RCA CTC7 Grenoble The Rest of the Story

[Ampico-kid]

I guess some of you might be wondering how the story of the RCA CTC7 Grenoble on CL in the Syracuse, NY area finally ended.
(http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=249763)

Well, let me fill you in. Initially I wasn't real interested in the set because I already have a beautiful CTC7 Pensbury that I acquired from a fellow VK member last year. But the more I thought about it, the more my interest was piqued because of the fact this set was one of the first to offer a remote control, and the fact that the set looked to be in pretty good shape and wasn't all that far from my home base in NJ.

Apparently, like so many other interested parties, I sent an e-mail to the seller only to find out that he had changed his mind about the price and was "entertaining" offers. I wasn't about to shell out a whole lot of money, and so I sat back and waited for while. Many weeks went by and eventually the seller posted some pictures of the set and it looked pretty good. He also made a vague reference to the fact that he was looking for early vintage audio equipment and might be interested in something like that to "sweeten the deal".

I just happened to have an early intergrated tube hifi amplifier manufactured by one of the major hitters of the 1950's and early 1960's that I acquired from a customer who upgraded to a more modern system some 30 years ago. The amp is in great shape and was simply sitting on a shelf in my attic collecting dust. After several more e-mails and some creative bartering, it was decided to make an even swap, my amp for his RCA CTC7. The amp didn't cost me anything when I acquired it, so in effect the TV cost me nothing, and the amp cost the seller nothing. We swapped units and we both walked away happy campers.

I made the trip to the Albany area to pick up the set Saturday and am now the happy owner of two CTC 7's waiting for restoration. Both of the sets have very strong 21CYP22 crt's. The Grenoble has a replacement tube that I believe was installed in 1962, and the other set, the Pensbury has the original tube.

Here are some pictures of the Grenoble as it arrived and was unloaded early Sunday morning. The only defect I can find on the set is the missing "D" for the word Deluxe on the front of the set.

























And here's a photograph of the Pensbury....................





I can see that I've got my work cut out for me. If real "work" were only this much fun!!

Bob

[bgadow]

Very sharp, clean sets! I love it when a deal comes together like that. I've done a very similiar swap, and it really made me feel like I knew what I was doing!

[miniman82]

I wanted that set sooooo bad! Too far for me though. Hey, I'll trade ya a pristine ST-70?

that thing is SWEEEEET!


Where's Mark?

[Phil Nelson]

Wow, what creampuff, and fully loaded. I picture the first owner walking into the showroom and saying, "Give me the best TV you've got."

Phil Nelson

[Kevin Kuehn]

Wow! very nice. I can't get over how clean of condition some of these are showing up in. Looking at the finish around the knobs, I'd swear that set was hardly used. I really like the early cabinets with the side mounted controls.
Should be a fun restore.

Kevin

[Aussie Bloke]

Beautiful sets!!! Totally amazed how clean they look, looks pretty much as good as if they have just left the factory!!! All the best with the restoration!!!

[sampson159]

i cant wait to see both of these sets completed and working.hurry with the screen shots.another great find and i am happy for your success!

[7"estatdef]

When I was a kid my dad conned my mom into buying a Ctc-7. He told her that if he was going to fix these "new" color set he had to have one to practice on. That was about 1959(I was 3 at the time my older brother pass this little story to me this passed Sept.at mom's funeral she was 81) I don't know which model is was, It was a table top set in a large metal blond cabinet. I count myself very fortunate to have had a color tv when I was growing up. Are family was just a regular working class folks so this was a big deal for us.

In the late '60s we bit the bullet and replaced the crt in it. A few years later we replaced it with a Sony Trinitron. I remember you had to clean up inside of the hv cage or it would arc and spark. One time the wiring from the convergence board got tangled up with the 5U4's which caused odor and a rewiring job. But I think the favorite problem it had was it uses a 6AQ5 for the vertical output. That little tube would run so hot that it would soften the solder connection on the circuit board that the vertical would collapse. It took dad a while to figure that one out.

The rest of the story is that in the late '70 the set was still going strong. Years back dad mounted a small uhf tuner just behind the channel knob. But eventually it ended up in the garage. I knew a newly married couple that didn't have a set so I gave it to them.

It's been fun reminiscing.I know I'll do a magnificent job on them both!!You've got a great head start as there in great shape to start with. Love your remote control Philco!
Terry

[ggregg]

Great story, great trade. That major hitter amp brand wouldn't have happened to be H.H.Scott would it?

[Ampico-kid]

Originally Posted by ggregg

Great story, great trade. That major hitter amp brand wouldn't have happened to be H.H.Scott would it?

Mmmmmmm.....could be.

[Eric H]

That's an incredibly nice set! Both of them actually.

I'd gladly trade my Sansui 1000A for it! and throw in a couple speakers to boot.

[Electronic M]

Wow! That set is the definition of sweet. Top of the line electronics(for its day), and a really cool cabinet! If I found one like that I probally wouldn't be able to purchase it because I'd be foaming at the mouth going homina-homina homina!

Nice find!

Tom C.

[ggregg]

Originally Posted by Ampico-kid

Mmmmmmm.....could be.

Well you both probably got good deals then. I really like both of those. Good for you.

[droptop]

Bob,

I really like that Pensbury cabinet style. Even though I recently found a Monticello maybe that one will be the next on my want list. You will love the Grenoble when it’s finished. It's the epitome of late 50's cabinet styling IMO. Mine is the first early color set I found. It was almost two years before I got the chance to restore it.

The remote system is an interesting challenge. There are five total relays used. Two are larger ones that control power and audio muting. The other three are physically smaller with 5 K ohm windings. Two of them were open. I found it impossible to dismantle them for rewinding due to the construction. I found some “ice cube” style relays with the correct resistance and after changing return springs and adjusting contact clearance (an exercise in patient endurance) it works fine. Another weak spot in the remote chain is the audio cable from the cabinet mounted pickup to the input jack on the remote chassis. The RCA plugs (go figure) seem to lose tension causing intermittent grounding. I cleaned the jacks and plugs and that took care of it.

I found the original selling price of this set somewhere that I now can’t find but remember it retailed for $925.00. No small sum in 1958-59. No wonder someone on the block getting a color TV was such big news.

Congratulations on a great find. Keep us updated on your progress.

Rick

[ohohyodafarted]

Bob,

Glad you were able to get it for a trade. I was also wanting it and when the seller upped the price from the original, I think $350 to double that, I decided I didn't want it that badly. But man, IS THAT THING CHERRY OR WHAT? Getting it for a trade was very fortunate.

I have a CTC7 Pensburry in the Maple finish, however the finish on mine is pretty bad and needs refinishing. Your's looks showroom new. Is that the way you acquired it?