Rare Hallicrafters CTC4 clone resurrected from the dead.

[miniman82]

How's the alignment holding up? I should probably go through it again at some point, that first go around was kinda weird. Picture looks pretty good for now though, I'm impressed!

[ohohyodafarted]

I wanted to check the HV setting this morning. And while adjusting the HV control (burried above the power transformer) the raster suddenly went dead. Sound but no picture. I fiddled and fiddled with no luck finding the problem.. So....disconnect everything, unbolt the chassis, and drag the chassis downstairs to the basement lab.

IN the process of trying to find the no-raster problem I discovered that all my B+ voltages were running to high. And upon investigation, I discovered that I screwed up. Not very unusual, I screw up all the time.

I found that I have the B+ dropping resister wired improperly. I will fix that tomorrow. So I put the input AC on my variac and brought the line voltage down to 100vac which is now giving me the correct B+ So then I figured that with the B+ at 350 where it belongs I should reset the HV pot again. In so doing my hand bumped the end of the delay line and VIOLA I had my video back. There was a bad solder joint where the delay line lead is soldered to the terminal strip. Somebody had just tack soldered the lead on the terminal lug and the lead was never hooked through the hole in the lug.

So tomorrow I will address the issue with the B+ dropping resistor and put the chassis back in the cabinet and hopefully, I will be done for good this time.

[Kevin Kuehn]

Wow, Bob. That restoration about tops the cake. I'm very humbled by your level of dedication, patients, and attention to detail.

[Electronic M]

Wow! That is perhaps the most impressive level of craftsmanship I've ever seen go into a TV restoration.

Seeing the before picture it is amazing that there was enough left to make back into a complete TV set (even with all the newly fabricated parts).

I'm also surprised that the original necked CRT didn't have the phosphor blown off; how do you think that would come to be?

[Tomcomm]

Another "Bob-Restore" that continues to amaze us all! Your previous 21ct55 was hard to beat but this one was much more challenging. So what's next? Speaking of 21CT55s, mine needs a reproduction pencil-box and control door. Think you can fab this from scratch? If so, send me your bid......just kidding. Tom

[Glenz75]

Now thats what I call a 'ground up' restoration! Fantastic transformation Bob, I take my hat off, a real credit to you.
Cheers
Glen

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

I'm also surprised that the original necked CRT didn't have the phosphor blown off; how do you think that would come to be?

It's a 21AXP, it could have been down to air before it got necked.

[ohohyodafarted]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Wow! That is perhaps the most impressive level of craftsmanship I've ever seen go into a TV restoration.

Seeing the before picture it is amazing that there was enough left to make back into a complete TV set (even with all the newly fabricated parts).

I'm also surprised that the original necked CRT didn't have the phosphor blown off; how do you think that would come to be?

May have been a leaker crt to begin with. On the other hand the shadow mask is not very porous and is probably capable of blocking the inrush of air to some extent in a traumatic event. Also when you crack the neck of the tube, the broken remnant is held in place by the powerful vacuum inside of the tube. IT is not easy to pull the broken piece off until the vacuum has been mostly released. It's like when we use a hot wire to sever the neck in preparation for rebuilding a tube. You can't pull the two neck pieces appart until there is no longer a vacuum inside the tube.

EDIT:
OOOPS, I see this has alredy been answered by Nick.

[miniman82]

Could have been cracked to begin with, then fallen off. That's the same way rebuilders do it- crack the glass, then twist off the gun. We just did a 15GP22 that way at Bob's house not long ago, it's unnerving but works just fine. Turns out the gun structure diffuses the incoming air, so the phosphor isn't in any danger.

[radiotvnut]

Bob, I never dreamed this set could be saved and that is the most AMAZING restoration I've ever seen on any piece of electronics.

[ohohyodafarted]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

Bob, I never dreamed this set could be saved and that is the most AMAZING restoration I've ever seen on any piece of electronics.

Bryan,

I am happy that you like the final result. If it wasn't for you, I never would have had the opportunity to bring this rare set back from the dead. You did both me and the collector community a real service by saving it. You did good man, and I thank you on behalf of all tv collectors everywhere for rescuing it.

[Celt]

Looks great!

[zenithfan1]

Damn. Now I know that ANYTHING is possible. That set looks absolutely beautiful!! Omedetou! Hontou utsukushii da na!!!

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by zenithfan1

Damn. Now I know that ANYTHING is possible. That set looks absolutely beautiful!! Omedetou! Hontou utsukushii da na!!!

Mark, if you've been into anime long enough you should know that anything is possible there, but when the impossible happens in the real world it is either really awesome or really disturbing.


It is fitting that halicrafters had a CTC-4 clone in their line as, if I'm not mistaken, the tuner RCA and most clones used was a licensed halicrafters design.

This makes me really want to start getting that glorious lolipop color on my CTC-4 to work right.

[old_coot88]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Mark, if you've been into anime long enough you should know that anything is possible there, but when the impossible happens in the real world it is either really awesome or really disturbing.

"The difficult we do immediately.
The impossible takes a little longer."

U.S. Navy Seabees motto.