I had one in a maple colored French provincial cabinet. I was a kid and a neighbor gave it too me and I wonder if my growth was stunted from the radiation I was near as I spent a fair amount of time trying to get a watchable picture. The speaker grill came out to adjust convergance and the most memorable thing other than all the many tubes and weight were the channel selector knobs which were like 4" or 5" in diameter. Does anybody have one of these?

I had one in a maple colored French provincial cabinet. I was a kid and a neighbor gave it too me and I wonder if my growth was stunted from the radiation I was near as I spent a fair amount of time trying to get a watchable picture. The speaker grill came out to adjust convergance and the most memorable thing other than all the many tubes and weight were the channel selector knobs which were like 4" or 5" in diameter. Does anybody have one of these?
Are you talking about a 21-inch round tube, or rectangular? ( I don't have one or anything like it, just trying to identify it.)

It was a round 21" color. It was the only one I have ever seen but I saw an advertisement for Motorola's first retangular 23" that had the same knob layout. It had a 6BK4 and I could be wrong but I think even the UHF tuner had a tube.
The channel knobs were like 4" or more in diameter for the clear part that had black numbers printed on the back of the clear part with black lines between the numbers(I think I remember that correct). There was a stylish, goldish, metal knob in the center to turn it. The biggest knobs I ever saw!
It had large color and hue knobs with color scales around them.

The Motorola Color TV Service Manual, By Forest H. Belt (SAMS), says that the 607-series UHF tuner was the ony one that used a tube (for the oscillator), and that it was used in the TS-912 chassis. The schematic shows a 21FBP22 CRT. A sketch of the front panel shows large knobs for channel tuning, with numbers on the outer part showing through a wedge-shaped window at the top of the dial.

I'll bet that is it. I would know it if I saw it. I think that chassis may be the first one Motorola used when they started selling color in the early '60's. I know they had a model in '54 but I read that they didn't have a consumer color line until like '62 or '63. Someday I would love to have one of those sets but I suspect they are amoungst the hardest to find.

If someone has replaced the 6BK4 and the 3A3/3AT2, etc. with one of the improved versions, radiation chances were less.

When I had my shop, the biggest failures were sweep tubes, and high voltage rectifiers, and regulators. I always checked HV levels, but rarely found them high.

Had an RCA CTC-38 that would come in every 2 years or so. It was run all day long in a hotel lobby. I replaced the 3A3, and the 6BK4, and set the HV. Once I found the HV running at 28K. The hotel said it was sizzling, and the pic would dim out on bright scenes, make a spark sound, and come back on. The 6BK4 resistor (dont remember the value) was burned open, The 6BK4 was shorted. I stopped buying LINDAL tubes about that time. :)

Went back to RCA's leaded glass 6BK4C. I dont recall ever having to replace one of them again.

There was a Motorola color set on the market later in the 50s; I think someone on here has one. I don't think it was a runaway success!

Could this be the set you're speaking of? I found it in another thread...

http://audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=9778

Motorola roundies of the 60's included the TS-907, TS-912, and TS-916 chassis. I think the one above is either the 912 or 916.

Motorola roundies of the 50's are as you mentioned... hard to find. On rare occasion, one pops up on ebay. Those are usually the 19" roundies from 1955 that may or may have not been converted to a 21" set.

I stumbled onto a 1956 model that I had never seen. This would have been their first set to come with the 21" tube and uses the TS-905 chassis. There is an ad for in the Life Magazine week of May 28, 1956. Unfortunately, this set is in poor condition. If I ever get around to restoring it, it will take a long long time.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10684

Hi Charlie,
I remember that same speaker fabric. I think that's the set in a different cabinet. I thought the knobs were bigger but I was about ten when I had it. It would be interesting to see a TS-907.
That '56 Motorola of yours is one of the most interesting I have seen. I like the design with that color knob, metal control cover and every other detail.
Thanks for the info.

Charlie,

That is a rare Motorola. Model 21CT2M. I have that 1956 Moto color tv ad in my collection. For years I thought it was a mock up set because the ad didn't mention a model # or if the set was even available. It may have been a pre-production set pictured. The ad does include an insert of a Motorola 21" b&w set for $379.00. It is great to see that at least one of these color sets have survived. I would certainly hope that you effort to restore it.

-Steve D.

J,

Here is a pic of a 21CK10, using the TS-907 chassis.

Steve,

One of these days I will get around to my Motor. Hell... right now I can barely get to it in the garage due to all of the other sets!

