New Muntz TV

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by Chad Hauris

I'm surprised the Muntz used a power transformer (at least it appears like it does)...they could have used the metal chassis along with a separate circuit ground and coupled it with a .047 cap, like in a ac/dc radio....maybe the series string tubes were more expensive than the transformer?

Do not assume that the presense of a power transformer means an isolated chassis. Some radios and TVs used a power transformer to supply the heaters but still rectified the powerline directly. Some radios had a high voltage secondary used in concert with the powerline to feed a full wave tube rectifier. Some TVs used a voltage doubler off the powerline, some such that the chassis was hot no matter which way it was plugged in. (Line rectified to get positive 130VDC and also rectified the other way to get -130VDC (which is then designated chassis ground). Add them together and you have 260VDC to run the set on.).

Some TV design engineers I knew knew of Mad Man Muntz. "Crazy, like a fox". Back in the 50's TV was still pretty expensive compared to salaries then. So any cost cutting that could be done and still have a usable set (in high signal strength areas) would open markets to people who couldn't or didn't want to spend a lot of money on an "idiot box"....