Another RCA CT-100 discovery B8001599

[Penthode]

Hi All,

I responded to a Facebook Marketplace ad for an RCA CT-100 near Windsor Ontario for sale for just C$10 (US$7.80). I messaged the seller and told him the history and said it was the first color tv from 1954 and it was too cheap. He said okay. How about C$100? I texted back sure lol!

So I made a 3 hour drive to arrive at the gentleman's doorstep at 8am the next morning. It is unusually cold for this time of year and the temperature was -5 Celcius (29F). The set was in the open and had sat for a couple of days at least outside. Fortunately there had been no rain.

I honestly thought the ad may be a sham but I was game to drive and have a look. It was indeed a CT100 and is as depicted below. The gentleman told me he susequently received a flood of calls telling him. the set was worth $1500. But his residence was flooded with tons of old electronic stuff and I asked him directly if the C$100 was okay and he said sure as long as I haul it away.

The set came from an estate near Windsor Ontario. I could see sometime ago some work had been done with quite a number of orange drop Sprague capacitor replacements evident. The is mouse nest damage in a corner of the chassis because the bottom chassis plate was missing. The speaker frame also suffered considerable rusting from what appeared due to mouse urine. But the set otherwise was in fairly reasonable complete state apart from the missing chassis bottom screen, the knobs and the back cover.

On site I carefully dismantled the cabinet and removed the chassis and 15GP22. On it's ride back hope, the CRT was carefully cushioned on the rear seat of my car. A cursory glance shows no white round the getters and it still looks like there is a good vacuum. I plan to bring out my CRT tester and carefully scrutinize the status of the CRT.

For you information, the chassis number is B8001599, cabinet 170. I am in the process of revising my plans this summer to include time to begin resusitating this set. This will be particularly so if the CRT shows any sign of life. I shall use this thread to maintain a running discussion.