Last Sunday my search agent on a local internet site which is comparable with craiglist informed me that a set which I was looking for for many years is for sale only a few miles away from my home.
I immediately called the seller and offered to pick up the set after lunch time and she agreed.
As soon as I arrived at the sellers home I could't trust my eyes. They had a garage full of TV sets- many of them from 1955 the year TV was introduced here in Austria.
I bought not only the offered set but also another one for parts for a very reasonable price.
My approach is to bring at least one of them back to live. Even though the older set which was built in May is not in great shape I prefer to restore first. The HV section of the newer set, built im August is heavily modified what I don't really like.
Please keep in mind that especially the older set was developed before any TV transmissions took place here in Austria. The first test program was broadcasted in April and May 1955.
From this point of view this set is a really interesting piece of Austrian TV history.

Here a few technical details:
70 degree deflection crt with magnetic focus
split chassis set
EY 51 HV rectifier
weight 38kg/83lbs

Good to see folks abroad preserving the rarer examples of their countries technological history.

I gotta wonder what the makers did to test their developmental sets prior to transmissions...Import something like a B&K 1075 adapted to the approved broadcast standard, try to DX the transmitter from a neighboring country, forget feeding it a video signal at all and make all checks on instruments, etc.?

To be honest I don't now how they arranged to test their TV sets. I think they could have imported some modulators and test pattern gernerators from Germany where TV was introduced earlier.
I have also no doupt that the engineers had the ability to build their own equippement based on the knowledge and experiences of other countries.
All in all is to say that the te quality standards where quit high here in Austria. Transformers, switches and rotating capacitors are still ok until today in 99% even though a device was stored in a damp basement for ages :thmbsp:

Those are beautifully made. The layout of components is so neat and tidy. They should be a pleasure to work on. I hope the CRT's are still good.

That is a good-looking TV! I'm interested to see your progress.

Hi,

The sets in question are made by Minerva, a big company from Vienna.
Both are 17" sets.

The ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk) used for first experimental broadcast
on their yard a high class Philips pattern generator with a build in scope.
I own just that set with the ORF stickers on and bought it from somebody who
had contacts to the ORF.
The pattern generator is dated 1950!

I own a second version (not complete) for 819 lines. It came to me free from
the TV studio Brussels, incl. a truck of other stuff!

Thank you for this information TV Collector.

Pictures of these test pattern generators would be very interesting :yes:

Very impressive. Maybe I'm going Mr. Monk in my old age, but I like the front knobs all being the same size, lol.