Early '50's Crosley 17" TV

[radiotvnut]

I found this Crosley 17" set at the "antique alley" yard sale and, unfortunately, the cabinet is in rough shape and likely needs to be re-veneered. The woman would not budge off of $30, but I bought it anyway, in hopes that the jug is good (it seems to have a replacement Tung-Sol CRT in it). How far I go with this will depend on how good the jug is, but I don't think these sets are that common.

[vortalexfan]

Looks like a nice project unit.
My Meck Philharmonic Model 8200 was in very similar condition (except on mine the veneer was still in good shape yet) mine unfortunately didn't have its original back cover intact anymore.
But I'm not sure if it ever had one to begin with because the TV didn't have a safety interlock plug and also there's no signs of any screw holes on the back of the cabinet where there would of been a back cover attached at one time.

[AlanInSitges]

That cabinet is pretty rough, but you can always pull off the veneer, sand down the plywood, put a coat of shiny red paint on it, and swap the guts for a cheap LCD. Then put it on eBay for $600 as "fully restored". That Crosley brand might even attract some fans of their phonographs.

[radiotvnut]

I tested the CRT, a Tung-Sol replacement, and it tests very strong with a good life test. Even at 4V, it still reads in the "good" area. So, there's my $30 right there.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

I tested the CRT, a Tung-Sol replacement, and it tests very strong with a good life test. Even at 4V, it still reads in the "good" area. So, there's my $30 right there.

The 17HP4 is a desirable CRT to have! It's best to be used in a more desirable set.

[vortalexfan]

I think that might be the same picture tube that could be used in my Zenith "Bugeye" TV which has a damaged picture tube (the socket was broken on it).

If that's the case I might be interested in that tube for my Bugeye TV as long as you don't mind shipping it (and its not going to cost me $350 to ship it my way) if you decide to part out this TV instead of restoring it.

Keep us posted! I always love your videos, rants and all, I always learn something new in your videos, including repair tips that I have never thought of using before but then tried out on some of my own repair projects because they seemed quite useful (and they were.)

[Tube TV]

I've got her blonde sister. Also the original stand.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

I think that might be the same picture tube that could be used in my Zenith "Bugeye" TV which has a damaged picture tube (the socket was broken on it).

If that's the case I might be interested in that tube for my Bugeye TV as long as you don't mind shipping it (and its not going to cost me $350 to ship it my way) if you decide to part out this TV instead of restoring it.

Keep us posted! I always love your videos, rants and all, I always learn something new in your videos, including repair tips that I have never thought of using before but then tried out on some of my own repair projects because they seemed quite useful (and they were.)

If that's the Zenith set you posted a while back, that set uses a 17AV/ATP4 which is 90degree CRT. The 17HP4 is a 70degree CRT.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

If that's the Zenith set you posted a while back, that set uses a 17AV/ATP4 which is 90degree CRT. The 17HP4 is a 70degree CRT.

Yes, that's the one, and I didn't realize there was that much of a difference between the two picture tubes, I just saw the 17" measurements.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

Yes, that's the one, and I didn't realize there was that much of a difference between the two picture tubes, I just saw the 17" measurements.

The 17" CRT's are all different! That size designation has been around for many years, at least 10 or 12 years and many different types.
After reading your entry about those two Zenith sets a while back, I thought that the tube wasn't damaged, just the socket base was cracked.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

The 17" CRT's are all different! That size designation has been around for many years, at least 10 or 12 years and many different types.
After reading your entry about those two Zenith sets a while back, I thought that the tube wasn't damaged, just the socket base was cracked.

That's what I was talking about, the socket base broke beyond repair when I tried to reinstall it back onto the picture tube socket, which while it wasn't unusable, and I was able to get the socket back on, it does make me fear that the socket might break again, and cause irreversable damage to the picture tube.

[dieseljeep]

There's no real reason to remove the CRT socket if the set is working properly.
Let sleeping dogs lie.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

There's no real reason to remove the CRT socket if the set is working properly.
Let sleeping dogs lie.

I agree 100 percent. Leave the CRT socket alone if the TV still works. I learned that lesson a long time ago. There have been too many times when I have tried to improve on something that was working perfectly well, only to make things worse than they were before I started. When working on a TV with a rare or downright unobtainable CRT, I wouldn't mess around. If you fear you might cause irreversible damage to the tube if you try to repair the socket (and the tube still works), the best advice, again, is to leave the socket strictly alone. Older TVs, like your Zenith and others, often use CRTs which are nearly impossible to find replacements for if they are damaged or when they eventually fail.