4 Tube RCA 9" Hybrid from 1969

[Eric H]

I've had this set for a while, it's just like a set my Dad had when I was a kid, got this one for $10 off eBay, back when people were sane enough to list sets on eBay at $10.

It's both Hybrid and Modular with some of the circuitry being mounted on plug in boards. This is the same chassis used in the RCA Mini Consoles that everyone (erroneously) calls a Salesman's sample.

This was without doubt one of the dirtiest sets I've come across, the chassis was just caked with filth and grime, everything inside was filthy. only one option on this case and that was a full disassemble and a good hot bath.

I stripped it down to the bare cabinet and washed all the parts, including the chassis in the water based parts washer at work, most everything on the chassis is plastic based or coated so there really wasn't much that could get hurt. I scrubbed everything clean, including the flyback and the yoke, then I rinsed it all off in the utility sink with some hot water and set it in the Sun to dry.

Sometime in the sets life someone had added an Atom brand filter capacitor across the main filter cap, they just ran some wires under the chassis and laid the cap in the side of the cabinet.
The Atom Cap had a 1967 date code on it so it was older than the set itself when it was installed, I removed it and will restuff the can when I get time, the set does still come on but it has a hum, there's also no video, or very faint video, just sound and a raster that I can just make out that there is something there.

Take a look at the picture of the CRT neck, it's so blackened from use it's a wonder it's any good but it seems to be nice and bright.

Someone familiar with these sets might note the Horizontal Output tube in the wrong socket in the last picture, I had stuck them in in a hurry and mixed it up with the vertical, took a few minutes to figure out why I had no high voltage.

[compucat]

Originally Posted by Eric H

I've had this set for a while, it's just like a set my Dad had when I was a kid, got this one for $10 off eBay, back when people were sane enough to list sets on eBay at $10.

It's both Hybrid and Modular with some of the circuitry being mounted on plug in boards. This is the same chassis used in the RCA Mini Consoles that everyone (erroneously) calls a Salesman's sample.

This was without doubt one of the dirtiest sets I've come across, the chassis was just caked with filth and grime, everything inside was filthy. only one option on this case and that was a full disassemble and a good hot bath.

I stripped it down to the bare cabinet and washed all the parts, including the chassis in the water based parts washer at work, lost everything on the chassis is plastic based or coated so there really wasn't much that could get hurt. I scrubbed everything clean, including the flyback and the yoke, then I rinsed it all off in the utility sink with some hot water and set it in the Sun to dry.

Sometime in the sets life someone had added an Atom brand filter capacitor across the main filter cap, they just ran some wires under the chassis and laid the cap in the side of the cabinet.
The Atom Cap had a 1967 date code on it so it was older than the set itself when it was installed, I removed it and will restuff the can when I get time, the set does still come on but it has a hum, there's also no video, or very faint video, just sound and a raster that I can just make out that there is something there.

Take a look at the picture of the CRT neck, it's so blackened from use it's a wonder it's any good but it seems to be nice and bright.

Someone familiar with these sets might note the Horizontal Output tube in the wrong socket in the last picture, I had stuck them in in a hurry and mixed it up with the vertical, took a few minutes to figure out why I had no high voltage.

What is the purpose of the neon bulb on the crt socket? I have seen this on several sets and never understood what it was for. Nice set by the way. I have always loved the small screen sets.

[radiotvnut]

Nice little TV. I've got the mini-console version; but, I've never pulled the back to see what's in it.

[truetone36]

I have the mini-console version and another version in a white plastic cabinet.

[Sandy G]

I HAD a Mini-Console, of course, it didn't work when I got it, so it went to Terry's, his wife made such a big deal over how CUUUUUUTE it was, I ended up letting her keep it.. Seems like a LOT of these L'il Guys led HARD lives...Were they cheap, & people just abused 'em, or what ? They're almost always dirty, nasty, beat-to-$hit...

[BigDavesTV]

I have one of these little critters in the mini-console cabinet! It has a great picture, couldn't have been used much, I believe the 4 tubes are the originals. I wish I knew it's model #, as the tag's glue must have let go, I can tell the tag has been missing a long time! There's very little dust inside the set.

