Found a Videodyne on CL

[Eric H]

I was searching CL last night as usual when this popped up.
This has been one of my holy grails for years but I never expected I would find one locally.
I believe this is the 10FM model.

Drove down to Dana Point this morning to pick it up.
It was located in an upscale Orange County gated community, guard at the gate, and they have to put you on a list to be allowed in.

I got it from a nice older lady who said it has been in the family since new. Her Father worked at Lockheed in the 40's and this set was bought in California and resided in Pasadena for many years.
I liked her because she was truly interested in the set finding a good home and telling me a bit of it's history, she was going to call her Brother and let him know the set was sold, there was some sentimental attachment to it.

It's not without issues, most seriously is the screen mask around the CRT is missing, also the back, though that's a lesser thing. The dial cover is cracked but that looks to be easily reproduced, and the knobs are probably wrong, though they look really appropriate for the set.
the cabinet is is terrific condition, the black trim needs redone but the rest is great and original with the normal crazing from nearly 70 years of aging.

It wasn't free, she asked $175 for it and I didn't argue a bit because I figure I'll not likely have another shot at one.
I tossed and turned a lot last night worrying someone would beat me to it.

I haven't checked the CRT yet, I'll get back with that info later.

[init4fun]

Nice Score , and well worth $175 since like you say , they don't exactly pop out of attics on any kinds of regular basis .

When you get into it , some chassis shots would be great to see !

[jr_tech]

Wow! Amazing find !

jr

[Eric H]

The CRT is probably usable, it went well into the green after a couple minutes, the cutoff is bad but it may get better with use.

Powered it up with the Variac and got a hum and high voltage, it's not making it to the CRT because the 1B3 is gassy and lighting up purple, can't change it without pulling the chassis so it have to wait.

[Electronic M]

Wow, that is one sharp looking set. Too bad they are so rare...I kinda want one now.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Very nice score, definitely has a look to it all of it's own. Have to wonder how the mask became separated from the set, possibly a servicing accident, or maybe the owner simply removed it when they updated the knobs. At any rate it looks rather sharp, as-is.

[Eric H]

I found an ad from May 1949 for this set, that's about all I could find, not much about this company out there.

[Ed in Tx]

First thing that pops up on Goggle...

http://www.earlytelevision.org/videodyne.html

There's a link to the Sams 69-15 manual too.

[decojoe67]

AWESOME find! I've been into vintage TV's for years and can confidently say that you have a set that's as rare as a pre-war. I too would see it as a "Holy Grail" set because not only is it rare, but it is one of the best art-deco designed '40's TV's of all-time. There was more than one version of this set. I believe there was another by Columbia, but this one is my favorite. Even the "Videodyne" name is so cool. I am envious! Good luck with that gem!

[Eric H]

I know just the thing to place on top of it.
I picked up one of these Kem Weber designed clocks at a swap meet about 35 years ago.
The clock is about ten years older than the TV so it was a rather odd choice of style for Videodyne to make in 1948.

[Sandy G]

I'm in love..

[Phil Nelson]

Oh, MAN -- some people have all the luck. $175 seems totally reasonable for that scarce set.

You're right, that swoopy Streamline Moderne style was big about 10 years earlier. My GE F-63 is from 1937:



Philco made similar 1937-1938 radios (37-610 and the like). There are probably a bunch of others.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

[Eric H]

This has the serial number of 1811, possibly the 811th of these made, depending on whether they started at 0001 or 1001. I would love to know what the production numbers were.

Sams has a Photofact for them so I would think it have to be a fairly substantial number for them to have bothered. I've had the Sams for it for years, never expected to need it.

Four stage i.f amplification plus DC restoration so it wasn't a stripped down chassis design.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Eric H

I found an ad from May 1949 for this set, that's about all I could find, not much about this company out there.

I see, there was a distributor in Milwaukee, although I never saw one in this area. IIRC, the Videodyne sets were built out east, somewhere.
The Empire building has been torn down for about 40 years.
A little bit of history! I had some Wallace's Tel-aids, that were rubber stamped with the Radio-TV Labs, on North 11th St.
I'm not sure if I wanted buy a TV, from a firm named "Fink Engineering".
Steve Allen, used to have a lot of fun with the name "Fink" on his show.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

Steve Allen, used to have a lot of fun with the name "Fink" on his show.

Used to stay up past my bedtime to watch that old Steve Allen show, the one syndicated by Westinghouse. Sure wish the Steve Allen estate would put out some of those on DVD. I've asked them to!