I took a little road trip to central Illinois and picked up yet another Admiral.
According to the owner, her husband had been lugging it around long before they were married in the hopes of getting it running again.
Sadly, he passed away before that could happen, but maybe I can fulfill his dream.

It's in rough shape to be sure, but it came with a cool bonus.

It's nice to get out of the city once in a while.
Gas sure is (relatively) cheap. It's about $4.69 in my neighborhood.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2398/5819612441_fbfcbd0cc9_z.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2271/5820175396_fe4086e97b_z.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/5820175320_6c94d18859_z.jpg

Here it is packed in my car. It's always a good idea to pull the chassis from the cabinet. There was only one screw holding down that bottom chassis :no:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2297/5819631245_09531b8c62_z.jpg

Finally back home.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/5819629917_fe0b0b68f5_z.jpg

Someone stuck two 5U4s in it. One of them should be a 5Y3.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/5820192696_27d2087455_z.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/5820236564_0f5e36245e_z.jpg

It's not the original admiral 10BP4. It's a CBS/Hytron 10BP4A. The 'A' means it's a grey glass faceplate IIRC
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3620/5819686775_c318f209b0_z.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/5820192904_e8d48e41d0_z.jpg

I'm pretty sure someone replaced the tuner. The chassis mounting tab near it is mangled and the shaft is way too long.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/5820193484_ca8f5a3d3d_z.jpg

It's possible this set originally had the early wafer switch Admiral tuner and maybe even had channel #1. The decals are too faded to make out :(
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/5819631073_2cd934bb31_z.jpg

I have all the knobs except the channel changer.
I've seen some photos of early sets where it looked just like the others - no tail.
I do have some extras like that so I'll use one for now. The knobs with a tail are a real pain to find.
The veneer on top and the sides is pretty miserable. I'll probably just replace it all.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/5819673317_3eee459bb0_z.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2022/5819673471_cc80504903_z.jpg

The speaker is in good shape :)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5318/5819686477_331b2862bb_z.jpg

HV cage is a little weird though.
Normally, just the center section slides out, but the whole side comes off in this set. Otherwise, it looks OK.
Also, the AC cord has been replaced with screws instead of rivets.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/5820248630_68e6303884_z.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5025/5819686119_9343fbccfb_z.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5021/5820248966_e25d091a5f_z.jpg

The CRT was really weak at first, but came too life after cooking at 7 VAC for about 30 minutes. The life test is excellent.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/5819712383_c865f59483_m.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5280/5820275188_d1464baf02_m.jpg

Very nice find. Glad the CRT is good. Keep us posted on the restore!

Now as for the bonus item I mentioned earlier - it's a cool jumbo strap on magnifier. It's oil filled and massive - must be at least 20 lbs.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3345/5819720883_4c31cf48eb_z.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3583/5819721003_3c69ec6fe8_z.jpg

It mounts via two metal sleeves that lie on top and screw to the back of the set. Two rods mounted to the magnifier slide inside.

It looked kinda weird at first, but it's growing on me. We'll have to wait until it's running to see how well it actually works. For now, I just stuck a lantern inside.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2183/5820313688_9d278f9ace_z.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/5819721379_cc3d541df0_z.jpg http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5819722007_247c73ce41_z.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/5819760317_be57fbba00_z.jpg

Very nice find. Glad the CRT is good. Keep us posted on the restore!

So am I. I hooked it up to my Sencore CR70 and let it run a while longer. Now it reads like new and is rock solid on the life test:)
I had a run of bad luck with my last few sets, so it's nice to find a strong one.

I now have a 30A12, 30A14 and 30A16 all with the same chassis. I'll set up a little assembly line and do all three at once.
Or maybe four. I was contacted by someone local that inherited a set plus the elusive add-on matching radio/phonograph. I'm trying to convince them it's worth restoring :yes:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4668226340_e7f531004a.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3515/5819913583_d81f70d215.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2638/4062679278_2f46813c16.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/5820175320_6c94d18859_z.jpg

No, that's not my place. :D

wa2ise = Bob Casey.

LOL - If it was you'd have a monopoly. I was running really low and gas and was told this was the only station for many miles.
BTW I was in Varna, Illinois.

Wow, that magnifier is huge.

I may have a spare Admiral knob with the tail, but the non-tail one may be correct for that one. What color are the knobs, medium brown or dark brown? Let me know if you want the tail one if I have it.

Don't invite any small kids to your house -- that monster cyclops magnifier will scare the daylights out of 'em.

It looked w-a-y too big at first, but then I checked the magnifier on my 3" Pilot TV-37, and it's roughly the same size relative to the CRT. I guess that's just how this kind of thing scales up.

Phil Nelson

If that magnifier is too cloudy/yellowish, this might be the first set you have to give an oil change to! :) Looks like yours is filled with cooking oil from the colour :)

Usually they're filled with mineral oil. If it's meant to be changed, there should be a drain screw/plug somewhere.

I looked at the tube location label and it shows a two tube tuner. I never had an Admiral that old. Also, all the power supplies I had, had a 6X5 rect. in the audio supply.

