Should I even think about fitting this set?
 

So, me in all my infinate wisdom purchased another set.... Well,I have been looking for a B&W portable that's "just the right size" and this one fit the bill and for $32.00.

So I bought it not knowing that it was a super cheap set....
It looks to be a tra-V-ler from the mid 50s. The set has zero signs of life except for the tubes heating up. So, should I even bother trying to recap such a cheap set? It looks to be just below Muntz quality to me....

If the tubes light, and nothing else, B+ could be out, so you might need a cap, diode(s)
fuse, open resistor... Find & Fix the problem, get it to work then decide....

.
Cheap set ot not, they are not made anymore, and if you liked it enough to buy it, then
why stop now.....

.

Think of each set as a potential learning experience. ;)

If totally dead look for a real ugly resistor 5.6 ohm 5 watt.
Its a fusable so use a fusable only. When bad usually the
B+ rectifier is shorted.
Travelers were often Admirals so not so bad. A recap now is
a fools errand, get it to come up cheap as possable so you
know if its OK.

73 Zeno:smoke:

Those things were surprisingly reliable!
The dealers liked them, as they were on the the low end of the scale and they could be sold for $100-120, even with UHF.
One dealer sold those alongside the 10" Admirals for the same price and the customer generally bought the Travler, as the screen was larger and worked as well. They had a decent tuner in them as well. :scratch2:

I know a long-time repairman that loves the cheap '50's sets made by Muntz, Olympic, Trav-ler, Hotpoint, etc., and gets them working as new. The surprising thing is that they are often very decent players! They may be low-quality, but that doesn't necessarily equate to poor performance - just look at the little Pilot Radio TV-37!
He had a mid-'50's turquois and cream metal portable Trav-ler once that was a real sharp looking set.

If the CRT tests good, and the fly don't look like it 'sploded I'd say fix it.

Muntz TVs were decent sets once you put in deflection tubes they liked....THe only other performance difference is that of deep fringe reception you were SOL, but we are all using modulators now so that should not matter. The cheaper the set the less parts=cheaper restos, and less troubleshooting for a given problem.

I guess I will give it the standard recap and if it dosent come up I will try and contact a tech to fix it... Im just no good with real advanced diagnostcs...

Any issue after recap should be dealt with by making sure B+ is right, checking/ replacing resistors in the bad stages(if it is not an RF/IF issue), and checking voltages of tubes in the bad stages. If you can't find the problem or a further clue after that it is time for a tech.

We all suck at trouble shooting in the beginning...If you don't try then you won't learn or grow as a technician/hobbyist. If you hit a snag or become confused there are many here to help, and a few hundred years of collective experience here to draw from.