Nine months ago I began a journey behind the Iron Curtain. I was on a quest to bring home the second Russian Leningrad T-2 television/radio into the USA. I say the second because the US Air Force imported the first over 60 years ago (more on this later). When I first laid eyes on a photograph of the Leningrad T-2 some years ago I vowed that I would find an example some day and add it to my collection. I had no idea how difficult that would be. Not speaking Russian, or living in Russia, meant huge language and geographical obstacles had to be overcome. Dealing with Russia, a country that most Americans see as an enemy, and likewise many of them see us as an enemy, meant huge cultural obstacles had to be overcome. Add to that the fact that Russia bans the export of objects over 50 years old which meant huge bureaucratic obstacles had to be overcome. It seemed to be an insurmountable task...

After a year of searching online sources for an example worth bringing home, I found my Leningrad this February. He (the Russian language assigns gender to objects which I've found myself adopting for this set) was listed on the Russian equivalent of Craigslist. There were 4 dim, terrible quality, cell phone photos along with a very brief description posted in the ad. What drew my attention was the original paper label behind the knobs seemed to be intact. This piece is very often missing and I wanted to find an example that included this original label. Here were the original photos:

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/1233_zpsdzgktoop.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/1237_zps1dbxgp9e.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/1349_zpslt5ofh9f.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/1350_zpscskejmyd.jpg

I wrote the seller via Goggle Translate (WOW did I use that a lot during this process) and explained that I was interested in her television. Her price was higher than what I had seen other sets sell for so I knew it was not going to be sold anytime soon. Ekaterina had posted the ad, but her mother was the current owner. Ekaterina was friendly and easy to talk to. I am working with her and her mother to get the full family history of the set and will share that with everyone when I write it. What I know so far was the set originally belonged to her Grandfather. Here is a fantastic early photo of the family.

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/Dvorkiny%201_zpsxzfw9dis.jpg

I knew I had to see better photographs of the set in order to determine if he was "the one." I called on a man named Anton Gorsky, who I had communicated with previously, and asked if he could photograph the set for me. Anton is a photographer and very well known in the Russian collector community. Anton agreed and traveled to Ekaterina's home with camera in tow. After seeing Anton's photographs I knew her set was the one I would try to get home. My next step was figuring out Russia export laws and finding help getting him packed and shipped. Enter a man named Dmitry Solomatin and his daughter-in-law Elena Kalegina. Dmitry is a well respected collector and without him I would never have been able to add this television to my collection. I often say that my favorite part of this hobby is the amazing, friendly, helpful people that are in it, and never has that been more true than in Moscow Russia and the help that Dmitry has given me, all while asking nothing in return.

Dmitry does not speak English, and of course I do not speak Russian, but his daughter-in-law Elena speaks and writes in fluent English. Elena worked her way through the bureaucracy in Moscow and managed to secure an official release letter from the Ministry Of Culture allowing the Leningrad to legally leave the country, something that most people thought would be impossible. With the release letter secured Dmitry purchased the set on my behalf and prepared it for shipping. He removed the CRT as well as the lamps (Russians refer to tubes as lamps) and packed the set it three custom made wooden crates that he built by hand. I can only describe this process as one made with love. Even the fellow who unloaded the shipment at the airport in Pittsburgh remarked "wow, those are some very nice boxes." I was shaking with excitement when I picked up the set and heard those words. I wholeheartedly agreed with him.

Unfortunately the entire set did not arrive completely unharmed. Something was loose inside the CRT that scratched the phosphor of the face of the tube. So the saga is not yet complete and I will now search for a replacement CRT. Rome wasn't built in a day, and getting a complete Leningrad T-2 won't be done for some time yet. The rest of the cabinet and chassis is amazingly well preserved. It gives me a huge smile to see this set in my collection!

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/C3F2C2BA-7B52-4B6C-B54A-AEA6E49E43CF_zpshqdxxvuk.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/39E17E39-94CD-4A4A-A9F8-7565D85FF11B_zps07keo6r5.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/755D76D7-031E-4C8B-B0C1-39F32F2C883A_zpsfyrcdayo.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/331B75C4-B6A3-4EA0-9954-DD468DBA7BFF_zpsb1nrtlyh.jpg

Wow. Quite an amazing journey so far!!

