Magnavox Stereo Theatre 300, completed!

[magnasonic66]

I always call them theatres, if they're Magnavox, and the one Magnavox300 just restored is referred to as a theatre. I love your set mstaton, I had the Chinese walnut version for a bit, I don't even remember where I got it. I do remember selling it though. It would be nice to know if mine still existed intact. I can make space for one more, color or black & white.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by magnasonic66

I always call them theatres, if they're Magnavox, and the one Magnavox300 just restored is referred to as a theatre. I love your set mstaton, I had the Chinese walnut version for a bit, I don't even remember where I got it. I do remember selling it though. It would be nice to know if mine still existed intact. I can make space for one more, color or black & white.

That is a nice Job on a unique set Magnavox 300. I had a 1960 Philco combo and it had a non-stereo mpx tuner. Also had a 1968 25" Magnavox Theatre with the T933 chassis. It was in an Italian Provincial cabinet in near perfect condition. When it was picked up (it took 3 guys and one wrenched his back) drove the van home and had three friend help me put it in an entry hall off the dining room of my parent's house. It was so nice but when I moved, it had to go also, I sent it to an auction house about 20+ years ago and it fetched only $15. I hope it found a home, mine was too small.

[Magnavox300]

Originally Posted by holmesuser01

Can we see the turntable set-up? The EV stylus is not hard to run across.

Here are a couple pics of the turntable.
Before and after.
I think my favorite part of this project was cleaning it up!

Magnavox300

[holmesuser01]

When I was a youngun, we had a 2 cabinet console stereo that used this turntable. The wonderful Micromatic by Collaro. I still say this is the best automatic turntable there is. The late 60's version isn't nearly as good.

[Boobtubeman]

ME TOO!! I recall my dads old magnavox stereo. It was a big console, nothing but a record player, and it had an external speaker besides the console itself. It had this exact model of turntable. The turntable is long gone, but i still have the amplifiers from it. It used 4 6V6s and 4 12AX7 tubes not to mention the 5U4 rectifier. It worked well and did to the day i put it in the closet in 1989.. May still work today..

Anyone got a pic of the model were describing?

[Magnavox300]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

Your set turned out great; it was well worth the time and effort you put into it, as the picture looks very good. (I'm sure the phonograph will sound great as well, once you replace the cartridge and stylus; Magnavox did not cut corners on any of their 3-way consoles, even the b&w ones that preceded their fabulous 25" color console of the late '60s.) I've never seen a Magnavox stereo-theatre TV in this type of cabinet until now (the only ones I've seen up to now have been pictures, in magazine ads and on eBay, of the big Maggie color stereo theatres that must weigh 200 pounds or more, take four people to move, and are housed in huge cabinets). Your stereo theatre "300" may have been a limited edition or the predecessor to Magnavox's stereo theatre consoles. Does it have UHF? How does it sound at this point? I am referring to TV sound and that from the AM/FM tuner. I bet that set sounds 10 times better than today's "stereo" flat-screen TVs with 3" speakers.

Thanks for the kind words, I thought this set was pretty unique,
and glad it got me started in this great new hobby.
I wonder how many sets are enough?
Yes it does have UHF, though what is it used for?
The sound has been perfect and loud if you want it, but still very clear! Though after just a week I now started getting some loud buzzing in it. Usually when the DVD is on the main title, but when I play an actual movie, it's fine.
It seems to only happen at the end or begining of most DVD's.
I know the only cap I didn't replace was a large cardboard one on the speakers themselves. Maybe that's the problem.
Very strange, and just when I thought I was finished!!
I don't know how I ever watched classic shows and movies on anything else!

Magnavox300

[mstaton]

That Buzzing is normal on older sets. Generally when there is digitized lettering like during commercials or certain DVD's. . Nothing to worry about. My maggie color roundie even does it when the converter box in in mute mode. Just the nature of the beasts. Some sets do better than others. My CTC-16 barely does it at all. There are no parts you can change to fix this. Enjoy the set!

[Magnavox300]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

That is a nice Job on a unique set Magnavox 300. I had a 1960 Philco combo and it had a non-stereo mpx tuner. Also had a 1968 25" Magnavox Theatre with the T933 chassis. It was in an Italian Provincial cabinet in near perfect condition. When it was picked up (it took 3 guys and one wrenched his back) drove the van home and had three friend help me put it in an entry hall off the dining room of my parent's house. It was so nice but when I moved, it had to go also, I sent it to an auction house about 20+ years ago and it fetched only $15. I hope it found a home, mine was too small.

