Hello, I'm new here so I'll introduce myself. My name is Matthew Clark I'm 19 years old and I've been interested in vintage electronics since I was around 7 years old. The other day there was this Raytheon television on Facebook and I ended up getting it. I hear it's one of two still surviving. With the cabinet I'd like to use Restorer Finish to help hide some of the bad spots. Yesterday I carefully with two screwdrivers took the CRT socket off and tested it. The emissions are fantastic and the cut off is good. When the voltage is reduced to 4.5 volts it still tests good, but there might be an issue. At 6 volts no short, but at 6.3 volts the left shorts light is flashing(Not solid indicating a hard short). The exact same thing happens on a 1968 Zenith color set. With the Zenith I have a decent picture still despite the blinking short light. There's a couple links below of both sets. So my question is, could there be a problem with my tester or is the short so minimal that it will not make the CRT unusable? And can the heater voltage be slightly reduced in the set so it doesn't short if it's actually a short? And should I buy or borrow a known good crt tester. I'm in Kankakee County IL if anyone near me has a good CRT tester they'd let me use let me know. Thanks
LINKS:https://flic.kr/s/aHsmRXbcgr
Video of Zenith playing with possible short. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blfClgRqGKw&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=MatthewClark

Welcome to the forum!

As far as your tester and the sets. Things get old and don't work as they sometimes should. Since you are getting the same symptom on both of the CRTs. I would suspect the tester is showing its age. If the CRT doesn't snap, crackle or pop, press on.

You have a found a wealth of information here. Don't be shy in asking.

And have fun.

Phil

I would agree with what reeferman is saying, most likely you have a tester issue. If you believe it gave accurate readings for the Zenith, I would run with the assumption that you have a good CRT and disregard the short light. Someone from Chicago may be able to help you with another tester.

This is the Early Television Museum’s database of surviving sets, yours is now the third of that model. Contact them and they will add yours.
https://www.earlytelevision.org/color_database.html

Congrats on the find.

Have you looked inside your tester to see if there are any paper capacitors associated with the shorts test? if so, replace them. check to see if the resistors associated with the shorts test havent drifted WAY out of spec. that can all affect sensitivity of the shorts tests. also make sure the correct neon bulbs are installed for the shorts test

Just a word of caution: Don't run the raytheon any more than you need to, until the paper wax capacitors have been replaced. You have a stupidly rare set. (I mean, they really don't get much rarer than this thing!). There's parts in there that simply can not be replaced if they fail. This set, in working contision, would be quite the sight.

(Guys - RCA's 'simplified' color chassis, based on the CTC 4?)

If the CRT is good, all the better. It deserves being cared for. Not many were sold.

Also, the CRT is metal, and the HV is 25kv. You don't want to get bit by it...

Thanks, I appreciate it reeferman!

Have you looked inside your tester to see if there are any paper capacitors associated with the shorts test? if so, replace them. check to see if the resistors associated with the shorts test havent drifted WAY out of spec. that can all affect sensitivity of the shorts tests. also make sure the correct neon bulbs are installed for the shorts test
I'll have to take a look. And I do have a couple old style capacitor leakage testers that should do the trick texting the caps. Thanks

I have a B&K 466 tester that I'm very familiar using to test 21AXP22s (I have an example of every chassis RCA made that uses that CRT as well as Philco and Motorola sets that use it).

Would you be interested in selling or trading that set?

Just a word of caution: Don't run the raytheon any more than you need to, until the paper wax capacitors have been replaced. You have a stupidly rare set. (I mean, they really don't get much rarer than this thing!). There's parts in there that simply can not be replaced if they fail. This set, in working contision, would be quite the sight.

(Guys - RCA's 'simplified' color chassis, based on the CTC 4?)

If the CRT is good, all the better. It deserves being cared for. Not many were sold.

Also, the CRT is metal, and the HV is 25kv. You don't want to get bit by it...
Thanks for the word of caution. Just so everyone knows this set will not be plugged in until a full electronic restoration is done. I understand the rarity and absolutely no chances will be taken. I'm going to get some experience with my other radios and tvs before I take on this project. I Plan on re-stuffing the old caps to maintain it's originality. Also I'm very meticulous with everything I do and this restoration will be no exception. Thanks

Just a word of caution: Don't run the raytheon any more than you need to, until the paper wax capacitors have been replaced. You have a stupidly rare set. (I mean, they really don't get much rarer than this thing!). There's parts in there that simply can not be replaced if they fail. This set, in working contision, would be quite the sight.

