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Old 11-15-2014, 01:17 AM
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Fairlane500skyliner Fairlane500skyliner is offline
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1963 RCA CTC-12 Ainsworth (Australian)

Good morning all,

I was extremely lucky recently to cross something (for $450!) off the very top of my "wanted list", and subsequently something I thought I'd never see in the flesh - a 1960s colour roundie. More specifically, this set is a 1963 RCA 213G18 EX, imported from Canada and converted to the Australian ~240v 50Hz & PAL systems.

The cataract on this set put bidders off, which was quite lucky. However, that creates a minor challenge for me, worsened by the fact that this is probably the only "Roundie" in Australia, and also the vast expense if I were to import a replacement CRT. No matter how strong or weak the CRT is, I'd still like to repair the cataract so it's displayable (as it will probably be a while before I could afford to purchase and import a replacement tube if this one were to be weak, gassy or otherwise faulty).

I know that there are various methods using heat, but I've also heard of a method where you place the CRT face-down in a shallow pan of water, which I assume saturates the PVA to the point that it breaks down or loses adhesion on the safety glass? Does anyone have any experience with that method, or any other methods that don't include using a heat gun, heat lamps or hot wire on what is essentially a fragile glass bomb?

I'm definitely thinking it's a CTC-12, and possibly called an RCA "Ainsworth", according to the webpage below. I'm curious though, if the "EX" in the model number (213G18 EX) indicates that it's for EXport?

http://rec.antiques.radio-phono.nark...ervice-manuals

A friend of mine has picked this set up from the seller, as I'm about a 40 hour round trip away. I will be picking it soon though, and will post some more information and photos when I do so. I'll also try and scan a copy of the diagrams detailing the conversions, which I'll post on here and Facebook.

Thank you in advance,

Chris
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 1.JPG (74.4 KB, 177 views)
File Type: jpg 4.JPG (132.0 KB, 149 views)
File Type: jpg 5.JPG (135.3 KB, 67 views)
File Type: jpg 10.JPG (115.4 KB, 119 views)
File Type: jpg 11.JPG (144.5 KB, 91 views)

Last edited by Fairlane500skyliner; 11-15-2014 at 01:25 AM.
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Old 11-15-2014, 01:37 AM
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Has anyone ever tried strong fishing string.. Sorta saw back and forth from end to end and let the string cut into the glue while the tube is under the hot sun?
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Old 11-15-2014, 01:45 AM
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Fairlane500skyliner Fairlane500skyliner is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tvcollector View Post
Has anyone ever tried strong fishing string.. Sorta saw back and forth from end to end and let the string cut into the glue while the tube is under the hot sun?
I've heard of people using piano wire, heated up by a Variac or something. I want to stay away from methods that involve heating the "glass bomb" though, as I can't replace the CRT or safety glass as easily as collectors in North America can.

Chris
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Old 11-15-2014, 01:45 AM
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That cataract is so bad it may just fall off once the tube is removed!

I soaked a safety glass off a tube last year, it was on a NOS rebuilt tube and was still tightly bonded but the safety glass had been cracked. It took a few weeks to get it all off but I figured it was worth the time so I wouldn't risk imploding it with heat.
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Old 11-15-2014, 02:03 AM
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Fairlane500skyliner Fairlane500skyliner is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric H View Post
That cataract is so bad it may just fall off once the tube is removed!

I soaked a safety glass off a tube last year, it was on a NOS rebuilt tube and was still tightly bonded but the safety glass had been cracked. It took a few weeks to get it all off but I figured it was worth the time so I wouldn't risk imploding it with heat.
I'm hoping you're right about the cataract!

I've also attached the documentation the seller emailed me, including the modified tube line-up and the PAL decoder.

Chris
Attached Images
File Type: jpg RCA ValveNTSC chassis.jpg (147.6 KB, 61 views)
File Type: jpg RCA ValveNTSC PCBs.jpg (149.9 KB, 45 views)
File Type: jpg RCA ValveNTSC roundTubeTV-a.jpg (146.9 KB, 41 views)
File Type: jpg RCA ValveNTSC roundTubeTV-b.jpg (148.2 KB, 49 views)
File Type: jpg RCA ValveNTSC-PALdecoder2.jpg (82.7 KB, 61 views)
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Old 11-15-2014, 07:58 AM
DaveWM DaveWM is offline
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hot wire will not, have not tried fishing line, but doubt it, the bonding agent can be VERY tough. I say very since I have come across some that were tougher than others. There are two types.

