Bel-Aire TV / Clock / AM Radio

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by leadlike

I've come across similarly-constructed radios, and even an electric piano made in Japan during this period. It seems those cabinets are all very much hand assembled. I typically find quite a bit of writing in them, indicating cabinet measurements, I guess. Build quality is always very crude, like this one.

Like your tv, a lot of the stuff I find seems kind of one off, at least on English language web pages, I don't find much info. It may be possible stuff like this was purchased by a serviceman stationed in Japan and brought home.

Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Well, WHATEVER it is, & HOWEVER OLD it is, I still like it...GREAT Score !

I found this label on the picture tube. It's a Hitachi 210CB4 I think from the 10th month of 1962. The rest of the inside make me think early 60s too.

Originally Posted by ctc17

Change all those green caps!!!

I assume that means they have a high failure rate ?

Originally Posted by Electronic M

If it was purchased in Japan rather then made there to sell here it would have Japanese control lables.

True unless it was marketed to American servicemen.

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

Nice set! Probably not many of those left.

Thanks. I bet not. No useful info in the Internet so far except what I get here

I pulled the chassis tonight and here's what I found.
Very clean inside. All but a couple tubes are Hitachi branded including the CRT.




Judging by the tubes #s, it's a series filament set. Perhaps the power transformer is just for B+ ?


12G-B3 and 12R-K19 HOT and damper tube. I'm not at all familiar with this Japanese numbering system.


Picture tube tests like new

[DaveWM]

looks pretty much unmolested with all those paint drops. all those grey caps are prob bad, I had a kenwood receiver with them, EVERY one of them leaked badly, just like a wax paper cap. Super clean chassis, that's going to be a sweet setup when you get it done.

[dieseljeep]

It looks like the transformer is an isolation transformer, as there is nothing isolated from the chassis. Notice it has a primary for 117 volts. Japan still uses 100 volts, both 50 & 60 hertz, so the set was intended for export. Those sweep tubes are replaceable by 12AF3 and 12BQ6.

[maxhifi]

This is, perhaps, my favorite item i've seen on this site all year! Great find!

[Sandy G]

Seems like I've seen one or 2 of these things over the years on Fleapay...

[jr_tech]

Is the power transformer ok? That "smoky" pattern on the chassis near the upper corners looks like it could have gotten pretty warm.

jr

[bandersen]

Thanks for the tips. I see what you mean about the discoloration above the transformer. I haven't tested it yet, but for sure one resistor fried. Looks like it's in the vertical circuit.

[ctc17]

Most of the Japan sets from that era used those green wax capacitors. I have never seen a good one. They get really leaky or short.
They grey ones are better, but I had a set where the boost filter got real leaky and overheated the flyback.
At a minimum I would change the green wax ones, the one that couples the signal to the horizontal output tube and the boost filter.
The Japanese electrolytics are awesome, no need to mess with those unless theres an issue.

[Glenz75]

That is one neat little set ...I have some oddball Japanese TV schematics in a folder, might be able to match something up as its a TV/Radio combination. I've got Hitachi/Sony/National/Crown/Sharp/Mitsubishi/NEC and most are tube b/w schematics. Worth a shot?

Those green and grey oil filled caps...pull 'em out and toss 'em They'll all be leaky and more than likely be the cause of the burns up you can see... Sorry just read the comments above, so I won't repeat what others have said about them
Cheers
Glen

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Glenz75

That is one neat little set ...I have some oddball Japanese TV schematics in a folder, might be able to match something up as its a TV/Radio combination. I've got Hitachi/Sony/National/Crown/Sharp/Mitsubishi/NEC and most are tube b/w schematics. Worth a shot?
...
Cheers
Glen

Sure, if you wouldn't mind looking

I haven't pulled all the tubes yet and there's no tube chart, but here's what I found so far. I'll dig back into the set soon and get a complete list.

12G-B3
12R-K19
12BH7
6BE6
6AH6

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by radiotvnut

Nice set! Probably not many of those left.

I don't think there was that many of those to begin with. Too expensive for a novelty set. I like the way the power supply diodes were replaced. It looks an American hack technician repaired it.

[TerrySmith]

Also looks like some butcherin' around the HOT socket, I would verify the parts values before powering up.

That is a very interesting set, can't wait to see the video and the finished product! I wonder why the chassis is designed with the tubes inboard?

[Hemingray]

I also see a charred resistor in pic #2 on the far left.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by TerrySmith

Also looks like some butcherin' around the HOT socket, I would verify the parts values before powering up.

That is a very interesting set, can't wait to see the video and the finished product! I wonder why the chassis is designed with the tubes inboard?

Good question. The only way to service the tubes is to pull the whole chassis out

Originally Posted by Hemingray

I also see a charred resistor in pic #2 on the far left.

Yes indeed - it's charred and I can't read the value

[radiodayz]

Very cool! Yeah, that would have been my guess--closer to 1960 than 1970. Good luck with it.