View Full Version : Colorful Bradford Screen Debut.


Ampico-kid
01-15-2012, 05:07 PM
After a few days of checking things out on this Bradford/RCA clone made by Wells-Gardner, I've come to the conclusion that there's very little wrong with it. The tuner is a little bit touchy, as is the volume control, and there was a bad ground lug connection on one of the PCB's. Other than that, I did a purity and gray scale set up, and a minor static convergence touch up, and it looks to me like it's good to go.

This is the Bradford set sold by W.T.Grant that I wrote about in the "A BRADFORD BY ANY OTHER NAME" thread I started here last week. I figured it would be easier to view the screen shots if I started a new thread.

If I was feeling a whole lot more energetic, I might go through the entire convergence procedure, but for right now I think it looks pretty darned good.

Here are a few screen shots of various colorful subjects.......... Bob


http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu143/ampico-kid/FireandBrimstone.jpg


http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu143/ampico-kid/EstherandJohn.jpg


http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu143/ampico-kid/TrollySong.jpg


http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu143/ampico-kid/FantasiaLeaves.jpg


http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu143/ampico-kid/Cossacks.jpg

mstaton
01-15-2012, 05:11 PM
Wow!! Looks great!! If it looks that good, I would probably leave it alone for now. Glad to see another one saved!

Tony V
01-15-2012, 08:20 PM
Some of the best roundie pic's i've seen. Nice set!

zenith2134
01-15-2012, 08:39 PM
Convergence and purity look just fine to me ! Great roundie.
Love the vibrant colors these roundies throw. Must be the phosphors they used .

Sandy G
01-15-2012, 08:54 PM
Glorious Lollipop Color ! I'd leave it alone-you run the risk of Screwin' it Up...(grin)

hi_volt
01-15-2012, 09:16 PM
Oooooh......I LIKE IT

That first picture is spectacular! You lucky dog! :yes::yes:

What program is that on the first photo?

Electronic M
01-15-2012, 09:30 PM
That looks real good! you ought to be proud to have that set.

bgadow
01-15-2012, 10:22 PM
I love being able to see the scanlines like that. I know it's awful tough to keep from tinkering with these to make them "just a little better", but I think I'd have to step back from that one and just enjoy!

Ampico-kid
01-15-2012, 10:35 PM
Oooooh......I LIKE IT

What program is that on the first photo?

The first photo is taken from Walt Disney's 1940 film FANTASIA. It's from a segment called "A Night on Bald Mountain".

Bill R
01-15-2012, 10:48 PM
Just curious, what are the other screen shots from?

Ampico-kid
01-15-2012, 11:06 PM
Just curious, what are the other screen shots from?

The Judy Garland shots are from "Meet Me in St. Louis", and the rest are from the "Nutcracker Suite" section of Disney's "FANTASIA".

Kevin Kuehn
01-16-2012, 12:28 AM
Those screen shot pictures look just amazing. :yes:

ceebee23
01-16-2012, 05:04 AM
just wonderful... you guys in the US are so lucky!! droool

Komet
01-16-2012, 05:53 AM
Wonderful color!!!

marty59
01-16-2012, 08:04 AM
I'd be proud to own that! You did some good screen shots to capture some detail too...thanks for sharing.

IsthmusTV
01-16-2012, 08:17 AM
Wow, sensational screen shots! The color is awesome. Congratulations!

-Clark

Steve D.
01-17-2012, 01:34 AM
Beautiful, bright screen shots. There is some convergence problems noticeable in the "Meet me in St.Louis" photos. You should wait on that convergence touchup until you're fresh & ready to devote the time to it. Until then, enjoy.

-Steve .