Green around the edges, is a oily messy kind that can but cut thru with safety wire (no need to heat). It more like a stiff jello, messy but not hard to cut thru.

white around the edges, Much tougher, can be rock hard or rubbery either way will not respond the hot wire (red hot will not effect it, I tried it). best bet on those is just to get soak the face in water ( I used a small plastic kiddie pool) about 4" deep to make sure you get under the glass. Remove the plastic tape around the edge to allow the water better access.

do this for as long as you can, I did one for a couple months, longer the better.

the idea is to get the bonding agent more of a rubbery consistency. After this you dig out chunks around the perimeter mount the tube in a support structure (a large stable round can like a garbage can) and leave it out in the sun on a hot day. in Florida summer days are in the 90's (air temp) for hours, in the sun things get hotter. using small wood wedges (like wood clothespins) inserted around the perimeter (where the chuck where dug out) you "gently" tap these wedges in to exert upward pressure all around the lens. The key is to go slow you just tap the wedges in until the make light contact with a little upward pressure. Too much and you break the glass making removal much more of a problem. The sun heat and the light pressure take time to work so you just make sure the wedges are snug and walk away for 30 min, come back see if any are loose, if so lightly tap them in until just snug (from pressing up on the lens). then walk away.

based on the look of yours it looks like soaking in for a week just to soften up the part that has already come loose will be enough time in the water. then dig out some chunks and begin the process described above.

The key is not to rush the upward pressure. Oh and make sure the can the CRT is resting in will not tip over.
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Old 11-15-2014, 09:33 AM
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Here's an indepth discussion about cataract removal from a few years back here on VK. It also includes a number of pictures and lots of hands on experiences.

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=250651
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Old 11-15-2014, 03:54 PM
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wow .. an Aussie roundie... history of set would be fascinating? A rare beastie indeed? Aussie tuner? When was it converted to PAL???? what a find!!!!! Good luck with the cataract!
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Old 11-15-2014, 06:27 PM
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Fairlane500skyliner Fairlane500skyliner is offline
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Quote:
wow .. an Aussie roundie... history of set would be fascinating? A rare beastie indeed? Aussie tuner? When was it converted to PAL???? what a find!!!!! Good luck with the cataract!
The history seems to be a little unclear, but this is what I've pieced together -

It's earliest known history is at the Channel 7 television studio in Melbourne, before it then ended up at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) as some sort of test set. The seller said that it was converted to PAL at the RMIT, so that brings it's history at Ch. 7 into question, as it sounds like it was an NTSC test set at the time. I would say that this set is possibly one of the original colour sets that were experiementally used to see which system Australia would adopt (PAL vs NTSC).

When I have the time, I'm going to email both the RMIT and Ch. 7 studios to see if either have any more background information on this set. Either way, this is an awesome piece of Australian history.


Quote:
Here's an indepth discussion about cataract removal from a few years back here on VK. It also includes a number of pictures and lots of hands on experiences.

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=250651
Thank you for that link! There's some helpful discusison there, so I'll have to see what happens when this set arrives.

Chris

Last edited by Fairlane500skyliner; 11-15-2014 at 07:29 PM.
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Old 11-15-2014, 07:33 PM
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In the 60s Channel 7 showed colour tv off at a number of venues including the Royal Exhibition Buildings in Melbourne (It was part of a "expo" of the future.)

A colour studio and a wall of sets showing colour programming ... I remember seeing The Flinstones... were on display.

As I was all of 12 at the time ...the terms PAL and NTSC were unknown to me.. all I remember was being disappointed they were showing cartoons not live action programming.

It is possible this set was one used in the display.
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Old 11-15-2014, 08:55 PM
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Wow - certainly rare and worthy of full effort to restore. Hope the CRT shows some life.
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Old 11-15-2014, 09:18 PM
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From the rear cover photo, it appears the set was manufactured at RCA Victor Montreal for RCA Great Britain. Hence it appears the set was routed through the UK to Australia. Very interesting.

I imagine the set arrived in Australia with NTSC colour demodulation and was subsequently converted to a full delay line PAL decoder? Where is the PAL decoder modification located?
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Old 11-16-2014, 10:55 AM
BRC2000 BRC2000 is offline
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Hi Chris
I think this is a CTC15 as I have what looks like the same chassis on my bench at the moment.
In 1963 the 14 F 615 MU cost £292 in the UK. I have the documentation for the CTC15 625 NTSC 4.43Mz plus the PAL mod if you need it.
Keith
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Old 11-16-2014, 01:31 PM
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I was going to say that myself at the first glance of the chassis---it is NOT a "normal" ctc-12,. they had an octal H-out put tube and a focus rect tube in the cage. But I was afraid if I did say something...people would bitch at me.
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Old 11-16-2014, 08:31 PM
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I was going to say that myself at the first glance of the chassis---it is NOT a "normal" ctc-12,. they had an octal H-out put tube and a focus rect tube in the cage. But I was afraid if I did say something...people would bitch at me.
I hope not! I was going to say the same thing. It is a CTC15. Like it or not.
The schematic, shows the world of difference, between the two.
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