Found a gold mine today!!! - Videokarma.org TV - Video

Charlie · #1 10-15-2002, 02:55 PM

Wow! I struck it rich today! I found an old TV shop on the other side of town that needs cleaning out! This guy has at least 4 or 5 dozen old tube sets up in the attic of his shop! B&W, color, round color... you name it and he has it! He says he wants to clean it all out! It was kinda dark, and I wasn't able to see everything up there, but I was able to see enough to know that I will be busy with the truck! The fire marshall has already told him he needs to get rid of it, so it seems he don't mind me coming to get what I want as long as I bring some help.

I am about to head back over there with a flashlight (it was really dark there) to see if there might be a CT100. Man! That would be a trip! I did see several RCAs and Zeniths such as what is on this board. Saw one '66 Zenith like Rob's. I will have to remember to ask if he has any old remote controls.

Charlie · #2 10-15-2002, 05:56 PM

Went back with a mag-light to look around. I found a CT-7, a couple of CT-16s, and a CT-20 in the RCAs. The CT7 had broken pins on the CRT. The CT 16 & 20 had cateracs. Most of these sets seem to have damage to the cabinets, but some of it could be taken care of. I found a Zenith that looks like a good candidate for resoration. So far, it looks that most of these would be good parts sets. In any case, there are several to choose from.

I did notice that most of these sets had their knobs. Anyone looking for knobs?

The man has another warehouse across the street that I haven't looked in yet. I will go back tomorrow and take a peek in there.

Rob · #3 10-15-2002, 06:12 PM

Charlie,

That is exciting isn't it!?

Hope you find even more goodies across the street. I need a H.Hold knob of the four at the bottom of my CTC-10/11 seen in the picture attached. I also need the tuner knobs for a CTC-16.

Too bad the CRT's are cataracted or worse but you should grab these sets for parts if you have the room to store them. Items like flybacks for them are getting hard to find now so would be a shame to see get tossed out. Those 6JE6 horizontal output tubes are dear also because those ahem ...'geniuses' making Ham transmitters thought it would be clever to make rigs using TV sweep tubes some 30 years ago. Now us TV collectors have to compete with hams for these tubes and the price has gone up.
Good thing TV's don't need 300B's or 45's.

Let us know what you score.

Rob

Charlie · #4 10-15-2002, 06:48 PM

Rob,

As we all know, it seems that we never have room to store this stuff! For some reason, we bring it home anyway! Even if it means putting a set next to the toilet to use as a magazine rack! It's a good thing I am not married anymore... my wife would have never put up with this!!! I could just see the look on her face if I brought this stuff home!

I think I should be able to snag the knobs you need. I will be going back tomorrow. The man told me to take what ever I wanted. I love it when someone has that kind of attitude!

Charlie · #5 10-16-2002, 03:22 PM

Rob,

I was able to round up a set of tuning knobs for the ctc16. The chrome has turned green, and I was able to clean most of it off. They look better than having nothing at all.

I wasn't sure if these H-hold knobs were the correct ones. This was the best I could do for them. If you would like them, let me know.

I looked around to try to pair up sets that have the same chassis. My best luck there was 2 Silvertone B&W consoles that kinda resemble an "Anderson". One of them looked complete, and the other had a few parts missing. These will both be coming home with me.

Out of about 8 RCA round color sets, I found one that looked complete without cataracts. The cabinet will need refinishing. This one will make the trip home as well.

There is an "Anderson" set, but it is in pretty bad shape inside and out.

Probably the most interesting I found is the Sylvania B&W console with the "HALO" light around the screen. How common are these??? The insides look complete, and the cabinet might pass with a good cleaning job. This one will be coming home.

I went to look across the street, and found TV's stacked to the ceiling. Most of these were square color consoles. Looked like more of a TV junkyard. Was kinda expecting a rat to come running out as I was digging around.

Unfortunately, I didn't find any 7 inch from the 40's. Most of the smaller sets were portable B&W from the 60's and 70's.

As soon as I get some help, I will be going over there to start bringing stuff home. All of this stuff is in the attic... man it had to be a job getting it up there! Hopefully I will have some stuff here at home by this weekend.

Charlie · #6 10-16-2002, 03:26 PM

How do these look Rob?

***Eric H*** · #7 10-16-2002, 10:23 PM

Hi Charlie, did you see any sets like this:

http://www.vintagetvsets.com/wanted.htm

It was my first childhood TV and I have been looking for a replacement for a while, I would offer a decent reward for one!

Eric

Rob · #8 10-17-2002, 02:54 AM

Charlie,

The CTC-16 knobs are correct. Too bad they are so corroded. The other four are similar and could be swapped in as a set even if they aren't the same. I have to extend the shaft on the one control because it is broken off and the knob won't reach far enough to contact it.

If you could drop these in a small package and mail them by USPS surface mail that would be great. Please contact me PM for my address. I'll happily pay postage.

