Evidence on how horrible a Predicta was when new!

[kx250rider]

Here's an eBay ad that made me laugh HARD! This ad is for a Mechanics Illustrated Magazine, 1959 issue. The main subject: TV Repair. Well, guess what is the cover-page icon of a TV being repaired...

A CURRENT-YEAR-MODEL (NEW) PREDICTA! This is a "nails-in-the-coffin" statement on the quality and reliability of Predictas, even when they were new

http://cgi.ebay.com/MECHANIX-ILL-WIT...QQcmdZViewItem

Charles

[jpdylon]

I've got a predicta from 62 that had no end of problems before I fixed it. Its not 3 miles from me, so i think I'm gonna snag it (or try to) it would beinteresting to read how horrible techs found these in the beginning.

[Sandy G]

IIRC, the Predicta played no small part in driving Philco into near bankruptcy & being bought by Ford...

[blue_lateral]

It's strange what people find valuable. Not that I wouldn't welcome a predicta, I would. It is rather annoying to see them going for hundreds of dollars on ebay, while Philcos with the traditional bulletproof build quality are going begging and probably getting thrown in the trash.

John

[Eric H]

I just moved my Predicta into my bedroom from the "storage" bedroom.
Looking at it staring at me I just wonder what the hell were they thinking???

Eames era or not this thing is just bizzare looking

[Eric H]

Oh yeah, did you know they were one of the first televisions? (more wisdom from eBay)

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-VINTAGE-OLD...QQcmdZViewItem

"THERE IS INFORMATION WRITEN ON THE BACK OF THE T-V IN BRAILLE"

WTH would a blind person be doing adjusting the controls?

[Sandy G]

Yeah, weren't they made sometime back in the Teens or Twenties or sumpin' ?

[Carmine]

Not that I know anything about them (never having physically touched one) but I'd guess they used it as a cover shot because it was a "unique" product, not because it was already broken.

[kx250rider]

Could be, but what AWFUL publicity! Kinda like seeing a rat trap at the front door of a restaurant...

Charles

[OvenMaster]

I like how the guy on the cover replacing the CRT is wearing a wristwatch, white shirt, and suit! Did all TV repairmen dress so sharp back then?
Tom

[Phil Nelson]

It is humorous in hindsight, although I suppose the editors were trying to indicate that you would learn about cool up-to-date technology.

I restored one Predicta and can testify that removing the PC board is a big pain in the rear: http://antiqueradio.org/philc12.htm .

I'm not a big fan of series-string TVs or radios any more. That design was used to save money, and the desire to economize shows up in other things, too. It's more fun to work on good stuff than junky stuff!

[David Roper]

I REFUSED TO PLUG IT IN AND SCREW IT UP BECAUSE WE USE 110 VOLTS, AND THIS T-V USES 117 VOLTS...

I wish there were more such cautious(ly ignorant) souls selling on the Bay. "What's this tag mean, Pa, 'thirty-two vee dee cee?'" "Never mind, just plug it in!"

[John Folsom]

One of the urban legends I have heard about the 21" Predictas was that they had a high udner-werranty failrue rate of the CRT. Is this just a myth? If not, it coincides with the PM article.

[andy]

...

[kx250rider]

Originally Posted by John Folsom

One of the urban legends I have heard about the 21" Predictas was that they had a high udner-werranty failrue rate of the CRT. Is this just a myth? If not, it coincides with the PM article.

Hey John; I saw this array of juncque out back of an old apartment house. It looks kinda like your avatar! What the heck is it anyway???



Charles