21CT55 Screen-Shot Test

[Tomcomm]

210-1074_IMG by Tom Schnerk, on Flickr

[Tomcomm]

I pulled up your "Gota Have Stuff List".

I have a Pilot TV-37 3 inch TV and an Emerson projection TV using a 2 inch Norelco Schmitt optical system.

Also a 1948 RCA KCS40 TV, similar to the classic RCA KC 630 10 incher.

I'll send you the complete attic list if interested..........Tom

[Tomcomm]

008H by Tom Schnerk, on Flickr

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Tomcomm

I pulled up your "Gota Have Stuff List".

I have a Pilot TV-37 3 inch TV and an Emerson projection TV using a 2 inch Norelco Schmitt optical system.

Also a 1948 RCA KCS40 TV, similar to the classic RCA KC 630 10 incher.

I'll send you the complete attic list if interested..........Tom

Probably not this year. I can't justify a drive to California any time soon, I assume you're not coming east any time soon, and most of it is not worth the shipping cost any service would charge for that distance.

I should probably take projection TV off the list I have in the last few months obtained a couple of protelgram projector add-ons...They were end tables with the CRT projection optics to work with a 4'X3' projector screen or wall and took deflection and CRT video drive from a 10" direct view set.

[benman94]

Tomcomm-

Cool it with the personal attacks on Tom Carlson.

And I'm inclined to agree Tom Carlson, 246 posts later and you still haven't figured out how to share a photo, despite having been given advice on how to do so at least six separate times by my own account.

This thread thus far has been an excersie in absolute pointlessness, and is worthy of nuking. I'll run it past the other mods though...

[Electronic M]

Ben, I think He and I have both moved on from arguing over the last 2 days...Better late than never though.

[Tomcomm]

Benman94......Tom C and Tom S are buddys now, so let sleeping dogs lay, ok?

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by Tomcomm

let sleeping dogs lay, ok?

Good idea for cats, as well:



I used the posting method recommended by old tv nut, which looses the attribution.

jr

[Tomcomm]

That's a Puma that thinks its a dog. He needs professional help. Tom

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by Tomcomm

That's a Puma that thinks its a dog. He needs professional help. Tom

The cat may have a serious identity crisis.





jr

[Tom9589]

Now that we all have this photo sharing down pat, could we have an updated photo of the HV cage from post #226? I really would like to see the CTC-20 flyback in operation.

[Tomcomm]

I operate as an early color TV Performance Enhancer rather then an early color TV restorer. This fact was clearly demonstrated by my "trashing" of the 21CT55’s floor model cabinet to make it a table model so it can rest on my bench top. No big deal?

I constantly seek to demonstrate the potential of the RCA 21CT55 basic electronic design by pushing circuit implementation to the max without the constraints of convention.

Operation of the 21CT55 as a video only monitor allows all the performance advantages of modern digital baseband video to be displayed without the constraints of over the air video RF bandwidth limitation. RCA's 21CT55's inherent low level chroma demodulation and CRT drivers have been used as control room direct video camera monitors so they must be good. My great volume of resulting modified 21CT55 screen shots compared to top of the line crt tvs and crt monitors should be apparent.

All of this TV Performance Enhancement terminated March 21, 2010 at 3:30 when the
original 55 year old 21CT55 fly back transformer primary shorted out. It had been running unintended for about 10 minutes and cooked. Horizontal circuit current had been running approximately 200 ma but was fused at 1 amp by mistake. Disaster, these transformers were non obtainable! I was dead in the water.

After much agony and research I decided to substitute the horizontal circuitry from a RCA CTC-20, the last of the 21FB22 roundys. Horizontal transformers and circuit components were still available. Sounds simple but the interface circuitry was radically different between the 1955 CTC2 and CTC-20 series, 14 series later of evolution later!

Notebook and photo records indicate that after many circuit evolutions and hardware hacks later I got my first stable full screen photos on the original 21FB22A CRT on October 28,2010 after seven months of part time effort. So have there been other successful attempts of 21CT55 horizontal transformer replacement? Anyone?

What amazes me is the refusal of some members to accept this reality. This was dramatically demonstrated by the “pile on” of a few members to scold me for not following the dictates of a few super restoration members. These included elimination of paper caps, restuffing of electrolytics , never exceeding the original specified max RCA ratings etc. Sorry, these limitations do not apply to my personal 21CT55 performance enhancement charter. I can live with their rejection.

