I've owned my "Continental" aka "Danish Modern" Predicta since the early 90s. It had just a few changed smaller caps when I first got it, but played well enough to display a decent picture and sound. The CRT was not labeled Philco (Rauland brand I think) so I assume it was an aftermarket replacement from back in the day. Anyway, around 2002 I recapped the set with Sprague electrolytics and orange drops. At the same time I discovered the linearity pot was bad so I ball parked a resistor value that worked ok and hardwired it in bypassing the pot. I've never changed any tubes in it since I've owned the set, though that doesn't mean they are all in the best of spec.

Next came the switch to digital and sadly I didn't plug in the set in again until just this week.

After some ramping up slowly on a variac by the time I got it to about 110v I heard a small pop. Still no smoke so I let it stay on a couple more mins and and then the picture came up. Sadly the vertical was only about 1/4" but luckily the CRT still seemed workable. After checking most of the parts I could in the vertical area, I took some voltage measurements at the 6DR7 tube and found the 400v boost voltage was not making it to the tube circuit at all. Turned out the vertical height pot had gone open circuit, much like the linearity pot done years ago. I rigged up a small bracket to remote mount a 3meg pot and the set came alive with full vertical. Not the best of picture (still need a linearity pot) but at least it's playing again. Some day I'll find a parts chassis to get some original pots for a more proper repair. Also perhaps the 6DR7 or associated circuitry is pulling too much current (no red plating though) but I'm thinking these original pots were dirt cheap stuff to begin with and maybe there time had simply come.

GK

Mostly original as I got it back in the early 90s. These chassis pics were right before I tore into the recap job back in 2002.

Recap job around 2002, with a few terminal strips mounted for the modern style caps. I had to lift the PC board some, but I was able to lift and tilt the board enough to get to the traces without disconnecting any wire wrap leads. I probably should have shrink wrapped some of the exposed leads on my power supply caps, that said so much of the circuit is open to the touch on Predictas anyway. The best way to deal with it is DON'T stick your fingers in there without first unplugging it and discharging caps!

Quick redo for remote mounted vertical height pot. Some day I'll find a parts chassis and salvage some original pots, but for now this works. Also here is an pic showing how the chassis typically seen in the 17" metal sets mounts in the Danish Modern.

I need to take a pic with the original back on the set, which I do have. That said, here it is half on/half off the bench playing again after the 14 year lay up. I'll also need to take a new pic of it fully together, but for now here is a pic from 2002 where it normally lives in the living room.