Just brought it home today. :banana: The set is complete and seems to be unrestored, with original tubes, knobs and back.

I honestly don't know whether to try and sell it as is or rebuild. I have no problem with rebuilding as I have a lot of B&W and color experience from working in tv shops in late 60's early 70's, but zero experience with projection. But one problem, I have long ago rid myself of all test equipment with the exception of a 707 tube tester (which will get a workout with this set!).

Are critical items still available at a "reasonable" price? How much is a crt for this?

IF I get more into this I will seek the guidance and advice of you experts out there.

Phil

Nice. Yours is the second 9-PC-41 found his month and mentioned here.
You two ought to start restoration at same time.
I vote that you restore it instead of selling it.
I don't know anything about the RCA projection TVs but there
are several folks here who do.

Nice find.

Carl

Me likey ! I'd go for restoring & keeping it.

Just brought it home today. :banana: The set is complete and seems to be unrestored, with original tubes, knobs and back.

I honestly don't know whether to try and sell it as is or rebuild.
Phil


There are some parts that are always missing on these sets.

Your sweep chassis cage is there, the remote is there, and the holy grail of missing parts, the back is there!!!!!

I've never seen a picture of an original 9PC41 back, much less seen one in person.

Now, about selling as-is, these sets don't have much market value, but they are fun to work on and always draw attention.

If you decide to restore the set, my suggestion is to get a parts set.

I picked up my first 9PC41 on eBay for peanuts and then spent $200 for a parts set.

Unfortunately when I got the parts set home, it looks more interesting than my first set, and I can't force myself to part it out, so I buy a second parts set without a cabinet so I won't be tempted by looks.

Then going to pick up those chassis without a cabinet, up pops an 8PCS41 in the ETF auction and I bids 20 bucks and gets the set!

There is a picture of my 4th RCA projection in the fifth post in the thread at

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=254448

My wife took the picture just as the set was about to jump in the back of my car to follow me home.


I've been itching to get started on these, but I also gave away most of my test equipment in 2007 when I moved, so my first project has been scrounging up and rebuilding one of everything needed to work on these.

If you want to get a quick glance at the schematic:

http://www.earlytelevision.org/tv_schematic_diagrams.html

or:

http://www.earlytelevision.org/images/RCA-8PCS41-9PC41-648-741-Sams-90-9.pdf



However, to work on the set, I'd suggest the place that ChrisW6ATV mentions

http://agtannenbaum.com

They have the original cleanly printed RCA factory service manual.

If you want to see some of the issues in the Sams, look at your 1949 light barrel and then look at the 1946-1948 light barrel in the Sams.

Tannenbaum does not mention that the factory service manual does not include the alignment instructions, but refers you to the earlier 630TS.

You can download a free 630 factory manual either at ETF or at Vintage Radio & TV:

http://www.myvintagetv.com/Apple%20PDF%20files/630TS%20Service.pdf

Oh, resist the temptation to plug a line cord into the AC interlock as it is wired as a dead short. Some one had apparently done that on one of my sets. The AC line is hard wired to the chassis and the interlock just shuts off the power supply.

James.

I appreciate your lengthy reply, suggestions and references. I do have the Sams, thank you.
The back is just a simple piece of Masonite. Nothing fancy but like most Masonite it has a crack!
Among the first thing I need to do is to remove the four chassis and give them a once over. Also at the top of my list is checking the CRT. It is the original with a '48 date code. If it is no good, end of project, Ebay time.
I would really like to get it going.
It may be a while before I get back with updates/questions.
Thanks again
Phil

Also at the top of my list is checking the CRT. It is the original with a '48 date code. If it is no good, end of project, Ebay time.
I would really like to get it going. It may be a while before I get back with updates/questions.
Thanks again
Phil

These CRTs are most times OK. You may notice a brown looking 4X3 raster burn on the face of the tube. The tube will still make a bright image even so. Occasionally you will find a burned streak or spot near the center of the screen indicating a sweep failure that somehow occurred without shutting down the beam current to the tube. The tube will still probably make a bright picture and will serve well until you find a nice, clean one through this forum or elsewhere. I hope it's good and you make the set 'sing' again.
Regards,
Cliff

James,
I'll post a photo of the back.
Phil

as promised

just plain old Masonite

This is a wonderful find. I would vote to keep the set as it is so uniquely complete. I have never seen a complete masonite rear before.

I was fortunate enough to have a complete back cover for my 9-PC-41, and managed to score a NOS 5TP4 picture tube about a month later. I've restored the audio chassis, the power supply chassis, and am about 80% through re-capping the RF chassis. Next comes the HV, which looks like a lot of work.

I vote that you should keep your set and restore it. They are super cool and always draw attention when someone comes over. They find it hard to believe that there were projection TVs back in the late 40s.

http://videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=252908

I have removed all the chassis and tested all tubes.
11 tubes test bad on my 707 tester (ouch).
Many good OEM tubes. Many replacements with '52 date code.
CRT hasn't been tested but I've found a local guy who says he has a tester that will work on the 5TP4.
Face of CRT looks very good, hopefully a good omen.
I assume S/N on tube indicates a build date of the 291st day of 1948. Can anyone verify?
With the exception of a (currently) burned resistor in the IF section, I can't see (yet) where any other repairs have been over the years
What is the best way to clean grime off of a chassis?
Phil

What is the best way to clean grime off of a chassis?
Phil

Spray Nine has been mentioned as a great cleaner.
About any think like that or Simple Green or Orange Cleaner, etc.
If it is really grimy I'd mask out things that should not get wet like coils and pots,
spray a cleaner all over the top side and wash it off
with a garden hose. I did that to my GE 805 TV chassis
and it worked great.

