Transvision 7FL restoration thread

[benman94]

When I first made the leap from radios to television sets a few years ago, I rather quickly started assembling a "bucket-list" of television sets. One of the sets very near the top of my list was a circa '47 or '48 Transvision 7 inch kit. Eventually, after some horse trading involving a CT-100, I was able to scratch the Transvision off my list; I acquired this model 7FL.







And shown here sandwiched between two other acquisitions: a DuMont Club 20, and a good 7DP4.



I have a good 7EP4 for it. I had initially acquired the 7E for my Viewtone, but ultimately decided to leave it as is, with its shot 5BP4, for sentimental reasons. I'll restore the Transvision instead.

I plan to take better photographs, including under-the-chassis shots, and start assembling a cap and resistor order later. I also nabbed a 5BP4 for use while restoring the set, so as to avoid damaging the much rarer 7E should something in the set go south and take the CRT out with it. The 5BP4 and 7EP4 differ mechanically, but are electrically more or less identical.

In the mean time, does anyone here know how to test either of these tubes? Do they have to be tested in a working pre-war 5 inch chassis or a Viewtone or Transvision, or is there another possible method? I really don't want to go through the effort of restoring the set if the 7EP4 is marginal. It was acquired from a reputable member here, so I'm nearly 100% certain that it's fine. You don't know until you've seen it with your own eyes however...