Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums

Videokarma.org TV - Video - Vintage Television & Radio Forums (http://www.videokarma.org/index.php)
-   Early B&W and Projection TV (http://www.videokarma.org/forumdisplay.php?f=19)
-   -   Dumont RA102 "Clifton" restoration (http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=258401)

bandersen 04-20-2026 08:39 PM

Grr, I don't seem to have any spare 807s in the workshop. Maybe buried in storage somewhere. I may have to wait until after the convention for a full power up. Or perhaps I'll rig up a 6BG6 adapter.

kvflyer 04-21-2026 01:29 PM

807 or 6AS7?

bandersen 04-21-2026 05:09 PM

The 807 in the power supply is shot. A 6BG6 is essentially the same tube with a different base.

bandersen 04-21-2026 09:42 PM

Stayed up late last night and did the first controlled power up. Quite a beast all up on the workbench.
Power cord and fuse have been replaced.
The three 5U4s were pulled so there is only filament power.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1137bea7_c.jpg

All is well so far. All tubes lit up. The mode switch controlled the dial lamps properly.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8fd5cf19_c.jpg

Left light when in AM radio mode.
Right lamp for TV/FM modes.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1225d52d_c.jpg

Will proceed with a full power up in AM radio mode next.

I thought the 807 in the power supply was dead, but not quite. Perhaps it will work, perhaps not.
I don't have any spares on hand but a forum member is helping me out.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8f4cb6f5_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a1a9047b_c.jpg

kvflyer 04-22-2026 08:47 PM

Bob, please check Your PM in the ARF forum. Tubes are coming your way.

bandersen 04-22-2026 09:46 PM

Thank you sir.

bandersen 04-24-2026 01:51 AM

I proceeded by installing the 5U4 used in the 300 volt supply. That's enough to get the AM and FM radio modes working
Neat to see the 0C3 gas regulator fired up. First time a tube glowing purple in a TV is good thing.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e4690dc8_c.jpg

When you are in FM or TV mode, the signal strength meter on the left is activated.
Later Dumont models used a 6AL7 indicator tube.
Sound is weak and the tuning dials are off - especially in AM mode, but I do have sound.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b9e0133b_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0cd779f1_c.jpg

bandersen 04-24-2026 11:27 AM

The service info is a little lacking. No alignment info for the AM radio for example.

It's a basic 6BE6, 6BA6, 6AT6 design so I think I can muddle my way through it.
I'll start by peaking the IF cans for the 456kHz IF frequency and try to get the dial scale back on track.
I'm not sure if it's off mechanically or the trimmers need tweaking, but it's pretty far out.
I'm picking up AM 820 around 1100 on the dial for example. Can't seem to find AM 720 at all which should be booming.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7c935c2c_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...29ea2fea_c.jpg

bandersen 04-24-2026 07:37 PM

I decided to forge ahead with a full power up.
The delay relay has been replaced with one having a 10K coil resistance. Series resistor was dropped from 33K to 27K. Seems to work fine.
Still using the original 10uF oil filled filter cap.
Nothing much happed at first other than a more powerful hum out of the power supply.

Not the easiest set to troubleshoot. A handheld scope with a X100 probe was used to poke around.
I quickly determined the horizontal oscillator was not running.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...13f9d20e_c.jpg

Those are the parts mounted on the vertical CRT support. No getting around it so out comes the CRT.
Four paper caps were lurking back there including this very distressed 01.uF.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d721ca15_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2e2db5fe_c.jpg

Ok oscillator running now and output waveform looks right.
However, the signal on the yoke is only a fraction of what it should be.
This signal is used to control the HV (EHT) circuit.
The goal is the HV should be extinguished if the deflection circuit fails.
Remember, no flyback in this set. Deflection and HV supply are independent.
The phosphor could easily be damaged without this safety circuit.
We should have 50VPP at this point - not 6.6
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2b84ab75_c.jpg

Nothing obviously wrong with the circuits so I started tweaking the many controls. Hor. size got me to about 30 volts. Hor. peaking took it the rest of the way. I could hear the telltale squeal once I hit about 45 volts.

I'm using a little test CRT at the moment. Looks like we have horizontal ringing and the vertical tends to collapse. Even so, it's wonderful to see a raster of any sort.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5a76a30a_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...fa3efa60_c.jpg

bandersen 04-26-2026 09:04 PM

Making progress! I had a bad connection on the video amp plate supply resistor. Fixing that resulted in video on the CRT face.
However, sync is terrible. Barely there horizontally, not there at all vertically.
The original 1947 Sylvania 1N34 is still good.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0bebe0e0_c.jpg

I really see what you mean about the tuning indicator now.
I do get a strong meter deflection when I have the TV sound tuned in just right.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...bc16b7c6_c.jpg

bandersen 04-27-2026 06:19 PM

I found a 5.6K resistor in the sync amp circuit measuring 3.2K and replaced it.
It's only the second bad resistor I've found in the set.
Perhaps because they used all 1W or better even though the factory parts list calls for 1/2 watters.
Here's a size comparison with a 1/2 watt resistor on the left and the bad 5.6K on the right.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...29e72bf5_c.jpg

That helped but after running a couple minutes instability returned. Swapping out the sync amp 6SN7 seems to have finally solved the problem.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...beac226b_c.jpg

Need to do a bit of work on the geometry and shift the image over to the left.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...00e41c79_c.jpg

Bandwidth is pretty good.
I expect it will improve with a better setup.
I'm currently feeding it from a Sencore VG91 with alligator clips on the 72 ohm screw terminals.
Live video source is a cheap OTA converter box feeding the VG91 external video modulation.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...dda17b58_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...57564756_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...dd855e9a_c.jpg

old_tv_nut 04-27-2026 11:42 PM

:thmbsp:

timmy 04-28-2026 08:53 AM

Is that pic with the picture tube that came with it

bandersen 04-28-2026 10:42 AM

Yes, that is with the original 12RP4 picture tube.

timmy 04-28-2026 11:39 AM

It’s looking good

bandersen 04-29-2026 09:02 PM

New 807s arrived today and I had just enough time to pop one in and give it a try before I get ready for the convention.
I haven't measure the HV output, but I can already tell it's working better. I can vary the brightness over a large range and the image stays sharp and focused. Before it would bloom and get blurry.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...808f3b7b_c.jpg

The tuner needs a deep cleaning. Tuning is a bit of a challenge right now, but when it's locked in, it looks really good.
Sounds could use an alignment as well but that will have to wait.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a1f73595_c.jpg

timmy 04-30-2026 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bandersen (Post 3267198)
New 807s arrived today and I had just enough time to pop one in and give it a try before I get ready for the convention.
I haven't measure the HV output, but I can already tell it's working better. I can vary the brightness over a large range and the image stays sharp and focused. Before it would bloom and get blurry.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...808f3b7b_c.jpg

The tuner needs a deep cleaning. Tuning is a bit of a challenge right now, but when it's locked in, it looks really good.
Sounds could use an alignment as well but that will have to wait.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a1f73595_c.jpg

That crt must be in great shape to produce a picture like that looks great.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:47 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2026, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
©Copyright 2012 VideoKarma.org, All rights reserved.