Matt never updated this thread, but in conversing with him I learned that the main electrolytic capacitor (the orange cardboard one) was open. He fixed it and all went well afterwards.
I just received a "new" CRT this evening in the mail. It's the Farnsworth roundie shown here:
http://www.earlytelevision.org/class...parts_for_sale
Using the 8080 and my alligator clips, as usual, it was dead as a doornail. No emission even after a slow "variac" up and then a long 20 minute burn. I tried a "clean" operation and got no lights. Had to "restore' it. Then the clean operation worked, then back to test. 85 mA and 6-7 seconds life. It would work fine if I had a TV set to put it in.
Anyway, another Beltron success story.