A year of service, and still going strong!
 

This month, it's been a year since I installed a newly rebuilt CRT from VDC into my 1966 Curtis Mathes. The set resides in my living room, and is what I watch regularly. In fact, I have a bad habit of letting the TV run for several hours and no one is even watching it. Although I spend 6 months of the year at sea, this set makes up for that time while I'm home.

So far, it has been a great performer. The color of the rebuilt tube is still great, and I haven't needed to make any sort of adjustments once I got the set into it's spot in the living room.

Here's some recent screen photos from the set... still as vivid as the day I installed the CRT. my favorite shot is the salad. :)

Chicken shot

Blue Bell... the best :)

Bronco

Woah!

That's beautiful!

Great color and a clean pic. :bigok:

CM picture tube pictures
 

Charlie,

Your CM really looks good. I should have some pixs of your rebuilt VDD 21 inch tube in about a week. Meantime take a look at my low res. Hallicrafters 7JP4 set posted under ancient B & W and Projection sets.
Cork

Wow, that looks great!

Someday I hope to see my CTC7 make pictures like that!

Eric

Wow ! I still say a properly set-up roundie generally has a better pic than one of these new ugly black plastic boxes.-Sandy G.

your cm has a vary clear picture. deep rich colors.

Makes my Trinitrons look highly overrated. The saturation is incredible. This was a true priviledge, Charlie.

That color is great! A new CRT can do wonders for these old sets.

Well, no offense, but Trinitrons kind of are overrated. XBR Trinitrons, though, not so overrated.

Charlie, I think the Curtis Mathes absolutely nailed the ice cream commercial. Those reds on the truck's taillights are spot-on. Is the resolution as good as the color? Always been curious to see how a set like yours could stack up to a modern set on an Indian Head-style test pattern.

I think the resolution is pretty good, although I've never put a test pattern on it. Anyone that has ever been here is usually amazed at seeing it play... especially when I tell them it's nearly 40 years old. Last year, I had cable TV connected to my house, and the cable tech raised an eyebrow when he came in the house and saw what the cable would be plugged into. He really had his doubts... until he plugged it in! :D

Since it was mentioned, I thought I'd put a test pattern on it this afternoon. But, my digital camera just took a dump, and that's kinda given me the red-ass! Talk about true reds!

I still have two 21FBP's in the garage that have been rebuilt and are waiting to go into sets. I think one of them is going into my black CTC11. It makes a good sharp picture, but the blue gun is pretty much dead. The other rebuilt tube will be going into a CTC15 once i fix its flyback problem.

Once I swap out CRT's in the 11, the old one will go to VDC for rebuild so that I will always have at least one good tube on hand for future use.

I'm glad you guys like the photos. Hopefully this old girl will outlast anything I could buy in the store today!

Hey Charlie - what's the part # on the CTC-15 flyback you need? I've got a spare flyback I think it's from a 15 or 16 - I'll can dig it up and see if it matches...

Part# 113382. Thanks for looking! :)

Hmm. I checked. Not even close. Actually, I don't even know what this flyback's from, now. It's got the loops for the focus rect heater, and HV rect.
It's made in mexico, though!

I'll try to get a pic of it. some day...

I bought a NOS yoke for an RCA from the early 60s and was surprised to see the new part was made in Mexico. It was an original RCA part from the mid-70s.

Hey Charlie, Moyers has that flyback for your CTC-15. It's a Thordarson which is much better than the RCA brand part. I sent ya a PM.

Just called Moyer's... the flyback is on it's way. Thanks!

Good!!!! Sometimes I'm amazed at what they still have in stock. I was impressed that they had that flyback in a Thordarson and NOT an RCA. I'm sure an RCA part would be good in the light use most of us give our sets, but when my Uncle had one of his numerous RCA flyback change housecalls, he would always use Thordarson. They improved on the design by using a better coating. I asked why he didn't use RCA and he said that he didn't want to go back and have to change it again in a few years. Can't wait to see the pix once you have that one up and running!