[sampson159]

i worked in a repair shop when i was a teenager.i replaced crt s and rebuilt tuners.light work with some deliveries.spent a couple of years there and learned some but not enough to make me a repairman thats for sure!after military and marriage,i settled in to a career as a mechanic.i was badly burned in an accident and while recovering,i was left with no income and at that time 3 children to feed.i started to do some repair work from my home to make a living.the good people in our neighborhood passed my name around and business took off!granted,i wasnt that good,but i sure learned lots and made a decent living.unfortunately those 3 magnavox combos in the living room took a toll on my marriage!never cared for the old stuff until i found a roundie at the salvation army.this was in the mid 80s.it was a ctc 12.like new conditon and the picture was so sharp!30.00.my wife had a fit.wasn t in the budget.so i had to pass.i went back to twisting wrenches.still never forgot that roundie.years passed and i became a sales rep in the basement business.a customer had a sylvania d16 combo in their home.early american and it was pristine.they commented on how much they loved it and wish it was working again.i looked at it and found the horizontal output tube loose in the socket.wiggled it around and some rtv,presto!good as new.very good picture and that repair got me a nice sale that day.the fuse was lit and i remembered how much i really enjoyed this.on that job i found many 80s rca and sylvania sets but nothing really too interesting.still wanted to find a roundie.i stumbled on charlie trahans site by accident.his ctc 15 restoration struck a nerve in me.i wanted to do the same thing.made some contacts through the years and began searching.found this site through charlie too.posted a few times and began corresponding with the absolute best techs and best people on the planet.found my ctc15 with the help of bryan gadow.took time from his day to call me and give me some leads to chase down.i owe him big time for many things he has helped me with.started a small shop for a couple of years until the owner sold the building.i have a small collection of roundies(5) and some zenith radios among other things.i still haven t forgot that ctc12 .i wanted it so badly!some day i will have that same set.until that time i am enjoying the hunt.