View Full Version : Motorola Color!!!!!


Charlie
03-31-2003, 03:17 PM
Who will be the lucky winner of this baby?!?

http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3016282630&category=15083

Rob
03-31-2003, 04:17 PM
Seller claims that this was the first color set available for sale to the public, something none of the TV historians even knew! ;)

I wonder what CRT is in it. Nice score for someone though as these sets are bowkoo rare.

Rob

rcaman
03-31-2003, 05:00 PM
very tempting i i i just dont know. may jump at this. i need to see a head doctor......... steve:yippy: :yippy:

Charlie
03-31-2003, 07:04 PM
Here is the photo from the auction... just in case we don't see it again. Hopefully someone here in AK will grab it... then we'll see BETTER pictures.

Steve Hoffman
03-31-2003, 07:28 PM
Here ya go.

Steve Hoffman
03-31-2003, 07:30 PM
And picture number 2:

Charlie
03-31-2003, 08:46 PM
Thanks Steve. I was afraid that wouldn't get through. I am back at work on the ship right now, and we are anchored 5 miles out from Galveston, Texas. My cel phone signal is a bit weak out here, so I lost the connection as the upload started. Usually have great signal and connection in port (up to 80K sometimes), but out here away from land gets kinda scratchy.

Eric H
03-31-2003, 09:08 PM
Looks like a 21" wern't these originally sold with 19" tubes and then upgraded later ?

Didn't a 19" version sell recently on eBay for $2200 or so?

He'd probably have a better chance of selling it if it was listed in the correct category.

Steve D.
04-01-2003, 03:15 PM
This nice Motorola has the 21" conversion kit that Motorola offered. It included a new larger mask and additional mounting hardware. This color set was by no means the first offered to the public. That distinction goes to Admiral model C1617A (Dec. 1953) or the better documented Westinghouse model H-840CK15 (Feb. 1954). Both utilized 15GP22 picture tubes. CBS offered a color set in 1951, but that's another story.:D

Rob
04-01-2003, 04:16 PM
Originally posted by Steve D.
This color set was by no means the first offered to the public. That distinction goes to Admiral model C1617A (Dec. 1953) or the better documented Westinghouse model H-840CK15 (Feb. 1954). Both utilized 15GP22 picture tubes. CBS offered a color set in 1951, but that's another story.:D

SteveD,

Thanx for the info on the CRT. I thought it looked like a 21" tube but was confused by seeing a professional looking mask.

My comment regarding the seller's claim of being the first set was made tongue-in-cheek. Being a very lucky collector to obtain the rare Wesinghouse I 'know' the real story. Still, these color Motorolas are very, very rare, and therefore very collectible.

Rob

Steve D.
04-01-2003, 05:12 PM
Hi Rob,
Thanks for the reminder. You are among the few who possess that great rare Westinghouse. For those interested, there are both versions of the Motorola 19" and 21" conversion in Steve McVoy's collection. And a 19" Motorola in Fred Hoffman's with pictures. As well as the Westinghouse on both sites. The 15" Admiral can be seen on Tom Genova's TV History site. I am currently efforting to retrieve my 19" Capehart color set from the UCLA archives so photos can be taken of this extremely rare set and then posted. Hopefully this will happen soon.

drh4683
04-03-2003, 11:36 AM
Oh it figures, Villa Park is the next town northeast from me!!!! What are the chances of that!!! ONLY IF IT WERE MORE AFFORDABLE:mad:

Kamakiri
04-03-2003, 01:45 PM
Is it worth $1,000?

I could conceivably bid on the damn thing and worry about eating later :cool:

Rob
04-03-2003, 02:20 PM
Tim,

I suspect it is if you are looking at this purchase as a long term investment...and just as important IMO that it also gets your mo-jo going. Having a 21" CRT makes it easy to keep CRT's in it as any 21FBP22 can be installed. I'd want to see the insides though before dropping coin like that. What if the restoration job was poorly done, or it didn't have the original chassis?

Rob

Kamakiri
04-03-2003, 02:34 PM
I decided against it. I instead re-ran my local ad for round screen color TVs. Rob got all of my last batch, these I'm keepin :D

wvsaz
04-07-2003, 02:41 AM
Originally posted by Rob
Seller claims that this was the first color set available for sale to the public, something none of the TV historians even knew! ;)

I wonder what CRT is in it. Nice score for someone though as these sets are bowkoo rare.

