Hello everyone,
I have a quick question. Is there any way to adjust horizontal width on a GE Portacolor? I searched the VK archives and couldn't find anything relevant. This is a 1976 model with a click-stop UHF tuner. Thanks in advance.

in this order

check the line voltage, make sure the B+ supply is good,try new HV (horz out/damper/hv rectifier) tubes.
replace the boost cap (white ceramic tube .1 1kv).
check the resistor value in the Horz out tube screen.

in this order

check the line voltage, make sure the B+ supply is good,try new HV (horz out/damper/hv rectifier) tubes.
replace the boost cap (white ceramic tube .1 1kv).
check the resistor value in the Horz out tube screen.

I found the .1 boost cap on a terminal strip on the side of the high voltage enclosure, where the earlier models had them on the PC board.

in this order

check the line voltage, make sure the B+ supply is good,try new HV (horz out/damper/hv rectifier) tubes.
replace the boost cap (white ceramic tube .1 1kv).
check the resistor value in the Horz out tube screen.

Boost cap was the ticket! The Horizontal was actually a bit too wide, a new .1uf 1KV orange drop brought the width right back into spec. All other voltages were spot on. Thank you!
This is a really low hours set, but it was laid up in storage for close to 30 years in a college theater prop room. I rescued it in 2009 and never used it much until I got my agile modulator/NTSC transmitter set up.
I found the .1 boost cap on a terminal strip on the side of the high voltage enclosure, where the earlier models had them on the PC board.

And that's exactly where it was. This is a pretty late set. Fake wood late 70's styling, a click stop UHF tuner, and a 1976 date code. The CRT tests super strong and all the Compactrons are original GE. It has more of a black matrix looking CRT face than the older Portacolor's I've seen.

Boost cap was the ticket! The Horizontal was actually a bit too wide, a new .1uf 1KV orange drop brought the width right back into spec. All other voltages were spot on. Thank you!
This is a really low hours set, but it was laid up in storage for close to 30 years in a college theater prop room. I rescued it in 2009 and never used it much until I got my agile modulator/NTSC transmitter set up.


And that's exactly where it was. This is a pretty late set. Fake wood late 70's styling, a click stop UHF tuner, and a 1976 date code. The CRT tests super strong and all the Compactrons are original GE. It has more of a black matrix looking CRT face than the older Portacolor's I've seen.

I have three tube Porta-Colors, a 1973, a 1975 and a 1977. The 1973 has the low focus voltage CRT and the two later ones have the high voltage focus CRT's.
The newest one seems to have the best picture. I went through all the tubes and found a few really weak ones in the older two sets.
They seem to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the portable color sets, but are an important part of the electronics history. :thmbsp:

...

I have a few myself. They are a lot of fun, little to go wrong, seem to last forever. Even though they were built in huge numbers, I suspect they were tossed in huge numbers as well (easy to chuck out due to small size).

I am guessing here but I suspect the collector value will only go up due to the easy design to keep running and small size to that takes up little space.

My latest one has the slotted mask which I think is almost as bad as the huge holes used in the early ones.

I have a few myself. They are a lot of fun, little to go wrong, seem to last forever. Even though they were built in huge numbers, I suspect they were tossed in huge numbers as well (easy to chuck out due to small size).

I am guessing here but I suspect the collector value will only go up due to the easy design to keep running and small size to that takes up little space.

My latest one has the slotted mask which I think is almost as bad as the huge holes used in the early ones.

Like I said in my last entry, they didn't get any respect, even from me.
As a member of this forum, it piqued my interest in them, as an important part of the electronic history.
One of the service engineers at the GE distribution center, stated the design was revolutionary and would set the trend in the smaller sized and less expensive color sets. :scratch2:

They seem to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the portable color sets, but are an important part of the electronics history. :thmbsp:


I love that analogy!

one of mine is a daily watcher, small enough for a night stand so easy to adj controls. They are a true feat of engineering the AA5's of the Color tv world.

Oh and all mine are still on the orig filter cans, with only a couple caps replaced, some have all orig caps and tubes, still going just fine. GE really outdid it self on them.