What an amazing story John. I too am startled that you were able to legally get the set out of Russia. A former professor and mentor of mine is Russian and had immense trouble securing the necessary paperwork that would allow some of his early unpublished research (mid-60s to mid-70s) to be returned to him now that he's a naturalized US citizen. Elena must know some people in high places to perform such a miracle....

Interesting story and very impressive TV. I've never seen one before. After decades in the radio/TV collecting hobby I've only recently taken a serious look at European sets and gained quite a respect for them.
Good luck getting that CRT! A shame that had to happen.

Ah I see, so the tube wasn't necked just something was inside it which caused the phosphor to wear off. If it's still got a vacuum it may be possible to rebuild it someday, so I advise not doing anything with that tube just yet. Let's get together at the next ETF, if you can make it bring the tube along and we'll look at it together.

What a neat looking set. I'd be proud if having that rare set too. Congrats on getting it and very cool story!

Here are a few of the newspaper articles of the day that talk about the first Leningrad T-2 to be imported to the US. I am trying to track down any info about this set, if anyone has any clues, or any other info I would greatly appreciate it. The first article is from the LA Times and has the most info. It also talks about a МОСКВИЧ т-1 being imported in addition to the Leningrad T-2. This set it earlier than the Leningrad T-2 and I am currently hunting Russia for one of these sets.

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/The%20Los%20Angeles%20Times%20September%207%201953 _zpspsn7xfce.jpg

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/The%20Times%20Herald%20November%2010%201953_zpscp2 c6jbh.jpg

And my personal favorite headline:

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/The%20Tucson%20Daily%20Citizen%20December%2012%201 953_zpsfvwma8lc.jpg

Whoa. That's really something.

What's the TV's Serial Number? Was it one of the @30,000 made in Germany?:smoke:

This from "Pravda" September 10, 1952:

"The cheif engineer of the Leningrad T-1, Viktor Videoff, was sentenced to death under Articles 58-6 and 58-7 (Espionage and Wrecking) in that he knowingly shared blueprints of this sterling example of advanced Soviet Design with one Vladimir Zworkin of the Radio Corporation of America, who in turn utilized the design in their post-Great Patriotic War 1946 630TS."

"Sentence to be carried out immediately. The execution will be viewed on People's Channel 1, 8:00PM, Moscow Time."

"Viewership is manditory. Failure to view execution is punishable minimum 6 months under Article 58-10. Failure to report any citizen not viewing execution is punishable under Article 58-12."

"But, Komerade Beria, our family doesn't have a television set."

This from "Pravda" September 10, 1952:

"The cheif engineer of the Leningrad T-2, Viktor Videoff, was sentenced to death under Articles 58-6 and 58-7 (Espionage and Wrecking) in that he knowingly shared blueprints of this sterling example of advanced Soviet Design with one Vladimir Zworkin of the Radio Corporation of America, who in turn utilized the design in their post-Great Patriotic War 1946 630TS."

"Sentence to be carried out immediately. The execution will be viewed on People's Channel 1, 8:00PM, Moscow Time."

"Viewership is manditory. Failure to view execution is punishable minimum 6 months under Article 58-10. Failure to report any citizen not viewing execution is punishable under Article 58-12."
Ironic, that the chief engineer's last name started with Video plus two F's. :D

This from "Pravda" September 10, 1952:

"The cheif engineer of the Leningrad T-2, Viktor Videoff, was sentenced to death under Articles 58-6 and 58-7 (Espionage and Wrecking) in that he knowingly shared blueprints of this sterling example of advanced Soviet Design with one Vladimir Zworkin of the Radio Corporation of America, who in turn utilized the design in their post-Great Patriotic War 1946 630TS."

"Sentence to be carried out immediately. The execution will be viewed on People's Channel 1, 8:00PM, Moscow Time."

"Viewership is manditory. Failure to view execution is punishable minimum 6 months under Article 58-10. Failure to report any citizen not viewing execution is punishable under Article 58-12."

