What Is Your Favorite Set?
 

What do you have in your collection that makes you really smile? What is #1 for you in your collection? Got a picture of it?
Mine is my RCA 730TV1. It was the 2nd set I bought. Got it off of Craigslist for $40. I'm still looking for the original 78 chassis and the TV side is my next restoration project when I get around to it.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6220/...744f3006b2.jpg

Of the B/W sets, I guess it's my DuMont RA-103.

http://antiqueradio.org/art/DuMontRA...erspective.jpg

If a visitor to our house asks about old TVs, I know I can just turn this one on and it will always look & sound great -- no hiccups, no apologies, no explanations about how 60-year old TVs can't be expected to look good like new ones, etc.

Subject to future revision, of course. In thinking about this, I came up with a two- or three-way tie for second place. And, depending on what I'm working on and how the project is going, the answer might often be "The TV that I'm restoring right now!"

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

My most prized set in my Radio/TV collection is my Zenith Porthole TV -- I call her "Cinderella":

http://www.cerant.com/ZenithPortholeTV/Playing-800.jpg

Here is her website:
http://www.cerant.com/ZenithPorthole...ortholeTV.html

I'll admit, I am a sucker for cute TV's with Porthole figures:-)

Carl

I too, dig my Dumont!

A Zenith Porthole showing Amos 'n' Andy-Can't get much more Fifties than that.

I guess I'd have to go along with the DuMont crowd on this one. My 1947 DuMont Clifton RA-102 is the one set that consistently puts a smile on my face, and anyone who sees it is quite taken with it. It has a darn nice picture, and has proven to be a very reliable TV. I'd definitely vote it the number one spot in my collection.

Bob

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...ofDSC_0128.jpg

There are two sets, a 3 inch Pilot and a 7 inch Admiral, both seen together displaying a football game received with a DTV converter. These are the first two electrostatic sets I ever restored.

Cliff

Hard to say. I have more of the "Teeny-tiny" Eighties sets, but the older Tooob ones are charming, too. My TV-37 gets a LOT of compliments, as does my Safari. I kinda "Love" ALL of 'em....(grin)

I think I'd have to go with the third vintage set I ever bought, my 1959 Zenith.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...y/DSCN0642.jpg
I catch my self staring at it all the time despite it rarely being used. I just love the styling of the set. It also has a swivel base.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...y/DSCN0640.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...y/DSCN0641.jpg

My runners up for the monochrome catagory are also Zenith (they must of had good cabinet designers then).
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...y/DSCN1152.jpg

http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...y/DSCN1145.jpg

There is also something about the next two sets and UHF converter when they are stacked in the manner I have them stacked that makes them as a whole look better than individually.
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...y/DSCN0538.jpg
http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/...y/DSCN0540.jpg

As for color sets that is sort of a toss up, and I'll have to think hard on that one.

OK, I'll have to go with a bakelite Admiral console for my all time favorite :yes:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5262/...e905c19e_b.jpg

However, this is a close runner-up. It's a Silvertone 8132 - their very first set I believe.
It has a crazy pushbutton tuner, lots of loktal tubes, weighs in at 100+ lbs and only has a 10" screen.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6031/...9295fc02_b.jpg

I can only pick one?

I guess it'd be this '58 Philco Miss America set. Unfortunately the CRT is shot and since it was used in the Predicta I'll never be able to afford a good one :tears:

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...s/P1040442.jpg

This one is a little newer; but, for the moment, is my favorite TV. It's a 22" GTE-Sylvania solid state B&W console from '78. As one might expect, large screen solid state B&W sets from this era are rare and, besides this one, I've only seen two in the past 20 years.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...03sylB0003.jpg

My favorite is my 1965 Zenith 25MC33 roundie in the white chinese cabinet with the SC400.

For B/W it would be my 1966 Zenith 19" metal table set with the SC300, and the auto-shutoff.

That Clifton is stunning. It would win the "most beautiful TV ever made" contest, if I got a vote.

I should frame that photo and hang it on the wall, since my chances of finding one "in the wild" are close to zero!

Phil Nelson

It's a work of art. If you ever sell, just let me know. Love it.

Can't match the romance, nostalgia and elegance of the above televisions, but from my collection ...

Panasonic CT 101A with postage stamp size color CRT. Wow factor.

http://www.visions4.net/journal/wp-c...arker-1600.jpg

Sony FDM 330S "Take apart TV" TFT active matrix. Cool factor.

http://www.visions4.net/journal/wp-c...-wordpress.jpg

Sony Indextron KVX 370 one gun, no shadow mask color. Unique factor.

http://www.visions4.net/journal/wp-c...-1-1600-WP.jpg

I like my Admiral:
http://www.wa2ise.com/radios/admiraltv.jpg

Yea drop me a line also :deal:.

I thought for sure that set was a British set. It sure resembles their styling.

And I have his brother, the Admiral 26R12. I have restored it since this photo and now have the correct color volume control knob. I had this exact model as my first TV when I was a teenager. I guess it is my favorite.

http://www.streitsonline.com/don/26R12_1.jpg

Count me in with the DuMont gang. My RA-109 has an excellent picture and is built like a tank. It looks just like the one already posted without the AM radio, just FM. The picture is my avitar.

To the poster with the Philco Miss America... That does not use the same tube as the Predicta. It uses a 90 degree tube.

As for mine, I would pick any of my round screen BW sets. For color, CTC-9. For rectangular color, Admiral with tilt out panel.

Of my older sets I'd pick this 7" Airline (I've since found that knob it's missing in that pic).

