RCA 621ts Restoration

[vts1134]

I'd like to tell a cautionary tale for any one reading this that wants to learn from other peoples mistakes, rather than make their own.
Rebuilding multi-stage electrolytic capacitors has been the most challenging thing I've done thus far on this restoration. As those of you know who have been following this thread from the beginning, I replaced all of the paper and electrolytic capacitors in this set before I applied power. Due to a misprint in the schematic I put a 160v capacitor where a 450v capacitor belonged. What I was greeted with was a cloud of capacitor smoke. Taking the schematic at it's word and thinking that I some how miswired the restuffed capacitor I rebuilt and hooked up the same valued capacitors outside of the set to have visual confirmation that my leads were ok. Again I was greeted with a pop and a cloud of foul smelling smoke. Slightly frustrated at this point I dived into the schematic, and the wiring of the set and deduced that the voltage rating of the cap was indeed the problem. At this point I had two things going against me, I was frustrated because I had two "failures" and I was cocky because I, a rookie, had "cracked the code" and figured out that the schematic was incorrect. I should have turned the lights out and came back another day, I didn't. What I did was hurry to rebuild the capacitors in question so that I could feel like progress was being made and I could shoot that nice raster picture to post here. The result was an incorrectly wired capacitor that was done in such a way that even when another cap was jumped across it's leads it wouldn't show itself. I can, however, take a positive away from this mistake, and that is what I have learned through the trouble shooting steps that the knowledgeable and helpful people here at VK led me through.
Learn from my mistake, when frustration or any other emotion that forces you to work anything less than 100% focused and deliberate, turn the lights out and come back another day.


Now for the good news. The set currently resembles a patient on life support as I have frankenwired some capacitors outside of the set to take the place of the multi-stage can in question.



I have ordered smaller replacement capacitors for that section but for now I have a much better picture on screen



There is still much work to do, but for tonight I'll turn the lights out and come back another day.