View Full Version : Fada RCA 721 Clone


kbmuri
10-12-2007, 09:52 PM
Regarding:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1376225&highlight=fada#post1376225

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=63297&d=1191012606

If the question is still raised, it's definitely an RCA 721 chassis. A bracket on the left side of the chassis (looking from the front) extends the left two knobs an inch or two farther left. The larger CRT looks like it's mounted a tad more left to keep it centered between the knobs. Otherwise it's pretty much identical.

Eric H
10-12-2007, 11:29 PM
I see you got that set, congrats, it's a beauty!

John Folsom
10-14-2007, 09:57 AM
I would enjoy some photos of the back side, I have never seen a 721 chassis in any other manufactur ers cabinet. Thanks for the update.

Eric H
10-14-2007, 02:09 PM
I'd be interested in seeing it too, especially how they modified the controls.

John, this Coronado uses a 721 chassis also, I don't have a picture of the backside handy though.

John Folsom
10-14-2007, 02:34 PM
Thaanks, Eric. Is that a 10" CRT? Looks a little bigger than 7", but it is hard to tell... Nice set!

Eric H
10-14-2007, 03:10 PM
Thaanks, Eric. Is that a 10" CRT? Looks a little bigger than 7", but it is hard to tell... Nice set!

Yes, it's a 10BP4, the cabinet's so big it just looks smaller.
It's a little nicer thanks to the miracle of Photoshop, one half of the grille actually has a big hole in it, if you look close you can see where I cut and pasted one section of the grille into the other. :p:

Sorry KB, I didn't mean to hijack your thread! :no:

So, when can we see some pics of the Fada?

kbmuri
10-16-2007, 04:58 PM
Pics pretty soon. The TV took a ROUGH ride from UPS, blew the CRT and a lot of collateral damage. Took all the joy out of it for me for this one. It's a back-burner or "parts" set now, rather than a first-string collectible.

Family reunion last weekend took all my spare time. Took a glance at the chassis late Sunday and compared it with my 721. Chassis are very similar but not identical. Yoke mount is repositioned left an inch and an Octal tube that goes between the yoke mount and the HV cage on the 721 is moved elsewhere. Major components like the HV cage and the resistor pack look the same, as does most of the component (transformers, tubes) layout.

John Folsom
10-16-2007, 05:05 PM
Very sorry to hear of your UPS shipping disaster. Unfortunately, most shippers just do not understand how to pack a heave TV to survive the handling of UPS and FEDEX and DHL. And with RCAs CRT mounting arrangement (which I suspect FADA mimicked), the CRT definately should not ride inside the cabinet. I have a "junker" 721 chassis, if I can help with any parts, let me know.

TJM70
10-20-2007, 05:49 PM
I have this same set in blonde (oak veneer, I think) finish...12LP4 crt IIRC...mine is recapped but not working. Foldover issues and horizontal synch issues. I hope to have it done by the time TV dies in '09! A bit beyond my skill level right now.

kbmuri
10-21-2007, 02:47 PM
What can Brown do for you?

http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv1.JPG
http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv2.JPG
http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv3.JPG
http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv4.JPG
http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv5.JPG
http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv6.JPG
http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv7.JPG
http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv8.JPG
http://www.members.aol.com/kbmuri/tv/tv9.JPG

That's what.

John F, I'm sure you meant "Heavy TV", but the Freudian Slip, Heave TV applies. They surely heaved it around.

I'm seeing some differences in the chassis. It's modeled after the 721 without a doubt, but some of the differences are significant. I'll shoot a few more shortly and let the forum decide.

Eric H
10-21-2007, 05:10 PM
That's really sad, but it looks woefully poorly packed for a set that heavy.
Is newspaper all there is on the sides?

I paid a UPS Store to pack and ship the Raytheon I got a few weeks ago.
It was a piss poor job of packing too, the box was barely bigger than the set, maybe 3/4" of newspaper on the sides and a little bubble wrap here and there. It was a miracle it came through without any damage but then it's much lighter than the Fada.

I have a couple RCA parts chassis, a 630 and an 8TS30 I think, I'll donate any parts that'll fit if they'll help.

kbmuri
10-21-2007, 06:34 PM
TV1.jpg (the first photo) was taken "upside down". The TV was set on a sheet of 3-inch thick styrofoam. If you look at the photo "rightside up", you can see two pieces of the (broken) styrofoam. Then the sides and top were packed with newspaper. The front (CRT face) was packed with two feather-type bedroom pillows. Unfortunately, the seller didn't write "This End Up" anywhere, and the package apparently ended up traveling on various sides. Photo 3 shows the pillows, and pieces of broken bakelite knobs. I don't know how hard you have to drop a TV to shatter the knobs. Through two featherbed pillows, no less.

So the TV wasn't really professionally packed, but it wasn't unreasonably poorly packed either, IMHO.

Sandy G
10-21-2007, 06:42 PM
Uhh, I know its small compensation, but did you have it insured ? 10BP4s aren't TOO hard to come by-yet.

kbmuri
10-21-2007, 07:50 PM
12LP4.

Seller insured it for $100. But I have to pick my battles. I'm at the height of my career and would lose more than 100 dollars worth of time pursuing it. I would much rather have had the set arrive intact, but if I get burned up and bent out of shape over what happened instead, it costs me a lot more.

Best to just take a few deep breaths and move on. And learn from the mistake.

Tube TV
10-21-2007, 08:35 PM
It's a shame that UPS couldn't have taken a bit more care handling it .
They either dropped it or another package smashed into it .
What a shame .
The box look like it was loose sliding around in the truck .
It makes me really mad to see this happening .

Boobtubeman
10-21-2007, 09:08 PM
Oh man Ide KILL...

Thats gotta be the MAIN reason i dont buy tvs off ebay unless its within driving distance..

This is the kind of thing that needs to be covered by one of those big tv news shows.. This kind of bad publicity MIGHT wise them up if they got enough bad publicity... Note i said "might"

Steve

pearsonk
10-21-2007, 11:18 PM
I think I have the same set, #930 -12LP4 crt. Mine also came with a broken crt and busted IF can as in your pics. Cabinet was in overall better shape and set now works fine. Also have original owners manual. If I had it to do over I would have restored a more desirable set, the 930 is nothing special in my opinion......