I looked at the tube location label and it shows a two tube tuner. I never had an Admiral that old. Also, all the power supplies I had, had a 6X5 rect. in the audio supply.

ah, how often those 6X5s keep popping up... only been here a year and I already cringe when I see that tube number :D

ah, how often those 6X5s keep popping up... only been here a year and I already cringe when I see that tube number :D
Yowsir. :eek:That's a ticking time bomb for sure. oc

Always thought those "Flying Buttress" Admirals were kinda "Funky" lookin'....But would I turn one down ? ARE YOU CRAZY IN TH' HEAD ?!? (Grin)

I hope you fix that one, it's nice to see the worst condition set restored!

FWIW,the 6AX5GT is the same pinout as a 6X5 and a lot more robust. If your power trans can handle .4a more current it should work fine!

Very nice set! It seems on the neck of CRT there are two ion traps, I can not see very well

Very nice set! It seems on the neck of CRT there are two ion traps, I can not see very well

Thanks. It's a dual ion trap magnet. The magnets are connected together.

If that magnifier is too cloudy/yellowish, this might be the first set you have to give an oil change to! :) Looks like yours is filled with cooking oil from the colour :)

Usually they're filled with mineral oil. If it's meant to be changed, there should be a drain screw/plug somewhere.

There is a screw plug on the magnifier. I hope that yellowish color is just on the outside surface though - changing the oil sounds veeery messy.

I hope you fix that one, it's nice to see the worst condition set restored!

FWIW,the 6AX5GT is the same pinout as a 6X5 and a lot more robust. If your power trans can handle .4a more current it should work fine!

This set calls for a 5U4 and a 5Y3. I found two 5U4s in it :scratch2:

I looked at the tube location label and it shows a two tube tuner. I never had an Admiral that old. Also, all the power supplies I had, had a 6X5 rect. in the audio supply.

Yes, a 6AG5 RF amp and 6J6 osc. / mixer. Sure looks like it's been replaced though. I wonder what was wrong with the original tuner :scratch2:

Oh, I've never seen anything like this before! Are normal on B / W round screen? Can you post a detailed photo? Many thanks in advance :thmbsp:

Oh, I've never seen anything like this before! Are normal on B / W round screen? Can you post a detailed photo? Many thanks in advance :thmbsp:

Yes, the 10BP4 and 12LP4 CRTs commonly used in early B&W television used dual ion trap magnets. Here's a closeup of a 12LP4 from another set.
Note that it would not normally be that far down on the neck. I loosened it and let it slide down while I worked on the set.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/5821883785_e602e65489_z.jpg

There is a screw plug on the magnifier. I hope that yellowish color is just on the outside surface though - changing the oil sounds veeery messy.

Not as messy as with a car - since you can flip the magnifier so the oil doesn't start running out as soon as you open the plug hole. Do it over a sink and keep something handy to wipe up any stray drops, just in case.

Drain in to a container, wipe off with a rag, and grab your new oil and a funnel.

You may want to "rinse" the inside with a small amount of fresh oil 2-3 times to "clean" the insides of the glass. (it washes off the film of old oil that will stay behind.)

Then, fill'er up! :)

In the late 60's I got a 21" Marconi set with 70' tube, dating I guess from 1959, and someone had already replaced the 6X5 with a then-contemporary solid state plugin unit. I can't remember the brand. For the security of the transformer and the whole set I've got no compunction against using a solid state replacement, such as a Weber, even if I'm trying to keep the set original.

I never knew about the double-magnet ion trap. I have a 10BP4 for which I could never get the beam properly hitting the phosphors. Maybe I was indeed using an insufficient single-magnet beam bender. I still have that tube.

Are you keeping ALL those 30AXX's Bob? I always liked the projecting bevel design. :D

In the late 60's I got a 21" Marconi set with 70' tube, dating I guess from 1959, and someone had already replaced the 6X5 with a then-contemporary solid state plugin unit. I can't remember the brand. For the security of the transformer and the whole set I've got no compunction against using a solid state replacement, such as a Weber, even if I'm trying to keep the set original.

I never knew about the double-magnet ion trap. I have a 10BP4 for which I could never get the beam properly hitting the phosphors. Maybe I was indeed using an insufficient single-magnet beam bender. I still have that tube.

Are you keeping ALL those 30AXX's Bob? I always liked the projecting bevel design. :D

You definitely need a dual ion trap magnet to 10BP4s. Check out the data sheet (http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/tubes/syl59/DATA/CRTS/10ABP4_2.JPG) - "Ion trap maget....External, Double Field Type'

I'm going to keep them all long enough to restore and enjoy them for a while. Eventually, I probably will try to sell some off.

You definitely need a dual ion trap magnet to 10BP4s. Check out the data sheet (http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/tubes/syl59/DATA/CRTS/10ABP4_2.JPG) - "Ion trap maget....External, Double Field Type'.

