[jroberts500]

I wanted to get this here sooner but life makes me take too long.
I guess it was sometime before the big hurricane here that I found this on eBay. I probably should have let Polaraman have it but he was nice enough to allow me to get it. I should spend my life on more constructive things but I just had to have it! I also had to have the '72 CTC-54 h.e.center that could have killed my friend and I, and a '68 Motorola that cost alot of money to me in shipping fees but now I will only take something if nobody else wants it. If I find an investor I will warehouse all the old sets I can find but that's another story. So, the man did relist the set and I was high bidder at like $1.00. I got a response through email and I wrote that I would pay more than the dollar and I tired to use negotiating skills hoping he would let it go cheap. Then his eBay account went bad for some reason and I could not get in touch with him. I thought I disappointed him moneywise and thought I had likely sent that set to the dumps trying to save money. I got worried thinking he is probably a rich guy and doesn't want to meet someone to take the set if he doesn't get like a $100. for his time. I imagine many people would much sooner send it to the dumps rather than bother for a few dollars. Especially here in south Florida were even the poor people look down on you and treat you rudely if they suspect you are not rich. Having things that are not known to be very expensive or even talking about stuff that is not new and in fashion is considered to be a dead give-away here! That sounds exaggerated but is basically very true. I tried to contact his previous customers to find him and sent emails that would not go through. Surprisingly to me he called me sometime in Oct and I thought he had had a reserve of $75. but somehow I picked up that he wanted a $100. and at that point I did not care because I wanted to get that set! So, I put a couple used tires on my '74 Toronado(it has new Firestones now!), rented a 4'x10' Uhaul box with a no-spring suspension. I had a tight budget or I would have rented a van. I am near Ft. Lauderdale. The set was close to Avon Park which is a bit south of Orlando. I got there and was surprised to see such a large neighborhood of '50's homes that were well kept and mostly original. The set's house(built in '59) was across the street from and facing a fair-sized lake. It still has it's working, pale yellow GE appliances and other neat old stuff like a small Wurlitzer organ. We believe the set was not used since '73 when the owner died. The house has been unused since then. However the man I got it from had plugged it in and tubes light but nothing else. When I walked in and saw the set I was very impressed even though the cabinets finish has many varnish cracks and flaked-off areas. Most of the original paperwork was there like the hang-tag, manual, etc. I was unable to utter negotiating skills and handed the $100. cash. He was a very cool guy and later gave me back $25. for the Uhaul I rented. I think he felt sorry for me. I was not trying to get sympathy. I later realized from things he said that if I had negotiated he would have taken $25. or given it for free. The CRT and set back were not damaged afterall. The catarcs go all through the entire screen. I am sure it's the original 21FJP22N. The fly looks original too and I wonder if it is bad. I bet it wont last long if it is not bad since it is that original type. The horiz cent control is burned pretty good and I bet it happened when the set was given power not long before I got it. I tried the set when I got it and the tubes light but nothing else. I had used a long extension cord thinking maybe it would ease the power a bit. When power is applied the CRT filaments seem to be to bright at first but immediately go to normal glow. I seem to remember that is normal. Is it? I hope I did not stress that CRT! Southernman has a horiz cent pot I can use. I am guessing that the pot had moisture over the years caused it to have poor contact and so it overheated to burn point when the man recently turned it on before I got it. Would you guys agree or is it more likely some other component caused the pot to overheat and burn? Thanks, John