Any interest in *new* 16AP4's?

[David Roper]

Yeah, one person's off-handed remark can be another (every other?) person's major revelation.

[miniman82]

No one else is going to operate the equipment, unless you want to give it a whirl. I'm not gonna get out of the Navy just to build a few random tubes for an ever shrinking and cash strapped community.

[Einar72]

Honey, I shrunk the community...

But, seriously, folks, if I can teach myself SMT rework at 53, I'm sure one of us could learn the CRT rebuild process.

[miniman82]

So you're going to rebuild tubes now?

OK, I won't offer to help anymore. It's not like Jerome paid $4000 out of his own pocket to send me here or anything.

Seriously folks, if we want the rebuilding thing to happen you're all going to have to start participating instead of bitching about what stuff costs. Would you rather be stuck finding pulls for the rest of your days? Having dark sets, because the tubes are all used up? This hobby isn't getting any cheaper, and the longer we wait to do something the worse off we'll all be. Quite frankly, Jerome and I are both disappointed at the response to everything that's going on right now. There was a lot of enthusiastic talk at the past 2 conventions about what we were going to do, but now silence?

FFS!

[Bill Cahill]

Why this bickering?? Two rebuilders offer to help, and, everyone's up in arms.
I am personally waiting with excitement to see the project at the museum come about.
At the same time, temporary help on rebuilding on some tubes is also a good offer.
One helping the other to help the community...
Bill Cahill

[AUdubon5425]

I think the missed point here is that the vast majority of us have jobs, families and obligations that make it impossible to get as involved in this as we may like to. Most of us do not live in Ohio. That's just the way it is. The TV collecting community is indeed a small, small group; nevertheless, you're hard-pressed to find more dedicated, helpful and unselfish people in any other hobby. I do believe that one day the CRT operation at Hilliard will come to fruition, even if it does take ten years. In the meantime, no good is going to come out of bickering and snubbing those who can't afford to spend large sums on parts.

[mpatoray]

I have been following this thread as well as all the happenings at ETF. A few points.

First, at least there is an OPTION to rebuild or learn to rebuild CRT's, and yes rebuilds can be pricy such is life. Try the end that me and chuck Pharis along with a few others are at, we collect cameras as well, no one is EVER going to rebuild Image orthicons or Plumbicons, we have to find what little NOS there is or find used ones that are not fried.

Time is of the essence in collecting the knowledge/processes that are involved in rebuilding, once that is captured it WILL need to practiced and refined, that will take time.

I commend Nick/Jerome and all those already involved for what they have already done, the small collecting community has stepped up to save what could have easily went the way of the dodo.

The equipment involved in the process is large, heavy, and power/natural gas/hydrogen hungry, also dangerous to operate if you do NOT know what you are doing. Also the equipment that ETF has WILL need to be refurbished after being disassembled/moved/reassembled, i shudder to think of what could be in those ovens as they sit.

So my point is all of this is going to take a LOT of time/money/logistics but mostly cooperation between us all!

So please lets come so some consensus here, and just wait. As for the rebuilds using the radar tubes that RACS is offering, this is a good oppertunity those who might need that type of tube should seriously consider it.

Just my $0.02 for what its worth.

Matt

[Einar72]

Originally Posted by miniman82

So you're going to rebuild tubes now?

OK, I won't offer to help anymore. It's not like Jerome paid $4000 out of his own pocket to send me here or anything.

Seriously folks, if we want the rebuilding thing to happen you're all going to have to start participating instead of bitching about what stuff costs. Would you rather be stuck finding pulls for the rest of your days? Having dark sets, because the tubes are all used up? This hobby isn't getting any cheaper, and the longer we wait to do something the worse off we'll all be. Quite frankly, Jerome and I are both disappointed at the response to everything that's going on right now. There was a lot of enthusiastic talk at the past 2 conventions about what we were going to do, but now silence?
FFS!

Alright, I guess I need to be clearer. First, I will commit to buy one 16A, at $250, hoping it won't run much over another $100 for shipping.

Second, I somehow missed the part where you were going to France at all, let alone learn the CRT rebuild process from an old master... I wish to thank Jerome and you as well, Nick, for doing this. And I don't want your visit to be spoiled by the lackluster response so far.

Third, I've never been to an ETF convention and probably won't go anytime soon, although I have wanted to go since before my collecting helped ruin my marriage. Maybe if I can spare a couple of unpaid days off and find cheap airfare I'll go next year. Ohio isn't just down the road for us out on the West Coast! I, like some other collectors I know avoid the local antique radio club because of petty bickering and rampant gouging that occurs at the two clubs I have belonged to out here. VK is much better, and I've met a lot of nice folks here, and gotten some really sweet deals!

So, count me in, and hopefully a few others will pipe up and you can get the deal rolling. And I really want my 19A done as well someday.

[zenithfan1]

I just wanna say I wasn't being negative Nick, I was just a little surprised at 8 years. It's better than never. If I can come up with the funds, I want a 16AP4. I'll let you know what I can do in a reasonable time. The price seems pretty realistic and doable but I'm in a bad spot in life right now......

[Phil Nelson]

$250 seems very reasonable under the circumstances.

Phil Nelson

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by miniman82

You can send your AXP, I'm sure they would do it. Send them an email and ask.

Hi-

At the risk of sounding stupid, I do not know where to find their e-mail address. Jerome, of course, has made a number of posts describing his contacts with the company, but I have not found anything on making contact myself. Can you tell me where to find their information? Various Google searches, looking on the ETF site, etc. were not successful. Thanks.

[Einar72]

Chris,

Try this:

http://www.alibaba.com/member/fr101022520.html

[Phil Nelson]

If there is only one buyer at this time, perhaps some sugar daddy would like to pay RACS to build the other five, and then just hang on to them. Their value could easily go up during the next few years, while people discover new TVs to restore and rebuilding remains unavailable.

Phil "low on sugar" Nelson

[John Marinello]

One other consideration is that RACS will re-phosphor your B&W CRT, as well as aluminize it. The odds of anything more than re-gunning CRTs in Hilliard I
suspect are zippo.

[uxwbill]

Originally Posted by AUdubon5425

I think the missed point here is that the vast majority of us have jobs, families and obligations that make it impossible to get as involved in this as we may like to.

I'd certainly like to support anyone rebuilding or making parts available for antique equipment such as tube-type televisions. It's a noble endeavor. I fear that I will live long enough to see a day when these restored TVs will need to have parts replaced that simply don't exist, and possibly cannot be made. Then their very existence will be in danger...not many people have the desire to keep a "useless" object around their house.

Yet I don't own a truly vintage TV. I certainly don't own a TV that could make use of the proposed remanufactured tube. As much as I'd like to support the cause and say that I'd go in for one, I don't have the financial liberty to buy something that I may never use.

I don't know anyone in real life who restores and operates vintage TV sets. If I did, I'd certainly go and say "here is where you might be able to get a picture tube for your old TV".

So...put me down for supporting the cause if it would in any way help. But that's about all I can do...stand by from the sidelines and say "I support that idea".