1984 RCA XL100 from an estate sale
 

I saw an estate sale in my area today with some promising pictures, so I decided to check it out. Walking up, I spotted an old console TV on the driveway. Then I started running. I asked the guy running the sale what he wanted for it, and he said "PLEASE take that thing! Load it in your truck!" So I had to ask my grandfather to help me load it in his truck. After that we had an awsome lunch at Milo's. The TV works, but it has a few issues. It has really bad blooming, among other things.

Another. It won't let me upload more than one picture at a time for some reason.

My parents had that same set. I helped pick it out from a place called "Phil and Jim's"(out of business). Lots of press-board. Don't spill water on the top or it will bubble up.. Had it for 20 years and never broke down, not even a bad CRT
Phil and Jim's commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaaROqaVEl0

Here's a pic of my 1984 RCA XL100. Still works perfect. I wouldnt say I ran for this, but I didn't waste much time taking the van down a block from my house to load it up from next to a dumpster it was sitting by. I'd rather have a colortrak 2000, plus, or dimensia but now way I was going to turn down any 84 set.

When I picked it up from the estate sale, water had condensed all over it and now the top is quite bubbly. It's got these thin horizontal lines in the picture now. It's not blooming as bad now, though.

Digital or mechanical tuner? Ours was digital with remote. Red numbers

Digital. It shows the channel number in the lower right of the screen. I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find a CTC number on this set! The picture tube is a 25VGDP22.

In pix #1 I think I see jail bars. In the last pix it
has retrace lines. IIRC the big filter can at the rear
is two section. One is the power supply filter, the other
is for the 200V. The 200V part is probably bad. Its
typically from 5mfd -22mfd. If its OK you can
turn down the G-2 on the CRT socket to get rid of
the retrace.

73 Zeno:smoke:

Well, I have some good news. I talked to my friend in Atlanta, and he instructed me to lower the screen adjustment on the back. That solved the retrace lines problem. I put in a new 33 Mfd capacitor thinking that would fix the jailbars, but it had no effect.

After finishing the long, laborious task of cleaning my room, I was finally able to install the TV.

Using the word "install" made it sound as if you had put it in the wall or something. Looks good though. :thmbsp:

Some sets used 2 caps in series, Fisher comes to mind.
If not that 'lytics in the separate MSC board gave trouble, it may be
coming in on the tuning voltage or other line. Usually it is
the 200V. A very common problem across all brands.
BTW CTC### usually on a big tag on the chassis or FBT.

73 Zeno:smoke:

For some reason, the remote-control supplied by Charter cable does not work with this TV. I programmed every code for RCA into the remote, and none of them worked.

...

Yes, that set does look good in your room. The room must be fair-sized if you are able to fit a console TV and a floor-standing Zenith antique radio in there, but you did it. That is all that counts. :thmbsp: My apartment is too small to accomodate even one console TV, but I do have a collection of small table radios, almost all Zeniths from the 1950s and '60s. What can I say, I like Zenith. :yes:

Thanks, I appreciate that. I think the room is 13' by 9', but I could be wrong.

The TV is a remote set. It says Remote Control right under XL100. It has the regular volume up/down, power, and channel up/down. It also has some channel memory buttons.

You must have a really TINY studio apartment. Back when I lived in an apartment I was able to fit 5 TV consoles (4 were as big or bigger), 3 radio consoles, 3 table TVs, ~40 table radios, a few cubic feet of LPs, 2 equipment cases (one stereo one video), a bunch of other stuff, and a bed in my bedroom and STILL have an open patch of floor the size of a dinner table (granted I usually worked on electronics on that patch of floor so it would shrink).

Great RCA and Kirby vacuum!!

Thanks! I collect all sorts of vintage vacuums. I even have a whole room dedicated for them! The vacuum pictured is actually a Royal, but they are similar in many ways, so I can understand the confusion.

it is an ctc-120 one of the best chassis they made in the eighty's. i sold tons of them very trouble free. sure miss those days.

Size of a room or apartment isn't an excuse. Me, my wife, and baby lived in one room with a full size bed, computer, two refrigerators ( which we eventually went to one refrigerator and a upright freezer), about 5 console sets, a few 19" sets, at one point, a 60" projection and a 52", 5 six foot arcade cabinets, microwave, not to mention our personal belongings, and all my games and systems. Space is what you make of it. We did that for a couple years until we were able to move. Wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world but I didn't have to sacrifice anything. I get a kick out of people when they say that they don't have room for ONE thing or that they have to get rid of something due to space. Hilarious.

The set chassis view looks like an RCA with the ultra-sonic remote, but 1984 is too new for that! :scratch2:

The 1984 RCA XL-100 CTC-120 had a capastrophe! I was just sitting there minding my own business, and all at once, the picture went berserk! The large multi section capacitor failed and the picture became extremely distorted with a large white circle in the middle. I am now using my backup TV, (which I knew I'd need sooner or later) the 1979 Quasar.

Wow, that's unfortunate.

You got that right. Two things broken in two days. Yesterday my Electrolux 1205's power nozzle snapped its belt (my fault - accidentally sucked up a shoelace.) What'll it be tomorrow? My CAR?

I have an Electrolux tank type cleaner that uses the power nozzle. I don't know how old it is, but it seems like that last of the real high quality, well built cleaners. :thmbsp:
Some of those belts are rather pricey. :scratch2:

That electrolytic can capacitor is the most common failure on that chassis.

That's what I've heard, Radiotvnut. I may have one of those capacitors. But I doubt it. I think it's the 600 mfd section that's bad?

The closest thing I can find to a 600 mfd is a 550 mfd at 385 volts. If I have to, I can tack in a 47 mfd alongside the 550. See here.

There is also an 800 mfd. Which would be better? I've heard it's OK to go up, but I don't know about almost double the value. Wouldn't it make the B+ too high? Here.

Instead of paying lots of money for a new capacitor, I just went to the radio club downtown and made one. I found some 330 mfd Nichicons at 200 volts. I just soldered some wires to them so I can easily replace that big can thing.

You also seem to collect Toilets. I have in my house a couple that are like some of yours. Pastel colors, 1950's, lowboys.

I got the 1984 RCA fixed! I soldered in the new capacitors today, and the picture has returned to normal. It isn't my finest solder job, but it's definitely not my worst.

It's like GE, good enough!
I thought, that was your problem. That set was lying dormant for so long. Some caps fail to reform.

Today has been a very productive day. I fixed two VCR's, this TV, and my Electrolux 1205 vacuum-cleaner. Ironically, the vacuum-cleaner turned out the worst, since I unknowingly put in the complete wrong brushroll. It's usable, but it could have bigger problems if used long enough. I'll be buying it a new brushroll soon.