Dumont Manchu combo on Ebay - Videokarma.org TV - Video

polaraman · #1 07-18-2006, 05:12 PM

ChuckA has a really nice set like this one. It is too far away for me to bid on. Somebody needs to get this and save it. There can't be many left of this model.

polaraman

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Dumont-T...QQcmdZViewItem

Tubejunke · #2 07-18-2006, 08:40 PM

Dumont in my mind was tops for quality and beauty, in the earlier years. I mean look at that thing. It looks like a piece of fine furniture, and is in its own way. Later in the 50's and 60's they got cheaper and uglier I think. Not too many years back I saw a modern TV with the Dumont name slapped on the front. Couldnt believe it. So the name still exists. Like any brand today that we remember as quality American manufacturing is really some Japaneese company using the name. Who REALLY won the war?

Bobby Brady · #3 07-19-2006, 07:31 AM

That looks like it shouls be in one of those dark lit mansions with the wood walls and oriental rugs. I never seen a TV anything close to that. The orientals I have seen are beautiful but much more plain.

polaraman · #4 07-19-2006, 10:46 PM

Charles,

Are you bidding for Dr. Dan or yourself? It looks to be a 19AP4 CRT. I wish it was closer to me. I would really like to have that television. I'm glad that somebody here liked the set. I would imagine that they are pretty rare. You do not see one often.

polaraman

kx250rider · #5 07-20-2006, 02:35 AM

This bid's mine, but I have very little hope of getting it...

Charles

Tony V · #6 07-20-2006, 03:08 AM

I dont know Charles as you might just luck out on this one. We'll keep our fingers crossed for ya! Good Luck! Needless to say if you get it we'll want details

Tony

Tubejunke · #7 07-20-2006, 11:57 PM

The guy says the thing weighs 100 lbs. I tend to differ. That is a DuMont. I dont know if they made anything 100lbs back in those years. That thing is in great shape. Even still has the rubber sheath on the bell of the metal cone crt. I had an RA-109A that I bought back in the early 80's (showing my age-37 I started this hobby young). At THAT time the thing had been in rough storage for probably 25 years and I gave her a straight shot of 110 and that darn thing tried its darndest to work. I had AM-FM-TV sound, and a raster. Just never had video. This set was severely neglected. Spent a day pulling rhodent nesting and crap out of a rusting chassis.

Whoever gets this set will have the coolest of cool and the best of the best. I would LOVE to have another. Especially if its only 100lbs.

( I bet the power transformer alone in my long lost 109 weighed 25 lbs.)

ChuckA · #8 07-21-2006, 07:11 AM

I can tell you from experience that this set weighs WELL over 100 lbs, in the 250 pound range if it still had the original 20BP4 CRT. It uses the RA-106 chassis, with an outboard audio amp.

Chuck

kx250rider · #9 07-21-2006, 11:39 AM

This looks to be a metal RCA tube; probably a 19AP4. I wonder if this did originally have a glass tube like the Westminster? But I was thinking this is a newer set, like about 1950 with with a 19AP4. I've had a bunch of DuMonts with 19AP4s. This one has the Mallory continuous tuner with FM radio it appears. I like the set, although it would be an ENORMOUS project! It sure is elegant, and rare. But the shipping would kill the deal for anyone not able to go get it in person.

Charles

ChuckA · #10 07-21-2006, 09:23 PM

The correct tube for the set is a 20BP4. There was a factory kit available to replace the 20BP4 with the 19AP4. The 20BP4 was a prewar design, huge bottle shape with rounded front and glass over an inch thick, it used a straight gun so was susceptable to ion burns. Both of my 20BP4 sets show burns in the center of the screen.

Chuck

***Eric H*** · #11 07-21-2006, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChuckA

The correct tube for the set is a 20BP4. There was a factory kit available to replace the 20BP4 with the 19AP4.

Chuck

Looks like that might be the case here, note the different color wood the tube brackets are bolted to, also the mask doesn't look like it fits exactly right from the back.

This whole time I thought it was the front that was green but the description says it's the side.

Tubejunke · #12 07-22-2006, 01:03 AM

When I see the beautiful old DuMonts I wonder how anyone would have ever got tired of watching the thing and put it out to pasture. I think color tv might have meant the end of the line for many sets of this caliber and vintage. You had to be well to do to afford one of these huge DuMont sets.

I actually knew the man who sold my RA-109A new. I believe he said he sold it to the President of Stanley Furniture Co in the late 40's for upwards of $1,000. You could buy a REAL nice slightly used car for that. It took a chunk of change for what DuMont had to offer. At least the 19" and up to that HUUGE Royal Sovereign (I think). Anybody ever saw one of THOSE monsters? I have only seen pictures. DuMont really was the cutting edge in those days. The Sovereign had some ridiculously large CRT, maybe up in the 30"s. Not a blue collar set. Not today either because some lucky person will get it for $30 or so. If he picks it up himself he can put that $$ saved in shipping toward a team of piano movers to move the thing, and a proper recap, resistor check, and tube check. Caps are going up in $$ around here. 4 elecrtrolytics cost me $20 this week. Axials are real high. I'm making the radials work and actually I found it to be easier in many ways. Plus it saves space as the cap rests in a vertical position. Anyway it will be a job and a chunk of change in parts. My RA-109 had over 40 tubes I think. Probably over 200 caps and 300 resistors. Different model completely but similar setup and timeframe. Lots of parts, but not all require replacement as we all know. What about the vacuum leak problems with the glass/metal CRT's??

As clean is that thing is I wouldnt be a bit suprised if a slow warm up and tube replacement brought the Ebay set back to some degree of life. Replacement RCA CRT and no brightener are good signs. Looks like 19AP4 is holding vacuum

I'm so jealous

NAH I'm glad the set will get a good home and not the landfill. Yes, that still happens!!! Sorry for my typical long wind......

Tube out.........

kx250rider · #13 07-23-2006, 12:59 PM

WOW! $707... I was scared I'd win it for $35 and have to drive up and get it..... Guess not!

Charles

polaraman · #14 07-23-2006, 01:17 PM

I hope a TV collector won the set. I would hate to see some fool make a bar or Tv stand out of it. Did somebody here win it?

polaraman

Jeffhs · #15 07-30-2006, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

Dumont in my mind was tops for quality and beauty, in the earlier years. I mean look at that thing. It looks like a piece of fine furniture, and is in its own way.

DuMont may not have been the first to put its TVs in Oriental-style cabinets. The set being discussed here reminds me of a 21" Stromberg-Carlson console TV my aunt had in the 1950s. It was in a white cabinet with heavy doors over the CRT; the large square door pulls were adorned with Manchurian-like artwork. Perhaps SC got the idea from DuMont, or was it the other way around?