Thanks for the compliment, and all your help!
This was alot of fun.
It's amazing how inexpensive these sets are to buy,
but it's great for all of us who enjoy the hobby so much!
Do you prefer vintage color sets?
I wouldn't mind picking up one of those too!
I wonder what year color sets first came out, and if it's hard to find any early models?

Magnavox300

[mstaton]

1954 for color sets. Probably best to start with an early to mid sixties set. The price of early(54-59) RCA's are getting expensive to buy but you never know. Anything RCA, Zenith, Admiral, Magnavox, GE, Silvertone are good starter sets. Roundies or early rectangle sets. Roundies are more unique. There are a fair amount out there to be found since millions have been sold. Maybe put an ad on CL.

[Magnavox300]

Originally Posted by mstaton

That Buzzing is normal on older sets. Generally when there is digitized lettering like during commercials or certain DVD's. . Nothing to worry about. My maggie color roundie even does it when the converter box in in mute mode. Just the nature of the beasts. Some sets do better than others. My CTC-16 barely does it at all. There are no parts you can change to fix this. Enjoy the set!

I am only concerned, because it didn't do it for almost a week, and now it always does, just in the main title, like I said.
Every so often I will hear a slight humm or buzz in regular viewing too,
but I won't worry about it if that is common.
My last thought, is when I replaced the electrolytics, I stayed at the same voltage as the originals, 350V.
Now I realize I should have went higher, like 630V.
Would there be less humm or buzz if I went higher?

Magnavox300

[mstaton]

No, the higher voltage ratings wont change anything. You can try to adjust the sound IF cans to see if it will improve. Try adjusting the fine tuning and see if it is reduced first.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by Magnavox300

Yes it does have UHF, though what is it used for?
Magnavox300

To answer your question, nothing anymore, as I am about to explain.

UHF tuning in a TV set has no use any longer in this day and age of digital TV, as all older CRT TVs must now use a converter box with an antenna or cable to receive DTV signals. Most U. S. DTV stations broadcast over UHF channels, but I don't think they can be received using a standard (built into the set) UHF tuner or outboard converter as the transmission standards are different (the UHF tuners in all TVs made since the FCC UHF mandate of April 1964 are designed to receive only NTSC TV signals). These tuners or converters may not (more likely will not) work with today's ATSC DTV, although the broadcast frequencies are identical -- UHF channel 25, for example, is 536 to 542 MHz regardless of whether an analog or digital signal is being carried over that channel.

Note that since the DTV transition, UHF channels 51 through 69 are now assigned exclusively to DTV stations; NTSC analog television stations operating on these channels have been required to relocate to lower channels or else go off the air. Channels 70 through 83 were reassigned to land-mobile use in 1970, again requiring all existing TV stations operating in this part of the UHF television band to relocate to lower channels or cease operations entirely. Some early (1950s) UHF stations also operated on very high UHF channels above 70 (one of the first TV stations in Youngstown, Ohio for example, which would eventually become an all-UHF market, began its operations on channel 73, IIRC, when that station signed on in the early 1950s; it later moved to virtual channel 21, where it remains to this day).

BTW, I looked at one of the pictures of your Magnavox stereo theatre and found that there is no radio included in the console, just a Magnavox "Micromatic" four-speed record changer and, of course, the television. At least I didn't see a radio tuner anywhere on the control panel; if there is an AM or AM-FM radio in this unit its controls and dial scale may be located somewhere else on the set, although I would think that since most consoles route the phono/tuner audio through the television's audio amplifier and speakers, if there is a radio tuner in this one its controls would be in the same general area as the TV control panel. Another possibility could be that whomever owned this TV before you may have, for whatever reason, removed the radio tuner while leaving the amplifier intact and operational, although I did not see any empty holes on the control panel that would indicate such.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by Magnavox300

I wonder how many sets are enough?

Many of us collectors are still trying to answer that question even after decades. The rest already know-there is no answer!

[mstaton]

I wont turn down ANY roundie color set. I guess 6 is not enough LOL.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by holmesuser01

When I was a youngun, we had a 2 cabinet console stereo that used this turntable. The wonderful Micromatic by Collaro. I still say this is the best automatic turntable there is. The late 60's version isn't nearly as good.

The Mag dealer I worked at used to get a bunch of turntables in the shop every November. After not using them all year, we would clean and lubricate the motors, idlers and platters. we even had a jig to do it