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Old 03-13-2009, 06:08 PM
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RobtWB RobtWB is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Harrisburg, Illinois
Posts: 424
Estate Sale Find 2009 : 1975 XL 100 console

Found an exceptionally nice RCA XL100 console at an estate sale.
March 1975 manufacture date, Model GT 734L, CTC 58E2, early American/colonial style cabinet.
I usually pass on this vintage of tv's, but this one looked very nice. Most of the console sets I run across usually have a new bpc/spc set sitting on top of them, and the cabinets are usually scratched beyond belief.

It was plugged into a receptacle and had cable attached, so I powered it up and was rewarded with a nice picture. Spun the brightness to full then back to zero and and back to full again. Very nice response. This set must be a very low hour set.

Paid the sellar 10$ and went to move the set. Found a plastic bag still screwed to the back of the set with the original manual and other RCA literature. A bonus.

Brought the beast home and stuck a set of bunny ears on it. Works great with a set top antenna. Pulled the back off of the set and was stunned how clean the set was. Almost no dust, which is remarkable for a 34 year old set.
Could not find any signs that someone had ever been inside the set. Looks to be all original.
Had some time to kill so I spent an hour or so pulling the tuner assemblies and those ridiculous slider controls and gave them a good cleaning. Dug out a cable converter box and hooked it up. Works even better now.

I am stunned at the picture quality of this old set. Simply amazing picture for a 34 year old set.

I think I'll keep this one. This brings the console total to 10. But I think I am going to have to cull the herd. Have got 2 80's vintage XL 100's and 2 80's vintage Curtis Mathes consoles that are perfectly good, that are just taking up space. I'd donate them to the SA or GW but I don't think they would sell, and that they would just end up in a dumpster.
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