Where did you find this information?

I study history. Lots of it. I find Soviet History to be especially fascinating.

Of course, I made all this up.

The Article 58 RSFSR penal code sub-catagories are from Soviet historical sources.:smoke:

Where did you find this information?

sarcasm

sarcasm


Exactly.:smoke:

Sarcasm aside, it would be very interesting to see how much of a mix between German and American pre war television technology this set contains. Or whether some post-war developments were incorporated as well.

And whether Philo Farnsworth was a KGB operative.

Any schematics available?:smoke:

sarcasm

Wow...that one went right over my head! :withstpd:.

Wow, what a treasure. Such a rare and distinctive set, and (CRT aside), in wonderful condition.

I see there is a schematic at http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sachsenwe2_leningrad_t2.html . That would be interesting to read, but I'm not a RM member and can't download the whole thing.

Regards,

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

Back in the cold war days I heard that Russian TVs were in black and red, not black and white... :D

"Better dead than red" "Kill a commie for your mommy".

I am truly amazed that you pulled this purchase off. I used to work with a Russian who shipped shoes in crates back to Russia and had hurdles that were incredible, including small payoffs. You had the right people helping you and my hat is off to them and you. Good job.

Fantastic score!! A set of my people :D

Dibs when ya sell it ;)

I am truly amazed that you pulled this purchase off. I used to work with a Russian who shipped shoes in crates back to Russia and had hurdles that were incredible, including small payoffs.

You had the right people helping you and my hat is off to them and you. Good job.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR3xwTXZhXQ

CRT problem solved! But seriously, I appreciate your perseverance in locating and obtaining one of these rare receivers. Is there an equivalent U.S. tube from that era that might replace the Russian CRT? I know several manufacturers produced an 8" tube (8BP4) A round tube. I also know there would be many electronic issues to overcome that would change the original characteristics of the set. Just thought I'd ask.

-Steve D.

The original CRT is magnetically deflected while the 8BP4 is electrostatic. Unfortunately, I don't think there are any U.S. made 8" round magnetically deflected CRTs

Here's the pinout. Not much to it. Just a basic triode gun.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_23lk1b.html

CRT problem solved!...

Sigh :sigh: If only it were that easy.

I am a real stickler for originality so I'm going to head back behind the curtain and see what I can shake out. The CRT isn't exactly easy to find over there, and most Russians wont consider even talking to me as an American so it will be another up hill battle. I'm searching for replacements in Germany as well.

Here's a cool shot of the label on the CRT.

http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w438/vts1134/Leningrad%20T-2/D542AECE-FA91-41B1-910F-4A4C017364F9_zpsso1p8sss.jpg

It's certainly an interesting set, as well as the story obtaining it. Hopefully you can convince one of your previous contacts to help ship a known good replacement CRT's out of the country.

The original CRT is magnetically deflected while the 8BP4 is electrostatic. Unfortunately, I don't think there are any U.S. made 8" round magnetically deflected CRTs

Here's the pinout. Not much to it. Just a basic triode gun.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_23lk1b.html

Didn't those Arvin metal cabinet hospital sets use an 8" mag deflection CRT?
If I were in his shoes I'd first look for an Arvin, and or radar CRTs...There may have been an American military or radar application 8" CRT that could be used in the original's place. On the radar and mill tubes you want to bone up on phosphor types...IIRC there are some non-p4 types that will look decent, and others that will be terrible.

Right you are. I should have said no all glass 8" round CRTs. The 8AP4 is indeed magnetically deflected but has a metal cone. Also pretty darn scarce.

John - Is it your intention to eventually restore this set to operational?

John - Is it your intention to eventually restore this set to operational?

Not immediately. This set is very original and quite unique in this country. It's on my "it doesn't have to work" list. Someday when my kids move out and I don't have anything to do I may start restoring sets on that list. For now I'm content with some sets that work and some sets that don't.

Oh, I would love to see that Stalin era television in operation.

With some vintage Soviet anti-west propaganda, Stalin and the Crew reviewing the October military parades, show trial footage, etc.:smoke:

:D:D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CaMUfxVJVQ

:D:D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CaMUfxVJVQ

"Pay attention, please. Thank you!"

