I picked this set up at an estate sale this morning. This is the first SC of any type I've ever seen for sale so was really excited when I discovered what it was with your help. No one else there was even remotely interested in it and seem surprised that I was. That's fine by me.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4668857869_af6509c921_b.jpg

Here it is arriving at my place.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4669482344_d482c362c0_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1284/4669482622_5aa3856586_b.jpg

The only issue I can see is the missing "Opera Glass" push-button knob. I assume that will be impossible to find :tears:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4669482894_ca4592f0e3_b.jpg

There's a little veneer separation, but looks like an easy repair and refinish task.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4669483514_c62f02b921_b.jpg

The chassis looks to be all original and unmolested.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4668859609_bcd489695a_b.jpg

Oooh - looks like fun :D
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4670672936_927a2fdcf0_b.jpg

Here's the continuous tuning mechanism.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4669484286_4342e047a9_b.jpg

The tuning mechanism is functional. Here's a little video of it in action (http://www.flickr.com/photos/70039806@N00/4669486100/in/set-72157624078380725/). Very cool - I wonder how well it actually works though :scratch2:

The Sylvania 10BP4 tests OK, but exhibits a purple glow while testing. I assume that's bad :(
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4670045675_68701aa20d_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4670672768_c416866387_b.jpg

Overall not too bad I think. Now I just need to make it look like this one: http://www.myvintagetv.com/tc10.htm
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4670673130_98bd2b9100_b.jpg

This set looks extremely well built, like a broadcast studio monitor. I like the tuning system as well. Good luck with the restoration, it should make really great pictures.
Cliff

Bob, this is a superb score!

The purple glow looks like it's on the surface of the glass, I don't think it'll hurt anything, I've seen it before. If it was really gassy I doubt it would check OK, you could always stick it in another set and try it.

I had the opportunity to look at one of these up close for possible restoration but it was a mess so it didn't happen.

One odd thing is the way the channel selector is attached with a set screw, i could NOT get the knob off to save my life, it was loose and spinning but wouldn't come off the shaft no matter how hard I tried.

There might be a possibility the owner of that set might have the fine tuning knob and be willing to part with it.

About the 10BP4, in the photo it almost looks like the glass is glowing. Is that the case? Maybe it's just the way the photo was taken, but it doesn't look like what I'd expect from a gassy CRT.

John

That missing knob is actually the "Opera Glass" or something like that. It electronically magnifies the picture when pushed. Fine tuning is just done with the large channel knob.

Steve

The only issue I can see is the missing "opera house" push-button knob. I assume that will be impossible to find

Before the internet it would have been impossible to find. Not now. I happen to have a spare "Opera Glass" knob. PM me.

Great find, not too many of those around. I found mine at a flea market.

Nice set:banana::banana::banana:... I agree about the purple glow... may just be electrons hitting the glass surface (unless the perspective in the photo is very misleading)...can you move it around with a small magnet?
CRT removal looks to be a real ship in a bottle deal... how do you get it out? I hope the instructions don't say "break neck to remove CRT" :D
jr

About the 10BP4, in the photo it almost looks like the glass is glowing. Is that the case? Maybe it's just the way the photo was taken, but it doesn't look like what I'd expect from a gassy CRT.

John

Nice set:banana::banana::banana:... I agree about the purple glow... may just be electrons hitting the glass surface (unless the perspective in the photo is very misleading)...can you move it around with a small magnet?
CRT removal looks to be a real ship in a bottle deal... how do you get it out? I hope the instructions don't say "break neck to remove CRT" :D
jr


I'm not sure. I've seen glass glow blue before in tubes that worked fine, but purple is new for me. I just packed it away for the evening, but I'll pop it open again and examine that glow more closely soon.

All aspects of this sets construction seems a little weird to me. I suspect the whole front panel comes off and then the CRT can be removed without to much hassle. I think the ion trap magnet is a little odd as well. I'm used to the dual pole magnets in my Admiral sets.

I've seen that purple glow in testing these older crts before. It seems to be caused by the ion trap. Move the trap around and see if that glow shifts with it. The first time I saw that glow on a 14" crt, I panicked, but it works fine, and so has the 10BP4, 21amp4, and whatever that 17" crt is that I have subsequently tested and seen that sinister glow on.

I guess the cathode is emitting enough ions during testing that when they smack the neck of the tube (steered there by the ion trap) they emit enough energy on impact to cause the glow?

