The last roundies
 

The '60's where the decade of rectangular tv sets. But when the last color roundies where made, who made them and which of them where the most relaible - I mean needing repair (except electronics replacement) over periods exceding an year time (maybe even 2-3 years).

RCA's last was the CTC-20 which I think was around 1968, and it was one of the infamous multi 6GH8 chassis series RCA put out that liked to eat that tube.

I for get Zenith's last chassis number, but it was around that time and a decent set.

IIRC Philco kept roundys going until ~1973. in the late 60's they went with a hybrid chassis that had SS IF circuits (and in high end models a tuning eye) those I hear were fairly reliable, and I know were solid performers. Very sharp clear video, and somehow most survivors have perfect convergence (something rarely seen in roundys).

I think Muntz and a couple of others had late roundys, but I know little of them.

At least one Muntz dealer was still running ads featuring their bait-and-switch leader model roundie combo as late as 1971, but I suspect the last of those had come off the assembly line several years earlier. There is a well-known 1968 Philco roundie and a lesser-known 1970 Magnavox roundie, generally agreed to be the last of its kind. As far as I know, the latter two were only available as table models.

The Muntz model 1580 leader model, a burn't orange Plextone painted cabinet, using a 4 tube AM radio and a manual turntable, like the ones used in school phonos and an Astatic tone arm. The color chassis was a RCA CTC15 clone using a Zenith CRT. They must've bought out the last of the round CRT's , when Zenith quit building roundies.
Philco made their own round CRT's.

And which one of 'em was the most relaible? :smoke:

I vote Zenith 24NC31 and Philco 17MT80. The RCA CTC20 had too many 6GH8's and RCA's infamous flyback to be a better set.

Though Sears and some others may have had one, Motorola, Sylvania, Emerson, Westinghouse and Admiral did not make a roundie later than 1965. My knowledge is limited to my service info and limited exposure. Most round CRT color sets hit the curb just before I started the hobby.

There was a 1968 Magnavox Round color chassis T938 (Sams set 1037). I had one long ago, it had the sick video-color look that many mid-60s Mags were known for, that sold many a CRT. The REAL issue required some advanced troubleshooting with a scope to find the bad parts.:sigh: I was not so patient then.

The only other one I know of was 1966 General Electric's CB21, which was not a clone but a budget version of the CB23 and CB25 which used the troublesome 23EGP22 and much better 25AP22 rectangular tubes.

A 1969 Muntz roundie color ad. Probably not the most reliable color tv available at that time.

-Steve D.