I'm quite happy to be the new caretaker of a CT-100 even with a bad CRT. Yes, it's all beat up, but it will (someday) be refinished to become a decent "display only" piece for our museum. I know I'd never own one of the $10,000 ones, or even if they came down to half that. But I got this one at a "couldn't pass it up" price. And I hear that it may even be the lowest serial number CTC-2 known, to boot!

(Not currently being stored in a particularly ritzy setting. :))

http://videokarma.org/attachment.php...1&d=1270526471 http://videokarma.org/attachment.php...1&d=1270526471 http://videokarma.org/attachment.php...1&d=1270526471

.

Nice find! :banana::banana::banana: Is that a Ctc-4 mask on top?

Ok, my head is spinning... within the last week or two *5* previously unknown CT-100s have surfaced?

1. The eBay $755 BIN set.
2. The eBay set that started this thread (aprox. $1200 Reserve not met now)
3. A set at Constantine tv.
4. A set found in an alley.
5. This bathroom set.

jr

My take on this...
 

You've a better chance of finding a chicken that will squeeze out two double-yoke eggs in sequence than you will have finding another $750 BIN restorable CT-100... the guy screwed up, as we all realize.

In spite of the current economy, a restorable Merrill is worth in the neighborhood of 2K, a good 15GP22 is worth in the neighborhood of 2K, and a dud 15GP22 is worth in the neighborhood of 0.2K.

Pete

The CRT is bad? The getters look shiny?

Well, I didn't test it myself, but since I got it from Pete Deksnis, I'm going to take his word for it that its toast. Pete also corrected me that it is this CRT that sports the lowest known date code, and while the chassis is also early, it was probably made on the second day of production.

Pete didn't want to move ALL of his CT-100s when he emigrated from New Jersey recently and he made me an offer I couldn't refuse to ensure that THE SET (his original CT-100, the story of which had been chronicled in detail on his now extinguished website) would be preserved and displayed at the New Jersey Antique Radio Club's Radio Technology Museum at Infoage.

Updates
 

"I Am Not Not Affiliated With This Auction"

Current bid is at $1700. The reserve has been met and the $5000 BIN has been lifted.

The seller reports, the chassis S/N appears to be B8000316 and the cabinet S/N is 538; the getters are shiny and there is filament continuity.

I would not place bets that the tube is good. In two of the photos you can see a milky white residue around the getters. That is a very bad sign. The tube that John and I rebuilt went gassy and the getters are still nice and silver with NOT any sign of milky white residue. This tube is most likely under partial vacuum, but probably gassy. And in any event the seller disclosed that somebody had wired a makeshift brightner in the filiment circuit and that is sure sign that the crt is toast.

And lest we forget, that second day of production probably looked something like this...

- Kevin

Bob,
I couldn't agree with you more.
Also, it would be best for any potential bidder/buyer to arrange for an exhaustive crt check by a qualified person and to make the sale contingent upon the crt test results.

I 100% agree with your observation... even though some "silver" is seen in the center of the getter flashes, the other side of the getter is likely to be white and "used up". I suspect that if the tube is powered up with a tube checker the heaters will quickly burn out from excess current, if they are not blown already. :tears:

jr

Jr,
I'd recommend testing the crt for gas (air), with an HV source, before connecting a tester.

Why? To protect the tester? Once the CRT is up to air I don't think there's anything left to protect.

John

I didn't know Pete's site was down, that's sad, it was an enjoyable site. Some of it is archived at archive.org...

I liked Pete's site too...... :tears:

I think that there might be a couple of reasons to proceed with caution.

1. Liability... I really would not want to be the person operating the CRT checker, if that test blows the heaters, unless the owner of the tube fully understands the the possibility that the test might "finish off" the tube.:no:

2. If the heaters blow it is indeed "game over" for the tube (except for rebuild). If they are intact, there still might be a very slim possibility to save it... Perhaps Scotty can re-flash the getters? :scratch2:

just my 2cents (or less) worth,
jr