(Guys - RCA's 'simplified' color chassis, based on the CTC 4?)

If the CRT is good, all the better. It deserves being cared for. Not many were sold.

Also, the CRT is metal, and the HV is 25kv. You don't want to get bit by it...

:D
Oh, come on, WHY NOT!?
:banana:

It's always lots of fun to get zapped by HV anode voltage, if I had $20 for each time it has happened to me, I would be able to pay off a good part of my house by now! :)

I have a B&K 466 tester that I'm very familiar using to test 21AXP22s (I have an example of every chassis RCA made that uses that CRT as well as Philco and Motorola sets that use it).

Would you be interested in selling or trading that set?
Thank you for the offer, but I do plan on keeping it. Thanks

:D
Oh, come on, WHY NOT!?
:banana:

It's always lots of fun to get zapped by HV anode voltage, if I had $20 for each time it has happened to me, I would be able to pay off a good part of my house by now! :)
Heck yeah, let's do it Shango style. LOL :beerchug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb6vMgurAH0&ab_channel=shango066
Love his content

Thanks for the word of caution. Just so everyone knows this set will not be plugged in until a full electronic restoration is done. I understand the rarity and absolutely no chances will be taken. I'm going to get some experience with my other radios and tvs before I take on this project. I Plan on re-stuffing the old caps to maintain it's originality. Also I'm very meticulous with everything I do and this restoration will be no exception. Thanks

Sounds like it's in good hands. We'll all be standing by for progress reports.

Thank you for the offer, but I do plan on keeping it. Thanks

Just saw this after sending you a private message with an offer.
If you change your mind or want to haggle for more, you know where to find me.

Welcome to the forum Matthew and congratulations on preserving this uncommon set. I see yours is mahogany, as is the one that I have. I understand that the other known one is blonde. It is fantastic that the CRT in yours seems to be good. I agree with the other responders that the testing issue is probably with the tester.

You mentioned 1958 but it is actually a 1956 set. There was a write up on it in the January, 1956 issue of Service Magazine beginning on page 13. The magazine is available here: https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Service-Magazine/50s/Service-1956-01.pdf

Thanks for posting your find and please keep us abreast of your progress and feel free to ask any questions. Although my set has a good CRT, it is presently unrestored.

Welcome to the forum Matthew and congratulations on preserving this uncommon set. I see yours is mahogany, as is the one that I have. I understand that the other known one is blonde. It is fantastic that the CRT in yours seems to be good. I agree with the other responders that the testing issue is probably with the tester.

You mentioned 1958 but it is actually a 1956 set. There was a write up on it in the January, 1956 issue of Service Magazine beginning on page 13. The magazine is available here: https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Service-Magazine/50s/Service-1956-01.pdf

Thanks for posting your find and please keep us abreast of your progress and feel free to ask any questions. Although my set has a good CRT, it is presently unrestored.
You're right. Thanks for the correction. I misread the cabinet. That makes me even happier that it's earlier. I'm going to replace the capacitors in the tester and then go from there if it still shows a short. I have a question about the cabinet. Would having a professional wood worker fix the chunk missing out of the top reduce it's value? I'm thinking I'll just leave the missing chunk alone. Also I was thinking about using Howard's Restore a Finish on bad scratches at the very least. Any thoughts

You may get differing opinions but, if it was done well, I do not think it would reduce the value. It is the rarity of the set as a whole that makes it desirable, not a missing piece of original woodwork. If it was done professionally it would probably not even be noticeable. Leaving it alone for now is just fine. No rush. Howard's works well to even out the existing original finish.

heres the schematic if you don't already have it:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y3DDzyZaT9uZS1ivvK4epLOLZaTQysrQ/view?usp=sharing

Driving all three of the 21AXP22 cathodes with the same luma signal? That set must produce a very cyan picture. Even the cost-cutting RCA CTC-5 super had a resistor network to give the red gun extra oomph.

Looking at the schematic, I noticed T2, a 1:1 filament transformer which only provides filament voltage to V8, AGC Keying/Color Killer. Why a transformer for this one tube? Is it because the cathode (pin 9) is at a +200V potential?

That seems right. The 6AN8 spec reads:
Total DC + Peak 200v

The first model of the GE PortaColor had a similar transformer in the series filament string for the CRT to lessen the potential difference between the filament and the cathode. The one I had got a heater-to-cathode short anyway. I just removed the resistor which tied the CRT filament to one of the B+ lines and just let the filament float. Worked well until I parted with it.