Admiral P17E33 in Upstate NY

[slotrod65]

Hello,

I am new to the forum, and recently picked up an Admiral P17E33 portable. I am looking to learn more about this TV, as well as getting some tips for servicing and watching shows on it.

The set has been generally well cared for over the years, and the striking red/white cabinet has no dents or scratches. The Chrome is in great shape, and even the knobs look good. The numbers are mostly worn off of the channel selector however. The single antenna is intact, but does pull right out of the cabinet.

When turned on, I do get a snowy screen of sorts, and static through the speakers. I will be getting a converter this weekend abnd I will see if I can get any local broadcast channels.

Can anyone tell me more about this TV?

I would appreciate iny tips, hints etc.

Thanks!!
Fred

[slotrod65]

Here is a picture of my little beauty.

[Phil Nelson]

An attractive set, and it will probably perform well after restoration.

Have you ever worked on a tube radio or TV before? Every tube TV is complex and has dangerous high voltage. I would not recommend trying it yourself if you have no electronics knowledge or experience.

If you look at TV restoration articles in this section, that will give you a general idea what's involved in making them work again.

http://antiqueradio.org/restoration.htm

It usually demands more than just popping in a new tube or two. The TV is full of old capacitors that degrade with age whether or not the TV is used. Until they're replaced, the TV is unlikely to be reliable, even if it seems to work after a fashion now. This article has general advice about replacing capacitors:

http://antiqueradio.org/recap.htm

If you don't want to tackle restoration yourself, this page has some advice on finding someone to do it for you.

http://antiqueradio.org/howfix.htm

Phil Nelson

[slotrod65]

Thanks for the reply and I really appreciate the advice. I have played electric guitar since High School, and although I can solder, I also learned a healthy respect for the hidden dangers inside tube driven electronics via my amplifiers. I know my limited skills, and therefore will keep my mitts out of the innards of this TV. I see from your links above that there is an old radio club that meets within a few miles of me, and I know of a commercial electronics shop that will handle vintage stuff that is only 15 miles away. I am not sure what route I will take first as I see the caps should be replaced even if they work for now.

I am also seeking to learn more about the TV, such as when it was produced. Did Admiral publish catalogs or any other sales type reference material?

Thanks again!

Fred

[Phil Nelson]

Here's an Admiral page from the tvhistory website. It doesn't list this model, but it's hard to list everything.

http://www.tvhistory.tv/1950-59-ADMIRAL.htm

If I had to pick a year, I'd guess around 1957. People with better references than me might know better.

Connecting with the local radio club sounds like the way to start. Some radio collectors (like me) also collect & restore old TVs.

Phil

[slotrod65]

Thanks again Phil,

It works!!

My Mom is moving from her nig farmhouse to a smaller home, and I was helping her empty one of her sheds this weekend. When I mentioned the old Admiral set, she said "I have old TV's upstairs in the back bedroom closet of you want them." She had an assortment of late70's/early 80's portables. I happily took home a small 1983 Zenith B/W portable and a box full of rabbit ears, and cable converters. (There is cable in the new house, but they never got out to the old farmhouse). She was going to throw all of this stuff away...

This morning I hooked up the Zenith, just to be sure I could get reception. Once I had that dialed in, I switched the antenna leads and fired up the Admiral. The audio came on in a few seconds, and was just clear as a bell. There was not even a scratchy sound from the pots. After a minute or two, the CR tube warmed up, and I was easily able to get a stable picture with the brightness on max. The picture was dark and murky, but the CRT works, so I was quite happy and relieved.

I have the Photofact for this model on the way, and will be looking for someone locally to assist me in a recapping/restoration.

Fred

[holmesuser01]

Good luck with the Admiral. Start collecting capacitors!