RCA CTC 5 N - "The Whitby" 21CD7895

[DavGoodlin]

Hi fellow AX Purity-chasers !

It finally happened, I have a CTC-5 N!

A DeLuxe with full script and has the restored chassis making a full raster upon picking it up after driving 4.5 hours each way to carefully transport it home. The back story and pictures will come in a later post.
CTC5 DeLuxe.jpg

I really haven't seen anything like this since finding and re-capping an Aldrich model 21CS7815 found in the VoTech schools basement in the 11th grade*. That "special" model was the only true early color TV found in this cheap corner of PA and mainly due to a variety of channels from Philadelphia, local 8 and UHF, plus Baltimore VHF in most locations.

I did see 3 "specials" altogether, but so long ago and nothing in the 40+ years since, in an area that had many retirees from RCA's then Thomsen's 1000 New Holland Ave. CRT plant nearby!!! Hard to believe but, never saw an early color locally since other than a CTC12. I guess they all disappeared when XL100 and Colortrak promised an end of frequent repairs and adjustments.

That first "Special" was my Grandma's color set with the gold-painted stand and huge doily, bell-jar clock and 8x10s of my mom and uncles HS graduation pictures long after that event, later all moved to the 71 Chromacolor that replaced it. She never turned on the RCA while we visited, that was rude. I never saw it work either. She was always waiting for the "factory service" to come out and adjust the colorI was swatted a few time for opening the pencil box or plugging it in. It was replaced after I was 7.

Second, an "Aldrich" had UHF and was found in an under-used but dry building that was part of my Aunt's farmstead. It landed out there along with every washing machine and refrigerator that croaked in the farmhouse. Legend had it this TV went out in a flurry of pops and sizzles when a babysitter was there with my 3 cousins. This was given to my Aunt from a neighbor who had upgraded to a rectangular something. I checked in on it out there each time our families visited, if nothing else for a break. Gradually, I pulled and tested tubes then another time, had enough nerve to plug it in and got sound. This was literally 1 mile away from WGAL-TV's tower, so that was nothing unusual, but I chickened out and pulled plug when I heard something else. I was finally ordered to remove it or it was going to dump with the appliances and it went home with us about the time I got #3.

*That #3 was a CTC 5 D "special" model also with UHF - I encountered and I made it look pretty decent but not any better then my main sets a CTC16XL and Zenith 20X1C38 I was using then.

The only real cosmetic is the same problem now as another VK member http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=272809

[tvdude1]

I had the blonde version also had a nice picture on it but sold it a couple of years ago for 1500.00 while it still worked since lack of spare parts in case it died. Still have a spare 21AX CRT that I kept for it.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by tvdude1

I had the blonde version also had a nice picture on it but sold it a couple of years ago for 1500.00 while it still worked since lack of spare parts in case it died. Still have a spare 21AX CRT that I kept for it.

That sounds like a nice model and limed oak is a bonus. I found then quickly sold a NOS rebuilt 21AXP22 back when my oldest set was a CTC11. I believe that CRT is now in an "Arliss" CTC5N a VK member has now.

[SueAnders]

That cabinet looks really nice...looking forward to seeing how this one turns out! RA