New Member-Old Teleset!

[CaryLee]

Howdy!

My name is Cary and I'm just beginning my odyssey of restoring a DuMont RA-112-A1 that my grandparents purchased new in 1950 or so. They owned and used it for many years until it was replaced probably around 1960 or so. I was born in 1964, and all I remember is that it was stored in a corner of the master bedroom of my grandmother's house until she sold the place in the mid to late 1980's. The house was scheduled for demolition after sale, so the new landowners could put up a bunch of tract-homes on the property. The old appliances in the kitchen, some old furniture, and the TV had been left behind. On my last visit I manged to stuff the TV into the back of a van and haul it home, a couple hundred miles away, and I've been hauling it around ever since. In the last year I've got a couple of antique radios under my belt, and an antique phonograph, and it's time to do something with that old Teleset! So, SAM'S Photofact, Rider's Guide, a couple of basic multimeters and electrical testers, and soldering iron in hand...here I go!!!

[snelson903]

welcome Cary from northern Indiana ,sounds like your in the right place .

[TVTim]

Welcome!

Seems as though you are ready to tackle that television.

Keep us updated and include photos.

[bandersen]

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your set. I recently restored a very similar RA113. You can read about it here: http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=259542

[Sandy G]

Welcome ! Nice t'have ya !

[Username1]

Good Luck ! Remember to send us a few post cards on that project....

[CaryLee]

Originally Posted by snelson903

welcome Cary from northern Indiana ,sounds like your in the right place .

Hey Mishawaka! Thank you for the welcome. I'm out in New Mexico, but I have a good friend from Mishawaka who owns a place out here by my backcountry camp. Ever hear of a now closed coffee joint there called "The Beanery"? I guess it's been closed at least a couple years now.

-Cary

[CaryLee]

Originally Posted by bandersen

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your set. I recently restored a very similar RA113. You can read about it here: http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=259542

Howdy, I've looked at your writeup and it's been VERY helpful in getting my courage up to finally get to work on this after all these years. I'm sure I'll be referring to it quite often.

-Cary

[CaryLee]

Thank you all for the welcomes! I'm totally green at televisions, but have a lot of determination. I have VERY limited testing equipment..I will be on the lookout for a few things..but right now, I'll have to rely on good advice and some good luck!

-Cary

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by CaryLee

Thank you all for the welcomes! I'm totally green at televisions, but have a lot of determination. I have VERY limited testing equipment..I will be on the lookout for a few things..but right now, I'll have to rely on good advice and some good luck!

-Cary

Welcome!

I'd recommend placing a tube tester at the top of that list...or finding somebody that will let you use or borrow theirs.

[CaryLee]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Welcome!

I'd recommend placing a tube tester at the top of that list...or finding somebody that will let you use or borrow theirs.

Thanks for the welcome! Been thinking about the tube tester thing. Unfortunately, out here in Farmington, we're kind of like an island, or that town in the movie "Oh Brother Where art thou" where the boys need car parts and "Dapper Dan" hair treatment...we're "a week from everywhere". I've found no support for this hobby locally, and haven't found anyone else around here who shares my interest. The one independent electronics store we had went out of business several years ago. We've got two Radio Shacks..but Radio Shack ain't what it used to be (We call it the cell phone store). The New Mexico Radio Collectors Club is based in Albuquerque, and that's 170 miles through the desert..one way. I've emailed the contact for the club several times since the beginning of this year, and have never received a response, so I don't even know if they are active anymore.
So it all depends on how far I go with this hobby, and how it goes with the one TV I have. If I get lucky and it's an easy restore, I may only have to worry about keeping it running from now on. If I get hooked, I'll end up with all sorts of equipment none of my friends have ever see before...like all the other antique "stuff" we have all over the house. One thing is for sure, vintage TV's aren't falling out of the woodwork out here like they seem to be back east! My wife and I spend a lot of time in antique stores and antique malls, in three states, and I've not seen one, ever. And two of the four vintage radios we saw in the last year, we bought!

-Cary

[1966C10]

Welcome to the site.