My first RCA ctc7A

[Bill Cahill]

Hi, guys. I have had this set for several years, but, have had numerous problems with it. Our friend, John Folsom helped me with it as part of a swap deal. I did the re-building, bit, he did alot of other hard to do work.

Well, I am finally going to be shipped back the chassis, and, deflection yoke, convergence board, etc..

Here's the deal. The set now plays, all color adjustments, and alignment have been done. When I get it, I have the rest to do, including purity, convergence, etc...

Now, my questions. Would anybody have a better condition empty case they might wish to dump? Mine is the ugly blond consolette on legs, The top looks horendous, and since it isn't real wood, cannot be re finnished.

Next: Would anybody have the on off knob for this set? It is missing.

Next: Does anybody have an original back cover? I have mine, but, the dreaded power transformer leaked a ton of tar, including on the back cover in the beginning.

I'm glad it's coming back, and I will soon be puting it back together, and getting a picture on it. It's been manny years since this set has seen use.

I originally bought it from a local tv repair shop. It was in their attic.
The replacement pix. tube checks good on all three guns. I have to do speaker repairs. This set wasn't treated well. I had to re support brackets for weak screw on legs. This set is a beasty.

Hope somebody can help. Thanks.

Bill Cahill

[Bobby Brady]

I would think your set is so rare and valuable that it would be worth restoring the cabinet to original while you are looking for one you like better. That way it looks good for you in case it takes a few years to get the cabinet you prefer. Even if it has the photo of wood on it I am certain it can be duplicated at a reasonable cost.
It will be great to see photos!

I was recently in St. Pete and stopped at one of the few old TV shops there on Park Blvd (I think). They were nice and said they did not have a 21FJP22. I later wondered if I had stated I would pay a high price for one if they would have looked.

Could you tell us what you said and did to find your CTC-7?

Thanks

[Bill Cahill]

I simply stated that I am a collector of antique tv's. I asked them if they had any for sale. They sold me two upstairs. The color set , and a termite infested mid 50's bw RCA I stripped. They also had a ct-100 that they refused to sell. Sad. I found out who the second owner was later.
It was a business associate I used to know. She had that color set in the late 50's. She got rid of it to that very tv shop because it had many problems. But, the picture tube was still alive then. They wouldn't even take 4,000.00 for that set.

I may have the picture tube you need. Might be willing to trade it for something I'd die without.
I'll take pictures of the color set when I have it up, and running with some sort of watchable picture.

[Bobby Brady]

and the CRT offer. After I checked that shop in St Pete and here for a 21FJP22 I sent the original one from my '64 RCA ,which had somewhat low hours but shorted filaments, to Hawk-Eye Picture Tube in Iowa for a rebuild. I am praying it comes back ok in the carton I spent a week to construct. If something goes wrong I'll be in touch.

That must have been a great feeling to find that CTC-7 as you did. I can imagine the feeling of disappointment over The CT-100 especially since you knew the owner. I hope you try again to get it. The shop that had it could have had all sorts of things happen to bring them to sell it by now. I wish you could get it. I suppose the lady that owned it may have passed by now. I hope not to bother you with the next questions but it would be great to know a bit more about that CT-100 and the lady you knew.
Could you tell us her name and where she lived? Any trivial details would be interesting. Do you remember seeing a program on her set in the fifties? Did you know who the original owner was? Was it still a big deal even after the bigger 21' sets came out? Did you know the shop back in the fifties? Was the shop owner the same since the 50's? Can you tell us which shop and if it's still there? Well, I guess don't tell us the shop unless you are absolutely sure they won't sell it to you.
Also, Did you ever know of Chuck from Island TV in St.Pete. He was on Park Blvd a bit west of US 19. I just wonder if he is still in St. Pete.
Thanks for you time.

[fujifrontier]

re the people who wont sell the CT-100: "nice little place you got here... be a shame if anything happened to it"

[Bill Cahill]

I don't know what happenned to the tv. The shop closed years ago. I wasn't in fl. back in the fifties. I was a lad living in Haprer Woods, Mich. with my parents, and family.

Her name slips me. Oh, yesl. Virginia Counts. She retired two years ago.
I never swa it working. She said that when it worked right, worked remarkably well, but, was always breaking down.

