Blond Olympic
 

I've left a brief explanation of my absence from this site for the past several months over in the "Early Black and White Television" section. In brief we've been moving and trying to get settled into our new home here in Harpers Ferry, WV. It's quite a change from the hustle and bustle of the NY metro area. But for me it's a very welcome change that takes me back to my rural roots and a slower more gentle way of life.

Just before my move Harry Poster posted a note here about a fellow in Brooklyn trying to sell an Olympic Color roundie. I contacted the fellow, but he thought it was quite valueable and wanted a lot of money for it. I think he would have scared most interested parties away with his asking price. I decided I wanted the set before I moved and he and I haggled, wheeled and dealed, offered, counteroffered, and finally came to an agreement at the 11th hour, just a few weeks before my scheduled move. He turned out to be a very nice guy, but had been poorly advised by an "expert" who gave him bad advice about the value of the set.

I purchased it from him for $75. The cabinet is in pretty good shape. It's an Olympic Model KL115 set which I believe is a CTC 11 clone. The dark area on the crt is dirt. I don't recall if the crt is original or a replacement, but I do remember it tests great with plenty of life. It certainly is a unique looking piece, and I guess that's what appealed most to me about it. Here are a few different views of it.

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...ondRoundie.jpg

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...ntrolpanel.jpg

http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...dieTopView.jpg


I'm very anxious to get started with one of these projects, but we're still digging our way out of the boxes and mess. Hope it doesn't take too long though, I'm really itching to dig in.......Bob

By the looks of the set it could be a CTC10 if it has a 21CYP22 crt. Looks like it has a safety glass in front. Definetly a great score. I have a CTC 10 and 11. Great sets. The 11 has a 21FJP22 that has the bonded glass for safety. Have to remove it soon to fix a cataract. I'll wait to see some pics of it operating.

Pretty cool set! I see it has the AM/FM stereo( 1 channel on AM and the other on FM). Should have a MPX output to add a decoder for FM stereo. I imagine there are not too many of those out there.

I have an 11 with the safety glass in front - I thought they were built with and without the bonded tubes.

Me too, and they were. It could be an 11 clone or a 10. BEAUTIFUL set Bob! I can't wait to see it working! You do a great job on color sets!

Imagine what that thing cost new.....looks like it's got all of the best technology of the era.

This is the oldest Olympic TV I've ever seen, and the first color Olympic I've seen.

Are the tubes labeled Olympic?

Thats a real beauty. I like it.

I cant wait to see the backside of the set. Thats where my interest is... in the back!!

Those early Olympic color sets, were genuine RCA sets. That is, the color chassis and CRT's. The radio chassis was Olympic built and generally not very impressive. :boring:

Olympic sets were generally not high end. More towards the mid to low end and not available everywhere. Interesting your Olympic has a KL model. I guess this denotes the combo model. I believe most Olympic color models had, like RCA, CTC-XXX chassis #'s. And model #'s beginning w/CL-106, CL-107 in the 1961 & '62 model year. Congratulations. A very rare roundie indeed.

-Steve D.

your Olympic Color TV
 

It's a great looking TV..I liked when it was first offered, it but couldn't get past the hundreds for dollars he felt it was worth--I'm glad you ended up with it, at a fabulous price, no less :D

It's the typical story..I ventured out to mid Pennsylvania 15 years ago to see a huge store filled with dozens of early battery radio sets, but the woman thought they were worth over $500 each. When I explained they were sold at the meets for closer to $100 each, she wouldn't sell me a set. I talked to the next guy into the store...and discovered he bought the lot at around $50 each...go figure!

If you had gotten the Olympic set a few months ago, possibly you could have restored it in time to watch the Olympics on it. :D Well, there's the winter games in a couple o' years...

The tubes are primarily RCA labeled with none of the others stamped as Olympic. The crt is an RCA Colorama 21CYP22A and shows excellent emissions. The chassis is stamped as a CTC10.

WOW what a score! Ill have to take a look at the schematic and see what its all about.

Looks like it will do AM in one channel and FM in the other (early stereo)
That is a real treasure you got there.

the CYP22's are suddenly appearing out of nowhere, again. I just aquired my CTC-7 with one. My CTC-10C lists one on the schematic, but because it was necked when I got it, over 30 years ago, I put an FBP22 in it, and it runs today with decent convergence. I've got 2 spare CRT's, too.

That is a very beautiful television!!! Congratulations!!!