CBS Color Compatible Dumont TV

[Tom_Ryan]

I have an early 1950's Dumont on my collection with a b&w crt that is much wider than the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio. It almost looks almost like to could pass for an early 16:9 wide screen tube. The set has a brass colored metal edging that runs around the CRT faceplate. Printed on the back of the set are instructions that say it can be converted to color tv using a CBS color wheel. Take a look at the pics. Any one have any info on this?

[RetroHacker]

It's pretty hard to tell much - those pics are really, really tiny. But it does appear to be a normal picture tube - it probably just looks different to you because modern sets don't have such rounded corners on the tube. What type of picture tube does it use? Can you get some better pictures? It looks like a really nice set. As for the color converter socket - that was on a few sets from that period - I know that on at least one, the socket wasn't connected to anything inside the chassis! It should be connected to the video sync circuit and such to give the proper signals to a color converter chassis to keep the wheel in sync with the color.

-Ian

[Einar72]

I have the earlier 19AP4-fitted version of that set, with the same huge brass-plaqued opening for a UHF upgrade that never materialized. Is yours equipped with the RA-109 chassis?

[frenchy]

[QUOTE=RetroHacker]It's pretty hard to tell much - those pics are really, really tiny. But it does appear to be a normal picture tube - it probably just looks different to you because modern sets don't have such rounded corners on the tube. >>

I've seen ads for some old bw sets that looked to have extra-wide screens but I assumed it was just due to more masking off of the top and bottom of the tube.

[Bobby Brady]

That's a beauty!
I vote standard size screen.

[radio63]

Originally Posted by Einar72

I have the earlier 19AP4-fitted version of that set, with the same huge brass-plaqued opening for a UHF upgrade that never materialized. Is yours equipped with the RA-109 chassis?

I have a picture in an Audel's TV manual of a set-top DuMont UHF converter, and the layout of it seems to indicate that that it also might have been what would have gone where that big brass plaque is on the RA-109A. I have a 109, but have never seen any of those DuMont UHF converters nor have I heard of any exisiting. Anyone ever seen one in person? I am thinking perhaps that UHF converter never progressed beyond the prototype stage.

[old_tv_nut]

You can try measuring the screen to see if it is 4x3 or not. If I recall correctly, in some early rectangular color sets, the CRTs were actually made less than 4 units wide- this would allow somewhat longer horizontal retrace time (and therefore lower peak voltage in the horizontal output) without making people look short and fat. Of course, this resulted in cropping more off the left and right than you really should.

You may be doing a mental comparison to a shape that is not full 4x3.