As promised here are the pictures of the lin coil on my set.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psbd4edc6c.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps66816a45.jpg


I subbed in my spare Zenith 21FJP22A today.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psdef3984b.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psa19b6769.jpg

About 2 years ago this tube was the first tube of any type which I successfully removed the cataract on. I decided to do the swap the lazy way...Pull the chassis, neck hardware, and degauss frame(I put the set face down for this part) then loosen the adjustable tension band and lift the old CRT out. I then dropped the new CRT in, loosened the screws which connect the CRT mount hardware to the mask, tightened the band snug, tightened the screws back up then tightened the band a pinch more.

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psce11ad7c.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0fa911c1.jpg

All that is left is to set up the neck hardware for the new tube before I can work on the electronics again.

I'm 21 years old and suspect that slogan was before my time as I've never heard it. Though it has been a long time since my folks bought GM...The last Non-Honda made car in my family was an 89' Chevy Baretta which was an epic POS from the moment it was built.

Too late to go back on the decision to change the CRT now....Though I guess if there arose some compelling reason to do so I technically could, but I am too LAZY to just do it for no reason. :D I was considering putting the Zenith CRT in for originality and to improve purity days ago anyway....Plus it is safer now in the event of random implosion.

"Take your TV tube and eat it."--Frank Zappa song 'Trouble Every Day'
 

Guess what!....

I powered up the set, waited patiently for a raster and, after far too long, went behind the set to see what the deal was.
I was greeted with this....
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0f271cc9.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps48390844.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4e2cb448.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psaa745e44.jpg

:wtf::jawdrop::dammit::dammit::dammit::gigglemad
It would seem the Zenith tube is gassy...So much so that it was loading down the HV to less than 1/5 of what it should be...I tried to get better photos of it, but some LOUD ominous popping noises had me scrambling for the power switch....

I'm very pissed that I went to the effort of installing a POS in my set and that it was not obvious when I tested the tube earlier. It is almost as bad as when I tested the 21AXP in my CTC-4 and found it in the same state. I guess this means I no longer have a spare roundy CRT(or should I say I never had one from the start?).:sadwave:

I guess I should count my blessings that I never bought a roundy with a dead tube thinking I could drop this in. It also tells me what will happen if I get stupid enough to put the 21AXP back in to my CTC-4....

I already ripped the turkey back out and cut the safety glass I siliconed to it(years ago) off...Should I go to the effort to caulk the safety glass from the dud Zenith CRT onto the Silver-Glo?

UGH, what a lousy day!

Well that really sucks! I recently went to go look at an Admiral roundie combo. I tested the tube and it was weak. I did a light cleaning of the guns and it came up well into the good range. So I decided to fire up the set. It came on with HV and had a raster but was arcing inside the neck and had the purple glow. Sometimes CRT testers don't show everything.

Ouch!
I hope you didn't get that CRT from anyone I know. The tube looks vaguely familier. I either traded it or gave it away. They wanted it as a dud.
I couldn't get a decent picture on it to save my soul. The one I had didn't have a cataract on it, for being that old. :sigh:

When I tested the gassy 21AXP in my CTC-4 there was a LOT of neck light. There was some on this tube but you would have to REALLY be looking for it...Which I did when I retested it after running it in the set.

I got the tube for free from Miniman a couple of years back, so I can't complain about it being gassy. It did have a cataract when I got it, and was the first successful cataract removal I ever did. Between the use as a learning tool for cataract removal and the decent safety glass I harvested from it I'd say I got more than my moneys worth out of it. LOL.

I cleaned the good CRT and the harvested safety glass from the bad one, put some foam tape spacers on the tube face and caulked the safety glass on to the good tube. Both the tube and glass have some small scratches so neither will ever be perfect, but it should serve as a decent CRT for the set. In 23 hours when the caulk is dry I'll put the Silver-Glo CRT back in the set this time without a cataract AND WITH a safety glass.

Huh, that's odd. I remember that tube, it's the one with messy looking frit holding it together right? I remember when I got that it tested a little low, but I figured it would work OK if I ever got a set that needed a tube so I kept it in the closet. I don't remember when you got it, but it looks like it got a little gassy over the years. I wonder if it has a glass pinch off or copper?

That was the one I gave you! I don't remember if it was a freebee or a trade.
I dropped it off at Mark's home in Kenosha, to be given to you.
It came from my 24NC31. It was meant to be a dud. It was just an innocent mixup on your part. After a while, they all look alike.
The only reason I recognized it, is the 6-26 code date. The last Zenith roundy set made.
BTW, I don't trust CRT testers, no matter how good they are! :scratch2:

Thanks for the pics Tom. From the looks of that coil, it has been broken at some point in the past and someone melted it back together. I would think that as long as the spooling area is not broken or collapsed, the conductor wind is continuous, and the shaft is free then everything should be OK with one of these. Mine felt springy at the wound area which would be a problem. I need to double check that to be certain. I have never pulled the chassis as I am trying to wait until I get all the caps that I need. Again, thanks and good luck with your set.

Yeah it is the one with the messy frit.

Tubejunkie: Your welcome, good luck on yours as well.
Be glad you have a metal cabinet set...The chassis shelf on this set is made of the CRAPPIEST particle board I've seen in any wood cabinet Zenith(or any other make for that matter), and I have Zeniths older and newer than this.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psbb6a0ac6.jpg

I THOROUGHLY degaussed the CRT as well as it's mounting hardware last night, and reinstalled the CRT. After setting the CRT back up I'm getting GREAT purity, and the adjustment range of most of the neck hardware has greatly improved!
I'm going to put this set on hold until the schematic from Dave gets here, then I'll dig in to the vertical.

Here are some pictures of it as of this morning.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psf1e968fc.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9ab970bd.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...ps582a959a.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...psf69fa697.jpg

looking MUCH better!

I know wht you mean about the particleboard bottom on these sets. It starts to split at the back of the set. What I did to fix mine was take some carpenter's glue and repair the part that was splitting and also I painted the glue evenly across the underside of the cabinet because some of the particleboard would flake off of the surface. The glue dries clear and holds everything together. They should have used plywood for the bottom. The rest of the cabinet is well made. I prefer Zenith chassis but I always thought RCA had nicer cabinets. I wish I could build a custom cabinet for my Zenith roundie out of all hardwood.

Thanks for the glue tip. I'm using wood glue to fix the split wood lip that is supposed to help hold the back on....And I'm considering repainting the inside of the shelf to hold the surface together.

When I had my cabinet professionally refinished, I asked about replacing the bottom but I was told it did not look that bad and the cabinet would have to be knocked apart to replace it. I wish it had been replaced. I know someone had a thread where they did replace a Zenith cabinet bottom with 3/4" plywood, cut the holes out for the service saver access panel and cut a groove for the back cover. It turned out really well.

I believe that the bottom panel was not what they were referring to by service saver. I believe that it was a reference to those quick release fasteners that hold the back on, they saved a lot of time versus the dozen or so screws other sets used to hold the back on, which translated to money on charge by the hour house calls.

Are you sure about that? The removable panel on the bottom precludes pulling the chassis for most under chassis repair. The quick release back cover clips are a nice convenience, though.

I always thought that the "service saver" idea was based on a combination of the thins mentioned in this thread along with the fact that in the (later I believe) 50s Zenith chassis had the wiring connecting points mounted on those brown strips providing test points above chassis, which I'm sure many will agree would save a ton of time and trouble.

The Zenith roundie is looking much better now! Looks like you might be on the "home stretch" Good work.