Philco TV-123 chassis available (2)

[Dave A]

Don,

Thanks for the info on this rare set. Your Philco memory continues to amaze me. And check your memory for one Bert Soltoff. I got my TV123 set with the mods from him. He worked at Philco engineering in the mid-50's and left for RCA to work on the Apollo field-sequential color camera system. He even had a sample camera color wheel which he would not part with. It was about 6 inches across and as finely machined a piece as I have ever seen.

He was also the source for the Philco Apple color tube info that Chuck has posted. Credit where credit is due.

Dave A

[Pete Deksnis]

Here's a picture of the TV-123 chassis rear apron; this area is just below the power transformer. There is a paper fuse-data sticker there on the left, but there are no other stickers or stampings back there that have survived that I can see.

[Don Lindsly]

Dave:

I did not know Bert Soltoff, but I appreciated reading his notes from the Apple project. They provided a great insight into the engineering process and color tube development. The Apple program was kept pretty tight. Projects often got internal names after fruits. Don't ask why. The small neck 12 inch (12WP4) CRT was called the Peach tube.

I don't recognize the "776" chassis marking as anything that came out of the factory. Philco was pretty consistent about finish quality on factory-built products. It looks more like a job ticket number or something a service shop wrote on it.

Is your TV-123, with the mods, , in working order? They were much more reliable after the mods, probably as good as an RCA 660. The Philco has a lot more parts. Is it mahogany or blonde?

Don

[Dave A]

Don, the set is in line for rebuilding. I don't have it here, but as I remember, the mod chassis has some odd wire-wound controls on the back that my other chassis does not. Maybe part of the mod to beef them up or some work done later. The earlier non-mod chassis with no cabinet is in good shape. That came from a set that was beyond cabinet repair. I have the CRT also. Accuracy says do the mod chassis for the mahogany cabinet it came in.

Dave A

[Don Lindsly]

Dave:

I had one of the many engineering test stands that housed a 21AP22 with all the goodies. It was about 5 feet high and held a chassis so it could be serviced and modified. Regrettably, I tossed the electronics and cut the stand down for a table saw before moving west.

When you get a chance, take a look inside your mahogany cabinet for a 7 inch round hole cut in the bottom. I have more history on that one.

Don

[ChuckA]

Don,

Here are pictures of the rear chassis on my set, of the 6 I have seen it has the most data stamped or stuck to the chassis. This set is as close to new as you get want, it was acquired in 1956 (in California), when it stopped working in the 70's they just threw a blanket over it and left it sitting in the room, until I bought it.

I looked at the bottom of both cabinets and there are no holes, just the vent slots.

Chuck

[Don Lindsly]

Chuck:

The tag shows model 22D5102 and serial number D 07890 and run number 123.
The model number breaks down as 22 for 21 inch screen size, 51 for color TV, and 02 for cabinet color. The long blue stamped number usually refers to an internal drawing number and shop order.

Again, I don't recognize the red 339 as Philco markings.

Don

[John Folsom]

So Don,
Tell us the 7" hole story....!

[ChuckA]

Don,

Thanks for the clarification on the numbers. Now I need to see how many of the existing sets still have that little paper tag.

Chuck

[Don Lindsly]

John:

I bought a mahogany TV123 from the Phila distributor sometime around 57 or 58, at a bargain price. I performed the usual fixes and installed the mod kit. It worked well, but generated loads of in-cabinet heat. I mounted a 7" Kooltronic 117 VAC fan in the cabinet bottom and positioned it so the airstream flowed past the 5U4s and chassis vents. It did the job. It kept the 5U4s and horizontal output tubes cool enough to remove bare handed after hours of playing.

It was not too bad in a carpeted room, but when I moved it onto a bare wood floor, it was distracting. I removed the fan when I sold it to a Philco engineering manager. He sold it to another Philco engineer and I lost track after that. I often wonder if it survives.

[John Folsom]

Thanks for the rest of the story, Don. Now if a '123 shows up with such a hole, we will know where it came from.

[vintagecollect]

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[Don Lindsly]

The knobs are similar to the 1956 TV 390 black and white TV and the 1955 TV400. The bar-over-knob assembly is unique because it has more controls than a black and white TV. The small auxiliary control knobs are the same. There's just more of them.
The channel knob will work, but the numbers will be off by 90 degrees because the TV123 mounts on its side. Fine tuning will work OK.

Some 1954 split chassis knobs will work, but they will not be correct.

The chassis mounts on a board that slides into grooves in the cabinet. The board was little more than a plywood frame so most parts were exposed when the chassis was slid out. It was rarely necessary to remove the mounting board to replace parts on the bottom. It was held in place with about 8-12 hex head bolts with captive washers.

TV123 cabinets originally had recessed casters to enable moving it around for service. It is a massive piece of furniture. Exact dimensions will need to come from an owner.

Good luck.

Don

[Pete Deksnis]

22D5102 cabinet dimensions in inches are:

33-9/16 wide
38-1/2 tall
24 deep

The chassis-mounting board Don mentioned is:

32-1/2 by 21-7/16 inches

Photo of board attached.

Pete

[vintagecollect]

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