Help identifying early 60s Motorola TV?
 

Hi,

I'm hoping that someone could help identify a TV I just got; it's a black-&-white Motorola tube TV made in 1963 (so I was told anyway). Unfortunately it no longer has any label identifying the model number. I googled the numbers still present on the chasis but came up empty.

The previous owner had replaced the electrolytic caps and damper tube and did an alignment, but it does still need a little work: buzzing on white graphics, slight pincushion, blooming (I think, if I understand what "blooming" means), picture width and height change slightly over time - heat-related maybe. Nothing terrible, it's certainly watchable.

I hope I can find a schematic. I'm a newbie at this so I'd like to make sure I know what I'm doing. I got this TV to learn on and because it reminds me of my great-grandmother's TV that I used to watch as a kid. It's kind of fun to watch old black-and-white TV shows on it with my kids via Netflix and Hulu (through my Macbook Pro and RF modulator), but the TV gets really buzzy when hooked up to the computer so I'd like to fix that.

Is it still the preferred method to discharge a CRT to poke a screwdriver grounded to the chassis under the anode cap while wearing thick rubber gloves? Any other things I should do to ensure that there's no charge left in the TV before working on it?

I appreciate any help I can get!

With Motorola, I always use chassis numbers, instead of model numbers.
The Sams folder is found under Quasar. IDK. why they did that. It only complicates matters. They should've said, Motorola. before 1974, Quasar after. Information found under Sams 688, folder 3.
I have a bit of experience with Motorola sets. You'll find tube types in that set, not found in any other U.S. built set. European tube types. :yes:

Wow - thats really an interesting set! My first set (to watch as a "Motorola minion" and later to fix in 8th grade) was dated 11M62 and TOTALLY different too, in and out! Mine has a 19XP22.
Chassis CDTS581YA, model Y19T21BE, so your model number may be similar - just back check the Sams index models to set 688

All the tubes in mine are pretty much the US types except the 6BL8 s.

This works. Don't forget that the CRT can build up an additional partial charge after the first time you ground it, so ground it again just before you work on it.

dieseljeep and DavGoodlin - thanks! Didn't know it would be under Quasar; great to know where to find it.

Must be Item# 123374 DTS586A01; I'll have to see if my library has it.

old_tv_nut - Thanks for the safety tip; good to know that I have to watch out for a rebuildup of charge.

The TS 581 was Motorola's TOTL 19" portable model. I always thought, that was their answer to the Zenith models, at the time.
Your has the UHF tuner, as well. Great set, a keeper. :thmbsp:

Yep, its a tank alright. All gray too, with a sweet C-cup on the back.:D My parents bought it in Harrisburg at Korvette's, so it has UHF. I need to make it a future project here!

I was able to get a copy of the Sam's Photofact schematic from our city library, but there was an error in scanning; whoever scanned it included Set 668 instead of Set 688 on the first four pages! I went ahead and ordered one from Sams itself, but it had the same problem; sent them an email and they got right back to me with a corrected schematic by the next business day!

I took out the chassis to inspect the existing caps for replacemtn, and cleaned the tube sockets and pins with electronics cleaner and tightened the pin sockets. I also replaced the HV Rectifier, Video Amp, and AGC tubes with NOS ones (GE for the HV Rect and AGC, Raytheon for the Vid Amp) I got from eBay for a few bucks.

Put it back together and there's a big improvement in the AGC (almost never buzzes anymore), the picture is sharper (more focused) and the blooming is almost gone.

Many of the caps look to have been replaced, but I still need to replace 7 old plastic-tube capacitors, so I'll have to order them. There's still a little pincushion distortion, slight blooming, and other minor issues but I'm optimistic they the cap replacements will cure these issues; can't hurt at least.

When I redo the caps I'll take it apart all the way to clean out some dirt on the inside of the plastic screen protector, and clean the tuner which is a little scratchy (though I always have in on CH4, I sometimes need to jiggle it a little to lock back onto the input from the digital adapter), and also clean the controls; volume and vertical hold are a little scratchy as are the height and linearity adjustments on the back.

The TV's working quite well at this point already though - the kids an I enjoy watching old TV shows on it like Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, the Dick Van Dyke show, and the Twilight Zone.

Doesn't look like it has the UHF option to me. looks like it only has a VHF tuner. The U on the knob doesn't necessarily mean it has UHF. I dont see a tuning knob for it or are my eyes deceiving me?

It's a VHF only set. The VHF sets had a large volume control knob.
The all channel sets had a small volume knob between the two selector knobs, where that small M logo is. :yes:

Uhf
 

UHF was an option for this set; as dieseljeep says, there is a hole under the logo and some other accommodation in the chassis for a control there. The SAMS schematic does include the optional UHF tuner. On my set, the second large knob is is power/volume.

That's fine with me as there are only a handful of mexico-based channels available on UHF around here anymore, nothing I'd ever miss watching :)

Interestingly, the schematic includes a channel indicator light, though I don't see any sign of there actually being one. I haven't looked into the tuner section yet for where it might have gone; although, it's a moot point because it's always on channel 4 now anyway.

I looked at the SAMS on that set. It shows a 23" model. They used that same chassis in several different models. If it had a indicator light, it would have a small transformer mounted on the tuner assembly.
The set you have is the entry level model that year. The set was sold for about $130.00 at the time. A lot better set, than a lot of them, for the same money.

Your set uses the same sort of terminal strips Zenith used (the ones that stick up above the chassis), and I thought maybe Motorola had Zenith make your set for them.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment...6&d=1360306470

That's definately a Motorola built set.
If you look at the early 50's GE radios, they used the dip soldering proceedure as well.
Zenith used those terminal strips, a few years before Motorola did.

got a Motorola like this myself about an hour ago from Preacher friend mine...need a Sams for it also!...heres the model number 19P15BE61/CHASSIS#TS-449-09,and year manufactured 4/62...its a "Tartan"model;the power switch and tuning knob are located on the top of the set instead of the front,..any help would be appreciated!
Jody