Reply to questions / comments.
 

The original RCA service manual (as a 90 MB "pdf" file) is available for free download here http://www.antiqueradioshop.com/RCA630TSService.pdf, linked from this illustrated case history on a 630TS restoration http://www.antiqueradio.org/RCA630TSTelevision.htm.

The 5" CRT pictured is type 5AXP4, designed specifically for use in a repair shop environment. These can be found occasionally on eBay. Most 1950's vintage tube manuals having a "picture tubes" section include the 5AXP4 characteristics under "test" picture tubes.

Obviously-modified sets can be frightening. As long as the mod was added through the grille cloth, though, that should be a relatively simple fix to obtain some reproduction grille cloth of the proper style from AES, provided the IF wasn't gutted. Field coil is 62 ohms and voice coil is 3.2 ohms as I recall. The modification probably included a filter choke subbed for the field coil.

I just burned a DVD today of my new "Angel Head Test Pattern" which I drew on CAD software, superimposed a small photo of the family dog on one side, added a 400 Hz audio tone and transcoded to a video slide show. I may be offering that DVD on my web site soon.

The TV and HiFi sections of the Curtis Mathes "wall unit" slide out for easy servicing and all the "service" adjustments (height, linearity, AGC, etc.) are accessible from the cabinet front, concealed behind the large channel selector knob. The TV section itself isn't much larger than other 23" B/W consoles of early 1960's vintage. There are two sections to the TV chassis, forming an "L" shape as viewed from cabinet rear. Low-voltage power supply and horizontal sweep are on the horizontally-mounted subchassis, the entire signal path from IF to audio, video, and vertical sweep are on the vertically-mounted chassis behind the control panel. Terminal strips are thru-chassis "pin" type similar to those Zenith used in the 1960's. Tuner is a 12-channel turret type with silver contacts.

I may have posted this in the past but I was going through some stuff and came across this old photo of an RCA that was being given away by a theater as a promotion.

I have the exact same model set that I rescued from the back lot of a thrift store more than 10years ago. It's basically restored and working now (with a NOS 16AP4) but I haven't gotten around to finishing it.

In the actual photo I can read that it was the Fox Wichita Theaters and Continental Grill that was sponsoring the giveaway, anyone recognize the place?

Edit: it could be the Orpheum? http://www.wichitaorpheum.com/pictures.php http://www.wichitaorpheum.com/pictures.php
And this shot 3rd photo, looks like the spot where the set was sitting!

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...s/100_0581.jpg This is My Admiral 19A11-SN I acquired from ebay. Its a very clean and the chassis is rust free and unmolested. I have the caps on order and look forward to restoring this set.http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...s/100_0599.jpg This is my Sony TV-740 I bought from a thrift store for $3. The set works fine. I have added an video input through the UHF connection which is turned on or off through a switch I added.http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...Photo-0011.jpgThis is My Motorola VT-71 I purchased from an antique store for $75 (sorry for the bad pic) it is in unrestored condition and in Las Vegas with the rest of better radios.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/att...4&d=1193613199

This small CRT mounted (a temperary service install) reminds me of s small hole of a company called Matrix Instruments I worked for back in 1979 (just out of college) that made machines that would take video and project it onto Xray film to create hard copy in the form doctors were used to working with back then. Except we used solid state Conrac black and white monitors like their model "QQA" and replaced the big CRT they came with with small flat screen 5 inch CRTs. This would then be installed inside a black metal cabinet with the CRT facing up, aimed at a camera lens with shutter that was part of an Xray camera system. Stupid little product, but thet sold a bunch.

heres my westinghouse,i restored the cabnit,but with my uncle arthur acting up (im only 25 wtf:tears:)in my hands i really cant do anymore than replace the bad tubes,i hooked up the vcr and put in a tape of "SHINDIG WITH JACKIE WILSON".as you can see the vert and horz is off.

Now, THAT is a TV I would lovingly restore to Like New Condition.

If anyone can put Me in contact with someone who wants to part with a good, origional condition TV like that, I'd appreciate it...

LJB:smoke:

A friend of mine has one of them, and, I'm trying to persuade him to part with it. Does yours work? Any unusual difficulties in restoring it?

LJB:smoke:

Hmm, where did you say you were located? :scratch2:

M3-SRT8, my Westinghouse does work well. The restoration went smoothly, a standard re-cap of the wax papers and electrolytics, and a general check-up and replacement of anything else way out of tolerance. No troubles with the HV supply. Good luck!

Ooooo....Worcester, Mass.

That might be a problem.

LJB:smoke:

Ahhh....Good. I might call upon your expertise in case I acquire the Set.

LJB:smoke:

...

Meet Brent
 

Just picked this one up today. It's a 1953 RCA Victor Model 17S350G called the "Brent." It's in good physical shape for an all metal cabinet. Don't know about it electronically yet but it does have a raster so I'm encouraged. I also found out that it has the Rotomatic Tuner and Magic Monitor features, whatever they are.

Anyone know where I can get the Sams for it?

Dave

Hi Dave,

Nice find. Very clean, original RCA set. "Rotomatic" and "Magic Monitor" sound like stuff right out of the advertising copy writer's playbook. The SAMS' is Photofact 228 Folder 15. You can buy it from the Howard W. Sams web site or try and locate it at your library.

SAMS > PHOTOFACT Electronics Repair Manuals: Main
Address:http://www.samswebsite.com/photofacts.html

-Steve D.

finally I can make a legit post here. My first oldie, a 1954 Philco 54-8486 that I found on the side of the road tonight. These are pics from a short time ago after it spent a couple hours on the poor man variac.

Side note, in spite of the "UHF" badge on the front, it doesn't actually have UHF. There is a tag on the inside that says the set was designed to allow the install of the optional UHF converter.

This is totally as-found condition, the controls aren't even cleaned. The pics are bad because its my cell phone, the memory card in the digicam seems to have died or something. The vertical hold is a bit unstable, but I'm hoping once I get some DeOxit ordered and applied to the controls that will stabilize. The linearity control on the back seems to do nothing, and the height is wonky, maybe dirty controls or something else. I have no real experience working on TV sets so this will be a learning experience for me. This thing has been apart before. There is a service tag inside, but its quite old. Looks like at least one replacement tube, and I think someone has been into the HV cage. Theres a missing screw there. 4 of the screws on the back were also gone, and the tuner chassis (its a 2 chassis design, one side appears to be tuner, the other side video) seems like its not bolted down firmly. Wiggling the tuner knob moved the whole thing around. Apparently whatever tech fooled with it wasn't very good about putting all the parts back inside.