Thanks very much for all your responses, there a lot of useful info here!
I remember reading about a particular set that had flyback issues, but I wasn't sure which. Now I know! I'd still love to own one of these purely because there was never a circular CRT TV in Australia. We only got tv in the late fifties, so most of the cool designs were out of fashion by then. I also tend to think that set designers in AU were more pragmatic in their approach. Most of the sets here are quite boxy and weren't really made to look like furniture. And of course, it wasn't too long before the rectangular CRT became common, so the rounder tubes didn't last long.
Is there a site where I can find detailed info on these by model? For example, which sets had the metal CRTs, which were more reliable and so on? It makes it a lot easier to decide on any I might spot on eBay. Being in the "wrong hemisphere", I don't have access to all the jumble sales and swap meets that I would die for. Which means that my purchase avenues are very restricted.
The other reason it's good to have reliable info is something I'm sure you're all too familiar with. The sellers on eBay don't know much at all about what there selling or "play dumb" when specific questions are asked. I'm sure that's a global issue! It certainly happens here.
The other useful piece of info of course is schematic availability. I can't even get stuff on the Predictas other than SAMs, (which is still very good). The guy selling the CDs on eBay is not accepting any questions and when I could question him several months back, he wasn't interested in selling to me
Difficulties aside, I'd love to own one, preferably restorable to working condition, to justify the floor space. I'm sure I'd be the only person in the country to own one, which itself is rewarding. It certainly wouldn't get much use, so mains frequency and temperature rise of transformers shouldn't be an issue. Even picture cut off would be acceptable, I won't be watching anything other than vintage B&W movies on it anyway.
Last point, is it possible to rewind flybacks? Has anyone ever done this themselves or employed a company to try? I've seen the posts about rebuilt CRTs, and the interest in resurrecting this process. But flyback repair seems to be another important aspect because they too are unique and vital to keep a set running.
Just my rambling...
Adam
