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  #31  
Old 07-02-2002, 02:17 AM
klatuu
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This set is a real museum piece, my pride & joy - a 1959 21" RCA contemporary-style console. Not sure of the chassis number - maybe CTC-9? It worked when I originally bought it, but then began having focus & convergence problems. Could probably be restored by a loving aficionado (anyone out there in LA?). It has the front safety glass that Rob described, & the wood cabinet is rich & in very good condition.
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  #32  
Old 07-02-2002, 02:20 AM
klatuu
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Here's a screen shot off the '59 RCA. I love the rich, Technicolor quality!
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  #33  
Old 07-02-2002, 02:31 AM
klatuu
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Finally - my GE PortaColor. When these babies came out in the mid-60s I was dying to get one (imagine, a color tv you could pick up & take with you), but back then the $250 price tag was way out of range for a High School student. Finally, I found a later-model one from another collector, which I then donated in favor of this beauty that I got off eBay. MUCH closer in appearance to the original model I remeber!
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  #34  
Old 07-02-2002, 11:11 AM
Rob Rob is offline
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60's Zenith color

Jon,

Great of you to join our discussion forum here Jon! You have some great sets. That Danish Modern entertainment center is a beautiful classic, and that '59 RCA ...Wow.

I have a 1966 Zenith 21" console that looks a lot like yours too but has different legs. I wonder if mine is the model your grandparents had? I'm posting a photo of it. It was donated to my collection a couple of years ago by a nice lady that had it stored at her cottage north of Toronto. It didn't look special until I got it home and cleaned it up. As the grime came off the thing started to shine like a real museum piece! It works too with minor issues like filter caps needing replacing when I have time.

Rob

Last edited by Rob; 07-03-2002 at 09:20 AM.
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  #35  
Old 07-02-2002, 08:32 PM
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jshorva65 jshorva65 is offline
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I also have some vintage color sets, but mine aren't as impressive as the 1954 Admiral, Westinghouse and RCA sets I've seen here. I tend to prefer the 21" sets with all-glass picture tubes since it's easier to find these sets with usable picture tubes. Perhaps after I've restored and sold enough of my later-vintage color sets, I'll be able to afford to buy one of these true classics and then invest in restoring it.

My collection now includes four vintage color sets, two of which are in working condition.

My Sylvania 21LC28 is still in my garage. I placed it there last summer while preparing to move into my house. It should still work when I bring it into the house (this weekend) and I'll take some pics of it.

This is my most recent project. It's a Zenith 24MC32 circa 1962-63. This set has UHF but was built before '64 when UHF was made mandatory (service literature still shows UHF tuner as being included on "some models"). This set also was built before automatic degaussing circuits became standard equipment on color sets (no ADG circuit or coils in this set). Here's the picture of the set in operation.

John
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  #36  
Old 07-02-2002, 09:07 PM
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Jon,

My grandparents actually owned a total of 3 Zenith color sets from the 60's. My dad's family was (obviously) quite wealthy to have owned 3 color tv sets in the 60's. Sundays were the day to be there, football games on 3 screens and the best fried chicken you could get in the North. They made their money in the rental-housing business (owned a trailer park). They lost one of their sets in '72 when a tenant stumbled in drunk on rent day, fell against the set and crushed the neck of the CRT against the wall. The other two lasted until 1980 and 1981 respectively when one set's picture tube finally quit and the other developed power supply problems that their repairman said weren't worth fixing. Two of the 3 were identical and the other had a different cabinet (two looked like mine, one looked like yours). I was just starting to learn to repair color sets then, so they gave me the 3 sets to see if I could make one good one out of them in 1982. I salvaged the good crt and put it in the set with the working chassis. A few days after I got a picture on it, my dad snapped the neck off the tube because my overprotective mom was afraid I'd get hurt working with those old sets. Needless to say I was less than pleased. I've been restoring tv sets semi-professionally for years. I started doing vintage electronics full-time five months ago. My parents are amazed that I'm actually making a decent living with this.

John
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  #37  
Old 07-02-2002, 09:59 PM
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How does one go about performing cataract surgery on a 21FJP22?? I have an Admiral set which has an electrically-good 21FJ with terrible cataracts. I haven't tested the set, but I have reason to suspect that the picture tube cataracts may be its only problem. It almost looks like the safety glass would just FALL OFF if I removed the tube from the cabinet. Just how much implosion risk is there in such a task?

John
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  #38  
Old 07-02-2002, 10:46 PM
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Sometimes I really hate to sell these classic sets and wish I could just keep them all for my private collection ... but then I remember that bringing these gems back to life and selling them is how I'm paying my bills and financing the launch of my line of tube guitar and hi-fi amp designs. Weighing the benefits (making a living at something I enjoy) against the disadvantage (selling classic sets I wish I could keep) puts it all in perspective. Here's a link to my latest listing on eBay ... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...em=2118776767. On this set, I just did what was necessary to bring it back to working order. I'm still in the process of acquiring the tools to do "by-the-book" color alignments, so I haven't re-aligned this one. My goal is to be equipped for by-the-book color alignments next year.