Could you see if the fellow has any NOS (tube TV only) vertical output transformers, or could you strip some from the old sets if not much trouble, maybe from chassis that are not in cabinets? I need a bunch for an experiment. It doesn't matter what model or 3 or 4 wire.

Thanx,
Rob

Charlie · #9 10-17-2002, 10:09 AM

Eric,

Actually, there weren't hardly any GE sets up there other than some small portable B/W transistor sets. After going back the second day, I realized that there were alot more TV's than I thought origionally. Actually, there must be at least a couple hundred sets. I did notice that there were absolutely no GE consoles... and consoles is what is mainly there. There was an area that had portables lined up together... I will look in there to see if I can find a set like the one you are searching for. I don't think I saw anything that style in a 21". There were some 17" styled similiar to yours. I'll see what I can find.

Rob,

Yes, unfortunately most of the chrome knobs have corrosion on them. Guess it is from sitting in the attic for so many years. This TV shop has been there since 1950, so that gives an idea as to how long some of those sets have been up there.

For your transformers, I will probably load up on loose chassis and remove the transformers when I get them home. From the looks of this place, even if he did have some NOS transformers, I doubt he would know where they are. To be honest, I don't know how he keeps up with anything! Hell... even downstairs where he works... there are "black box" sets stacked to the ceiling! When I went to look in the warehouse across the street, TV sets were just piled up on each other... and it looks as if they had been there for many years.

There was one thing he mentioned to me that just blew my mind! He said that 3 years ago, he spent a week throwing out old TVs, and what I have seen is all that is left. I can't even imagine what this place was like before that!

How bout the Sylvania set with the Halo light? Have any of you come across one of these? I did see one on someones web site, and if it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have known about it. The one I found is model 376... Sam's 229-15. Anyone familiar with this?
http://www.tvhistory.tv/1950-1959.htm

Rob · #10 10-17-2002, 10:52 AM

Charlie,

Man, what a neat treasure hunt! Yes it makes you wonder if he threw out any 'treasure'.

Thanx for going to the trouble of pulling vertical output transformers for me. While you are at it it would be worthwhile to grab the audio output transformers and from the larger chassis, the power transformers. Power transformers are suitable for building tube amps as well as restoring vintage TV's and have some renewed value these days since they are rather expensive to buy new now. Maybe you could store the power transformers and also yank the tubes from the transformer type TV's that you strip. They are also uesful in restorative TV work.

The Sylvania 'Halolites' are definitely collectible sets. You did good. My grandmother had one and I remember watching it as a child when it went black (the CRT) and made a really bad smell. Turned out it had smoked its power transformer!

She kept the old one from the TV repair man so I could play with it. I vaguely remember pulling it apart. I was about 9 years old at the time.

Rob

Charlie · #11 10-17-2002, 03:48 PM

I brought a few things home today that I was able to carry down on my own. Pictured below are two identical Sony 5-303W portable sets. I grabbed them mainly because there were two of them. I do not plan on tearing into these since I don't like working on something that small. Thought maybe one of you might be interested in them to make one from the two, or perhaps someone needs some parts. Also is portable Zenith that looks complete, and DIRTY. I doubt I will mess with this one. If anything, I'll save it. But, if someone is interested in parts from it, speak up.

Also brought home a chassis and knobs from an early 50's Zenith B/W that had no crt... chassis 19K22-3 (sams 214-11). I'll strip it for parts, so if someone needs something from it, let me know.

For now, the only thing I grabbed that I plan on messing with later is a blue RCA B/W portable. I don't think they are very attractive, but, since it was blue, I decided to grab it.

I might be able to get some help here shortly to haul down some big stuff, so hopefully this evening I'll have the Sylvania Halo light set in my garage and a few others.

Charlie · #12 10-17-2002, 03:50 PM

Here is the RCA

***Eric H*** · #13 10-17-2002, 06:54 PM

Hey Charlie, I have that exact same Zenith Portable torn apart on my table right now! Mine's a bit cleaner

I would ask about the small knobs on the top but they don't look correct?

Eric

Charlie · #14 10-17-2002, 07:16 PM

I finally got some help to get some pieces out of the attic. It was not as easy as I thought, but we made it.

First, there is the Sylvania Halolight. The speaker cloth needs replacing, and the cabinet will need refinishing, but it will be worth it if I get this baby going.

Second, a 21 inch Maggie. Still trying to locate the model and year info on this one. Looks very close to the smaller one I have here already, so I am guessing it to be from 1958-1960. Once I got it home, I discovered that there is a picture tube brightener connected to it, so, I don't know how promising this will be.

Third, is a very rough looking RCA. If the inside turns out to be fixable, it will need a complete refinishing on the outside.

Eric, out of the 4 knobs on the top, only 2 of them are alike, and those two aren't correct! It looks like the one on the left might be. I looked for the set you are in search of, but had no luck. I will be making several trips there, so I will keep it in mind.

Charlie · #15 10-17-2002, 07:17 PM

Magnavox