If you are skiddish about using a garden hose, spray some cleaner on some
rags and wipe it off. Takes time. I remove all the tubes before I clean
my chassis's then Deoxit the tube sockets.

If you have rust, Naval Jelly will remove that but it also removes the Cadmium plating.
If you like your chassis to have a shiny metal look, you can remove the Cadmium
plating with Naval Jelly and Brasso Brass polish.

Takes a lot of work to clean a chassis but it makes the
recapping experience nicer.

Carl

PS: Don't spray cleaner or use the garden hose on the
underside of the chassis - just the top side.

I have removed all the chassis and tested all tubes.
11 tubes test bad on my 707 tester (ouch).
Phil

When I restored my Philco projection TV, I found a lot of tubes
bad too. My Philco 48-2500 has 29 tubes including the CRT.
How many tubes are in your RCA?

There must have been 75 paper and electrolytic capacitors in
my Philco 48-2500. Have you counted how many in yours?

BTW, how are the mirror surfaces?

Carl

Carl

I counted 37 tubes less CRT, Sams says it has 41. Haven't even looked at caps yet. Oops, a recount reveals three 1B3s and with the CRT that's 41

The mirror surface is covered with a layer of dust but seems to be in excellent condition. What do I clean that with? I would hate to damage it with the wrong cleaner/procedure.

Thanks for the cleaning tips, but I'll stay away from the water.
Phil

I just carefully cleaned my chassis with formula 409 sprayed onto a clean cloth used to wipe it down. A bit of work, but no risk of getting water into places you don't want it. By far the dirtiest part of my set was inside the high voltage chassis. The ionized air in that part of the set when it is running is a dust/dirt magnet.

The mirror surface is covered with a layer of dust but seems to be in excellent condition. What do I clean that with? I would hate to damage it with the wrong cleaner/procedure.

In this order,
Use a vacuum cleaner to remove all the dust from inside the cabinet and in the optical barrel and the projection light path. Dust will make the picture look dim and reduce the fine detail as well.

Clean all the dust you can from the concave mirror, the face of the CRT, the corrector plate, the reflecting mirror and the rear surface of the projection screen with a very light brush, camel hair type if possible.

If the mirror surfaces [these are FRONT SURFACE mirrors, so be very careful] have a coating of dust or grime that can't be brushed away, use a good liquid photographic optical lens cleaner and optical cleaning tissue to very lightly clean the surfaces. The corrector plate is most times clear molded plastic and will scratch easily. Clean with the liquid cleaner and optical tissue as with the mirrors.

These sets make a bright picture when everything is clean and spiffy inside.
Good luck with this project!

I'll try it as soon as I can and let you know the results. BTW, would you have any literature on the optical barrel set up? The Sams info is next to worthless.
Thank you
Phil

Bad news. The CRT shows a H-K and a G1 short. The G1 short is my real concern. I have tried removing it with a B&K 466 and a Sencore CR168 Big Mack to no avail. About the only thing left to try is using the old (live wire) 2nd anode around the pins. Problem is I don't have anything that old anymore.

Replacing the 5TP4, the bad tubes and recapping just doesn't make sense. If the 2nd anode trick works on the CRT I'll reconsider. My next post might just be an obit for the set.

Phil

Don't despair.....occasionally a 5TP4 shows up. About 2 months after purchasing my set I scored a NOS 5TP4 on the bay.

Some years ago, I spied a funny tube in a box at a neighbor's garage sale. They had no idea what it was for, nor did I, since I knew nothing of old TVs at the time. They gave it to me. Eventually, I happened to mention this tube to a fellow collector, who said that he could use a 5TP4 and traded a complete television for it.

You never know what's floatin' around out there . . .

Phil Nelson

I have new ones and maybe a good used one from a parts set. Let me know if you decide to go ahead with the project.

If I can get a replacement at a reasonable price I will proceed. Would you please send me a PM so we can further discuss?
Thanks
Phil

I found you a very good used one, with a nice white face very little to no burn. Test as new.

I was offered a used CRT at a very reasonable price from a fellow AK'er. Thanks. I cleaned the mirror and it is in excellent condition.
I hate to do this, but with the cost of the used CRT, the 11 bad tubes, plus all the caps, my money and time will be spent better on another project.
Anyone interested in all/part please contact me.
Thanks for all of your encouragement.
Phil

I recently acquired an 8PC41, paid over $300 to ship it here, but I have no idea if the 5TP4 is any good. The HV chassis has rodent urine stains and rust near the large ceramic resistor, and the yoke has been chewed through the outer cover. Wish you lived closer!

Earlier I said I would hit all of the pins with some 2nd anode voltage (a last resort learned from the past). Problem is I have nothing with a 2nd anode lead. Doug from Gateway Electronics suggested hitting it with a live spark from a car ignition.
I took a plug wire off my bike, inserted a Phillips screwdriver, and turned the bike on. I let the spark dance between several pins at a time and slowly rotated the tube insuring all pins were zapped.
I connected the CRT tester and when I fired it up there were no signs of a H-K or G1 short, and the emission reads well into the green.
Sure wish I had a working something to put it in for the acid test.
Am I dreaming or is this an early Christmas present?
I'll check it again in a week or so.

Wow, headline: "Man fixes TV with motorcycle." Good for you!