John
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  #39  
Old 07-03-2002, 12:13 AM
Rob Rob is offline
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John,

Maybe someone who reads this forum would like to make a deal with you for your nice Zenith color set.

That's a shame your mom was paranoid about your safety and had your dad destroy the CRT in that set you were having luck restoring.

Delaminating the faceplate of a 21FJP22 is not without implosion risks. There are 346 sq. inches of surface area on the faceplate and at sea level multiply by 14.7 PSI and you get 5091 lbs of atmospheric pressure on the faceplate alone, more than the weight of an average car. You have to be careful of temperature gradients that put additional stresses in the glass and use no metalic scraping tools to carve out the plastic filler in between the faceplate and the CRT face. There is about 80-90 thousandths of an inch of room to work in. When you find a solvent that will break down and release the plastic filler you will be all set.

Rob
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  #40  
Old 07-03-2002, 01:08 AM
klatuu
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Zenith TVs

Thanks for the compliments on my sets, Rob. That Zenith of yours is awesome, you did a great job of cleaning it up. I love the distinctive tuning knob/channel changer on the Zenith sets from the '60s - very space-age.

John, if I were rich I'd fly you out to Los Angeles so you could restore a couple of my old sets, particularly my '59 & '62 RCAs. There doesn't seem to be anyone left out here who LIKES to restore old TVs.

I'm glad I was directed to this discussion board. I knew there were more of us crazy classic color TV collectors out there somewhere....

Below is a screen shot off my Zenith.

Jon
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  #41  
Old 07-03-2002, 01:13 AM
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Would denatured Ethanol do it? Any suggestions for what solvent to use? I would hope to break down the filler and adhesive enough to use a plastic or hard rubber tool to scoop away the filler and then wipe with a soft cloth to remove any residue. I would probably only attempt it outdoors on a mild day (70-75 degrees) and make a padded jig to hold the tube during the repair.

John
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  #42  
Old 07-03-2002, 01:33 AM
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It would be less costly and more productive to have your sets shipped to Ohio where my bench and equipment are and then shipped back fully restored, although there are still quite a few tools I need to obtain before I can do full by-the-book restorations on color sets. I have enough equipment to do a pretty good alignment on a vintage B/W set like a 630TS, but there are quite a few more tools that I'll need before I'd feel comfortable attempting a color alignment. I expect to have my shop fully outfitted for color alignment within a year considering the constraints of my equipment budget and research time.

John
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  #43  
Old 07-03-2002, 01:42 AM
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Steve Hoffman Steve Hoffman is offline
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Klatuu,

I thought you and I were alone in this passion (well, Steve D. of course, and Ed R.).

Now (thanks to Mr. D.) I've found others out there who are, well, like us.

Neat, eh?

BTW, Karla LOVES your '64 "Entertainment Center". Geez, that thing is long!

This thread makes me crave more 21" color sets!!!!

Curse you all!
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  #44  
Old 07-03-2002, 09:15 AM
Rob Rob is offline
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Re: Zenith TVs

Quote:
Originally posted by klatuu

Below is a screen shot off my Zenith.

Jon
Jon.

Jon,

Is that the episode when Robin Williams pretends to be Lawrence Welk? Just kidding. That picture is fabulous. Great convergence, good crt emission, good whites. That would be hard to do on an aged 15GP22 or 21AXP22, 21CYP22 because of the inefficient red phosphors.

Here's a shot of my Zenith in operation. I isn't a very good photo though, except proof that the set works.

One note about Zenith compared to the other guys. I've always considered (through comparitive observation) Zenith quality to be a step or two above the competition in the quality of their stuff. Here is another example. The brass tips on the screw-in legs on my Zenith TV are real brass. I was able to polish them to a like-new luster. The tips on similar legs on my RCA sets are plated steel with lacquer or plastic protective overcoat. The overcoat has degraded and been scraped off over the decades and the plating has deteriorated to the beginnings of rust. I cannot polish thes RCA leg tips. They will have to be replaced to make them shine like the Zenith's.

Rob

Last edited by Rob; 07-03-2002 at 09:45 AM.
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  #45  
Old 07-03-2002, 09:34 AM
Rob Rob is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by jshorva65
Would denatured Ethanol do it

John
Denatured alcohol doesn't help and in fact will instantly craze and destroy any cutting tools you might make out of 0.062" thick plexiglass sheet. I leave the mounting strap on the tube to help stabilize it as a sort of implosion protection band and welded supports for the mounting tabs onto the open end of a 55 US gallon oil drum as a protective device and work stand. Cutter shown is from 0.062 polypropelene sheet.

Rob
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