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