your favorite/most durable set

[Tubejunke]

I bought a 1956 Philco 21" table model in 1982 or so in a Goodwill for $10. I was a teenager, so I used it quite a lot then. I remember that it came with a crt booster back then, but always did fine for, well, decades. We took it to the local tv shop for repair ONCE when the sound became distorted and a trip to the drug store tube tester didn't cure the problem. I think they put a resistor in the set.

Just a few years ago I finally replaced the original crt and two paper capacitors to cure some small vertical shrinkage horizontal issues. So, nearly 60 years of service with hardly any repair or restoration. That's one good set!

[decojoe67]

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

I bought a 1956 Philco 21" table model in 1982 or so in a Goodwill for $10. I was a teenager, so I used it quite a lot then. I remember that it came with a crt booster back then, but always did fine for, well, decades. We took it to the local tv shop for repair ONCE when the sound became distorted and a trip to the drug store tube tester didn't cure the problem. I think they put a resistor in the set.

Just a few years ago I finally replaced the original crt and two paper capacitors to cure some small vertical shrinkage horizontal issues. So, nearly 60 years of service with hardly any repair or restoration. That's one good set!

I have a very similiar story! I was a teen in the early '80's too and got a '53 Crosley 21" console from a moving sale. It was still being used in the living room!! $50 seemed like fortune, but it was like new. I used it for years without any chassis resto. It was all original! I had to sell in a few years later when I moved. Many of those '50's TV's were true work-horses!

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

I bought a 1956 Philco 21" table model in 1982 or so in a Goodwill for $10. I was a teenager, so I used it quite a lot then. I remember that it came with a crt booster back then, but always did fine for, well, decades. We took it to the local tv shop for repair ONCE when the sound became distorted and a trip to the drug store tube tester didn't cure the problem. I think they put a resistor in the set.

Just a few years ago I finally replaced the original crt and two paper capacitors to cure some small vertical shrinkage horizontal issues. So, nearly 60 years of service with hardly any repair or restoration. That's one good set!

Was that the Microgrid 390 model?
They originally came through with a 6BZ8/X155 as an RF amp. IIRC, that was Philco's own tube. Most techs replaced them with a 6BQ7 or 6BZ7.
It also had a 90 degree CRT. Great working set.