grandma's not so roundie

[fujifrontier]

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...neric/tv10.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/tv9.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ric/TVBACK.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/tv8.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/tv7.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/tv4.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/tv5.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/tv8.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/tv3.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/TV2.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...eneric/TV1.jpg


ok, I lied. I forgot it wasn't a roundie. But it's still a vintage colour TV. Also, I see a "66" near the plug, so I assume it might be a 1966 model?

and by looking at "tv5" am I right in guessing that it's a metal on glass kind of tube? I now see that it probably has a cataract, as the glass neck looked intact.
Sorry I couldn't get a decent picture of the set from behind. The camera even at 1600 ISO was having some trouble.

I'll also admit to pulling off the "MOTOROLA Colour TV" badge from the front (along the bottom of the tube) when I was a young tyke. That TV has been sitting in the same place for at least 20 years.

[jpdylon]

THAT'S AWESOME!

I don't see motorolas often, but that one is cool. i have an old TV repair book --The practical guide to TV repair by Art Margolis. He has that exact set in the book used to show how to properly adjust colors and convergence.

I hope you're going to restore that set. I would love to see it working like it was when you were a kid.

nice

[old_tv_nut]

Don't believe there were any glass/metal tubes of that vintage - probably looking at an all-glass tube with a metal magnetic shield around the front part. IIRC, weren't there also some glass tubes with the magnetic shield built inside?

[Bobby Brady]

There is much written here somewhere about it.
It is one of Motorola's first rectangular sets.
It is known for having a bad CRT but yours might be fine after you clean up the cataracs.
A rare set. There was one here not so long ago that was very clean and in a different basic cabinet that sold on ebay to some collector in Italy.

[fujifrontier]

This thing scares me. You need to see the chassis.

The TV is in a house that is one step short of being condemned; it is full of junk, papers, trash and god knows what else. It has probably sat longer than I've been alive, in an unheated/uncooled environment. Great gram only believed in having fans in her room, nowhere else in the house. There is probably rat residue and other nasties in it; the chassis shows several spots of rust. An interesting note is that the back cover has a metal EMF-shield type of plastic on it. Some of it has flaked off in places.

Looking at my 21-T639 and it seems a lot more reassuring than this thing. It has a whole lot more boards, pots, and tubes. Forgive me for being a wimp but I'd much rather pull out the 639 chassis than this.

Think of it this way; you're giving a 5th grader a choice between a college algebra book (639) and then a doctoral calculus book (Motorola).... eithe way I don't know up from down.

[bgadow]

A lot of folks would toss that thing in the dumpster faster than you could say "I wanna flat screen". But do all you can to save it! Even if you can't fix it up yourself anytime soon...this was a very early rectangular screen set & is unique. There are not too many of these out there hiding these days. Sure, it's rough around the edges, but it looks like it will clean up and the cataract isn't too big a deal. Someday you'll wish you had it.

[fujifrontier]

The next time my mom and I go to the house to search for artifacts, I will drag it near a window and take pictures of the chassis. it looks almost on par with that CT-100 that was found near a transmitting tower or something, that rats had nested in and eaten.. this one http://www.pakratz.com/ct100pix_1.html


the parents aren't too happy about the T639 being on their porch, either. I haven't even pulled the chassis to get it out to someone because it's connected to the tuner box and picture tube, etc. I guess what I'm afraid of is either ruining the sets or getting zapped with an angry tube that's waited 20 years to shock someone...

and don't worry, the TV isn't going anywhere unless the roof at great-grandma's falls in.

[Pete Deksnis]

Originally Posted by fujifrontier

...the TV isn't going anywhere unless the roof at great-grandma's falls in.

Heck, show us an outside picture of the house. It sounds like a lot bigger challenge than the rare Moto!

[Bobby Brady]

I am guessing it's an early '60 roundie Motorola?

If it is... Please get it out of the weather! They are amoungst the rarest.

I hope the cabinets don't get further harmed by dragging them around.

If you are not interested in preserving those sets maybe you could be so generous as to allow a member here to help you. The guys here are very generous and you won't find a better class of people to became freinds with.

[fujifrontier]

Originally Posted by Bobby Brady

1. I am guessing it's an early '60 roundie Motorola?
2. If it is... Please get it out of the weather! They are amoungst the rarest.
3. I hope the cabinets don't get further harmed by dragging them around.
4. If you are not interested in preserving those sets
5. maybe you could be so generous as to allow a member here to help you.
6. The guys here are very generous and you won't find a better class of people to became freinds with.

1. no, after looking closer at the tube its not a roundie.
2. is not in the weather, it's inside. but it might as well be.... years of caked crap is on the case and inside
3. the legs are kinda strong, but just like my RCA i don't want to damage them by dragging it around to take pictures. i was actually thinking of turning it upside down on a blanket and dragging it around that way, you can always refinish the top vs a broken leg.
4. of COURSE i'm interested. I'm just not knowledgeable enough to attempt anything beyond popping in new tubes. If someone would want to fix it for me then I would be grateful and willing to pay.
5. why wouldn't I? and if someone wants the TV theyd have to talk with my mom. she's the one who has control of the house and everything in it after gram died. i don't think she'd just give it away. she has $$$$$$$$$$$$$ in house taxes to pay
6. Yes, from reading the forums I can see that. I just wish i had some sort of knowldege, etc to contribute

Originally Posted by Pete Deksnis

Heck, show us an outside picture of the house. It sounds like a lot bigger challenge than the rare Moto!

the outside of the house doesn't look toooo bad. It's the INSIDE. For example, in one room, there is newspaper and junk in a layer thick enough to put my head above the top of the door frame. You are literally walking on a foot of newspaper, wrappers, clothes and junk. The roof isn't going to fall in. I only said that to mean that the telly isn't going anywhere.

[vintagecollect]

...

[Tim]

Speaking of Motorola Roundies - here is a 1964 doing a great job as a stand for the Sony. This is as I found it. It is still untested.

[fujifrontier]

mine doesn't have the stupid model number, and it used to have that label under the tube


what would I use to clean the case? i have half a mind to turn a garden hose on it

[stromberg6]

Yup, an early Motorola rectangular tv, probably with the infamous 23EGP22 CRT, and weird color demodulator circuitry (single 6LE8?). But it seems to be complete, and I guess it would be considered very rare now. Someone somewhere might want to take a crack at restoration, or could use the good parts in another similar tv. In any case, it would be a shame if it were discarded.
Didn't Motorola beat RCA to the marketplace with the first rectangular tv offered to the public?
Kevin G.

[fujifrontier]

it's not going to be thrown away. settle down and decide who's going to fix my RCA first, then we can chat about the motorola