PLEASE help! Early RCA experts check this out..

[Tubejunke]

I'm the person who got the TC-127 on another thread. Well, the thread died and I have some pitfall updates, so here goes. As I said before I tried to slow warm the set at 60v.a.c. for about 4 hours. At the time I had tube filaments lighting and a fairly dim 100watt light bulb. Things were looking good.

When I applied 110v.a.c. the transformer gave a good buzz and the circuit protector kicked out on my voltage spltitter. There was a smell of burning old tv with no smoke and a hot line cord. Heres the part I hate. I hooked up my low voltage lamp rig again and now I have a fully bright light with no tube fillament action now.

Now I have a huge current draw and little or no power to the heater string. Now before everyone determines that I did the damage I must add that the 5u4 Rectifier was shorted when I first hooked her up. Same effect, bright light. When I replaced that I got the heater string to burn at 60v. I think I am taking up where someone elses problems left off.

So now if my theory is correct and I have a bad transformer I guess I am screwed. The heavy draw with new caps and still little or no voltage to the heater string, and fully bright bulb tell the tale. I figure a repacement will be a needle in a haystack.

Sorry for being so long. Now I am hoping we have an early RCA guru here on Audiokarma with some great news....I really like this set and now I fear it is another hopeless case. Its in super shape so I hate thinking it is fried in a really bad way....

Thanks for reading this and any advice.....