To variac or not to variac?

[ComboCompact]

Awesome, many thanks for all the info. I'll run with your suggestions and let you know how it goes. It's an '81 GE, allegedly working when stashed away, but no idea how it was stored... so better safe than sorry.

Originally Posted by rca2000

I just grabbed a 1989 Sears-Sanyo set, that has NOT seen much use. (ONLY....because I worked on then when they were brand new, so I have a "soft spot" for them).

Nothing at all wrong with that - as a young end-user of sets like those when they were new, I've got a soft spot as well!

[zeno]

Never hurt a SS set with a variac. There are a few Sonys I
would never risk it on though.

First unplug the degausing coil so it dont give bad current
measures.
If non-remote start at 75 V watch the current. Be sure it dont go
above abt 2 A. As it warms up it will drop a little. As you
slowly turn it up the current will go down & on almost any
SS set be about .75 A at normal line & picture.

If a remote you have to keep trying the on/off til the
relay closes. Watch the current as you do it. Sometimes you
gotta go fairly high to get it on. Newer sets may need other
tricks to do it.

73 Zeno