New guy, new to hobby, looking to find out what's wrong with my set
 

I am absolutely new to vintage TV's. I bought this B/W portable on eBay for 50 bucks and have used it for approx 5-10 hours. Every once in a while a snap, crackle or pop. Last week the picture went away completely accompanied by a loud piercing noise (sounded like when you call an out of service number but don't hang up). Anyway, I did open it up and blow much dust out and turned it back on and the picture was back but quite frankly I am afraid to turn this set on and just sit back and watch. Oh god that noise, if I hear it again I will have a heart attack. I do have a fire extinguisher near my sets as well. My questions are (1) any info on the set? (2) Would an absolute beginner be able to do anything of consequence inside repair wise? I wonder what is wrong. (3) There is one local repair man who could maybe work on it but he wants the model number and probably schematics, any idea where I can find them? PS: Are there any books about repairing vintage TV's that lay out the basics I could buy?

Well blowing the dirt out most likely did help. As for ? 1) yes info is available SAMS photofact #1156-3, for $22.00 at www.samswebsite.com will be in pdf format. #2) I would defer to someone knowlageable about TV's but under watchful eye maybe. #3) See #1 and yes there are lots of books out there, check you local library. The informatiom you needed is on the tube chart on the side of case. The tv is a transformer less design so be very careful. A few more pics of the chassis would be helpful. Afew shots from the high voltage transfomer will helpalso check around where the big wire goes to the picture tube not coated with gonk if that area is nasty high voltage will arkover and make a hissing noise. Hope this helps. All the best,Tom

Was it a rushing sound. Sounds like filter capacitor (Metal Can) on chassis or other electrolytic capacitor over heated and blew up.
Perry

Well blowing the dirt out most likely did help. As for ? 1) yes info is available SAMS photofact #1156-3, for $22.00 at www.samswebsite.com will be in pdf format. #2) I would defer to someone knowlageable about TV's but under watchful eye maybe. #3) See #1 and yes there are lots of books out there, check you local library. All the best,Tom

OK great, thank you for this valuable information. I appreciate that!

Inside there was a metal can like object on a far side of the chassis tilted over and pushed up surrounded by what looks like dried up molten lava (rust?), it actually looks like it blew up!

First what you have is a common 19" Zenith late 60'- early 70's.
They were a bread & butter set. Most had a main color set then
a B&W set for the den, bedroom etc. These are what I cut my teeth on.

Sounds like the main filter can is bad. A picture will tell. Common in
the day, stocked it & once I could give you part # off the top of my
head.
You will NOT be putting a new one in BUT doing it a different way.
Lets confirm it then take it step by step. Its easy to do but you
have to do a few to make it click. All you need is an iron & small
hand tools & the right parts.

73 Zeno:smoke:

Thanks for taking the time to help me and provide this information. Tomorrow I will try to get a picture of the inside and what's going on there. I really like this set hope I can save it. I really look forward to hearing how this is taken care of, sounds fascinating.

Where are you located, btw? If one of us is local, someone might be glad to lend a hand.

Oh great! Anyone near Norwalk, CT?

Pictures of what's going on inside.

Couple more.

Forgot this one.

Looks like the main filter can upcucked and lost the magic smoke. 1 or 2 pics of the under side would be nice. 1 shot of the area where the filter can is will help. The area around where the H.V. connects to the pix tube should be cleaned that would stop H.V. leakage. All in all not a bad looking set. All the best,Tom

Set must have been in a damp place, lots of rust.
Probably would have ruined a lesser set.
For now some bottom pictures & write down all
the info printed on it & post it.

73 Zeno:smoke:

Thanks guys. Here we go.

2..

3...

PS. Not to distract from my main problem but another question if I may. I run my sets with an rf modulator so I can watch DVDs or VHS. How come sometimes I get this on the screen? Whenever it appears I change the disc and then it disappears. In other words certain dvds make that appear certain dvds it doesn't. When it appears it fades in and out.

Those stripes are caused by a form of copy protection found on some tapes and DVDs, etc. called macrovision. Search 'macrovision' on VK and you will find plenty of threads on how to remove it.

OK great. Thanks.

Awaiting help for the main issue. The one local TV repairman is no longer interested so I will be going this alone. Please anyone recommend some tools and post some instructions that a lay person could understand. I am not afraid of getting shocked, lol, I will give this a try! Bought lots of books too, should be arriving soon. I have 5 vintage T.V. sets and getting 1 more, so I am desperate to learn something!