"Is day wear!"

:smoke:

Great find!
Too bad the crt was damaged on Transport. VEB RFT was a TV manufacturer in East Germany

http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=553.

Maybe you are lucky and will find a picture tube in Germany.

Greetings Josef

This is an incredible piece of History! I wish you all the luck on finding a correct replacement CRT.

It's a pity that I haven't been on the forum for a while and missed the discussion about that wonderful television, it's time to catch up:

https://otvet.imgsmail.ru/download/58731744_c6a021e621ff3c48cd7df378d25db1dd_800.jpg

The Leningrad-T2 television was introduced in 1949 as a greatly improved version of the preceding Leningrad-T1 set (1947). According to the early Russian classification, the Leningrad-T2 employs a 9" round picture tube (T1 = 7", T2 = 9", T3 = 12") with magnetic deflection and focusing. The set features a LW/AM/SW radio assembled on a small subchassis attached to the underside of the top panel, and provides FM reception through the audio section of the TV as well. The television was positioned as rather luxurious (just look at the cabinet!), so it came pretty costly in comparison with the extremely popular inexpensive 7" KVN-49 set launched about a year earlier:

http://s019.radikal.ru/i609/1704/bc/5117559afe4e.jpg

The Leningrad-T3, a kingly 12" console version of the set, was produced at the same time in small quantities. It added a phonograph, a top-end multiband radio receiver featuring a motorized tuning/AFC, and a high-fidelity push-pull audio section:

http://rw6ase.narod.ru/00/komb/leningrad_t3_0.jpg
[rw6ase.narod.ru]

The interesting thing is that in addition to the originating Kazitsky plant in Leningrad/St.Petersburg, the T2 television was produced by the Sachsenwerk factory in East Germany as well. In 1949 the factory was involved in postwar reparational service, was equipped with some production lines from the Kazitsky plant, and began to produce exactly the same television but with the use of some German components as well. The production of the model had discontinued in Russia in 1951, and in Germany in 1953, thus a Russian-made Leningrad-T2 has become even more rare than the German one.

The design of the T2’s cabinet appears rather distinctive. The 9" round picture tube sits on the right side of the cabinet, while the left side is occupied by an 8" speaker. Yet, the set looks symmetrical due to the two mirror-like grills:

http://www.wlamp.ru/pic/T2_30_1.jpg

The grills look similar but the right one is actually a slidable curtain which can be slid to the left, revealing a veneered screen bezel. The bezel is slidable too, providing an easy access to the picture tube, if necessary. There are six controls on the front of the cabinet. The leftmost one is a coaxial volume/tone control combined with the power switch, the others adjust focusing, contrast, brightness, and fine tuning. The rightmost knob is a channel/mode selector. It looks like a coaxial control, but that's a trick for the sake of symmetry - both parts of the knob sit on a common shaft and act as a single knob. The radio control panel built into the top panel of the cabinet appears to be symmetric as well.

As for electronic design, it comes pretty typical for the time. The set uses a "split sound" audio system, so the total number of tubes is about 30 (the schematic is clickable):

http://s46.radikal.ru/i111/1704/5a/21035ff3a0db.jpg (http://radiohistory.ru/images/circuit3356.jpg)

http://radiohistory.ru/images/tube_list.jpg

The wafer-type tuner receives 3 channels, and has an extra coil providing FM reception. It was more than enough for postwar Eurasia due to very few stations existing on the continent at the time. The next two steps of the channel/mode selector engage FM and AM reception, accordingly. When the selector passes from television to radio mode (i.e. from 3rd to 4th step), the tenon attached to its shaft toggles a special switch turning off the television part of the circuitry:

http://s019.radikal.ru/i602/1704/89/6e6bb136bbc9.jpg

The signal path starts from the coaxial-type aperiodic 75-ohm antenna input. Then, the signal is amplified by the single tuned RF stage with variable gain controlled by the contrast knob. The audio IF signal is split off after the converter and passes through the three stages of the audio IF amplifier, ending with the limiter and discriminator. Even though the video IF amplifier consists of as few as two stages, the set manages to show a decent sensitivity, I believe due to the designer's choice of high-gain tubes in combination with an "overcoupled" way of forming the needed frequency response. The video section ends up with the detector and the two-stage video amplifier with a DC restorer. The picture tube is driven via the cathode, while the grid is used for the brightness control.

