Show us your vintage color sets!

[Rob]

Originally posted by jshorva65
Excellent! Now we have proof that it's possible to do successful cataract surgery on otherwise-good 21FJP22's! What solvent did you use when you performed this procedure on your 21FJP22?

John

John,

I'm keeping some details of the procedure and the secret solvent (um...did I say it was a solvent? ) close to my chest for now as I have a commercial interest in the procedure. I was only successful after considerable R&D invested. At some point I will be taking these for rebuild so ...

A NOTE TO COLOR COLLECTORS. Don't throw any 21FJP22's with cataracts away that measure good emission!!!

Rob

[Big Dave]

Here's what I have and am hoping to add to. I don't have a digital camera or a scanner yet, so I can't post pics. My problem is distance. My sets are still in Northeast Ohio and I'm living in Central OH.

1. Zenith 21" round color. Mine was made in the mid 60's possibly toward the end of the round screens. All filters were replaced and it has a decent picture. I don't remember the chassis number.

2. RCA CTC-16. This set needs a serious recap. On the 21FJP22, it gives a nice bright picture, but the CBS eye doesn't look quite right. The recap will fix this. I have two cabinets to choose from. The one I found it in is water damaged on top. The other (found empty) had a houseplant living on it at one time. Once the electronica are in order, I'll choose a cabinet. Also, the focus lead (pin 9) had at one time broken out of the CRT socket, so I need a new socket. This will be really nice once done.

3. Silvertone combo. This is a huge set, complete with round screen (21FJP22), AM/FM stereo and turntable. As found, the radio worked, but the TV smoked. The cause was a bad thermistor for the degausser, causing the varistor to smoke. I bypassed the degauss circuit, replaced a damaged wafer on the voltage doubler cap, several weak tubes and eventually, the CRT (I still have the old one.) It produces a nice pic, but since this also needs a recap, I play it seldom and never unattended. The turntable is toast. Someone tried to "fix" it and ruined it.

4. Sylvania D-01. This also got a new CRT on the get-go since in the old one, the blue and green heaters were open. This also needs recapped. I haven't played this set in years. It can be used as a floor model or a tabletop. The grill cloth was replaced. The VHF tuner was also replaced (that may not have been necessary because I was young and dumb).

5. RCA CTC-38. This was rescued before i moved and I haven't done anything with it. I did fire it up and got just a raster. This one will wait since round screens get priority.

As soon as I can get a camera, these sets will be posted. The ones in working condition will tuned in to my soap opera.

BTW: All sets seen here are really nice. Also, none of the 21FJP's have cataract problems.

[Rob]

Big Dave,

Welcome aboard! Thanx for sharing news about your vintage sets, especially those roundies. I look forward to seeing the pictures. As for soaps, well there is at least one forum member that is into suds.

Cataract cases are welcomed here too, this forum acts a bit like a clinic too!

Rob

[Big Dave]

Surprisingly, I had a rectangular set at one time that did have cataract problems. As for the soap, I just made reference to it since it's what will probably be on when I photograph the sets.

[Rob]

Here's my 1966 Philco set. It uses the 21FBP22 with separate curved safety glass. This set makes a fine B&W picture right now and I haven't had a chance to go digging for color yet. It was coated with cigarette resin but came clean with a good wash job. I got the sun-faded shine on the top back with a couple of overnight soakings of Lemon Oil wood preservative. The inside is spotless and the chassis gleams just like new. This set is almost showroom quality now except for a blem on the CRT surround.

Rob

[Rob]

Here's the insides of the Philco with the immaculate back removed. I had an accident with the high pressure air while dusting it out and accidentally destroyed the tube location chart. Bummer.

Rob,

Your sets are just beautiful, I love the clean-up jobs you've done on them. Practically, as you say, showroom ready! I'd love to go back in time to look at these sets when they were brand new.
Your Zenith in particular has me drooling!
Great picture, too. Nothing like those round-tube CRTs.

BTW, what causes cataracts anyway?

