RCA 21CT55 B8802897 is Alive!

[Tomcomm]

I've got this 21in roundie in 1965 from a newspaper want ad, for $50 I think. It didn't work but I got it running with a few tube changes. Picture looked good on the 21AXP22 metal but was was very dim. I exchanged it at the CRT re builder for the brightest rebuilt he had, a 21FBP22 glass for $45. He told me the "FB" meant Full-Bright", what did I know? When I started the conversion from metal to glass, I decided to cut-up the cabinet and mount the chassis vertical so I could get to the under side much easier. This was no big deal since it was never going into the house and would reside in my garage TV repair workshop.This B88002897 proved to be the highest serial and last discovered 21CT55 with CTC2B chassis on a list of only 15 known to still exist!Anyway, I got it working this week after 38 years of storage. I'm using external video since the tuner/video IF isn't passing chroma yet. The 21FBP22 sure is bright, no problem with room lights. The reds are closer to CT-100 then most TV I've seen. I've got a 3in Pilot and a Norelco projector TV that I intend to get working next.
I am truely grateful for the interest that John Folson, Pete Dexnis and Ed Reitian took in this reactivation project. I only wish I didn't destroy the cabinet, but that's life. I'm not a restoration person. In 1957, I installed a 346ci Olds V8 engine in my 1954 Healey roadster. Then in 1964 and 2000 I reworked the car's frontend to resemble a Cobra roadster and installed a 418ci Olds V8. I now I have over 400hp in a 2500# car that is a drastic improvement over the original. These modifications made it virtually impossible to restore the Healey to its original configuration even if I wanted to, much to the disappointment of the Healey restorers. This RCA 21CT55 reactivation is history repeating itself 50 years latter. I hope the restoration members of this forum are more tolerant of my efforts to restore and possibly improve the performance of this classic color TV then the restoration members of the Healey car clubs. I hope this explains where I'm coming from, thanks.....Tom