I now know I have never seen a TS-907 but that cabinet is very similar to the one I had. I think my legs were right on the corners. The area that the fabric covers on this TS-907 looks to be the size I remember but with the knob layout of the previous set. However, I still think the dial-knobs were even bigger with black lines between the numberst but otherwise just like the lighted, dial-knobs in that nice photo of the TS-912?/916? I bet that photo is a 916 and mine was likely a 912. I wish we had all TV brochures posted!

I hope you take good care of that '56 Motorola because I got a feeling that it is worth all the trouble to rebuild it. I think if you put enough effort into it you can get the exact wood and color finish. Plus, I think it is one of the most attractive sets from the '50's.

Charlie,

That is a rare Motorola. Model 21CT2M. I have that 1956 Moto color tv ad in my collection. For years I thought it was a mock up set because the ad didn't mention a model # or if the set was even available. It may have been a pre-production set pictured. The ad does include an insert of a Motorola 21" b&w set for $379.00. It is great to see that at least one of these color sets have survived. I would certainly hope that you effort to restore it.

-Steve D.


Any chance of seeing a scan of that ad?

Here is a shot of the ad taken with the camera. It's too large to fit on the scanner. I wish they would have given a better view of the whole set... and that someone would have kicked that kid out of the way! Didn't his parents tell him he'd fry his brain by being too close to the set??? :D

Charlie,

Thanks for posting the ad. It is to big to scan. Not only does the kid block the set, but that big multi-color channel knob is way to dark to be seen, even viewing the ad first hand. IMO, I don't think Motorola planned to sell many of these sets. They just wanted the public to know they were in the game.


-Steve D.

Thanks for posting - I now realize I have that ad too - but it is so unrecognizable that I didn't realize it was the same set.

IMO, I don't think Motorola planned to sell many of these sets. They just wanted the public to know they were in the game.
.

I think you're right... color was somewhat of a let down at first, and prices were too high for the amount of broadcasting. The 1955 Motorola color set ads at least included a price. Seems I have one ad from '55 that was priced at $895.00... that was the 19" roundie.

Too bad it isn't possible to find out how many of these sets were made in '56. I bet there's more of the '56 models out there... it's just a matter of finding them. I also wonder if the 56 models were any cheaper that the 55's.

The 21CT2M was finished in mahogany (like mine). The 21CT2B was finished in oak.

JRoberts, since you were a kid at the time when you were watching that 60's Motor, maybe those knobs just seemed bigger. Now that you're bigger, the knobs seem smaller! :yes: I recall a time in which I thought my grandmother was tall. Nowadays, she's pretty damn short! :D

In another thread I showed a pic of the channel knob on a TS-905 (I was trying to i.d. it) so they sold a few anyhow. Pretty sad, somebody around here once had one & now all is left is that knob!

You still have that knob????

you bet! its not mint but not bad.

JRoberts, since you were a kid at the time when you were watching that 60's Motor, maybe those knobs just seemed bigger. Now that you're bigger, the knobs seem smaller! :yes: I recall a time in which I thought my grandmother was tall. Nowadays, she's pretty damn short!


Charlie,
You are probably correct. However, I must see the other Motorola color models of the early '60's to know for certain. I must test my memory on anything I can prove or disprove in order to have more confidance in what cannot be proven. I have always believed that more harm than good is done to all concerned when we give information that is incorrect.
So, apparently there were three chassis' and I guess each chassis had it's own different knob set-up. I have seen the TS-907 and TS-916, thanks to everybody's generosity, but I'm thinking the TS-912 may be different.
Earlier when I first saw the TS-912 on that Sam's folder I was certain I had not seen that knob set-up before and wrote that in the reply. Days went by and I came to believe I saw that set/knob design in an old TV shop in St. Petersburg. It was Ken's TV and my boss, Ed Callahan of Ed's TV, was in conversation while I wondered through this old shop that was filled with old TV's. This was around '79 and I thought the place was very spooky but liked seeing the stuff. It seemd as though the sets came in and never left. I had the impression Ken was not too good with TV's as he was questioning Ed about a little '75 SONY 5"(or so) color set which we took with us and I later toyed with but had no clue of what to do more than to take it apart. Well, I think I saw, for about 4 seconds, the same knob layout on that Sam's picture of the TS-907. I was looking for a '67 RCA color remote control for the home entertainment center I loved so much. I found one that I later repaired the printed circuit board in.
Ponitless excercise? I think not.
Thanks for the help.
Have a nice day!
John