Jon

[Rob]

Originally posted by klatuu
Rob,

Your sets are just beautiful, I love the clean-up jobs you've done on them. Practically, as you say, showroom ready! I'd love to go back in time to look at these sets when they were brand new.
Your Zenith in particular has me drooling!
Great picture, too. Nothing like those round-tube CRTs.

BTW, what causes cataracts anyway?

Jon

Thanx Jon, I appreciate that. I get great satisfaction getting these cleaned up and working again. I'm trying to restore an RCA CTC-4 at the moment but many distractions are keeping progress sloooow.

Rob

Below is a pic of my favorite color tv ad. It's from November, 1955, & features RCA's new 21" Director 21. (The set also came in a dar kmahogany cabinet, which was featured the following month in time for Xmas,) I'd love to find one of those in good condition! (Or any condition.) It's obvious from the pic who RCA was attempting to target, since it was only the well-to-do who could afford a color set back then.

[Rob]

Jon,

That is a great ad alright. A fine looking vintage CTC-4 that would be proudly displayed in any vintage color collection. I am fortunate to have a different model of the same series. Mine is called 'The Seville". I scored mine a year ago at the Rochester AWA meet. It had a 'to air' 21AXP22 CRT I was very disappointed to discover once home, but fortunately I have been able to find a good replacement of what is a very hard to find metal shell color CRT. My set is in my shop slowly getting restored and I do not have a nice photo to show yet but one of the same model and finish as mine did get sold on ebay a while back and I grabbed the photo. It looked pretty nice. Here it is.

Rob

This T.v i my color one but it dosent work

[jshorva65]

Here's my Sylvania 21LC28 (chassio D01-1) which I recently identified as a 1965 model. There's a Danish Modern swivel base that goes underneath it that I've removed because it's a real pain to lift with that thing attached. All we need to do is put the base back on and tighten the locknuts to reattach it. The set still needs some final adjustments to look its best, but it's doing pretty well right now considering that it was built the same year I was born. The CRT and flyback were replaced in '70 according to a service tag I found inside.

[Rob]

Originally posted by dave
This T.v i my color one but it dosent work

Hi Dave.

Welcome to the Vintage TV Forum. That B&W set is kinda neat looking. Many of the vintage color TV's don't work now either but can be restored. It is a good way to learn electronics too. Were you planning to try to get either of these working again?

Rob

[Rob]

Originally posted by jshorva65
Here's my Sylvania 21LC28 (chassio D01-1) which I recently identified as a 1965 model. There's a Danish Modern swivel base that goes underneath it that I've removed because it's a real pain to lift with that thing attached. All we need to do is put the base back on and tighten the locknuts to reattach it. The set still needs some final adjustments to look its best, but it's doing pretty well right now considering that it was built the same year I was born. The CRT and flyback were replaced in '70 according to a service tag I found inside.

John,

We both own color TV's that were made the year we each were born. My Wesinghouse H840CK15 was also made the exact same month and year that I was born. I see you are just a young pup.

I really like the custom stand. Is that warehouse moderne?

You are pretty close to a great picture by the looks of it. Great stuff!

Rob

[jshorva65]

Has anyone here ever heard of this set. I received this email yesterday and have never heard of the set that the writer is describing.

Do you ever come across a '56 Westinghouse color set with the 22EP22 rectangular tube? If so I'd like to buy one for my collection. Let me know. Thanks.

As I recall, the first rectangular color CRT was the 25AP22 circa 1967. Has anyone else heard of an earlier rectangular color CRT and, if so, why would RCA and so many others have continued to use round tubes well into the 1960's when there was a 22" rectangular tube available in 1956? The only explanation I can think of other than the possibility that the writer is incorrect about the year is that the 22EP22 was an experimental rectangular tube used in a field-test receiver that never made it into production because it was too far ahead of its time.

Although rectangular B/W tubes existed in the early 1950's, rectangular color tubes presented engineering challenges far beyond those of manufacturing a structurally-sound envelope. The existence of rectangular color tubes would have presented phenomenal challenges in dynamic convergence and pincushion correction.