Big Mama Magnavox! - Videokarma.org TV - Video

Charlie · #1 05-11-2005, 01:17 PM

Just returned from sea a few days ago. Man it's great to be home again! Was on board ship about 2 weeks longer than my usual trip. Got off in San Francisco and had one of those horrible red-eye flights from Frisco to Atlanta to Texas.

After getting home, my 94 year-old neighbor called me and told me she wanted to give me her old tv. Been sittin in her living room for all these years with photos on top. It's a huge Magnavox 24" b&w entertainment center with a really pretty cabinet. I'm guessing it to be from 1964, but, I am not positive yet. The set was purchased at Conn's Appliances here in Beaumont... still in business today.

The set hasn't seen normal usage in 30 years (other than being a table for many family photos). Last time it was fired up was about 10 years ago when we had a freak ice storm here in my area. Her big screen went out during the storm, so I fired up this old Maggie for her so she could at least watch the news till the big screen was fixed. Even back then, I was amazed at the picture it put out. Was still connected to an outside antenna. Still today, it plays pretty good. It loses about an inch of the picture at the bottom as it warms up.

Other than some dust, the inside is pretty clean. It seems to have most of the original tubes in it, if not all of them. Looks like it's never had any work to the chassis.

As far as dating goes, I have found several 1964 date codes. At first, I thought the 24AHP4 crt was original... but now I am not sure. The Magnavox branded crt has a date code of 65-09. Also, I found a warranty card dated 1-20-65 for a crt replacement. So, I'm not quite sure what's up with that... seems it the tube was replaced, the tube's date code would be earlier than the warranty card's date. I will talk with my neighbor to see if she remembers what happened back then. Maggie has always been one of Conn's major sellers here. I am not sure if they would have replaced the crt with a Maggie tube or not. So, as far as the tube date, warranty card, and other date codes... it somewhat of a puzzle.

This set has the little electronic eye in the lower left hand side for automatically adjusting the brightness up and down depending on light in the room. Still works great. Pretty hi-tech for the mid 60's I think!

The stereo and amp is all solid-state... and sounds like it needs some work. The AM is dead and FM is a bit garbled sounding. The amp puts out some pretty clean bass, but output is a little weak on the right channel. The needle is missing from the record changer.

Comedically, this baby is like new. It obviously wasn't at the mercy of little kids fingers thru out the years.

Now... I've got a question for everyone... has anyone ever had trouble looking up Magnavox tv model numbers in Sams??? This is my 3rd Maggie to look up, and seems it always takes an act of congress to find the listing in Sams. The TV model is 10T358R. This number was on the tube warranty card, and, also on a card on the inside of the cabinet right next to the tv chassis. I find no such number in sams. I found another number stamped on the chassis... but that turned up nothing as well. If anyone could help with this number, let me know.

Charlie · #2 05-11-2005, 01:19 PM

With the doors open...

Charlie · #3 05-11-2005, 01:21 PM

Obtained this picture with only a jumper wire used as an antenna. Didn't have to adjust anything other than the fine tuner. Was pretty much plug-and-play.

Charlie · #4 05-11-2005, 01:24 PM

Picture tube warranty card... dated january 20, 1965.

Charlie · #5 05-11-2005, 01:39 PM

Here's a shot of the inside. It seems that other than the possible crt replacement, this chassis has been untouched.

Carmine · #6 05-11-2005, 02:04 PM

I wish I could think of something better to say than: "WOW, that's beautiful."

veg-o-matic · #7 05-11-2005, 02:18 PM

How about "SUMBITCH, that's beautiful!"

Yow. How much does that sucker weigh? Anyone know what style of cabinet that would be considered? I don't think I've ever seen anything close.

Charles, is that little thingie at the bottom of the left speaker the room light sensor or a pilot light? I remember a set one of my aunts had that had a little red pilot light at the bottom with a gold ring around it. She jokingly told me it was a button and I spent a lot of time trying to push it to see what it did!

Which was fine, as long as I was quiet about it. Life came to a sudden stop when Aunt Patsy was watching her "stories"; no visitors, no phonecalls, no deliveries, nothing. As soon as they were over, everything started back up again.