Great Score! I have wanted one of these for a long time but they are always pricey, so you did real good getting this at an estate sale.

I have a console version of this set, with the same chassis. IT is NOT fun to recap this one because part of the chassis is in the verticle plane and it is difficult to work on.

The "Opera Glass" knob simply pushes the shaft and activates a switch on the chassis to magnify the picture.

I worked long and hard on my set and was never able to get the linearity on the thing to look decent, and had a difficult time filling the entire crt with the picture unless the linearity was way out of round.

Good luck and keep us posted on your restoration.

Thanks for all the info and encouragement guys! I had a feeling this set was a bit beyond the usual when I spied it :) Just how rare do you suppose these are :scratch2:
This is a perfect example of a case where the elderly owner had kept every single TV, radio and phonograph he ever owned. Quite the time capsule!

I'm not sure when I'll get to it, but I'll do my best to make it soon. I think I need an apprentice...

Purple glow is usually nitrogen gas (otherwise known as air). Blue on the glass is OK. So I'm a little less optimistic than the others about your CRT. Will wait to hear out it turns out. Very nice set!

Yeah Nitrogen => purple that's what I was thinking :(
Nuts again, I just noticed that the front left tuning slug has become detached from the riser. That should be fun to fix.

I know a radio collector that has a TC 10 in a storage locker thats clean that he may want to part with. I am not interested because I have a NOS set still in the box. If someone is interested I can get his phone number for you.

I think the ion trap magnet is a little odd as well. I'm used to the dual pole magnets in my Admiral sets.[/QUOTE]

This seems to be common on rebuilt CRTs, they just stick single-field guns in them.

Nice TV!

I just won the "opera glass" knob on ebay thanks to AUdubon5425. How bizarre is that!

The knob thing is freaky. You also had Tim sayng he had one too. It makes you wonder about the rarity of certain objects. I can think of very few objects that are truely one of a kind and if there is a demand for them what there corresponding price may be. It also kinda shows that to a certain extent in our own little way we all (If you have a hobby or collect anything) tend to stash away or hoard certain items. For this I am greatful. Without it our history and maybe even our lives would become very dull and drab.

Try googling "Stromberg-Carlson model TC-10" and you won't find many out there. I'm not sure what that really says about rarity though. Maybe there are 1000s and the owners just don't have any internet presence.

I suppose if anyone is going to have a spare knob for oddball sets, this is the place to find them. So maybe it's not all that strange after all :)

Maybe there are 1000s and the owners just don't have any internet presence.

I doubt there are thousands of TC-10s, but I can testify that there's a big, wide world out there that couldn't care less about the Internet. Lots of people, lots of interesting items -- including TVs -- that you won't find by doing Internet searches or yakking with Internet rats like us :)

Phil

What a cool set! Can't wait to see it after your usual top-notch resto. BTW...what was the wood cabinet thing sitting to its right in your first pic?

Thanks. That was a Motorola phonograph.

My box 'o knobs arrived today. It contains a few 40s, 50s and 60s knobs including a partial set of metal SC knobs. They indicate a 'phono' mode - I wonder what set these are from :scratch2:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4694301791_45cd2a74cf_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4694302007_60977379f5_b.jpg

Here's the "opera Glass" knob back in place. All the metal surfaces on the set have acquired a patina. I wonder if I should leave it as is or try polishing. If I do polish, what should I use ?
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4694936870_8ac8fcd0b5_b.jpg

patina. I wonder if I should leave it as is or try polishing. If I do polish, what should I use ?

Is the metal plated? Painted? Worn through anywhere? If worn through, what's underneath? Pot metal? Brass? Other?

I wouldn't get too aggressive until you know what you're dealing with. What's the stock phrase -- "test in a small unobtrusive area?"

It's possible to polish some kinds of paint. I have polished the rosy hammertone paint on Zenith radio "Goliath" chassis, for instance. Some kinds of paint won't really polish, however, and others will polish right off before you can say Jiminy Cricket.

Phil

Great points. I believe the channel and opera glass knobs are zinc or similar alloy. I'm not sure about the screen bezel. My only reference so far is this set which looks like shiny brass: http://www.myvintagetv.com/tc10.htm

"test in a small unobtrusive area?" I'm not sure there is such a thing when it comes to the trim on this set but I'll see what I can do.

At least I can get some red and black lacquer stick for the recessed lettering.