Well every journey begins with the first step, and this is mine. I've restored several radio consoles in the past but I have never ventured into TV land. I was able to get this Admiral console unit locally so this is my beginning. The unit is really not what I wanted, having a radio and phono unit , I just wanted the TV, but the selection around here is pretty slim so I bought it. I hope the members of this forum will help me with a few Noob questions. I have pulled the chassis (a 20z1) and have it on my workbench. At this stage I am just taking pictures and cleaning it the best I can. There is a high voltage lead going to the CRT (12LP4A) in what looks like a suction cup. How do I pull this lead off for cleaning or should I just leave it alone. I'm afraid I might damage the rubber cup and don't know if any more are available for sale if I do trash it. I was able to check for continuity on the filament of the tube but I don't have much else in test equipment at this time. I was thinking of getting a tube tester for the CRT and wondered what would be a good choice - I'm looking at a B&K 465 - is this a bad choice? Maybe I don't even need a tube tester - what do you think?

Hi Bob, Welcome to VK.

I'm basically new at TV restoration myself, so hopefully others will chime in here soon. Your radio restoration skills all apply to TV's. You likely know enough to watch out for HV shock hazard. That HV cup should come out if you wiggle it a little and give it a gentle pull. On that CRT it should have a little snap connector like the one in the picture below (same chassis as yours BTW). If the TV has been powered on recently, the CRT acts as a HV capacitor, so you would want to discharge by shorting the HV lead and CRT connector to chassis ground before handling things bare handed. I tend to pull those connectors off wearing a thick glove just to be safe. :yes:
That Admiral should be a good set to learn on. You can download the SAMS Photofact for that chassis over on the ETF website. http://www.earlytelevision.org/tv_schematic_diagrams.html


Kevin

I also began with radios and eventually moved on to TVs. The same basic methods are used, only TVs are more complicated and use higher voltage. If you browse the Restoration section in my website, you'll find various TV case studies that may be helpful:

http://antiqueradio.org/restoration.htm

None of those articles is about a TV exactly like yours, but they may help you get an idea what's generally involved.

I would not buy a CRT tester until you have completed your first TV project and decided that you want to do more.

Have fun!

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

Thanks Kevin for the reply. Your picture is very helpful in explaining my question. Hopefully not too many members are rolling their eyes saying "not another Noob", but you have to start somewhere. I was able to get the PhotoFact folder for this chassis so I'm set to go on that point. The power cord is completely shot ,which means I will have to find a replacement, so I won't attempt to fire it up at this time. A full recap and resistor checks should keep me occupied for quite awhile. My thinking is to remove the CRT from the chassis to give everything a complete clean and restore. Hopefully the CRT is in good shape, but right now it's just in the way.

Thanks Phil. I think you are right about the tester. I'm going to put it on the back burner and move forward for right now. It's websites like yours and bandersen's that got me interested in restoration and they are greatly appreciated.

Welcome to VK. It looks like your pencil box is in very good condition (the box over the controls). They're almost always missing or damaged.

Removing the CRT does make it easier to work on the chassis, but that can be a little tricky. I was working on a similar chassis and the yoke just wouldn't come off. I got some good advice to heat it up with a hair dryer. That caused it to expand and soften a little and it finally came off. I find it helpful to put some reference marks on the CRT, yoke, etc so you can put everything back in the same position.

Good luck,
Bob

That's good to know about the hairdryer trick. I just got back from the workbench and have been marking the CRT with blue tape to get it back the way I found it. There is a clamp around the neck of the tube , would this be the ion trap? I have tape markers on it too for reinstall just in case.

That's good to know about the hairdryer trick. I just got back from the workbench and have been marking the CRT with blue tape to get it back the way I found it. There is a clamp around the neck of the tube , would this be the ion trap? I have tape markers on it too for reinstall just in case.

Yes, ion trap magnet to be precise. Loosen up the thumbscrews and it should slide right off. If you do lose track of it's position, it's not too difficult find the sweet spot again.

Be careful not to put too much stress on the neck of that CRT. It's much thinner and weaker than the thick face plate. Never carry the CRT by the neck. Point the face towards the ground and keep a hand under it. Something like this image cropped from an awesome picture Eric H posted a while back.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/misc/crt-tv-shop-april-1953.jpg

Nice info again. Before I take the tube out I have to determine where I am going to store it safely. Maybe I need to get some foam rubber to cushion the face. I'll have to check for some old packing boxes around the house.

Something like this image cropped from an awesome picture Eric H posted a while back.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/misc/crt-tv-shop-april-1953.jpg

I'd love to see the rest of that picture, is the full size lurking someplace on this site?

Skillybob,

In the picture of your Admiral combo, it looks like the gold trim on your center radio/phono knob is missing. I happen to have that radio chassis setting here on my junk pile with 3 very nice knobs. If you're interested, free for postage. I also have a the phono out back if you need anything from it. I picked a very poor condition cabinet of this same model a month back and parted it out. I'm hoping to find a TV only cabinet for the chassis someday.

Kevin

Here's a little better shot of the front of the phono/radio. I had not thought very much about this side of the console to tell you the truth. I was concentrating on the TV part. Is there missing trim in this photo?

I'd love to see the rest of that picture, is the full size lurking someplace on this site?...

Kevin

Here's a link to the original post with fullsize picture: http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=247452

I was concentrating on the TV part. Is there missing trim in this photo?

Just the gold cap is missing from your center knob. No biggie.

Kevin

Here's a link to the original post with fullsize picture: http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=247452

Cool picture. Makes me want explore the other corners of that shop.

Kevin