View Full Version : Won an imported 1940s Andrea TV on Aussie Ebay! :D


Aussie Bloke
06-26-2011, 07:50 AM
G'day all.

I have just won myself a modified late 40s US imported Andrea 12" B&W TV set on Aussie Ebay :D :
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/320715826544

This set was imported into Australia in the late 1940s and has been modified and used around that time for training purposes. It's not clear what model this set is due to it not having an enclosure but it looks close to a 1947 Andrea T-VJ12 http://www.earlytelevision.org/andrea_t-vj12.html . So this set probably dates around the 1947/48 period and we didn't get B&W telly till 1956! The set does not have it's original TV CRT but instead has had it replaced with a WW2 VCR140 radar type CRT which gives yellowish green pictures as stated in the description of the auction, also as part of the package is a spare VCR140 CRT. If anyone can identify the model of this TV based on the pictures it would be much appreciated.

The seller of the set is my mate John who lives in the Blue Mountains and has over 200 vintage TVs (probably the largest collection in Australia) and has a website http://cool386.tripod.com/ , I have made videos of his vintage TVs when I visited him in April and have featured them here http://www.troysvintagevideo.741.com/johntvs.html .

I am going to pick up this TV tomorrow when I go up to Sydney and I am very excited, my mother's probably gonna kill me though as I'm bringing more clutter into the house lol. I am also going to be picking up a RCA TK-760 plumbicon tube colour camera tomorrow too from another place, so two wonderful surprises coming my way!!! :D

I of course endeavor to get this TV set working, my knowledge of TV repair is currently in it's infancy compared to a lot of the members here but gradually evolving as I'm learning. Either way I am going to preserve this TV as I treasure it as an important part of Australian TV history and I am privileged to be the new owner of it!!! :D It's quite amazing to what has been imported to Australia, we have imported TV/camera/video gear from all corners of the globe and this kind of stuff is starting to come to the surface!

I will keep you all updated with this TV.

Sandy G
06-26-2011, 08:08 AM
Awrite ! GREAT score, Troy ! Ya done Good !

Aussie Bloke
06-26-2011, 03:42 PM
Thanks Sandy! :)

Just did a chassis comparison check with the set and the Andrea T-VJ12 http://www.earlytelevision.org/andrea_t-vj12.html and it appears the look the same so it must be a T-VJ12 chassis type.

Glenz75
06-26-2011, 05:42 PM
Congrats on the purchase there :) You'll have fun getting that going, and a rare set at that too! Cheers Glen

AndrewM
06-26-2011, 05:58 PM
I saw the Andrea for sale but was too far away to be interested in it. I'm surprised that no one else bid on it being so unusual here, but I guess that few people are willing to overcome the technical challenges on restoring something as complex as this.

Well done on acquiring it and I'm glad it has gone to a good home.

Aussie Bloke
06-27-2011, 09:01 AM
Thanks everyone for the great comments! :D I've now got the TV and associated gear home in one piece and will get it all out tomorrow and post photos. The components and chassis looks to be pretty much rust free which is a bonus! :)

vintagecollect
06-27-2011, 02:10 PM
You got a great deal, recreate that cabinet, it makes the tv

Aussie Bloke
06-27-2011, 03:50 PM
You got a great deal, recreate that cabinet, it makes the tv

I certainly have that in mind and when I do I will make the varnish colour match that of the framing around the face of picture tube, first things first is to get the set operational. This set will still however look like a Frankenstein as it uses a WW2 radar VCR140 CRT which displays yellow/green pictures but will look more presentable in an appropriate cabinet :).

John Folsom
06-27-2011, 03:57 PM
You should be able to find a 12LP4 CRT to put in the set instead of a radar tube, which is most inappropriate due to the long persistence phosphor. As you likely know, 12LP4 CRTs are rather common over here in the US, and come up on ebay regularly. You could ship one to AU for a reasonable sum.

Good luck with the Andrea, they made a very high quality set.

Aussie Bloke
06-28-2011, 03:50 AM
You should be able to find a 12LP4 CRT to put in the set instead of a radar tube, which is most inappropriate due to the long persistence phosphor. As you likely know, 12LP4 CRTs are rather common over here in the US, and come up on ebay regularly. You could ship one to AU for a reasonable sum.

Good luck with the Andrea, they made a very high quality set.

I'll keep that in mind, money's a bit tight at the moment due to annual car registration coming up. After that I should be okay to import a 12LP4 tube.

I have forgotten to mention too that the front glass plate with the channels labeled is broken at the left end which is a bit of a bummer.

Anyways I have now taken photos of the TV along with its accessories and here they are below in 3 posts:

Aussie Bloke
06-28-2011, 03:52 AM
2nd lot of photos.

Aussie Bloke
06-28-2011, 03:52 AM
3rd lot of photos

Tim
06-28-2011, 08:30 PM
Congratulations. These are pretty uncommon sets. I have the TV/Radio/Phono console version pictured in the bottom right of your top Riders page. Good luck on the restoration.

Aussie Bloke
06-29-2011, 08:53 AM
Thanks Tim. It's very unclear which cabinet this TV chassis was intended for, I guess all 3 models used the same chassis?

Anyways I have now created a page on my vintage video site on this TV set http://www.troysvintagevideo.741.com/andrea.html featuring all the pics I've posted here along with info and description.

Lastly I forgot to mention, this television chassis has channel 1 which I was told only been used in the early post war sets before channel 1 was taken out of service.