21EAP4 ... I wish you were right

Holy Cow!

That metal set is like a mix between my UHF set and my Space Command set.
My UHF set has a timer that will either turn the set off after a period of time or turn it on after a period of time depending on which way you turn the knob.

I'm guessing that since your set has the same cart as mine that the one I found in the same estate sale as my set is factory origional.
I believe the bottom shelf is missing on yours. You can confirm this by checking for groves on the center crossbars. The shelf on mine was poped out as found, and I had to gingerly pop it back in so it is likely that these often go missing.

Although I still love my DuMont, this RCA is really starting to win me over. I like the way it folds into a coffee table too, too cool.

Wow !!!!
 

:thmbsp: Those are some Great looking TVs , and I'd be proud to own any one of em !!!!!


My favorite is my 1950 Olympic table sized wood cased TV , and its my favorite because I've owned it since the 1960s ( yea , it wasnt an Antique by any means when I first bought it , but , over the years , we've become antiques together :D )

The image viewer wont let me upload my pictures because It says Ive already uploaded them to another thread , i'll try to get some updated photos soon :)

I've been trying to collect as many of these Zeniths as I can find. I currently have 9 of them:
1960 17" metal cabinet- SC300
1960 21" console
1961 19: metal cabinet
1961 23" console (hi-fi with 4 speakers)
1961 23" console - SC300
1963 19" metal cabinet - SC300
1966 19" metal cabinet - SC300
1967 19" metal cabinet
1971 23" metal cabinet

You should be able to sub the CRT with a more common tube like a 21CEP4 or simular. The basing is different and you have to locate the heater source, as the original is a 2.35 volt. The sub tubes are a bit longer, but should fit in a console.

I believe G! and cathode are reversed on the Predicta tubes. I will need to confirm that for sure. You can tie the heater winding to the 6 volt winding without trouble, or add a 6 volt filament transformer. If you have an old 110 tube brightner, remove the autotransformer, connect the filament windings to the filament transformer, reverse G1 and cathode (pending confirmation), install a tube like a 21CEP4 and you're good. This way, the modification is totally reversible if you find an exact replacement.

I appreciate the tips guys - I'm not too concerned about the CRT length since the original neck guard is warped (from a wall heater I'd guess) and unusable - I'll have to fabricate a new one anyway. I plan on getting into the Miss America next year and will start a thread on her when I do.

I suppose my favorite TV(s) will remain the 1948 thru 1951 RCA designed TV's based first upon the KCS28 chassis. This was the first major revamp after the chassis used in the 630TS and the KCS28 has many notable features:

1) Full bandwidth 4 MHz with 4 video IF stages AND with two upper adjacent channel traps, two lower adjacent channel traps, two video IF sound traps and one video amplifier trap. Certainly this was overkill but the traps provide the KCS28's excellent DXing capability.

2) First set to use the full Synchroguide Horizontal AFC circuit which predominated in many brands for the next decade.

3) DC coupled video amplifier. RCA persisted with DC coupling up until about 1952. Elimination of the video amplifier coupling capacitor yielded a better low frequency response and eliminated the need for a separate DC restorer tube.

4) Excellent sync peak AGC. The 630TS had no AGC because of the need to develop a circuit to develop a consistently accurate gain control voltage. I believe the KCS28 was a breakthrough in this regard with the sync tip amplitude reference circuit it used. (The final breakthrough was he "Keyed AGC" circuit developed in the next couple of years).

My RCA 8T243 was assembled in Montreal Canada. It was apparently the first TV manufactured in Canada in 1949, three years before the establishment of the first broadcast station there in September 1952 (CBLT Toronto and CBMT Montreal).

I have owned and maintained this receiver for 42 years as a regularly used set. In this time, I have aligned the set three times and replaced a number of tubes. Most of the paper capacitors have been replaced but a few have not shown any leakage and have left them in place. All the electrolytics are original. And the CRT is original to the set.

The images below include reception of WPBT Miami and KRMA Denver and Tu Canal Monterey Mexico from my rooftop antenna from Southern Illinois on this set.

These RCA sets are well designed and built like tanks.

TV DXing- for real? That is just amazing.

Just an average performer, but I'm very fond of my Blond 21-D-7177E RCA. Wish I could locate a NOS 21AMP4.

I had no idea these sets were such an improvement over the 630TS chassis. That last picture especially is just stunningly clear. Your comments make me appreciate my (still unrestored) sets with this chassis much more.

Regarding my favorite set(s) from the ones I own, it is a tough question. It might be the National NC-TV7, or the Zenith G2958R, or the RCA CT-100.

It's a tie between my Predicta or my RCA projection set.

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...3/CIMG6759.jpg


Click on image to see video
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...373/th_073.jpg

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...3/CIMG7644.jpg

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...3/CIMG7628.jpg


Click on image to see video
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...-05-26_558.jpg

I forgot the KRMA channel 6 photo attachment. This reception was in late June 2009 after most of the analog TV stations had shut down. The few remaining VHF analog channels were just showing looped presentations.

Note the WPBT channel 2 was about 1000 miles, KRMA channel 6 was about 900 miles and channel 2 Monterrey Mexico about 1200 miles. And these were received directly by the original KRK5 RCA tuner in the set.

I'm more of a solid state guy..it's what I 'cut my teeth' on...I didn't evn dig into a tube set until later on.

SO, that being said, i'm going on a limb here and saying it's my 1976 XAM 13" color metal cabinet tv...here it is listening to first responders on UHF 14...great pic, Toshiba Blackstripe 1 crt