First, many thanks to leadlike for posting about this in the classifieds. This was up in Lancaster; we usually take a daytrip to the area once or twice a year so this worked out well. I kinda threw it together at the last minute, luckily the seller was accomodating.

The owner is a retired RCA engineer. My initial thought was this had been his "daily driver" but actually, he had tried his hand at TV repair on the side. This was a set he had bought to turn around; no telling how long he had it. It was still plugged in down in his basement; I couldn't stop him from powering it up. It only displayed a horizontal line, which I figured must be caused by a service switch. My wife & I hauled it up the steps and into the truck. Luckily it is fairly lightweight as these things go. (I actually picked it up out of the truck and brought it inside all by myself, something I should not have done.)

I powered it up at home and got the same horizontal line, unaffected by me playing with the switch. Fooling with the vert hold finally brought a raster. (dirty pot) But, no reception. I pulled the back and found the culprit-the 3rd video had gone to air. (I guess the Radio Shack lifetime guarantee doesn't apply to broken glass?) After replacement I was greeted with green faces. Jiggling the color tubes one by one found a dirty socket on the R-Y/B-Y amp. With that, I just sat back and watched for a half hour while I enjoyed my late night snack. (a whoopee pie, bought at a stand near Lancaster) Sadly, the picture developed a horizontal jitter followed immediatly by a sizzle, a burning smell and a collapsing raster. I shut her down. Flyback was hot but I think the problem is elsewhere in the circuit. I am going to do my level best to not tinker with it for now, as I have way too many other projects to tackle. Anyway, I wanted to share. If anybody falls in love with this, I will sell it for what I have in it. Not that I don't like it myself, just that space is at a premium. One interesting fact that occured to me: I have had maybe 200 TV sets pass through my hands over the years but this is actually the first complete RCA tube chassis rectangular console.

Oh, it is a CTC-25XA chassis, date codes put it in the 4th quarter of '66. The crt is an RCA Hi-Lite which I initially thought to be original but then I wiped away some dust and noticed a date code of 6752. So, I'm guessing the crt died around its first birthday. I haven't tested this one but it seems strong enough, if not overwhelming.

Nice set! That will be a nice one once you fix it up. I have a CTC25 combo that's been waiting for an overhaul for around 1.5-2 years. It's heavy as lead and not in near as good of condition as yours. I've always heard that these sets had a nicer picture than the newer tube RCA sets.

BTW, an envelope from me should arrive in your mailbox very soon, if it has not already.

Another one doesn't bite the dust! Looks modern for something that was made the year before I graduated from High School.

John

Hey nice set Bryan! That sizzling sound was prob a bad filter or that lovely yellow 100mfd 50v cap on the vert board. Wish I were closer to ya i'd get it off your hands.
I dig that swivel base.

Nice looking set! Too bad the picture collpsed... looked like you had it going pretty good there!

I'd take that tube back to Radio Shack... simply because they put that warranty on it. I always save those RS tube boxes, and, have brought back a good few in the past several years. I've brought back a 35L6, 5U4, and a 1B3. Last time was about 4 years ago... I think that last one was a 6GH8. They actually sent me a new tube in the mail... i wasn't expecting it, but was cool to get it. If I find an old RS 6JE6 or similar, I might give it another try. Not sure that they deal with tubes anymore... used to go thru RS Unlimited. Would be interesting to see if they still do it.

Well, if I took a tube to my local ratshack, the idiots that work there wouldn't even know what they were looking at. All they know how to do is sell someone a cell phone. And, they don't do too good a job at that!

I understand. I went in there once just to order a tube for just grins. I didn't need it... just curious to see what would happen and if they still dealt with them.
I told the guy behind the counter I needed to order a vacuum tube. He told me to try Sears because he didn't think RS could get vacuum cleaner accessories! I kept trying to explain what I wanted... he thought I was crazy.