Complaints of my posting of “hundreds of screen shots” during my “Photo Bucket’s $400 ransom extortion” attempt jnvestigation was justifiable to prove my photos were recoverable using previously recorded texts........



Nobody is obligated to view my Tomcomm stuff, right? No one got hurt, eh? So what’s the problem here?

I am truly grateful to those members who finally got me connected to FLICKR. It’s a great posting sight. I promise to use it with constraint………Tomcomm

[Titan1a]

Agreed.

[Tomcomm]

Well after my "21CT55 Restorer" vs "21CT55 Enhancer" manifesto has been likened to my 1957 Austin Healey V8 engine Enhancement history, let me revisit some ancient history:

Where I'm Coming From Feb 2003

I don't know how long you Modified Healey guys have been hot rodding. I suspect that most of you have been messing with cars continuously since you were a kid.

Well, I’ve always been an electronic geek. I didn't even have a driver’s license or owned a crescent wrench until 1953, when at 18, I got a job as an electronic technician at RCA, West Los Angeles, and was forced to get and repair a car, a '41 Plymouth, yuk, But then I was hooked! In '54 with a friend's big help, I installed an original 303/348ci '49 Olds Rocket in my second car, a '49 Plymouth fast back business coupe ( I'm a slow learner) With a '37 La Salle 3 spd top loader this was the hot street sleeper, even against the hot '32 Ford 4x4s, '55, '56, '57 Chevys and Buick Centurys.

In early 1957 I bought my third car, a ‘54 Austin Healey 100 4. I liked the car, but after the Olds Plymouth it was a zero performer. Three months later at 22, I pulled the monstrous Olds/La Salle combo out of the Plymouth and jammed it into the cute little British roadster. It was an act of brutal incest, I admit.

I did this 6 month conversion entirely by myself in a garage I rented with four SB Chevy guys who were sure I was crazy to do such a stupid thing as putting an obsolete 8yr old 700+# engine and 20yr old obsolete 3 spd in a new 3yr old 2100# British roadster. Of course I would have preferred a 500# SBC with the latest 4 spd but none of these guys or anyone else would sell me one reasonably, they wanted them for themselves.

It weighed 2486# curb, had a 48% front vs 52% rear weight distribution and was really quick off the line. One of the Chevy guys was Bones Balough of NHRA fame. We went to all the local So Calif drag strips where we cleaned up,

We were active in drag racing from late 1957 to early 1960 in modified sports, turning 112mph in 12.5sec best. The modified Corvettes were our only competition but couldn't beat Bones off the line due to my 30% engine setback. Then we beat a Buick V8 Doretti modified sports and he protested my engine setback. The NHRA forced us into the altered competition roaster class that had enormous engine setbacks; huge slicks that ran in the 11's at 130mph.

This put me out of drags and the car became a daily driver until 1964 when I installed the 394ci/ 418ci '59 Olds and also did the Cobraized nose. I took it to the drags only once with the "new" engine but couldn't launch it with the street tires so I turned 13.2 at 118mph. Although I could beat the SB Cobras, the new BBs had come out and were getting faster. I realized I couldn't beat the modern 427ci/ 4 spd with my ancient 418 engine/ 3 spd so I simply retired the car in 1967, consigning it alongside the garage where it deteriorated into a decrepit rust bucket. I was now totally out of the modified sportscar scene while pursuing a career in electronics and raising a family.

In 1999 at 65, I completely retired and pulled the 45yr old heap from its 32yr grave and started a "1964 Period" restoration. With the V8 engine and body alterations (Healey people call it an abominable desecration) I decided to restore it to its 1964 configuration, complete with 43yr old engine and 63yr old trany. I would retain the original '54 Healey wire wheels and 70 series tires all around. I also decided that in no way would I flare the fenders for big tires. Any enhancements to the engine would be limited to items that were available before 1965. I realized that these restrictions would make it extremely difficult to compete with the faster Modified Healey members but I would give it the good shot.

And so it is today. I would respect the car as a piece of early Healey history and just make it run well. At my advanced age, I can't start another life consuming, advanced car project.

[Tomcomm]

217-1793_IMG by Tom Schnerk, on Flickr