Guys? :tears: Lol I thought someone was going to tell me what to do! I am ready to try to fix this problem but have no clue where to begin!

This tells about replacing capacitors. http://antiqueradio.org/recap.htm

Replace the lytics and the tubular caps that are not orange drops. Clean the area around (and) the HV connector ON the CRT as well as the bottom cup for the HV rectifier tube.

The basics have been explained to death on many forums and sites....It can become monotonous explaining basics like capacitor replacement over and over to newbies who could easily search existent articles and find all they ever wanted to know and then some...

I see. Well, I was asked to take more pictures so I just thought I was going to get some personalized pointers or instructions. I don't mind searching and going it alone it's just that I don't always know what to search for as I am not up on the lingo and the names of different parts. It's the same way on a car website I am on. Anytime someone makes a thread, people just say search! Well what's the point of the forum then, lol? Presumably 90% or more of all problems have already been discussed and solved, they might as well compile the threads and just make a pdf troubleshooting book and sticky it. Anyway, thanks for that link and I did seem to find instructions on the filter can, so I guess I am good to go get started at least.

PS, all I really need is this guy in the pic!

There are a few areas where this has been moused.
Find the chassis & model numbers first & post them.
Chassis # usually ink stamped on the rear of chassis
or sometimes on a tag.
Model number on back usually dead center between the
cord holders. They often fall off.

Next step is to clean the rust off ESPECIALLY on the
terminal strips. It is probably conductive & may be
the problem. Use small wire brush & a cleaner. Some one
else can recommend a modern cleaner.

Now it may work. The filter can does not look like its
leaked, all the crud near it is rust.

73 Zeno:smoke:

This has a 14B38 chassis, 1971 model year. While many of these sets work with very little restoration or recapping, this one was in a bad environment. Look on the deflection yoke. Maybe what happened to my RCA here happened to yours.

Based on your pictures, I would get a small brass wire brush t harbor freight (like a solvent brush) and bust off all that corrosion around the solder pots, above and below the chassis.

I'd like to strangle the E-b^Y seller that sold that set for that kind of money.
I know, that is a great set and a great performer, but that set will never be the same.
I see, that set must've been made after Zenith quit building B/W CRT's. It's made by Clinton, EIA 1240. :scratch2:

Thanks everyone.

OK so it seems the consensus is to brush. Will do. Maybe I can learn how to replace the capacitors based on the link above as well. It seems that is the 1st thing to do no matter what with any old set, right? OK, filter can is OK you say as well, OK.

Some questions:

Some say the TV was in a bad environment, like what a dank basement? Why will it never be the same even if some work is done? We live in the Northeast so the terrible weather seems to screw everything up.

Is it really from '71? I thought the knobs are more late '60's. I guess late '60's and early '70's are basically the same.

The last poster, I didn't really understand, are you referring the eBay seller who sold me this set or the man who wrote about the RCA? I paid 50 bucks, didn't seem like a big deal to take a chance for the price. The eBay listing is now down but here was the title of the ad:

"Zenith mid 60's 19" portable tv, w/rabbit ears repaired works great!"

Thanks again for the input, I shall try to get her working again, wish me luck!

On the filter can it still may be bad. Usually when
they are going there is crud leaking out by the terminals etc.
Even when leaking it may still work OK but its not
long for this world.
As far as the e-bay ad goes there are 3 ways to "fix" a TV IMHO

1) just get it going quick & cheap
2) repair it to be reliable but cost effective
3) restore it.

The lines can be blurred. Yours is a #1, the rust should have
been dealt with.

73 Zeno:smoke:

I think it is a 0.

0.) adjust knobs till it shows a decent picture, do not remove back, and call it repaired...

I can't see any evidence of recent work on it in the pictures.

I think that I see some newer resistors (blue) in the first few pictures... also a new cap tacked in by a pot, and some very sloppy soldering under an electyolytic. :thumbsdn:


jr

Definitely some recent work. Who knows what mistakes the last guy did in there?

.

OK guys well thanks for input. The recent guy who had it was just an amateur TV fan, who knows maybe a member here, he never claimed to be a pro, I am sure he did what he could and was also learning as he went. For 50 bucks it's not going to bankrupt me, I will just use it to learn on as I begin this journey and do the best I can with it. Quite frankly, I would rather not work on them at all, I'd rather just buy them restored but I seldom see any like that for sale. I did make another thread in case some people are selling and didn't see it.

http://videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=266842