Man, I think I need to go away for a while! You come back from sea and there's a Magnavox combo practically on your doorstep. Polaraman comes back from the ETF convention and there's a Motorola combo literally on his doorstep! Who's next?

veg

Charlie · #8 05-11-2005, 02:39 PM

The little circle you see on the left is the sensor for controlling the brightness. I've been digging thru some Sams trying to find the correct one, and found several maggies using this. They call it a "light dependent resistor" in the parts list.

There is a red pilot light on the right hand side, but not noticable in the photo.

I did find another number on a tiny little sticker saying U36023-33. I found a Sams for U36-02-00 in 591-2 (dated 1962) and it's damn near the same as this chassis. Some of the tubes are different, and it only gives a listing for 19 and 23 inch tubes... mine has a 24 inch. Checked some of the part numbers... such as the power transformer... it was a match. It seems that my chassis is a variation of the one in Sams. Still gonna dig around some more and see if I can find a better match.

As far as the cabinet style, there have been a couple of Maggie color combos on AK that have a similar cabinet. This one is all hardwood and veneers... no fake stuff. And yes, this thing is heavy!

Charlie · #9 05-11-2005, 04:29 PM

Well, I've given up trying to find the correct Sams. I've gone thru them all from 1961 thru 1966. The closest tV schematic I could find was from 1962. The stereo/amp schematic is the same as one used in a color-combo Sams from 1965. It kinda makes me wonder if this model was pieced together with surplus parts.

I checked all of the tubes and found only two had been replaced... the video amp and hv rectifier. All of the rest are Magnavox branded with mid-1964 date codes on them.

I asked my neighbor about the set, and she couldn't really say when it was bought... only that it was "way back then". She also told me it was only serviced once and was minor- probably when those two non-Maggie tubes were put in. I asked about the pix tube, and she said that had never been replaced.

When it was bought, she said it was more for the radio than the tv. They didn't watch much television back then. She said she mainly played the radio in the morning, and an occassional record in the evening. Usually they would go out dancing or out to eat for entertainment. During the day, she was doing housework and yardwork while Mr. Broussard was at the job. The television was seldom turned on. It seems quite apparent by the looks of the chassis.

Chad Hauris · #10 05-11-2005, 05:22 PM

We have a similar set at the shop that we got from a lady wanting to get rid of old TV's which is a 27" version in a slightly different cabinet...it has remote too. The chassis appears identical with our 27" set.

We have a client who is still using the phono on her 27" B/W Magnavox and used the TV regularly through 1984 (it is still in good working order)

Charlie · #11 05-11-2005, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad Hauris

The chassis appears identical with our 27" set.

Chad, I was just looking at the pictures of your Maggie... and you're right... it does appear to be identical. If you happen to determine which Sams fits that chassis, let me know. BTW... if you ever get the back off it again, look at the little sticker on the HV cage lid and let me know that number. It may help me. Thanks.

Randy Bassham · #12 05-11-2005, 06:01 PM

U36 is the Chassis number, Magnavox tended to use a chassis for several years, and yes they are hard to find in Sams. I should have all the info on your set, I've got most of the Magnavox Factory service manuals and some of them I've got duplicate's. Gotta go right now but I'll see if I can find more info on your set and post it later.....

Charlie · #13 05-11-2005, 06:15 PM

Thanks for that tip, Randy. I have the Sams for U36... it's 591-2... dated 1962. I have noticed a few differences in the sams compared to the set... but they are only very minor it seems... a few tubes are different. So, that goes along with what you said about them using the same chassis for years. Thanks for your help.

Chad Hauris · #14 05-12-2005, 06:05 AM

These magnavoxes use a big kind of unusual audio output tube (6GT5 or something like that). Am not sure if the tube is even active in the combination sets with the astro-sonic stereos.

Steve D. · #15 05-13-2005, 12:31 AM

I remember my folks bought a new 24" Magnavox in 1962. I went with them to the May Co. and tried like hell to get them to buy a color set. No dice. Our Maggie had that light sensor and I used to put my hand over it just to watch the picture brighten. Later that year I bought a used RCA CTC-5 color set and the new Maggie was bedroom bound. I still can't believe my folks let me replace, in the living room, that beautiful new Maggie dual speaker console, with a huge 5 year old 21" set. Color or not!

-Steve D.