Should I auto-restore 10FP4 with Sencore CR70?

[Phil Nelson]

I'm nearly done restoring a GE 810 tabletop, and it looks like my 10FP4 CRT isn't as good as I originally thought. I have played the set several hours in the course of restoration, so the CRT has already done as much "waking up" as it ever will.

On my Sencore CR70 tester, this 10FP4 CRT fails the Cutoff test: when the Function switch is set to Cutoff, no adjustment of the Cutoff-Set control will bring the needle into the meter's Cutoff box. When I move the Function switch to Emission, I can get the needle to move up into Good territory -- but only by cranking the Cutoff switch clockwise.



When used in the chassis, the CRT has mediocre contrast and brightness. The picture is sort-of watchable, but no combination of the TV's Contrast and Brightness controls produces a strong, crisp picture.

The CR70 tester suggests that a CRT with bad cutoff and good emission is a candidate for using the Auto Restore function.

My question: has anyone successfully revived a CRT with bad cutoff using this Auto Restore function? Or should I write this CRT off and look for a better one?

Regards,

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
https://antiqueradio.org/index.html