[Retspin]

Nice set! I too have a Mini- Console version, in fact I pretty much finished restoring it this weekend. My 5 year old son thinks it's cool, he likes the glow of the tubes!

[Sandy G]

Wish WE had "Me TV" here...We have 3-4 "Preacher" channels, 3-4 home shopping channels, but the "Kewl" stuff ?!? Fuggeddaboutit..

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by compucat

What is the purpose of the neon bulb on the crt socket? I have seen this on several sets and never understood what it was for. Nice set by the way. I have always loved the small screen sets.

I like the small screen sets, as well. That's why I have so many.
I remember that model was available in several furniture styles. I always used to scoff at the sellers that referred as that set being a "Sales mans sample".
RCA must've had a lot of those cabinets left over, from the days of building AM/FM table radios in this country.
Around the time that set was built, all RCA's small radios were Japanese built.
BTW, the neon lamp was used to minimize arcing in the CRT.

[BigDavesTV]

Wow, that little maple cabinet is even prettier than mine! The set I have is in a dark walnut, Mediterranean style cabinet!

[Retspin]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Wish WE had "Me TV" here...We have 3-4 "Preacher" channels, 3-4 home shopping channels, but the "Kewl" stuff ?!? Fuggeddaboutit..

We're fortunate here, I get Me TV from 2 different stations plus Antenna TV, This TV and LWN.

[Retspin]

Originally Posted by BigDavesTV

Wow, that little maple cabinet is even prettier than mine! The set I have is in a dark walnut, Mediterranean style cabinet!

Thanks, I actually had the cabinet refinished recently. We've kept the furniture guy busy repairing our worn furniture lately since he is retiring. I told him that I had a console TV cabinet that needed work and he agreed to take on the job, then I told how big it was and we got a good laugh out of it! It really turned out nice.

[John Adams]

Originally Posted by compucat

What is the purpose of the neon bulb on the crt socket? I have seen this on several sets and never understood what it was for. Nice set by the way. I have always loved the small screen sets.

IIRC, they were used as a spark gap.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by Retspin

We're fortunate here, I get Me TV from 2 different stations plus Antenna TV, This TV and LWN.

Your small RCA mini-console TV looks great. Glad to see it works so well. Yours is only the second or third RCA mini console I've seen; was this set a limited edition or just not very popular?

BTW: Where are you located? If you get MeTV on two channels, plus Antenna TV and ThisTV, I'm thinking you are between two cities (if you get your TV reception OTA), or else you have cable.

In my area, 35 miles from Cleveland, I get (on cable) Antenna TV, MeTV, and Retro TV. I should be getting ThisTV as a subchannel of Cleveland's The CW affiliate, but for some reason the cable system here (Time Warner) doesn't carry it. ThisTV formerly was on a subchannel of Cleveland's MyTV affiliate but their contract with the network expired a couple years ago, so the other station picked it up. I think this must have happened in 2011 or so, IIRC.

[Retspin]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

Your small RCA mini-console TV looks great. Glad to see it works so well. Yours is only the second or third RCA mini console I've seen; was this set a limited edition or just not very popular?

BTW: Where are you located? If you get MeTV on two channels, plus Antenna TV and ThisTV, I'm thinking you are between two cities (if you get your TV reception OTA), or else you have cable.

In my area, 35 miles from Cleveland, I get (on cable) Antenna TV, MeTV, and Retro TV. I should be getting ThisTV as a subchannel of Cleveland's The CW affiliate, but for some reason the cable system here (Time Warner) doesn't carry it. ThisTV formerly was on a subchannel of Cleveland's MyTV affiliate but their contract with the network expired a couple years ago, so the other station picked it up. I think this must have happened in 2011 or so, IIRC.

I live in eastern NC and both the Raleigh and Greenville locals blast city grade signals my way from 2000ft towers, so I get a lot of stuff OTA from 2 different TV markets.

My console does have bit of a vertical problem after it has been on a while. I have new tubes for it and just need to find time to work on it. We have young kids and they keep us very busy!