Tomcomm
01-17-2012, 11:26 AM
Between Electronic M's 21GUP22 color bars and now Ampico-kid's 21VUP22 movie flesh tone accuracy and facial color graduations I say these got to be among the very best screen shots ever posted here! We have to find out just what makes these last GU & GV Hi-Lite roundys look so good? Both are rare-earth but are they also black matrix? .....Tom

Glenz75
01-17-2012, 03:33 PM
Fantastic picture and such rich colours! :yes: You have a very nice set there.

stromberg6
01-17-2012, 03:54 PM
Between Electronic M's 21GUP22 color bars and now Ampico-kid's 21VUP22 movie flesh tone accuracy and facial color graduations I say these got to be among the very best screen shots ever posted here! We have to find out just what makes these last GU & GV Hi-Lite roundys look so good? Both are rare-earth but are they also black matrix? .....Tom

Couldn't agree more! That one was NOT made on a Monday :D.

sampson159
01-17-2012, 06:43 PM
beautiful.as good as any set not just a roundie.this one is truly the find of the year so far!

joemama99
01-17-2012, 09:09 PM
I can't get over those pictures-even the linearity is perfect!Nice set.

Ampico-kid
01-18-2012, 12:03 AM
We have to find out just what makes these last GU & GV Hi-Lite roundys look so good? Both are rare-earth but are they also black matrix? .....Tom

Tom, I took a close up look at the face of the crt with a magnifying glass and it certainly doesn't appear to be a black matrix tube. I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of a black matrix roundie crt.

electronjohn
01-18-2012, 12:20 PM
Very nice! That had to be a nicely-restored print of "Meet Me In St. Louis"...glorious 3-strip Technicolor. Natalie Kalmus would be proud of ya!

Ampico-kid
01-18-2012, 05:31 PM
Very nice! That had to be a nicely-restored print of "Meet Me In St. Louis"...glorious 3-strip Technicolor. Natalie Kalmus would be proud of ya!

Right you are! It was a digital transfer from a restored print done several years ago in honor of the 60th anniversary of the film. Just picked up the newest blu-ray HD version and it looks and sounds even better!! Nothing can beat that glorious TECHNICOLOR!!

bozey45
02-08-2012, 09:29 AM
What great photos; missed this thread somehow and it reminds me of my family's first color set, a Bradford, in 1964. I inherited the set in 1975 when I bought a house and kept it going until 1988, so 24 years it was a very reliable set; I replaced the 21fjp when I got it so it had those 2 tubes in 24 years time span; other than chassis tube replacements never had to do anything to it and the picture was beautiful as your photos, a cheapie metal cabinet it had; finally sorry to say, used parts out of it after 1988 and junked the cabinet when I moved in 2004.

KentTeffeteller
02-15-2012, 03:40 PM
Beautiful, me likey. Very unusual roundie rarity. Wells-Gardner not something you see every day in roundie sets.

holmesuser01
02-15-2012, 06:05 PM
I worked for a TV shop that was in a large shopping center where the anchor store was a Grant store. Years after the store closed, we still got sets that Grant's sold for repair. Once in awhile, we'd get a color Bradford, but most of what I saw was portable B/W goodies.

I miss the days of analog TV.

YOUR Bradford looks mighty fine. You do realize that we all hate you just a bit. We all want your Bradford set.

Sandy G
02-15-2012, 08:54 PM
[QUOTE=holmesuser01;3027235]
You do realize that we all hate you just a bit.

See ? SEE ?!? I ain't the ONLY one !!! (grin) Seriously, I'd give my EYETEETH....

holmesuser01
02-15-2012, 09:04 PM
[QUOTE=holmesuser01;3027235]
You do realize that we all hate you just a bit.

See ? SEE ?!? I ain't the ONLY one !!! (grin) Seriously, I'd give my EYETEETH....

It's Southern Hospitality.

Sandy G
02-15-2012, 09:34 PM
No, Bruce, its called being Jealous as all H3ll over an almost pluperfect roundie....(grin)

holmesuser01
02-15-2012, 09:37 PM
Of course, i'm jealous too. Thats a Southern tradition, too.

Sandy G
02-15-2012, 09:59 PM
Aye-Yup. People NEVER understand...We are the residents of a DEFEATED nation...

Ampico-kid
02-15-2012, 11:59 PM
Of course, i'm jealous too. Thats a Southern tradition, too.

Hey guys!
In another two months I'll be moving, along with all of my toys and roundies, to Harpers Ferry, WV. Is that far enough South to classify me as a "Southerner"?
Bob

holmesuser01
02-16-2012, 07:37 AM
Learn to say, "yup" with a southern drawl.

Locally, the "Jersey" quota has maxed out. We're having to turn them away at the border. Sending them to South Carolina. That'll fix 'em.

:D