I asked him if anyone there was born before 1980. He went and got someone else... an older man looking like Tommy Chong came out asking what kind of tube I wanted. I simply told him I needed a 12ax7 and he replied with, "OH! Okay... not a problem." Started punching stuff in the computer. The younger guy stood there to find out what it was all about. He still had no idea.

Was just cheap entertainment for my afternoon. :D

Geez I would like to have it just for the cabinet to slap in my CTC 16, and then work on the chassis when time permits, alas too far (come to disney for a vacation, bring it with you in the back :) )

Glad you could rescue it! Did they still have that RCA international radio in the basement? The basement floor is done up in Armstrong red and white floor tile, a sure sign that an old tv is lurking about, like those homes with that distinctive green carpeting.

I hope it wasn't too hard to get it out of the basement. As it was for the CTC-9, there was maybe 20mm of clearance between the basement door and the back end of the CRT.

I felt sorry for the gentleman, he is losing his memory. I told him I was there to see the TV and by the time we got downstairs he thought I was there to see the radio. (actually, I think he thought the radio was a TV. Sad.) The place reminded me of those estate sales that Doug always finds in Chicagoland. Luckily this set isn't too deep, the 23v tubes are shallower than than the roundies.

It is sometimes sad to witness the homes old sets come from. Kind of inspires me to get a certain unit working again, when I know its whole story.

Great looking ctc-25, i know you can get it looking perfect again. and as others have mentioned, the swivelbase console is awesome...!

Found this old thread. This is the closest I've seen to my dad's old set when I was growing up. His was an early American style cabinet. But the ctc25 seems to match the front control layout for the set he had.

Whatever happened to the set?

I hope it found a good home if you don't still have it.

JC, I still have it-I haven't really touched it since this thread. I won't junk it-if you or anyone else is interested, I will let it go to a good home.

There is a semi-retired repairman in town who stopped over a few weeks ago needing a copy of the Sams for a 25. Turns out that somebody asked his help in reviving a combo; apparently they paid to have it shipped from out west. Wish I knew more about that one.

I just thought I'd chime in and say that this is a great set-I felt so bad not having room for it, especially since it looked like new. It would be cool to see it all fixed up.

now thats a rectangular keeper!cabinet is right for the era,crt looks very good and in general one of the most desirable 60s sets.i would love to have this one myself.good job bryan and your money order is on the way!

JC, I still have it-I haven't really touched it since this thread. I won't junk it-if you or anyone else is interested, I will let it go to a good home.

There is a semi-retired repairman in town who stopped over a few weeks ago needing a copy of the Sams for a 25. Turns out that somebody asked his help in reviving a combo; apparently they paid to have it shipped from out west. Wish I knew more about that one.

Yeah.I had been thinking about the sets from my childhhood lately and I figured only the 17 and 25 had that control panel.It says New Vista Color on it also.My stepmother would barely let me touch it but I did sneak a look in the back when no one was around and it just about has to have been a 25. I remember watching that tv a lot through the mid to late 70s up til 1981 when I was at my dad's house. I don't know where he got it as he must have bought it used.I remember specifically watching the tv man fix it one time.Think it was the high voltage cup arcing. I saw him take the old one out. Sometimes it would go away to the shop for 2 weeks.I wouldn't doubt one of those times was to replace the flyback transformer.

If you don't get rid of it before I find one I've been looking for a house.Maybe I'll have more room and can take it then.

I doubt if I'll ever find the one my mom had around the same time period as it was a solid state Sears-Warwick :thumbsdn: with instant on.:thumbsdn:

That tv actually had a nice picture though. The original frosted safety glass type Silvertone tube was shot when I resurrected it to sell in the late 80s and I found a nice strong Philco tube and it once again had a nice picture. Btw I ressurected it with a chassis from a Warwick copy of the Zenith white Avanti style tv given to me by the long defunct Wicomico TV.Never seen another one like that.Should have saved that one too but the tube was near dead(Damn instant on) and it was hard enough to find another chassis like mine.