Prices have finally come down on these. Stopped at an old haunt Friday and their resident radio guy had just passed away. The family had starting marking down some of his stuff in the shop. Price was right so I snapped it up. The antenna is broken (of course), and the volume control is not original. I haven't even opened it up yet.

What can you guys tell me about 17" Predictas. Never owned or worked on one before.

Thanks,
Greg

Do a search for some posts here first. Your set may be a series or a parallel filament set and there's been a lot discussed as well as some experience here!
You also need to assess it a little bit and let us know what 'cha got.

pretty sure its a powr tranny, I did one a while back, I will see if I can find the link.

I liked working on mine, the chassis comes out easy. becareful of the speaker leads, mine were frozen to the transformer, you do not want to yank on it or you will tear out the female bullet connectors on the audio out transformer.

I just cut the speaker lead and put on some new connectors.

I have been told the anoode lead just plugs into the HV socket. I did not know this and ended up disconnecting the anode at the CRT. That was a mistake since I could not put it back on with out removing the plastic head shell from the CRT, adding quite a bit of work to the process.

If your lucky the fly will be ok. I would not mess with it at all no matter how it looks. just get everything else checked out and see how it goes.

On mine only 1 of the 3 can caps needed work the other (a doubler and 4 section) were ok and are working fine. The bad one was a skinny can multisection that sits right up by the power transformer.

there are several paper caps on board. You need to decide it you want to pull the main board or not. I was able to replace all but 1 or 2 without doing that, the 1 or two were done from the top (crush or cut out old, J hook in new).

I had a couple bad tube sockets and one bad ground stake.

IMHO I would not pull the board unless I knew I had to, but of course this is just an opinion.

you may find a few out of spec resisotors, I had one on the brightness control and a sync tube (think it was a screen, not sure).

lastly the pots that control the vert lin/hight were a bit crunchy.

I spent a good deal of time with cleaner and cotton swaps sticks cleaning the board up so I could see what was going on.

The IF was fine, did not touch it.

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=247056

this is the one I did

Thanks so much. This will be a great great help.
Greg

Is that a Seeburg I see in the background?

Is that a Seeburg I see in the background?

Yes sir, an AY-100. I just rebuilt the amp and have the mechanism working well but it's not quite done yet. Original case is in very nice shape. 2 more Seeburg's in there too, a 100 C model that needs a LOT of work and an LS-2 that is completely done and for sale. Also an AMI C that I may part out or sell in addition to a Honda Goldwing and a Yamaha 650. I think I almost have enough winter projects.

AMI C!!

I did fix this jukebox (last June) and it was swelled up pot metal barrel jammed in the rotator/pickup mechanism, (piston) where it grips the record by carefully supporting this rotator and carefully beat on with wooden mallet to get this to extend out. This allowed me to free this gripper up with careful filing round the barrel. Then restored the mechanism by putting gears in correct relationship as it was attempted to be tinkered with because owner wanted to able to play the records at the events especially with that poor little motor still humming in jam. :no:

Trouble 2 was tarnished contacts in the "logic" relay (behind the swing out panel for the coin mechanism) and one loose solder joint. This improved much that quits constant cycling of records in and out. hehe.

I hope boss or coworker had told the owner of this jukebox who have vintage stuff in the funhouse (hosts dances/big events) to do proper restoration on this one. :D

Cheers, Wizard

http://www.videokarma.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=168402&d=1287332422
Thought these sets were only B&W. Is that the movie "Easy Rider" playing on that set? :D Oh wait, that's just your reflection... :D:D:D:D

Awesome find! In my opinion, a Predicta of any variety is a great score. It's the type of set that commands a great deal of interest and collectibility even outside of the vintage tv hobby. It makes me wonder why someone hasn't, at the very least, imitated the Predicta style in the form of a modern television or computer product.

Actually there is one. I found a website on it but I forgot what it's called. Oh yeah, it's called a Predicta!

AMI C, My gripper is stuck in a 45 degree position too. I've only applied power to the lights at this point. Thanks for the comments. This AY-100 is pissing me off and every time I fix something, it seems something else goes wrong. I will prevail though. Ever bought something that was in absolutely great shape but had more problems than something that was all beat to hell? That's this one.

Easy Rider, nice one. :D

Very nice Perdition !

Awesome find! In my opinion, a Predicta of any variety is a great score. It's the type of set that commands a great deal of interest and collectibility even outside of the vintage tv hobby. It makes me wonder why someone hasn't, at the very least, imitated the Predicta style in the form of a modern television or computer product.


There was more than one producer of replica Predictas.

http://www.predicta.com/index.shtml

http://www.lectronradio.com/products/polyconcept/retrovision_tv.htm

Unfortunately the Predicta computer was only a concept.

http://www.schultzeworks.com/philcopc/


.

You could also convert an old one if you wanted to.

http://www.onomy.com/blue/predicta.html



.

Waiting on caps for the DuMont, so I took her apart today and cleaned it up. It's a transformer set. Amazing how filthy a chassis can get when it has vent holes on the top. I figured what the heck, might as well see if she runs. Hooked up the VCR, got out the variac, and gave it a shot.

It works. Picture is only about 3 inches high so the horizontal needs some work but the picture is pretty darn bright and the audio was fine.

AMI C:

Do not get this transfer mechanism apart yet. What is holding this gripper assembly together is a steel pin staked through a square brass rod and leave it ALONE. You probably will not see it because it is pulled into the barrel if it's in parked position in two positions at rack or at table. But at 45 degrees, You will see it's jammed because can't go down completely and here's why:

The two grippers (C shaped and the T with round piece) is under tension by one spring inside that X barrel that flips this back and forth via chain. The three piece gears need to be in sync for the grippers to work. Easy to understand why.

Ok. Carefully: pull on the C shaped gripper away from the X barrel to see if you can feel spring tension, takes a pound or two of force. And press on the T shaped gripper. If this one is stuck. Then that what wrong with jamming. That the MAIN reason for jam due to pot metal swelling tight in the C shaped gripper barrel.

Go carefully. The much of the parts are made of potmetal and they crumble.

I used careful force using mallet on the brass square rod to pop out the stuck T-gripper. But you are better off to take the mechanism out of player. Care with the alignment in relationship to the rack. You will find the T gripper is stuck in the C shaped gripper. Use wood blocks to support the barrel of C gripper so the T-gripper can drop out in extended position by using wooden mallet to the end of brass square rod (that one with the steel pin) to drive the T-gripper out. This should get it freed enough to let you use small file around the potmetal T-gripper to reduce the diameter just a tad. Test frequently and make it free to move by itself.

Change old grease in both worm gearboxes. Motors will thank you for that. Watch the alignments. Others who have info on AMI C can advise you how to get it aligned right.

Really clever mechanism. :)

The other biggest problem is tarnished contacts on everything. Yes everything. Almost a thousand of them. In coin mechanism, "logic" relays besides the coin mechanism, and buttons contacts, and contacts under the record rack (hold on this last if you need to fix this). Use a contact file. This is very fine THIN file, looks like a metal strip covered with 1,000 grit surface on both sides. Few strokes is sufficient.

Cheers, Wizard

Thanks Wiz. I'll save for when I get into it. Much appreciated.