The town where I work is having a citywide pink up this week and next. I went driving around to see what I could find. I found 2 RCA tube consoles!
The first is a CTC 21 Combo in real nice condition. It has a radio and record changer.The stereo is solid state but the tv is tube. Someone robbed the lagre speakers from it though. The other one is a 21" b/w console. It has similer styling to the combo. It partly works. It has sound and the tube lights but with a bunch of lines,no picture. I havnt delved into the combo much. I did discover the hv regulator tube looks bad. It is all smokey black and the center is crooked. If that tube is bad are the rest of the hv tubes usually bad too?

Some tubes have a hazy glaze on them from the factory. The only true way to tell is with a tube tester. If the HV fuse isn't blown they're probably OK.

If you see diagnal lines and no picture, check the video output tubes and clean the service switch on the rear of the chassis. At least you have HV and sound, that's half the battle.

I don't know if want to do or try, do you want to keep both?? Can that color set be installed in B/W cabinet to make smaller?? Would be interesting if can be done without a lot of work. That B/W cabinet looks way too big for that small chassis, cabinet probaly used also for a color model TV? Just something to think about if wanted to merge sets, making a smaller color console. Would definetely make for intersting project!! :yes:

I suspect that if the cabinet demensions were the same, as well as the demensions of the space where the plastic crt mask mounts, you could in fact swap. It might be a PITA, but if you wanted a smaller color set it would definitely be a neat project.

I was surprised at how small the chassis is. The back is totally flat,no crt cover. When I first saw it I thought it was a console stereo. The back was facing the street and there was other stuff around it. I plan to leave it as is.
John

The color set looks actually like a ctc-39 rather than a 21. The CTC-39 I have that looks like this is in a metal cabinet and appears to have a black matrix tube...this set should produce a good picture.

I've seen regulator tubes that were totally black that worked within specs. My CTC-10 has an original 6BK4 running at the correct voltage. All other HV tubes have been replaced long ago.

Great find, there! I saw a roundie cabinet on the roadside a few days ago. There was nothing inside, so I left it. If the chassis had been there, it'd been MINE!

The chassis says 21ctc36xc. That is why I think it is a ctc 21. how would I go about finding speakers for it? I was surprised to find then missing. The back was on and every screw holding it on was there.
John

that chassie looks alot like my CTC 31, I would think a 21 would look more like a 16

The way that chassis number is laid out, I'm betting ctc36. Dont worry about the black 6bk4. It will probably work fine, and if it doesnt, they're not expensive. The only one thats expensive is the horizontal output, and dont pass judgement on that unless you're sure it's bad.

John

Open up the control panel bin and if there is a switch for "Accu-Tint" (A/T) it is a ctc-39
This is not a CTC-36, CTC-36 was a "hot" chassis used in portables.

I'm betting it's a CTC-38 or 39 because the set has the "modern" RCA logo on the front which RCA started using in late 69. I'm not familiar with the CTC-36, and I'm confused.... if the chassis says 21ctc36xc, why would you think it's a CTC 21? Also, the 6BK4's always look dark, but if it is bad, in most cases, you do not need to change all of the HV tubes. The weak point in ALL RCA's, ESPECIALLY the CTC-38 and 39 is the flyback. If the flyback did go out, it is best to change all of the HV tubes.

The other one is a 21" b/w console. It has similer styling to the combo. It partly works. It has sound and the tube lights but with a bunch of lines,no picture. I havnt delved into the combo much. I did discover the hv regulator tube looks bad. It is all smokey black and the center is crooked. If that tube is bad are the rest of the hv tubes usually bad too?

If your picture is just "a bunch of lines", your horizontal oscillator and/or AFC systems (and possibly another circuit I will mention shortly) are out of whack. If you adjust the horizontal hold control, can you get the picture in sync for even an instant? If not, I'd check the two tubes I mentioned; one of them may be defective. (The AFC is likely at fault if you can stop the picture, but not get it to lock in to proper sync.) If the tubes are OK, the horizontal sync itself is defective and must be repaired.

Many 1970s-vintage color TVs had high-voltage shutdown circuits that will cause the set to produce an unwatchable picture if the HV exceeds a preset limit, generally by throwing the horizontal sync so far off it cannot be restored to normal with the horizontal hold control. If changing the horizontal osc/AFC tubes will not cure the trouble (and the horizontal AFC system itself is OK), it's probably the HV shutdown circuit activating due to excessive second-anode voltage on the CRT. I would also replace that HV regulator tube if the plate cap is anything but vertical and solid.

I think that it was the XL-100 solid state sets that have the system that alters the horz frequency if HV goes too high....I don't think these tube type sets use it though. The late model CTC-39's do use an HV fail safe circuit in the 6BK4 circuit to help shut down the HV if the regulator does not draw current but I think it works by increasing the bias on the horizontal output tube.

Isn't the 39 one of the last tube chassis?? I picked up a ctc39 and watched for a while, if had black matrix crt, explains great picture it had!