I'm just getting started on the restoration of my '47 DuMont Clifton. I thought I'd take a few "before" pictures and share them with you all.

The first photo was taken the day the set came home with me last year.

The rest of the shots are of the main chassis underside, side profile with tubes removed, and front. Note the AM tuning dial on the left front and the set up controls across the bottom front. The frontal location for the set up controls makes perfect sense, since you need to be in the front anyway to see the screen.

To my surprise there aren't a whole army of paper caps under the chassis. And the layout seems pretty spacious with easy access to the various components.

Not shown is the power supply chassis which is already in various stages of disassembly.

The CRT (an original DuMont labeled tube) tests in the lower good range once it's had a chance to warm up a bit. I'll have a better idea of the actual condition once I get the rest of the restoration completed and can run it for a while.

I'll keep you posted on the progress (or lack of) during the restoration.

Bob

nice set bob , looks pretty straight forward to work on and plenty of space under the chassis

What a great set! Not many of that model out there. Thanks for the photos, and keep us posted on your progress.

Me likey !

I really like the look of that set, neat design.
Dan

Bob:

Thanks for posting this and, as has been mentioned, please keep us updated on your progress. DuMont Cliftons do have a unique look and sure are not very common. I found mine out on the curb about 25 years ago, missing the power supply however.

I see that yours is the early RA-102-B1 model, without the focus control on the front panel. Mine is the later RA-102-B2 version. It sits un-restored but I do now have a power supply in my possession. I also live in New Jersey if you need to do any side-by-side comparisons. About 5 years ago, at Kutztown, I found a complete RA-102 main chassis sitting under someone's table. I do have an original DuMont service manual, let me know if you want a copy. The Riders info is exactly the same though.

Good luck with this classic.

Probably named after Clifton, NJ where DuMont worked/lived... Nice TV. I like the simple approach used here... Very clean too. Have fun with it!

Bob,
If this turns out like any of your prior restorations, your going to have one heck of a nice Dumont there. I always liked these as they look a bit different compared to other tv's of this era and the cabinet design stands out. Nice set!
-Tony

bob always finds nice sets and gets them going like new .

Nice Televisor, Bob. Have Fun with it. DuMont's are too kool...

I'm in the middle of a Philco 48-1001, coming along nicely. Should be finished within the month.

Now, maybe I can tackle that RA-101. Trouble is, it's a non-flyback Set and it scares the H*ll ot of Me.

I think I'll tackle something else...

LJB:smoke:

I wonder why the pots were mounted so far back in the chassis that such long drive shafts were needed to turn them?..built like a tank!!!

I like that model... It's one of the few postwar TVs that really looks like a prewar set. I bet it was on the drawing board for the '42 model year, which of course got put off to '46/7.

Charles

That really looks like a prewar British set.

A quick update on my DuMont.

The restoration is moving right along. I'm waiting for the electrolytics at the present time, and doing some of the cosmetic work in the interim.

All you smokers take note. Here's what 60 years of passive cigarette smoke looks like on the inside protected surface of the safety glass. Imagine what the inside of your lungs must look like!!! YUK!!!!!
Bob.

Thank God I quit smoking! I've seen that in several of my sets and man, is it GROSS!

The glass front on my Philco was in a similar state. It took a fair number of baths and finally some soaking in the kitchen sink before it was clear again. Unfortunately the plastic tube surround is a bit of a different story. I've cleaned it as best I can, but its still got a bit of a yellow/brown tint in the plastic that just won't come out.

yup, and have you seen your lungs if that looked bad?

Yikes. It certainly is a chore to get the residue out of an old set (or amp/receiver/etc)

:scratch2:

I wonder why the pots were mounted so far back in the chassis that such long drive shafts were needed to turn them?..built like a tank!!!

Just a guess but perhaps to keep the wiring short and prevent electrical interference?

Or else it was just physically easier to extend the shafts than it was to move the pots. :scratch2:

Back in the '60's and '70's when I would go into homes and service Zeniths, you could always tell who does what. Smokers would always have a disgusting looking set as tubes move a lot of air through the chassis and everything would have a brown gooey coating on everything. People with several poodle dogs would have a set full of hair and it would be thick too. Others with parrots would have a set full of white talc and also would be thick on everything.

Speaking of animals, I once serviced a house with a packrat cat! It was getting into my partner's tool case and taking tools and hiding them! My partner would reach for a quarter inch nutdriver and it would not be there where he last laid it. Finally he saw the cat and kind of hid himself behind the console TV and watched his tool case, sure enough here comes the cat and removes another nutdriver he laid out for it. He followed the cat and found all he was missing and what a pile he found!

All I can say on that set is WOW!!!
Wish it was mine.....
Bill Cahill

Smokers...

I just cleaned and restored a little project yesterday, a late 40's "Delta Beam" TV Antenna. Kool item, made of painted gold metal, bakelite, glass, and black rubber.

From an Estate. Definitely a Smoker, this thing was covered in nicotine. After I disassembled it, cleaned all the various parts, and shooting the steel parts with a fresh coat of god metallic paint, I reassembled it.

It looks fantastic atop my DuMont RA-105B.

LJB:smoke: