RCA Roundie Test Jig Resto

[Steve D.]

Found this on the internet. No meter indicated. Notice the multi-color logo found on consumer sets below the screen on this version.

-Steve D.

[miniman82]

Steve,


That's interesting that the mask on that one looks like a production CTC-11 one, whereas mine is blank. The one I have doesn't say 'color' beneath the CRT.

[Findm-Keepm]

Originally Posted by miniman82

Saw that too, I think it was either replaced or installed later if it didn't originally have one.

The meter was an accessory to the rectangular jig. RCA also made a portable jig with an hv meter installed. Both the later rectangular jig and the portable came along in 1970, and had a cable set for the CTC40. Additional cables and accessories were needed for CTC2X and CTC3X chassis, and both matured until the ColorTrak chassis. We had both, and used only the rectangular jig. The lil' blue portable was sold to a kid right out of tech school, sometime after 1980.

[Findm-Keepm]

...and i have a 13A100 HV exension cable, NIB if you need it. All my other adapters are for the rectangular jig.

[miniman82]

Probably do need it, most of the wiring in this thing is electrical taped...

[davet753]

I used to have one of those, but it didn't have a meter on the front. Like a dumb a**, I threw it out in the early 90's. I remember thinking, "Whoever in the world would want a round tube test jig?" Now, they're a pretty rare piece.

[miniman82]

Got the cabinet stripped apart, gonna see a guy about blasting it bare tomorrow. Hopefully there's a local place that will do hammer tone powder coating in the original blue, meantime I have to see if I can weld the front panel back together. The HV meter on the front was a later addition, so I'm gonna see if I can put it back the way it was. If not, a new piece will have to be fabricated.

[Findm-Keepm]

Nick,

Need a convergence or yoke extension cable? I've got a 24-30" long one for the rectangular service jig with the molex plugs. I also have the bare octal plug and socket so you can make one from the parts, just transfer wires right over. Interested?

[miniman82]

I think I can salvage what I have here for the yoke wiring, if not I'll get in touch.

[miniman82]

I have been in contact with a local powder coating place in Virginia Beach, and finally took the cabinet over there to have them look at it. Doing the whole cabinet comes to $150 out the door, but there's a catch. The blank off panel where the knobs of the chassis would normally be had a hole in it for a non-original HV meter, and it needs to be patched before proceeding. The welding shop I went to said its not possible to patch, due to metal warpage- you'd always know it was repaired. So they are making me a whole new one for like $50, when done it will get dropped off at the powder coating place. I should have the whole cabinet done next wee, the color will be satin (semi-gloss) black.

[Steve D.]

Nick,

Anyway you can have the original graphics reproduced? Did you photograph or scan them when the panel was removed?

-Steve D.

[Findm-Keepm]

Me, I'd leave the meter in - it was a mod kit from RCA, and many shops had them. Our roundie jig was an old metal cabinet set, and we just hung a HV probe in the back, but the RCA meter would have been much cooler. Yes, the mounting location is right by what RCA published.

The kit was part number 10J110, and was a retrofit for all RCA jigs made before 1968, and had instructions for the Tele-matic jig as well. The RCA portable jig(s) already had the meter.

http://www.americanradiohistory.com/...#search=%22rca jig%22

[MRX37]

If I were you I'd leave the meter, if anything for the coolness factor.

I think It'd be pretty awesome to have a TV with a working meter on it, and if something starts to go wrong with the HV, that meter would certainly inform you.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by MRX37

If I were you I'd leave the meter, if anything for the coolness factor.

I think It'd be pretty awesome to have a TV with a working meter on it, and if something starts to go wrong with the HV, that meter would certainly inform you.

It's not a TV, but rather a test jig. All it there is to it is a cabinet CRT, and the deflection yokes. It has no chassis, but is used to plug console chassis that are being repaired into to allow easier servicing of consoles.

[miniman82]

Problem with the meter is it's a later production one with the wrong RCA logo. If it had the old meatball on it I'd have moved it elsewhere, because I want the stencil on the front to remain intact. I can always put it on a bracket on the back, but HV isn't diagnostically important to most service jobs unless the job is specifically a lack of HV. I typically verify correct HV once when I do the horizontal circuit setup, after that if there were a problem you'd know.

Steve,

The stencil on the front is probably gonna have to be done by an artist, maybe I can have someone who does pinstriping or air brushing take care of it. Suppose if I had to I could always have the guy at the mall who does T-shirts make me some stickers, and that way I could paint it in myself.