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  #16  
Old 05-06-2016, 07:54 AM
Ed in Tx's Avatar
Ed in Tx Ed in Tx is offline
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Back in the mid-'70s a friend (and still good friends today) built one of these. Never could get it aligned quite right. At the time we had a Heathkit store down on Ross Ave. in downtown Dallas. He hauled it there and they aligned it. Knockout excellent picture!

I got a lot of my initial experience building Heathkits and Knight kits for myself and friends. One of my first, a Heathkit tube clock radio from about 1963, I still have.
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  #17  
Old 05-06-2016, 10:22 AM
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dtvmcdonald dtvmcdonald is offline
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What Heathkit list? I'd love to go there.

WANTED: unbuilt or built, alive or dead, Heathkit GR-180 TV

WANTED: Alive, very alive only, correct picture tube for above.
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  #18  
Old 05-06-2016, 10:37 AM
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N2IXK N2IXK is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dtvmcdonald View Post
What Heathkit list? I'd love to go there.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/heathkit/info
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  #19  
Old 05-08-2016, 01:40 PM
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The GR-900 build continues..

Next up, the luminance module. This module incorporates the standard luminance circuitry found in any color set, in addition to the dot generator circuitry used for the convergence setup. The dot pulse generator circuitry incorporates a relaxation oscillator based on an NE-2 neon lamp, followed by some wave shaping circuitry.

Testing a sample of the original electrolytics showed that most of them were acceptable, but a few showed borderline high ESR, even after reforming for a few hours at or near rated voltage. I decided to replace all the small electrolytics as cheap insurance against problems. The 2 large twistlocks for the main chassis seemed to reform perfectly well, and will be used. Replacing the electrolytics on the smaller modules allowed me to get radial lead types where needed, rather than the rather ugly vertical mounting of axial caps that the board layout originally called for.

Next up--the Video Output board.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg All parts.jpg (109.8 KB, 45 views)
File Type: jpg Resistors.jpg (110.4 KB, 47 views)
File Type: jpg Caps.jpg (110.6 KB, 38 views)
File Type: jpg Luma Board.jpg (112.1 KB, 69 views)
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  #20  
Old 05-11-2016, 07:05 PM
msimendi msimendi is offline
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I have the same TV. Is this the cabinet you have? I got mine from a guy at work who built it as part of a correspondence course. It had sat not working for many years. I fixed it (blown rectifier diode) and it is my daily driver. It has the original electrolytics. Its had other problems - it would not color sync and also there was a problem with dirty pots, but it's been working pretty good lately. Also I had to replace that main circuit breaker with a fuse as that was shot.

There is a yahoo group on Heathkit TVs but they don't seem to be active lately.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/...tions/messages
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File Type: jpg P1170018.jpg (30.2 KB, 74 views)
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  #21  
Old 05-11-2016, 08:28 PM
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N2IXK N2IXK is offline
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My kit came with no cabinet, which I understand was somewhat common with the home training courses. Apparently, many veterans enrolled in these courses, which were paid for by the GI Bill. The government would pay for the training course, the test gear, and the TV kit, but not a piece of furniture with no educational value. Lots of these sets ended up in built-in installations. Not sure exactly what I will end up doing with the set when finished with it, but I am considering a homebrew clear acrylic/polycarbonate cabinet to show off the guts.

Anyway, some progress has been made in the last week, beginning with the Video Output module. This board contains the RGB decoder IC, the 3 CRT cathode driver stages, and the 3 drive controls.

So far with this build, there have been very few issues with solderability of components. One of the exceptions was the 3 section drive potentiometer on this board. The wiper terminal of each section had acquired a thin layer of a dark tarnish that thoroughly resisted the action of soldering flux. A quick cleaning with a tiny wire wheel in a Dremel tool cleaned them right up, though.

Next up, the Chroma, 3.58 Oscillator, and AGC/Sync modules, along with a guest builder who helped out last weekend.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Vid Parts.jpg (69.0 KB, 38 views)
File Type: jpg Resistors.jpg (105.3 KB, 28 views)
File Type: jpg Caps.jpg (105.7 KB, 24 views)
File Type: jpg coils.jpg (105.6 KB, 29 views)
File Type: jpg Video Output Board.jpg (97.3 KB, 63 views)
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  #22  
Old 05-12-2016, 11:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by old_coot88 View Post
Never having built a kit myself, just luuuv seeing this one go together. Built a few projects from the schematics Heath used to put in their catalogs, though. They all worked, too.
Wow! I never saw the schematics in the catalogs... I only got into Heathkit in the 1970's and '80's however. Were these schematic laced catalogs earlier than that?
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  #23  
Old 05-12-2016, 12:31 PM
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Kevin Kuehn Kevin Kuehn is offline
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Looks like a fun project. Impressive that they used G10 epoxy circuit boards.

If I ever find an un-built Heathkit TV I'd have to build it too.
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  #24  
Old 05-12-2016, 07:22 PM
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zenith2134 zenith2134 is offline
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Wow what a thread! I would be so excited to be embarking on this project. I know where there is an unbuilt color Heathkit locally but the guy is insisting on keeping it in original box. Not sure which set it is but, he claims to have acquired it in the early eighties.
The parts stock seems to be of nice quality on yours. Probably a good move to perform a leakage test on the original capacitors.
Say, if (heaven forbid!) one of the ICs were bad, would a replacement be procurable on its own, outside of a whole kit?
Not too many people left today who could say they actually built their own TV set!
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  #25  
Old 05-12-2016, 07:29 PM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zenith2134 View Post
I know where there is an unbuilt color Heathkit locally but the guy is insisting on keeping it in original box.
More likely "boxes".

I know where 3 unbuilt color TV kits are right now. I don't expect they're going anywhere soon.

.
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  #26  
Old 05-12-2016, 07:37 PM
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zenith2134 zenith2134 is offline
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Yep. I suppose I can see the desire in keeping the "boxes" sealed but I offered this fellow good money in cash and he wouldn't even hear it!
Plenty of old sets out there still...it is amazing really
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  #27  
Old 05-12-2016, 07:44 PM
old_coot88 old_coot88 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wkand View Post
Wow! I never saw the schematics in the catalogs... I only got into Heathkit in the 1970's and '80's however. Were these schematic laced catalogs earlier than that?
This was the late '50s.
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  #28  
Old 05-12-2016, 08:44 PM
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Wish I could find a unbuilt tube Heathkit TV. That would be a fun project.
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  #29  
Old 05-12-2016, 11:49 PM
WISCOJIM WISCOJIM is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M View Post
Wish I could find a unbuilt tube Heathkit TV. That would be a fun project.
They're still around, sometimes right under your nose. Got my latest one at the ETF convention this year when the rest of you guys were off to lunch! My van was packed to the roof on the return trip. This one included the multimeter and tube tester kits with it.

.
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  #30  
Old 05-13-2016, 12:00 AM
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rca2000 rca2000 is offline
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Did not see it..or perhaps I too would have bid.. But I got enough from the ETF this time... INCLUDING the BW set in my avatar...certainly NOT disappointed !!
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