The video IF and synchronization sections were the weak points of the previous Leningrad-T1 model, so they received a lot of designer's attention and were significantly improved. As you might know, Russia was the first country to develop and adopt the new 625/50 broadcasting standard. The T1 was designed to meet the both prewar and newly-accepted standards, but for the new one the bandpass of its video IF amplifier was found to be too narrow causing complaints of poor sharpness. The bandpass of the T2's video section was widened up to almost 6 MHz to realize the advantages of the new standard. The sync section was improved as well, from the basic amplitude selector/clipper known from the prewar times to a pretty complex system employing as many as 3 tubes. The manufacturer's specs declared good synchronization even in weak signal conditions, and perfect interlacing.

The sweep sections are conventional for the time, but with an exception: whereas the lack of special television tubes caused the use of general purpose tubes in TV sweep circuits up to the early 50s, the Leningrad-T2 employs a very unusual one. That's the GU-50, an all-glass military VHF output pentode, copied from the Wehrmacht LS50 tube. Initially purposed for aviation, it has a very robust design, and uses a special base: one that is loctal-like but noticeably bigger:

http://s013.radikal.ru/i325/1704/78/e9e59974f922.jpg

Since driving the horizontal sweep of a television feels like ‘a rest’ for such a 'hardy warrior’, the tube tends to work forever there, unlike the usual 6L6 clones that often become weak in a few years.
By the way, picking up the design was considered worthwhile, and soon a couple of newly-designed tubes in the same envelope were launched:

http://s019.radikal.ru/i608/1704/cd/f6057a6cb9bb.jpg

The picture tube looks like a prewar bulb-shaped one, since it really is a reworked prewar-type CRT:

http://s45.radikal.ru/i107/1704/ca/44272423c09f.jpg

In the late 30s-early 40s, the line of 7", 9", and 12" television CRTs with magnetic deflection and focusing was developed and ready for mass production. A few televisions were introduced before the war as well, ending up in 1941 with the 7" 17TN-3 set, which was advanced enough for a prewar TV but still inexpensive:

http://s019.radikal.ru/i615/1503/45/bd8c5d5b0b00.jpg
[rw6ase.narod.ru]

and the bigger 23TN-4 tabletop with a 9" picture tube. And, then came the war…

http://radiohistory.ru/war25.jpg
[AP photo]

As you can guess, a significant part of the industry was ruined by the war so production chains and co-operations were broken. That's why the Moskvich-T1 known as the first postwar work in television, seems to trail behind even some prewar sets - it was just composed from some available components on some undamaged equipment by some surviving designers:

http://rw6ase.narod.ru/00/twcb/moskwich_t1_03.jpg
[rw6ase.narod.ru]

However, by 1946 the industry was recovering pretty quickly, thus the need for CRTs was increasing. Since the prewar picture tubes were considered good enough, the CRT manufacturers reasonably decided not to 'reinvent the wheel' and just re-engaged their production, along with some improvements.

So, let's end that little historical excursus and get back to the TV. The main chassis features the way the picture tube is secured. The bell of the CRT is pulled up by a spring-loaded rim to the back side of the strong plastic frame, while the neck is held by the deflection yoke mounted on the chassis:

http://s013.radikal.ru/i325/1704/92/ba90ae98ae74.jpg

The frame itself, covered by the safety glass from the front,

http://s019.radikal.ru/i630/1704/7e/ce6c26529e15.jpg

is bolted to the front of the chassis, thus forming a solid and integral ‘main chassis unit’ that can be pulled out of the cabinet and securely played/serviced/repaired. Also the picture tube attached to the frame can be easily removed from the front of the cabinet by sliding the decorative screen bezel aside and unscrewing the plastic frame from the chassis.