Rob

Rob,

The description says it was MOTOROLA'S first color set available for sale to the public, which is correct. Or has the description been edited since you first saw it?

These sets were manufactured with 19VP22s, but Motorola changed out most of them with 21AXP22s when that tube became available.

Rob
04-07-2003, 11:49 AM
wv,

According to ebay the description was modified.on April 03 at 21:43 PST. I wouldn't have made that comment if I'd read what it now says.

I'm actually very surprised there are no bidders on this yet at the $1000 price, given its historical value. Perhaps the 21" retrofit is seen as reducing its value?

Rob

wvsaz
04-07-2003, 05:24 PM
Originally posted by Rob
I'm actually very surprised there are no bidders on this yet at the $1000 price, given its historical value. Perhaps the 21" retrofit is seen as reducing its value?

Rob

I'm surprised, too. It is, after all, more rare than a CT-100.

For me, it would be worth more with the factory modification. A new mask was supplied by Motorola, as well as hardware changes, so it still looked original after the mod. Working 21AXP22s can still be found today, while 19VP22s are extremely scarce. If the 21AXP22 becomes extinct, you could still use a 21FBP22 in a modified 1954 Motorola.

Steve D.
04-10-2003, 06:39 PM
This nifty 50's Motorola 21" conversion went for the one and only posted bid of $1,000.00;)

Charlie
04-10-2003, 08:30 PM
Did it go to anyone we know? Perhaps it will show up here later on AK?

joe_tbird
04-19-2003, 12:56 PM
I'm the guy who just bought the Motorola. I've been interested in getting a vintage tube type TV, but wanted one that was already working. The set is still in transit from Chicago, I'll let you know how well it works when it arrives and is all set up.

Someone noted that the CRT for this set is still available new (in fact, when is spoke with the seller, he pointed out that the picture tube was replaced along with all the capaciters and four bad vacuum tubes). I'm curious to know where you can get replacement picture tubes since if I'm going to keep this set for a while I may as well get a spare or two while they're still being made. I also fool around with old cars, and know all too well many parts are made of "unobtainium" if you wait too long--spares are often a must!

Any other suggestions you all may have on the care and upkeep of a vintage tube-type TV is also appreciated, of course!



Thanks,
Joe

wvsaz
04-20-2003, 01:56 AM
Joe,

Welcome to the forum!

Your Motorola uses a 21AXP22. This tube was first introduced late in 1954, and was used in new color sets up to 1958. It has been out of production for many years, and tube rebuilders stopped rebuilding them a couple of years ago. The information you received about the tube still being available new is absolutely false.

That being said, however, I have seen at least two NOS (new-old stock) 21AXP22s on eBay in the last six months. These are unused tubes that were manufactured 25 - 45 years ago and are still good. They have been going lately for $600 - $900. If you see one and have the money to spend, I would grab it.

The 21AXP22 is a metal shell tube. You said that the tube in your set has been replaced. It's possible that it was replaced with a newer all-glass type, the 21FBP22. That tube was introduced in 1960, and a larger quantity of those were built. However, it is also out of production, and not being rebuilt anymore.

For lots of good information, see the following link:

http://www.earlytelevision.org/

Good luck with the set. It is one of the rarest early color sets in existence.

joe_tbird
04-22-2003, 09:49 PM
For what it's worth, I found a place that advertises that they rebuild antique picture tubes (they say the Philco Predica is the most common picture tube they rebuild).

The URL is: http://www.hawkeyepicturetube.com/

Hawk-Eye Picture Tube Mfg., Inc.
724 Scott Avenue, Des Moines, IA. 50309/5052
Phone # 515/288-8567 • Fax # 515/288-8568

I haven't inquired yet, but I probably will E-mail them soon and inquire about whether they do 50s era color picture tubes like this Motorola.



Joe

rcaman
04-22-2003, 09:55 PM
he will rebuild you one. BUT it is going to cost you half as much as you paid for your tv. and you will have to send a rebuildable dud.
me and another guy bought his last 2 21" guns. steve