Hi.
This is a great forum. If my post is not in the right place, please message me and I will re-post it.

I have a SYLVANIA console tv/phono/am-fm set from probably 1969, although I cant seem to find a photo or any other information about it on the internet, I am going by what my folks remember about it.

The model No. of the set is CF 575BTR. This set has a rectangular color TV tube in the middle and speakers on each side with sliding doors with fabric and metal mesh to close in front of the screen to make it look like a hi-fi- set when doors are slid closed. There are 2 compartments on the top of the unit on each side. One on the left has the phonograph, and the one on the right has the am-fm and other controls.

I am looking for one of these sets for parts, or just parts for ours which has been in the family since it was new.

Mainly, I need the amplifier and am-fm unit.

I would also love any photos or advertisments for the above mentioned set.

Thanks, John

Welcome to the forum!

If you go to www.samswebsite.com you can find a photofact service manual for it. Looks like it'll cost you $22.00, but worth it. Or one of the other members may have one they don't need.

John

Hey John! It's Shawn from Folsom, good to see you on here! So whats up with the amp and stereo unit, are they bad or missing? We could provide you with some really good useful info for getting your equipment up and running! First off, the stereo and amp, since you say it's from 1969, im assuming they are both solid state? No tubes in the reciever or amp right?

Welcome, John! :wave:

Looks like the TV section is listed in Sams 1045-2. If you can find a model number on the stereo chassis, you can find the Sams for that part if that's where your problems are.

Well, a couple years ago, I took the components, i.e. the phonograph, amplifier and the am-fm unit out of the console and to a gentleman here in Sacramento, CA.
He had the components for about 5 months. He had them so long, I thought I'd never get them back. He was supposed to be very savy about old equipment such as this. His name was "The Stereo Doctor" He may be a whiz in other respects but not for my needs.

There was no problem with the phonograph as he installed a new belt, but he couldnt seem to make the "fm" part of the reciever work. Also bad crackle through the speakers when adjusting the volume on the stereo unit. I think theres also a problem with getting "fm stereo" and a problem with one side sound output on FM through the amplifier..

I am not an electronics whiz, but I do know a little bit, being a railroad machinist. I informed the gentleman that you can find all kinds of individual electronic components for old equipment online that are not available anymore like transistors, resistors and other old components and if he could just let me know what was bad through his troubleshooting that I would order the parts myself.

Apparently he just wasnt that interested in tracing the problem or just wanted the components off his shelf. Now here I am trying to either get it fixed or get extra parts.

Thanks Charlie and jeyurkon for the Sams #.
Thanks Shawn for your tip to this site. It was a couple years ago that I had the components out, but I am pretty sure there are no tubes and it is solid state, but not definate.

The static while turning the volume control is probably due to a dirty control. Spray the volume control, as well as the other controls and switches, with a good control cleaner. If there are still problems after this, suspect bad electrolytic caps in the amp. Even though it's solid state, it's getting to the age where caps start failing.

Last year, I fixed a '70 RCA console stereo by replacing all the electrolytic caps. The guy that owned it had already taken it to several shops. They either turned it down at the door or kept it for months only to tell the owner that it couldn't be fixed. It's hard to find repair shops that will service old equipment. They either don't know how to work on it or they feel the repair would be too labor intensive for what they'd get out of it.

Sounds like an easy repair John! If you need some deoxit for the controls mabye we can meet sometime and tackle this beast. I have most of what you need including testers and the such and of course the SAMs is always helpful but it might be an easy fix. How does the tv portion of the unit operate ?
Shawn

If you still need the Sams send me a PM, I have extras.

Thanks guys!

I am not quite savy enough to troubleshoot the electronics components even though they are vintage such as this, I really appreciate the tip about the electrolytic caps. I am not sure what these are yet, but I will do some research and If it looks like something I can do and if I can obtain them then I will give it a try.

Thanks freakaftr8, the TV portion is in good working condition. I even have the remote control for the set which sits in a holder behind the tv for storage, and last time I checked, it does still work.

radiotvnut, thanks for the tip about the electrolytic caps. I am going to look into this. If the deoxit is the same thing as electrical parts cleaner, then I have some of that and I will also try to clean the volume control.

bgadow, thank you for your help. I will send you a message soon.

Actually parts cleanrt will probably dry the old poteometers out and they will crackle worse then before. What you hear when you turn the volume is a momentary disconnect from the circuit. Deoxit usually clears this up as it restores the connection and thus elimaniting the crackle. I think every older piece of electronic equipment is or has done this at some point. Deoxit for me worked excellent on my RCA radios

Ok, 'deoxit' is different than parts cleaner. I will get some.
The set is at my folks house. I checked it out just now. Looks like the am, fm and fm stereo are not working.. The phonograph works good..

I will use the advice you guys have lent so far especially about the electrolytic caps and post another update soon.
I am including some photos I just took.
Thanks, John

I just found a great page about antique electrolytic caps.


http://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/~reese/electrolytics/

give us some pics with the back off! that looks like a fun project :yes:

Hey thats a good page you found there John! Yes those multi section can caps can be problematic sometimes.
Are you getting anything out of the speakers on AM/FM? Just crackling? Your amplifer unit is ok because you can pick up music on phono. Its most likely a tuner issue or a bad circuit like a transistor in the stereo itself. Sometimes you will find it to be a bad contact on the control knobs. That Sylvania is beautiful!

I wonder if the TV portion uses the amp or if the chassis has a built in amp? Anyone know?

This is an early hybrid, only 9 tubes in the TV. The audio is all solid state. The stereo chassis isn't in the Sams packet; I see in the index that another model combo has its stereo listed in 1062-6; I'll pull that one Sunday. My guess is the two are kept seperate.