The assembling is obviously neat and most of the wires and cables are gathered in bundles:

http://s008.radikal.ru/i306/1704/66/3a8cce8efcfc.jpg

Some components are wired to the distribution rails which are made of thick tinned copper wire threaded through the isolating phenolic stands.
The porcelain socket of the local oscillator tube is mounted on the antivibration suspension:

http://s002.radikal.ru/i198/1704/90/42abc08da2cb.jpg

The power supply chassis sits on the floor of the cabinet next to the main chassis; a thick harness with a tough 22-pin connector is used for their interconnection. In fact, the power chassis gathers two independent power supplies, for the audio and video sections, accordingly:

http://s019.radikal.ru/i636/1704/72/278713534d13.jpg

The bigger transformer powers up the video section, along with the rectifier that uses two 5Z4 tubes in parallel, and the massive filter choke mounted in the middle of the chassis. The section turns on and off automatically while switching between television and radio modes. The smaller transformer and the single rectifier tube that sits right on its top cover, are responsible for the audio section of the TV and the radio receiver. The field coil of the speaker is used as a filter choke for that section. The rest of the power circuitry is collected on the power chassis as well, including all the filter capacitors on the top of the chassis, and a set of the ceramic bleeder resistors underneath:

http://s019.radikal.ru/i613/1704/ba/ac4b45e06b6f.jpg

Some of the resistors are tapped to provide all the needed negative voltages. All of that explains such a big number of pins/wires in the interchassis connection.

The performance of a functional and properly-aligned Leningrad-T2 is impressive due to the declared relatively high grade of the set for the time, and mostly due to the pretty high-definition 625-line standard:

http://www.radiohistory.ru/images/picture.jpg

And some video as well (clickable):

http://i069.radikal.ru/1704/f8/bb15be8fcf13.jpg (https://youtu.be/4nI1gs6Ok3w)

Thank you, Gleb, for that informative discussion and the beautiful photos. An impressive television in more than one sense.

The Leningrad's tidy under-chassis layout is a real contrast to the TV that I'm currently restoring: a 1949 Emerson from the USA. The Emerson has some of the sloppiest layout and construction that I've seen, with long, unbundled "lazy man" leads trailing all over the underside and obscuring other components. Cheap to build and annoying to service!

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

Beautiful point to point wiring. Were these TVs made in Russia or East Germany?:smoke:

Were these TVs made in Russia or East Germany?

In both countries actually, but in Russia the production had discontinued earlier, in favor of some new 12" tabletops. I described the production issues in the beginning of the post.
The originating designer and manufacturer, the Kazitsky plant, was known for its impressive assembling approach:

http://s018.radikal.ru/i526/1704/70/fbb3f271a160.jpg

That's their 12" tabletop TV from 1953 that I mentioned.

In both countries actually, but in Russia the prodiction was discontinued earlier, in favour of some new 12" tabletops. I described the production issues in the beginning of the post.

Any indications where yours was finally assembled ?:smoke:

Any indications where yours was finally assembled?

Mine is an early German one.

Quite impressive craftsmanship. It has the feel of a Dumont set made close to mil spec, with pre-war looking parts.

Not immediately. This set is very original and quite unique in this country. It's on my "it doesn't have to work" list. Someday when my kids move out and I don't have anything to do I may start restoring sets on that list. For now I'm content with some sets that work and some sets that don't.

Just rereading your entire thread.

I would leave this particular set alone. No electronic restoration.

How could you? ANY restorative work is going to leave signs, and this set should be set aside and regarded as a particularly outstanding example of Commie craftsmanship.

Sorry. Couldn't resist including one anti bolshevik barb.:smoke:

http://s018.radikal.ru/i526/1704/70/fbb3f271a160.jpg

I don't see any wax paper caps here. Are they all micas, discs and ceramics?

Quite impressive craftsmanship. It has the feel of a Dumont set made close to mil spec, with pre-war looking parts.

That's exactly what I thought. :smoke:

ANY restorative work is going to leave signs, and this set should be set aside and regarded as a particularly outstanding example of Commie craftsmanship.

My thoughts are the opposite, it definitely SHOULD be restored, at least for its performance. The funny thing is that if the set is original and well-kept, it doesn't need any tough restoration. For a Russian-made set, it's enough to do some cleaning and lubricating due to the very reliable paper & electrolytic capacitors used in it. A German one may require replacing or 'restuffing' of 6-7 the most responsible German wax paper capacitors.

I don't see any wax paper caps here. Are they all micas, discs and ceramics?

That is the distinction! A paper capacitor can be everlasting if it is sealed absolutely hermetically. The white porcelain tubes with the metal caps on their ends, and the grey tubular metal cans, are the paper-type capacitors that don't need to be replaced!

I don't see any carbon comp resistors, anywhere, either.

All WWs? :smoke:

I don't see any carbon comp resistors, anywhere, either

The green rods are carbon film resistors.

vts1134, thre's no any news from you. Are you still interested in getting a 23LK1B for your Leningrad television?

http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=198115&stc=1&d=1547352789

This CRT is a dud but I got in contact with a fellow from a CRT rebuild shop and told him your wishes about originality. He's willing to save the original appearance of the CRT as much as possible while rebuilding: to keep the original gun by replacing only the cathode, to provide and guarantee a good lifetime without aluminizing, and so on.
But then I lost contact with you; you haven't responded to a number of my emails. We all guess that the rebuild shop won't last long...

Rather obvious from the family photos that filthy, Godless Commies & Murricans were/are more alike than 1st imagined. That family pic could have easily been Americans-I've seen dozens thru the years. The Americans qould have likely been wearing big hats & holding rifles, though. Always suspected Russians & Americans would have generally been fast friends if the language barrier could have been overcome, & our 2 idiot governments had been gotten outta the way...

Totally agree!

http://videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=198117&stc=1&d=1547394142

The reverse example for me. Apart from the background, I could decide that there're some normal Russian builders from the 1930s having their lunch :)

We are pretty similar by nature, physically and even mentally, and our nations have a lot to share! Let's be friends, do deals, share experiences, and leave the politicians to play their own games!

Back to the CRT. I should explain why I'm so eager about rebuilding. I have a number of exhausted picture tubes on hands, beside the one intended to vts1134. Visiting the rebuild shop requires two pretty long drives (about 150 miles each way), to bring the tubes there and back, accordingly. Thus I move and move my rebuilding plans, waiting for John's decision and wondering how soon the shop may go out of business...

Sorry for not replying Gleb. I have been extremely busy and my TV collecting has taken a back seat currently. I've replied to your email.

Sorry for not replying Gleb
Nothing changes, still not replying. I'm gonna make a rebuilding trip in early March, whether or not I take your picture tube.

Here is another video of a performing Leningrad-T2:

https://youtu.be/qYZEs2diGHE

A fellow collector has just finished electronic restoration of his Russian-assembled set from 1949.

Here is another video of a performing Leningrad-T2:

https://youtu.be/qYZEs2diGHE

A fellow collector have just finished electronic restoration of his Russian-assembled set from 1949.

Any idea what the signal source is? PAL or SECAM? Trying to figure out the appearance of the chroma dots (which also may also be messed up by the YouTube video coding).

I believe he uses a modulator feeding it a composite signal.

I believe he uses a modulator feeding it a composite signal.

Thanks, but I'm still wondering what kind of composite signal.

I was looking over the schematic when I noticed that it has only 2 stages of video IF but 3 stages of audio IF. Is that due to using the TV sound section for the FM radio?

With only 2 video IF stages, I don't think this TV Was intended for fringe areas.

Most likely, the idea was in the use of either single or "overcoupled" IF coils / transformers, along with the high-gain 2 stage video amplifier. As a Leningrad's owner, I can't say that the TV's sensitivity is noticeably worse than others of the time, at least the ones with integral tuners. Later models with separate turret-style tuners do some better, of course.

I have 3(three) of the T-2 Leningrad and a few differnt russian roundies.
My experience is that the round CRTs, made in Easr Germany are mostly weak!

I am standing not alone with that!

You can easyly see on the speaker cloth the country of origin, East Germany
or Russia.

