I was out thrifting and stopped at a place that had tons of TVs just piled out in a parking lot. Most were 80s crap, but I spotted to older looking sets. i guessed late 60s-early 70s portables. One turned out to be a Channel Master portable color, the other a magnavox portable.

I asked an attendent what was going to happen to all these sets. She told me they are picked up every monday afternon and taken to the recycler

:yikes:

I asked if I could have the two I had my eyes on, but she told me no. I then went to the manager with my inquiry. She was reluctant at first, but then said I could have any one I wanted for 4.99 each plus tax. I have her 10.75 and tossed the two sets in my car.

I cracked both open this evening. THe channel master is really a toshiba. Seems to be a wel built set for its time. Definitely no zenith, but not bad. The CRT is toasted unfortunately. It had a brightner on it, and it tests weak. I may toss it on a rejuvenator and give it another try. All the tubes are original except for the HO and vid out tube. The CRT is stamped with a 71 date. The set works ok, just has a dim blue picture.

The magnavox is from about 73-75. its a hybrid with about 6 tubes in it. The HV has a damper and HO tube, but no HV regulator or rectifier tube. Instead it has a trippler unit for the HV and one for the focus. The breaker was popped when I opened it. i found the cause to be a shorted B-Y transistor and an fried resistor. I probably won't get to these in awhile, but its nice to know they didn't get crushed.

Those TVs are probably more unusual in 2006 than a roundie! I just don't see 60s & 70s tube portables anywhere anymore. Nice rescue!!!!

What kind of a place is it??? That sounds like it could be a potential gold mine :scratch2: Is it a recycling dropoff, or ? Not asking to reveal the location. Just wondering what the origin of the pile is.

When I was about 10, my Mom took me to Disneyland.... On the way down, on Interstate 5 just south of East Los Angeles, there was a central warehouse for the ATA stores (building is now an Office Depot). ATA Stores sold TVs, applicances, etc. I think it was a last-gasp effort of the dying Whitefront Stores. In the parking lot, there was a mountain of old TVs!!!! I couldn't stop thinking about it all day at Disneyland, and I convinced my Mom to get off the freeway on the way home :yes:

From what I remember, the TVs were mainly B&W 21" consoles and a few round color sets. (this was about 1977, so the sets were 15-20 years old). They were just sitting there, and the warehouse was closed for the day. I was tempted to take parts & tubes, but she wouldn't let me because "they were on private property and that would be stealing". Well, maybe so.

I am assuming that the pile I saw was all the trade-ins. It's too bad that nowdays most people go and buy a TV and bring it home. I remember when it was the custom to get your new TV delivered & installed, then the delivery guys would courteously remove your old one. Maybe still in some places, but not in The Big City. I befriended a Sears TV delivery man, who would call me if he took a trade-in from my immediate neighborhood. I actually got some nice sets for "lunch money" including a 21" Predicta and a few nice roundies.

Stretching the subject, I also befriended a newspaper/can salvager, who also picked up small old TVs for me for a nominal finders fee.

Charles

THe place was actually a thrift store. It was in their back parking lot. It's aparently the place where all the excess stuff they received was just left there. There was obviously no room for it in the store, and I guess no one wanted to test it.

I guess this has only happened recently. I used to go to this place before, but I would never see any older sets, and not alot of TVs in general. I check there from time to time, but I've never seen as many Tvs there as I did monday.

Its a UCP thrift on Fairmount and El Cajon Blvd if anyone is ever in SD. THe parking lot is at the back of the store on Fairmount Ave.

anyone need a hp vhf oscillator for tv repair? Free just cost of shipping. Got it from electrical engineer retireg to Cal.
Let me know. Tossing tonight or early morn.

well, the CRT on the channel master is long gone. THe blue and green came up after the rejuvenation, but the red gun is toasted. After having the set powered up for a few minutes, it started smalling nasty and I was getting alot of corona and snapping -- and this after it was cleaned and on for awhile.

It's sad, but I'm taking whatever parts I need from this and its going bye bye. Would have liked to mess with it, but with the dead crt its just not worth it to me.


on to the magnavox...

Your Magnavox is either a T952 or T971 chassis, I tend to think it's a 971 since it has the Horizontal output tube mounted above the PCB. I don't want to rain on your find but don't expect much out of that set. I was working for a Magnavox dealer when they came out and the failure rate of the ones we sold was 100% before they got out of warantee, on top of being unreliable they didn't produce much of a picture. The early ones burned up the pcb under the horizontal output and would lose drive to the tube, the tube would overheat and melt a big spot on the plastic back. If that set still has it's handle I wouldn't trust it, the set is heavy and I've had the handle break when I picked it up. I've got the Magnavox manuals for it if you're going to tackle it. I've got to get busy and make some copies of manuals I've promised already.