2 Generals (plus)
 

I thought I would post a few things I've been working on. These are all part of the lot that I got last year from JCFitz.

First up is a GE C-2 hybrid, 18", built in the fall of 1971. (It was being built the same time I was!) I had previously posted regarding a problem where the brightness was too high and could not be turned down. JC remembered the set and knew that the screen controls (one of those 3-in-one units that GE loved) were bad. I replaced them with 3 individual pots-not real pretty but it works. I still can't get things set up just right but they are much better. The color on this set is pretty poor. Someday I'll have another stab at it, when I need a challenge! These things have got to be the bottom of the barrel as far as serviceability. I get a headache just looking at that chassis. How about that radiation warning sticker?! I figured this was fallout (pun intended!) for the General selling some tv sets that produced to much radiation back in the late 60s.

Here is another C-2, but from the end of the line, built in the spring of '75. With initial power up there were tubes lighting but no other signs of life. Investigation showed all of 3 compactrons had cracked at the base. Must have been dropped pretty hard? With that done the set worked alright. Certainly better than its older brother. You may note that this set is a 19v. Some interesting things about this model: it was a former rental set. A check of the GE service manuals shows it to be a special one, similiar to the RCA Mural line. Features include blocked-off rear controls, a volume limiter adjustable only with a special tool, and if you look at the pic of the back of the tuner you might think it is remote or at least power tuned-it is not. This is a raster-blanking feature. My guess is it would allow hotel operators to turn off extra-cost channels, or at the least make it so you couldn't tune in a snowy screen? The service manual also pointed out a special package that could be bought called "Fiddle-Free" which would replace the VHF fine tuning knob with a dummy, relying on the AFC to do its job; also there was a UHF knob plug that could be installed for markets where there were no UHF stations. With the kit installed there would be a sticker to be placed on the front that read "Fiddle-Free". Anyway, this set doesn't have that. It uses a solid-state hv rectifier. This isn't saying much, but I think this is the best tube GE color picture I have seen (in person) in my adult life. Both of these sets are capable of very sharp focus, at least compared to the RCA low focus voltage competition.

I intend on keeping the older set but I have no idea what to do with this one. Space is too tight so for now it goes up in the attic. I wish somebody would come along that wanted it!

Here is the next one I brought in from the pile in the shed. (chosen by virtue of the fact that it was at the top of the pile, and the 4 tube Zenith I really wanted to play with is at the bottom!) This is a 1970 RCA CTC-42A. It worked right off the bat, just requiring tweaking to the vertical. I need to clean several of the controls to get rid of some intermittents. A pretty nice little set; again, I don't know what to do with it. I wanted to check this to see if the crt would work in the Motorola Captn.Moody is working on-this uses a 17EZP. Anyway, I would hate to part this one out since it works so well.

Next on the pile? There are lots of 18" RCA hybrids but I might try one of the smaller Zeniths-easier to work on, if nothing else.