DuMont Royal Sovereign

[Countryford]

I just met an older gentlemen who has a Dumont Royal Sovereign 30 inch TV set, that he wants to get rid of. I'll be seeing it sometime within the next couple of weeks. He said the cabinet is in good shape but the picture tube has lost it's vacuum. I know finding a 30 inch picture tube for it, will be almost next to impossible, but is this something that the Early Television Museum will be able to rebuild once they get the rebuilding operation up and running? What would something like this be worth? I know they didn't make a lot of them and they are also rather large. I appreciate anyone's information on this. I'll be posting any updates.

[Sandy G]

Lucky Dawg ! I envy you on this ! (grin)

[Eric H]

I dunno, with a bad CRT it's a doorstop, a Mini Van sized door stop.

the 30BP4 is beyond hard to find.

[rca2000]

So is a CT-100...for that matter. But I do NOT hear ANYONE here calling THOSE a "doorstop".

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by rca2000

So is a CT-100...for that matter. But I do NOT hear ANYONE here calling THOSE a "doorstop".

I think there's a better chance of the 15GP22 being rebuilt than the 30BP4, it has in fact been done at least once.

Last I knew the ovens were too small for the 30" tube, unless the EFT addressed that? Even then the chance of rebuilding a leaky 30" metal tube is slim.

Yes, I know the 15GP is a leaker too but it's possibly repairable, not so much the metal/glass bond on the 30BP type tube.

[decojoe67]

That's a interesting, but tremendously big set. You'd need a crew with you to get that transported to a new location. Just getting that set through doorways must be quite a chore. I would love to watch a classic movie or TV show on one of these with that huge roundie screen.

[Kevin Kuehn]

M3-SRT8 did a thread over on ARF where he installed a rectangular CRT in one of these, and it turned out great. And he did the installation in an noninvasive way, so he can revert to the original CRT, if rebuilding ever becomes a viable option some day. I think it could be a very fun project if you have the room.

[Steve McVoy]

Our oven is designed to handle the tube, so when we get our rebuilding underway it should be rebuildable.

[hi_volt]

Oooh...pictures please when you get it home.

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by Steve McVoy

Our oven is designed to handle the tube, so when we get our rebuilding underway it should be rebuildable.

If that's the case, and the price is reasonable then go for it!

[Sandy G]

Didn't that ginormous tube have a BUNCH of other problems, too ? I've read they had pitifully short lives, getters weren't big enuf, & so forth.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

getters weren't big enuf, & so forth.

When they change out the electron gun, they could add a few more getters. Then once they seal it up and put the vacuum in, then flash all the extra getters to mop up the left over gasses.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

When they change out the electron gun, they could add a few more getters. Then once they seal it up and put the vacuum in, then flash all the extra getters to mop up the left over gasses.

A statement like that from you!!!!
"Once they seal it up and put the vacuum in".

[old_coot88]

That's a real gass...!

[N2IXK]

My understanding of the 30BP4 problem is that because the tube was not aluminized, getters could only be used in the neck, rather than up inside the funnel area, because the getter flash would produce visible barium patches on the phosphor screen.

Unfortunately, with the very large surface area and evacuated volume, more getter area was needed than was able to be used inside the neck, leading to excessive gas and poor tube life.