Stromberg-Carlson TC 10-H "Manhattan" restoration

[bandersen]

I picked this set up at an estate sale this morning. This is the first SC of any type I've ever seen for sale so was really excited when I discovered what it was with your help. No one else there was even remotely interested in it and seem surprised that I was. That's fine by me.


Here it is arriving at my place.



The only issue I can see is the missing "Opera Glass" push-button knob. I assume that will be impossible to find


There's a little veneer separation, but looks like an easy repair and refinish task.


The chassis looks to be all original and unmolested.


Oooh - looks like fun


Here's the continuous tuning mechanism.


The tuning mechanism is functional. Here's a little video of it in action. Very cool - I wonder how well it actually works though

The Sylvania 10BP4 tests OK, but exhibits a purple glow while testing. I assume that's bad




Overall not too bad I think. Now I just need to make it look like this one: http://www.myvintagetv.com/tc10.htm

[cbenham]

This set looks extremely well built, like a broadcast studio monitor. I like the tuning system as well. Good luck with the restoration, it should make really great pictures.
Cliff

[Eric H]

Bob, this is a superb score!

The purple glow looks like it's on the surface of the glass, I don't think it'll hurt anything, I've seen it before. If it was really gassy I doubt it would check OK, you could always stick it in another set and try it.

I had the opportunity to look at one of these up close for possible restoration but it was a mess so it didn't happen.

One odd thing is the way the channel selector is attached with a set screw, i could NOT get the knob off to save my life, it was loose and spinning but wouldn't come off the shaft no matter how hard I tried.

There might be a possibility the owner of that set might have the fine tuning knob and be willing to part with it.

[jeyurkon]

About the 10BP4, in the photo it almost looks like the glass is glowing. Is that the case? Maybe it's just the way the photo was taken, but it doesn't look like what I'd expect from a gassy CRT.

John

[Steve K]

That missing knob is actually the "Opera Glass" or something like that. It electronically magnifies the picture when pushed. Fine tuning is just done with the large channel knob.

Steve

[Tim]

The only issue I can see is the missing "opera house" push-button knob. I assume that will be impossible to find

Before the internet it would have been impossible to find. Not now. I happen to have a spare "Opera Glass" knob. PM me.

Great find, not too many of those around. I found mine at a flea market.

[jr_tech]

Nice set... I agree about the purple glow... may just be electrons hitting the glass surface (unless the perspective in the photo is very misleading)...can you move it around with a small magnet?
CRT removal looks to be a real ship in a bottle deal... how do you get it out? I hope the instructions don't say "break neck to remove CRT"
jr

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by jeyurkon

About the 10BP4, in the photo it almost looks like the glass is glowing. Is that the case? Maybe it's just the way the photo was taken, but it doesn't look like what I'd expect from a gassy CRT.

John

Originally Posted by jr_tech

Nice set... I agree about the purple glow... may just be electrons hitting the glass surface (unless the perspective in the photo is very misleading)...can you move it around with a small magnet?
CRT removal looks to be a real ship in a bottle deal... how do you get it out? I hope the instructions don't say "break neck to remove CRT"
jr

I'm not sure. I've seen glass glow blue before in tubes that worked fine, but purple is new for me. I just packed it away for the evening, but I'll pop it open again and examine that glow more closely soon.

All aspects of this sets construction seems a little weird to me. I suspect the whole front panel comes off and then the CRT can be removed without to much hassle. I think the ion trap magnet is a little odd as well. I'm used to the dual pole magnets in my Admiral sets.

[leadlike]

I've seen that purple glow in testing these older crts before. It seems to be caused by the ion trap. Move the trap around and see if that glow shifts with it. The first time I saw that glow on a 14" crt, I panicked, but it works fine, and so has the 10BP4, 21amp4, and whatever that 17" crt is that I have subsequently tested and seen that sinister glow on.

I guess the cathode is emitting enough ions during testing that when they smack the neck of the tube (steered there by the ion trap) they emit enough energy on impact to cause the glow?

[ohohyodafarted]

Great Score! I have wanted one of these for a long time but they are always pricey, so you did real good getting this at an estate sale.

I have a console version of this set, with the same chassis. IT is NOT fun to recap this one because part of the chassis is in the verticle plane and it is difficult to work on.

The "Opera Glass" knob simply pushes the shaft and activates a switch on the chassis to magnify the picture.

I worked long and hard on my set and was never able to get the linearity on the thing to look decent, and had a difficult time filling the entire crt with the picture unless the linearity was way out of round.

Good luck and keep us posted on your restoration.

[bandersen]

Thanks for all the info and encouragement guys! I had a feeling this set was a bit beyond the usual when I spied it Just how rare do you suppose these are
This is a perfect example of a case where the elderly owner had kept every single TV, radio and phonograph he ever owned. Quite the time capsule!

I'm not sure when I'll get to it, but I'll do my best to make it soon. I think I need an apprentice...

[Tom Albrecht]

Purple glow is usually nitrogen gas (otherwise known as air). Blue on the glass is OK. So I'm a little less optimistic than the others about your CRT. Will wait to hear out it turns out. Very nice set!

[bandersen]

Yeah Nitrogen => purple that's what I was thinking
Nuts again, I just noticed that the front left tuning slug has become detached from the riser. That should be fun to fix.

[tvdude1]

I know a radio collector that has a TC 10 in a storage locker thats clean that he may want to part with. I am not interested because I have a NOS set still in the box. If someone is interested I can get his phone number for you.

[John Marinello]

I think the ion trap magnet is a little odd as well. I'm used to the dual pole magnets in my Admiral sets.[/QUOTE]

This seems to be common on rebuilt CRTs, they just stick single-field guns in them.

Nice TV!