Huh, How 'bout dat.. I don't recall such an ion trap being on any of the sets with an original 10BP4.. actually the Phillips had an ion trap 10BP4 and it worked well... I'll rummage through the boxes of TV junk I saved. Important information can slip by. .. I've always loved trains, especially the unique, yet it wasn't until just a couple of years ago that I even knew of the existence of the most interesting of all railroads, the Wuppertal Schwebebahn. So it goes... Another collection I have is literally 100's of TV knobs from the 1950s, dating from the time in the sixties that I was a teenage TV repairman.

I'm going to keep them all long enough to restore and enjoy them for a while. Eventually, I probably will try to sell some off.

Of course, that's the whole point of a hobby.... :-) But remember me... Darn I HAVE to get to Hilliard one of these years!:scratch2:

Wow, another Admiral for the herd! Better hope that bug-eye doesn't leak! If you need more decals down the road, I've still got the masters.

Wow, another Admiral for the herd! Better hope that bug-eye doesn't leak! If you need more decals down the road, I've still got the masters.

Thanks, I'll let you know.

I read the Sams for the 30A1 chassis and discovered that the 'S' suffix in the model number means it used the 94C8-2 turret tuner rather than the earlier A1528 wafer switch tuner with channel 1.

I have all the knobs except the channel changer.
I've seen some photos of early sets where it looked just like the others - no tail. I do have some extras like that so I'll use one for now. The knobs with a tail are a real pain to find.
Bob-

I found a knob with the tail for you. Send me a PM with your address and I will send it to you.

The knob is on its way! It is not perfect, but it is the better of the two I had.

Thanks! I found an original Sams for this set and it does show a channel knob with a tail.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/admiral30a1.jpg

I was just looking at my Admiral today, and its inside label is printed 30A14, with that crossed out and replaced with 30A15. I have read of another of these sets having a crossed-out label like that before, maybe here on VK.

Always get nostalgic when I see this 10" Admiral.
This was our first TV when I was a kid. My dad bought it in 1949. My folks never appreciated it when me and my brothers would unscrew the decorative wood piece attached to the speaker grill. We still used that set for years, even after replacing it with a 21" Admiral in 1953. And yes, it did have the tail knob channel selector. Funny the things you remember. Happy restoring.

-Steve D.

I was just looking at my Admiral today, and its inside label is printed 30A14, with that crossed out and replaced with 30A15. I have read of another of these sets having a crossed-out label like that before, maybe here on VK.

Here's the breakdown according to Riders. I'm glad I looked. The finish is so bad on this set I though it was mahogany.

30A12 - Walnut
30A13 - Mahogany
30A14 - Walnut
30A15 - Mahogany
30A16 - Blond

Always get nostalgic when I see this 10" Admiral.
This was our first TV when I was a kid. My dad bought it in 1949. My folks never appreciated it when me and my brothers would unscrew the decorative wood piece attached to the speaker grill. We still used that set for years, even after replacing it with a 21" Admiral in 1953. And yes, it did have the tail knob channel selector. Funny the things you remember. Happy restoring.

-Steve D.

As near as my Dad can remember it was his first set too :)

If that magnifier is too cloudy/yellowish, this might be the first set you have to give an oil change to! :) Looks like yours is filled with cooking oil from the colour :)

It actually cleaned up up quite nicely :) Probably time and nicotine had turned it yellow.
That's a reproduction WWI photo I stuck behind it.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3189/5844036945_aa62e94221.jpg

Looks like it was sealed really well then... Kinda sad they can't keep projection TV lenses sealed as long and in good shape - they often have mineral oil too and algae starts to grow in them after a few years.

Bandersen wrote:
I read the Sams for the 30A1 chassis and discovered that the 'S' suffix in the model number means it used the 94C8-2 turret tuner rather than the earlier A1528 wafer switch tuner with channel 1.

Wonder if the "S" referred to Sarkes Tarzian, who may have made their tuners?

Wow, another Admiral for the herd! Better hope that bug-eye doesn't leak! If you need more decals down the road, I've still got the masters.

I have a 1948 30A14, with channel 1, who's decals are horribly faded. Would you be able to provide a set of these?

Thanks
Jeff

Always get nostalgic when I see this 10" Admiral.
This was our first TV when I was a kid. My dad bought it in 1949. My folks never appreciated it when me and my brothers would unscrew the decorative wood piece attached to the speaker grill. We still used that set for years, even after replacing it with a 21" Admiral in 1953. And yes, it did have the tail knob channel selector. Funny the things you remember. Happy restoring.

-Steve D.

My 1948 30A14 has what appear to be it's original knobs and it's tuning knob does not have a tail.

Jeff

The knob is on its way! It is not perfect, but it is the better of the two I had.

Thanks! I received the knob a few days ago. The color is a pretty good match.
Here they all are cleaned up using Novus #2. Now if it was just that easy to make the rest of the set look so nice...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/5865223089_003925c044.jpg

You are welcome. Both knobs I had were the same color. It looks much better since you polished it too.

Jeff, send me a closeup of all your decals so I can see if it's what I have.

Jeff, send me a closeup of all your decals so I can see if it's what I have.

Here's the best picture I could get of the decals. The tuner decal is almost nonexistent..and even without the flash, they are very faint. Hopefully you can see enough of them that you have an idea as to what is there. Thanks

Jeff