a bygone era, you should use things from it Last edited by Gleb; 02-15-2019 at 10:42 PM. 
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#2
01-27-2019, 04:51 PM
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Great story Gleb. Same story you may hear from the USA. Shows you how
close we really are. The Radium sounds much like our Zenith brand TV's. They were well built with better components & still hand wired into the 1970's. Many are still found running after 60 yrs with only minor repairs needed. Maybe some time you can post pictures of the insides ? BTW if you like harsh Russian weather you may enjoy this site. Watch it for a few weeks & watch the WX conditions. It will keep you warm ! 73 Zeno  LFOD ! Quote:
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#3
01-28-2019, 04:01 PM
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To understand a bygone era, you should use things from it
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#4
01-28-2019, 04:33 PM
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Why I have- em.
There is a nostalgic component to be sure. When friends see one of my early TV's working there is a sense of amazement when they can see the mechanics and the tubes lit. Lets face it, old tv's and radios can be very visual. When the local NBC station was ready to throw the big red switch on digital, a photo journalist came by and did a story on my then 61 year old TV that survived the era. The camera guy said "I've seen these in museums but never saw one working". He asked to shoot some video of the insides so I removed the back and he went "wow". He saw the glowing tubes, round things, square things, coils, colored wires and the picture on the screen from the back amid the shiny things. I was interviewed sitting next to it and a scroll kept rolling across the bottom of the screen- 'If you can read this your TV is ready for the digital age. It was on a digital hd converter. I also have a AA5 radio PC board version mounted on a board as a visible radio kind of thing. That shiny tuning capacitor is the money shot every time.
The picture was from a public Christmas display featuring one of my sets
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#5
01-29-2019, 04:29 PM
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 Any unusual problems that I should watch out for? jr
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#6
01-29-2019, 05:59 PM
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#7
01-29-2019, 08:10 PM
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I was thinking the other night-What do we call THESE guys ?!? I mean circular CRT sets are "Portholes", early color sets are "Roundies", what are these Bad Bois ? Or are they so rare today, and/or not as popular, nobody's ever come up w/a rather universally known nickname for 'em ? I have one, too a 12" Admiral from 1950, I believe. Cyoot widdle bugger, has a good pic, & is a floor standing mini console configuration. Guess we could call 'em "Double Ds", but that really wouldn't fit my little guy, & I'm not really all that hepped over the Double D moniker...
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Benevolent Despot
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#8
01-29-2019, 09:57 PM
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#9
02-02-2019, 05:41 PM
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I wanted to save an 102 but I couldn't  There where a few Soviet tube sets that had F.M. Radio. "Rekord" (1956? model), "Temp" 2 and 3...
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