Show us your vintage B&W sets!

[Smoky Pond]

Here are some shots of the RCA 648PV that I restored in 2001.

This set looks beautiful and performs flawlessly.

My wife and I often watch old B&W movies from our CED and laserdisc collection on this TV.

-Matt

[Steve K]

Matt:

Welcome to AudioKarma. What a beautiful set and restoration. I have the RCA projection set from 1948 without the radio and phono that I recapped a few years ago and the picture is nowhere near the picture on your set. I even put in a NOS projection tube.

Steve

[Marlin Mackley]

Bravo Matt!! What a great tv! Gives me hope on restoring one of my '49 RCA projectors.
Marlin

[Charlie]

Matt,

That set is extrememly impressive! I've never seen one in person... only here on the internet. In any case, I've never seen one of these projection sets put out such a sharp, clear picture like yours does! You definately get 5-stars for that job!!!

[Smoky Pond]

Originally Posted by Steve K

Matt:

Welcome to AudioKarma. What a beautiful set and restoration. I have the RCA projection set from 1948 without the radio and phono that I recapped a few years ago and the picture is nowhere near the picture on your set. I even put in a NOS projection tube.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for the welcome!

In addition to re-capping, I found that I had to replace quite a few resistors in the video and HV chassis. I also performed a complete alignment. The radio was a nightmare, but that's another story....

What do you feel is better about the picture on my set? Is it the resolution brightness? If it's resolution, how do the mirrors look in your set? Any apparent cloudiness when viewed in bright light? How much light escapes through the spherical mirror? If the mirrors look fine, do you feel that you were able to obtain satisfactory results during the optical setup? I got a lot of practice on mine, as I disassembled it each time we moved (the 648PV is extrmely heavy). So with each successive re-assembly, the optical setup turned out better and better. I now feel that all aspects of the optical setup, corner to corner, are as good as they can possibly be.

If it's the brightness of the picture, that may be due to the fact that I installed a NOS 5AZP4 CRT in place of the original 5TP4. I don't really know how much of a difference there is between these tubes. John Folsom may want to step in here and fill us in (hello John).

-Matt

[Smoky Pond]

Originally Posted by Charlie

Matt,

That set is extrememly impressive! I've never seen one in person... only here on the internet. In any case, I've never seen one of these projection sets put out such a sharp, clear picture like yours does! You definately get 5-stars for that job!!!

Charlie,

Thanks!

I like your site. I'll be spending some time there.

Truth be told though, my wife Janet is the reason that this set works as well as it does. She was able to put up with the endless stream of incoming Zenith Trans-Oceanics, but when I lugged this thing home, that was another story. It was too big to fit in with the radio collection, so it had to be placed in the living area of the house. And in order for that to happen, it better be able to carry its fair share; ie: it had better work and work well! Which of course, directly dictated the amount of effort that I would have to expend on this restoration.

-Matt

[Smoky Pond]

Originally Posted by Marlin Mackley

Bravo Matt!! What a great tv! Gives me hope on restoring one of my '49 RCA projectors.
Marlin

Marlin,

Thanks.

I see from your site that you have lots of hobbies too! My other vice is trucks. In particular, an early 1930 Ford Model AA stake truck that is going through a ground-up, frame-off restoration.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance when you begin the restoration of your set.

-Matt

[Eric H]

Matt, that set is awesome!! The picture is excellent, how big is the screen??

Eric

[Eric H]

I took the 621 I got a couple weeks ago apart and took some pics.

First one is the top of the chassis, looks like 58 years worth of dirt!
Second one is a front shot of the chassis with the CRT in place.
Third is a message from an ancient Service Tech!
Fourth is a shot of the chassis underside.
Fifth is how you remove the safety glass.

[Eric H]

Hokey smokes folks, do you realize this thread has been viewed over 22,000 times!
It might just be the most viewed single thread on AK!

That's got to be a glitch....the photos in message #535 have only been viewed about 5 or 6 times each, so that kind of confirms my assumption.

ASSUME

Ass (out of) You (and) Moi

Anthony

[Smoky Pond]

Originally Posted by Eric H

Matt, that set is awesome!! The picture is excellent, how big is the screen??

Eric

Thanks Eric!

Quoted directly from the RCA 648-PV sales literature: "....bright, clear, steady television on the big, 15-by-20-inch screen.... nearly as large as a full-size newspaper page."

Today we'd call it a 25" diagonal.

-Matt

[Eric H]

Originally Posted by heathkit tv

That's got to be a glitch....the photos in message #535 have only been viewed about 5 or 6 times each, so that kind of confirms my assumption.

ASSUME

Ass (out of) You (and) Moi

Anthony

? I was talking about the "Show us your B&W TV" thread, what are you talking about?

[Smoky Pond]

One of the neatest looking devices in the 1940's RCA projection sets (aside from the optical barrel) is the horizontal deflection chassis, which of course contains the HV section. If you've never seen what's under the cover of this chassis, please take a look at the attached picture.

-Matt

[Sandy G]

Smoky- Oh, damn !! You done went & did it NOW !! Doncha know that stuff's magic, & not supposed to be shown ?!? I can only imagine what awful things will befall you if Gen Sarnoff's minions find out about this !!! <grin>-Sandy G.