'56 Hoffman Color-caster

[Steve D.]

Chuck,

I doubt you'll be able to find those Hoffman knobs. They may have used the same type knobs on their B&W models. So that may help you out. Use great care removing all the knobs and trim pieces. Try some super glue to save the broken knob. Be patient. Don't pry anything that's stuck. Put the knobs in some mild dish soap w/warm water. Let them soak and use a fine toothbrush to clean them up. The grille cloth may have to be a close match. Check with Radio Daze www.radiodaze.com or Antique Electronic Supply www.tubesandmore.com/. There are other suppliers on the net. Looks like the plastic shroud that covers your 21AXP22 is in bad shape. Another junker color set, if you can find one, using the 21AX may have a good one. Or you can replace the tube with a later 21" tube. This will present some new problems in mounting the later glass tube in this set as the plastic shroud is part of the mounting hardware and probably won't work with the later glass tubes. Have your tech friend advise you on this. Color sets of this era are far more complex then B&W 50's sets. WAIT for the SAMS before removing the picture tube. Or anything else chassis wise. Lots of connections, cables ect to remove before you even loosen the chassis bolts. I know you want to get right on this. But don't hurry this project. Good luck in your restoration. I hope your tech friend has experience in repairing these vintage color sets. Not many of this model color receiver stll around. Finally, here's an article on these sets posted on the ETF site: ETF - 1957 Hoffman Colorcasters
Address:http://www.earlytelevision.org/hoffm...lorcaster.html Any other VKer's feel free to jump in on this.

-Steve D.

[bgadow]

The Sams will go out in the mail Tuesday morning. Very, very close to the RCA CTC-5. I would have to have the schematics side-by-side to pick out differences.

As I mentioned elsewhere, it looks like the crt has already been changed to the newer type. (it has cataracts, which means they used a later bonded tube.) They may have damaged that cover in doing the conversion.

Can you take a close-up photo of the neck/socket on the crt? Would be interesting to know if it is really cracked. I need to go back and study your photos some more regardless.

Best of luck-this will be an adventure, but if I can get a CTC-5 working I guess anyone can!

[Cruiseomatic]

Thanks bgadow. I'm hoping this restoration can go smoothly. I will get a picture tomorrow.

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by Cruiseomatic

I will get a picture tomorrow.

You'd BETTER-There's a whole bunch of us frothin' at the Mouth to see yr "new" playpretty...(grin)

[Cruiseomatic]

Here are the pictures,Not the greatest, Had to sneak past the wife to get them.







Hope this helps.

BTW, Why is this Hoffman so "Rare and special"? I'm really curious. Is there like a registry as to how many are actually left or something?

[bkharris]

Happened to look at some of my files and I have the original Hoffman Service Data file for chassis 706. In comparing it to the info contained in Sams 385-3, it looks to have a more detailed parts list and more detailed disassembly and alignment instructions. PM me if you are interested in getting a copy of these.

Bryan

[Sandy G]

Homina ! Homina ! Homina !...(grin)

[Cruiseomatic]

Lol, If someone could instruct me on how to remove the tube, I can begin cleaning the cabinet and trim pieces and show ya'll.

[Ralph S]

The pc boards you show look an awful lot like the boards in my CTC-5. I think Steve D's right when he mentioned Hoffman doing a ctc-5 clone.

[Cruiseomatic]

Got the tube out. Its a 21FJP22A Made by RCA. Date code of Nov.6 1956.
I'm uploading some pictures of it now.









And my cabinet:

[bgadow]

I would imagine the date code you see is stamped on the plastic crt cover? That is probably the date the cover (or maybe the set) was made. I say that because the 21FJP22A was not built until the 1960s. (edit: I couldn't see the photos when I wrote this)

The photos of the neck are good-and I don't see anything to indicate breakage. One pin looks a little bent-you just want to be careful with that one so it doesn't break. I think chances are very good that the crt is okay. If you can get ahold of pretty much any old crt tester that is still functioning, you could test it. An easy way to see if it is still under vacuum would be to connect the filament pins to 6v. A lantern battery would work fine for this. If they glow, it is at least a little alive.

The Hoffman is special because they were a relatively small company; they did not have strong national distribution. (I don't think I ever saw one around here) Plus, any color TV from the 50s is pretty rare. The only company that was cranking them out in any quantity back in '56/57 was RCA, and even they are scarce. Companies like Hoffman wanted to offer a color tv, maybe as a matter of pride as much as anything, but engineering one from scratch wasn't easy. Most outfits ended up either buying the makings of a color TV from RCA and putting them together themselves, or they licensed the design and built their own chassis.

You really did do well to find this set. You will not find many folks who have one. Fixed up nice and working, it will be worth a nice amount.

[Cruiseomatic]

It might be when the set was made,but if so then it might...well...I don't know. It has the sticker but a different date code...Maybe the 2 tubes used the same mounting brackets but different types?

[wa2ise]

All those wax paper caps must be replaced. They are guaranteed to be bad and leaky today. But be careful of the old circuit boards, as the glue they used to hold the copper traces won't take a lot of soldering iron heat else they will peel off. What I often do is just clip the leads of the old cap right at the body of the old cap, leaving me with wire leads I can splice the new cap's leads onto. J hook method. Especially if getting to the other side of the board is difficult. Do one cap at a time, so you don't forget where what cap goes where.

[peverett]

The Hoffman company is still in business as Hoffman Video Systems in LA. They did make it as far east as Texas as I have several of their B&W sets. I heard that they had a plant in St. Louis MO. at one time.

I use a 25 watt iron on PC boards. This seems to work well does not damage the board. The only time I have had to use a soldier gun near the boards is to disconnect soldiered chassis ground connections as used in the Philco Seventeener, etc.

[Eric H]

That is the date the set was made, it's stamped on the plastic High Voltage cover that someone has hacked to bits to install a glass tube.

the 21AXP4 is a metal cone tube, hence the plastic cover.