When I saw the set, it was non working. The owner said the if's were dead, it had a shorted flyback, and tuner problems, as well.
It had the wrong knob for channel selector. Virginia said to me it always had the wrong knob on it. She said when she bought it used, the knob was already there.
It was the mahaganny one. Fairly decent cabinet.
He just would't let me have it.
He laughed at my offer of 700.00 for it. That was about 16 years ago.'
Don't remember the name of the shop, nor the exact location, but, it was in St. Pete.
It was a St. Pete tv.
She is a native Floridian.
They wanted a color set, but, could not afford a new one. The owner sold it to them for I believe she said 50.00. It was working, but,needed repairs.


Interesting, the first tiv station in Tampa Bay area was uhf station ch. 35. Then, they went under, and ch. 8 came on the air in late 50's.

Hope this bit of history helps. Wish I had the set, too.
Bill Cahill

[fujifrontier]

poor old thing

[Steve D.]

Bill,

Sounds like it may be the CTC-7 "Sanford" model.
Photo courtesy Ed Reitan's site.

Sanford300.gif
http://www.novia.net/~ereitan/Galler...Sanford300.gif

-Steve D.

[Bill Cahill]

Nope. Not the Sanford model. This has a "Hi Fi" speaker system below. There is a clear horizontal plastic grill work of louvers in front of the grill cloth.Don't know how else to describe it. All knobs are on the sie, though. It is a vhf only model. Cheap company. I once had the ctc 4, and it was a vhf, uhf model. Even my ctc 5 doesn't have uhf. I picked up the 5 from a defunct tv repair shop in North Carolina. I't a table model set in masonite, and sits on its' original wood, and masonite base.The base is on four screw on legs.

Bill Cahiill

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by Bill Cahill

Nope. Not the Sanford model. This has a "Hi Fi" speaker system below. There is a clear horizontal plastic grill work of louvers in front of the grill cloth.Don't know how else to describe it. All knobs are on the sie, though. It is a vhf only model. Cheap company. I once had the ctc 4, and it was a vhf, uhf model. Even my ctc 5 doesn't have uhf. I picked up the 5 from a defunct tv repair shop in North Carolina. I't a table model set in masonite, and sits on its' original wood, and masonite base.The base is on four screw on legs.

Bill Cahiill

Bill,

I'm stumped. The Sanford model seemed to fit your discription. The only other model that has horizontal louvers over the grill cloth, and knobs on the side, that I can find, is the late production CTC-5 "Lockhaven" model. Perhaps you can post the model number from he back panel and resolve this mystery.

Photo courtesy: Ed Reitan's site.
The Lockhaven
http://www.novia.net/~ereitan/Galler...Lockhaven.html

-Steve D.

[Bobby Brady]

Originally Posted by Bill Cahill

Nope. Not the Sanford model. This has a "Hi Fi" speaker system below. There is a clear horizontal plastic grill work of louvers in front of the grill cloth.Don't know how else to describe it. All knobs are on the sie, though. It is a vhf only model. Cheap company. I once had the ctc 4, and it was a vhf, uhf model. Even my ctc 5 doesn't have uhf. I picked up the 5 from a defunct tv repair shop in North Carolina. I't a table model set in masonite, and sits on its' original wood, and masonite base.The base is on four screw on legs.

Bill Cahiill

Clear horizontal plastic grill work of louvers? That sounds really cool and I hope to see a photo. Never seen anything like that. Plus Hi-Fi sound? That sounds like a special model to me. I think even special models could be without UHF back then and not be a "cheap" set. Just guessing.
For example I have seen a '69 or '70 Cadillac that was ordered without power windows. That was odd to see window cranks in a fancy looking luxury car.

[Bill Cahill]

I'll have to look up the back cover. It is not a ctc 5. It IS a ctc 7A. Both 5U4's are on top of power transformer.

I'm sorry, but, it just doesn't look like the set in the picture. I keep looking, and it just doesn't look like it. Cabinet is lower to the floor. Legs are shorter, and not straight.They are at an angle.
The legs in picture look fairly long. I think mine about 6" long. Don't hold me to it. You can ask John Folsom about it. He'll confirm it's the ctc 7A.

Thanks. Bill Cahill

[fujifrontier]

nice

[vintagecollect]

...

[fujifrontier]

agreed