Philco Seventeener III

[Adam]

Thanks for the positive comments about the RCA. That set I basically had working two years ago, but for the contrast control, which first of all had too much resistance across a portion of it (I put a resistor across it in parallel with that portion of it), and was worn out in spots (cleaning was no help, so I put a resistor in series with the control to lock the good part of the control in where the contrast was at a good setting).

I like these RCAs too, basically for the reasons already stated, being one of the few portables from that era to use a power transformer, and they seem to be good performers. I have a few of these late 50s metal cabinet RCAs, a white 8" (also without the stand) that I fixed several years ago and have used quite a bit since then with little trouble. I also have the 14" version of this set, which I got working and had to do some bodywork on the cabinet three years ago, and still haven't gotten around to painting yet. And a cool looking 17", which needs much work (and I don't think uses a power transformer like the 8" and 14") but is a really neat looking set, two tone light and dark blue, with gold fins on the side. And a nice working black RCA from '59 in the flatter cabinet with the wider deflection angle 17" CRT.

As far as the Philco goes, I replaced that bad 9AU7 horiz osc tube and still have no HV. I did find that no B+ was getting to the anode of the 2nd triode in the 9AU7. There's a big one of those units that have several resistors and capacitors in one component, that I've narrowed down as the cause. Also the B+ seems to be about 100V low throughout the set, whether a short in that unit is the cause or if I'm looking at a 2nd unrelated problem, I don't know yet.