Question about "Instant On"

[Findm-Keepm]

The "on-off bar" on those RCAs was a bar attached to a pot-metal actuator that actuated two switches, much like those on the back of volume pots. We must have replaced a dozen of the actuators - toddlers liked to cycle them on and off, and some couldn't handle the stress. RCA never did upgrade the actuator to a better made unit. Instead, because of demand, they added the switch assembly to their "QT" (Quick Turnover) parts listing. I have one somewhere I salvaged from a junk RCA that got necked by some movers.

Of the two switches, one controlled the TV, and the other was for the instant on. Basically a diode across the open (off) contacts, passing half wave current to the filament of the CRT. The switch would fail (open all the time) with the symptoms of no picture, but HV was normal, or very dim pictures with the Brightness control all the way up. The diode would also fail (short) and put full voltage to the CRT. Good intentions, bad fail safe modes.

Cheers,