I think I heard Motorola was the first to offer
 

rectangular to the public. So, That makes that Motorola extra special, especially if it becomes restored.


Tim's '64 is very neat looking also. It hurts to imagine the impression that heavy Sony will make in it. If you ever want to part with it please consider me. Thanks.

well, if any TV is restored, my RCA comes first

idea for chassis info
 

...

The knobs and control layout are identical to my roundie so it could be the same year or a year later. The one I have was probably made using up the last of the round tubes while this set was the first of the rectangular. Searching Sams will be easy as this narrows it down quite a bit. Also, the chassis number will enable finding the correct sams. My roundie chassis is TS-907 and is in Sams 739-3.

Your RCA is in SAMS 571 but is only a schematic, no other service data. I probably have it if you need it.

I'm presuming maybe the model # on mine was a sticker that a) got eaten by rats or b) flaked off looong ago


*sigh*

I worked on tons of those things in the '60s, and I have good advice. BURN IT! No, it's not worth the match. Get rid of it. It's not worth the trouble, believe me. They were a POS back then, and can only be worse now. Just wait till you find out you have to replace some of those tube sockets. Nothing personal.

lol, two widely differeing opinions on what i should do

I have heard as much and that makes it even greater when working. Again, much has been written here, on other threads, on this series and the set is 100% worthy of preserving. So, if all the sockets need replacing... you just do it!
The things we do that are the most dificult are usually what we like the most in the end.
That '64 rectangular Motorola worked great when new but the reds were not as red as other brands, so I have heard. Nonetheless it is 100% repairable and is valuable if only for parts to fix another. The first thing to check is the condition of the CRT with a good tester. CRT's are available but it would be extra special if that 23EGP22 still produced a nice picture.

That reminds me... Has Swanson been around lately? He was super knowledgeable and I sensed he was bored of the jibber jabber some of us spew. He knew of technical engineering facts on this set. He also disliked it but would agree it's worth saving.

I've seen print ads from when these sets were introduced, and Motorola made a big deal of the fact that they would not build a color tv until they could build a modern, rectangular color tv. So ignore all the color sets they built in the fifties, and ignore that set Tim has! I think maybe they had discontinued production of the round sets for just awhile prior to the 23EGP models, and never looked back. Now, while on the subject, I think we have covered this before: was there something really wrong about that picture tube (phosphors?) or was it just the cut-rate chassis that really caused the poor color? I have a 21" (?) table model Motorola which I think is at the very tail end of this series of chassis. It uses a different crt, hand-wired chassis, not the worst color I've ever seen but in the same neighborhood. But don't let that scare you off. It's not so much that the picture is unwatchable, it's just not as nice as what an RCA or Zenith would produce. When using that set I find myself constantly fiddling with the color adjustments, trying to get it better but never quite satisfying myself. As has been pointed out before, some people actually prefer the color of an old Motorola.

I think Bryan is right
 

about Motorola's advertising strategy. I suspect it worked very well for them.

I want to get a set like Tim's '64. Anybody got one for sale?

Bryan -

I have a 23EGP22 in my Admiral of recent posts. The tube is a little darker than modern sets, owing probably both to age and the tinted safety glass. But it still produces a decent (at least to my eyes) color picture. When I did the cataract removal on that set, I wasn't expecting much from what I'd read about that tube and from the way the picture looked through the cataract. But I was pleasantly surprised by the way it turned out.

Now if I ever get my '67 Admiral fixed (new damper tube to arrive today! :) ) I'd like to set them up side by side and make a comparison. Its tube is a 25SP22 - still tinted safety glass but the picture looked a lot better the last time I had the set running.

Jim

RCA first

I truly wish you the best of luck in your endeavor. The tube sockets on the rear of the chassis do cause a lot of of "dog" problems, so I would HIGHLY recommend replacing them first (they are the ones that can't be seen from the bottom of the chassis) as this will eliminate a lot of wasted hours finding they are the culprits. If you need to replace the CRT, you have about a 50/50 chance of shoe-horning a 25AP/XP in its place. Good luck.

Could this be another one?

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=91814

John

i see no photos