Do you need schematics for T-2 Leningrad?

I shouldn`t invest in another bad east-german made tube! The original 23 cm
CRT can easyly interchanged by a 22 cm Philips (MW 22 - __)

Source for that is good old England! PYE used them in the very familiar 1949/50
TV sets. The tubes are made by Philips and are mostly good.
See: http://www.tvhistory.tv/1950-59-PYE.htm

If you do that, you insert a tetrode by a triode CRT!

If you want to use a ion trap tube you have to change the deflection yoke.

It is told (by czech repairmen), that russian picture tubes likes to implode, be careful.

The schematic and the gate in front of the tube is based on the german
E-1 pre-war TV set.
The russian horiz. line out tube is based (optical and technical) on a german
war time tube.

The radio inside was available as a table set, too.

Good luck!

TV-Collector :stupid:

I forget to say, that the original CRT. has no ion trap!
Keep this in mind!

Regards,
TV-Collector:stupid:

Gorgeous! And what an adventure. That's what this hobby is about.

That's how a Russian-assembled chassis looks from the bottom:

http://videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=201110&stc=1&d=1592661677

Unfortunately, this chassis is fairly cannibalized; I will do my best to find all the missing parts.
Notice the unusual design of the channel/mode selector:

http://videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=201111&stc=1&d=1592661791

If only a chassis of the kind is complete and integral, there is nothing to replace, 'recap' or even touch at all, thanks to very reliable components used. A plug-and-play version :D

The Leningrad-T2 television was introduced in 1949 as a greatly improved version of the preceding Leningrad-T1 set (1947). According to the early Russian classification, the Leningrad-T2 employs a 9" round picture tube (T1 = 7", T2 = 9", T3 = 12") with magnetic deflection and focusing.
Compared to the almost flat and rectangular 12-inch picture tube of the 1939 E1, the tube of the T2 is rather pedestrian.

https://i.ibb.co/4FnDzRx/e1vonvornmit-Bild.jpg

The Leningrad-T3, a kingly 12" console version of the set...
Right, this screen looks more like it, I mean, very similar to the E1 picture tube.

In addition to the originating Kazitsky plant in Leningrad/St.Petersburg, the T2 television was produced by the Sachsenwerk factory in East Germany as well. In 1949 the factory was involved in postwar reparational service, was equipped with some production lines from the Kazitsky plant, and began to produce exactly the same television but with the use of some German components as well.
Can you share your source? My source tell me exactly the opposite: Germans in the Soviet occupation zone were employed to restore the factories and to produce goods, most of which were sent to the Soviet Union. As to how the production lines turned up in the Soviet Union, maybe they were dismantled in the late 1940s and sent to the USSR, when the Soviets decided that they could not produce stuff that can have dual civil and military use in Germany. They dismantled and moved out many other German factories.

As you might know, Russia was the first country to develop and adopt the new 625/50 broadcasting standard.
Indeed, all 625-line formats stem from a 1944 Soviet format, later christened System D. They developed the standard, but they did not have the equipment, so they employed Germans to make it. They also pushed this standard as the common one for Europe, but because VHF I was limited to 21 MHz, Western Europe had to shrink 8 MHz bands of System D to 7 MHz, which came to be known as "Gerber standard" or System B. Read more here (https://reflectiveobserver.medium.com/from-russia-with-television-a3d02007e22a?source=friends_link&sk=0444e5644ae2622c83e21e5c22fb6bec).

A few televisions were introduced before the war as well, ending up in 1941 with the 7" 17TN-3 set
This one being a copy of an American set, made for the USSR. At that time both RCA and the USSR used 343-line scanning. The USSR purchased about two thousand sets and another thousand in parts, from which they assembled some sets too.

However, by 1946 the industry was recovering pretty quickly, thus the need for CRTs was increasing. Since the prewar picture tubes were considered good enough, the CRT manufacturers reasonably decided not to 'reinvent the wheel' and just re-engaged their production, along with some improvements.
Yes, pre-war German tubes as well as tubes produced on a factory line purchased from RCA were likely better than anything the Soviets could make after the war.