On the bench: 1953 Raytheon Vu-Matic 21" TV

[Kamakiri]

This one is an Anchor model SP43 Series & Parallel TV picture brightener. It's set up for a parallel setup.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Kamakiri

This one is an Anchor model SP43 Series & Parallel TV picture brightener. It's set up for a parallel setup.

Antronic made them as well. If it's an isolation brightener, it would say on the unit.
I would try the separate transformer trick, as suggested by others.

[Zenith26kc20]

It looks like the tuner with the high/low frequency slug tuned system. I have a TrueTone the mice loved (atop the tuner). Strange tuner if it does have it.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

Antronic made them as well. If it's an isolation brightener, it would say on the unit.
I would try the separate transformer trick, as suggested by others.

Vid-Aire made one with a plug that selected between series or parallel filament strings, I dont think it isolated.

I had a 1958 Motorola series-heater set with an intermittent H-K short in its 21CBP4. The short made it go washed-out negative with retrace lines.
After I isolated the CRT filament with a perma-power brightner, video just got a bit smeary when it shorted.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

Vid-Aire made one with a plug that selected between series or parallel filament strings, I dont think it isolated.

I had a 1958 Motorola series-heater set with an intermittent H-K short in its 21CBP4. The short made it go washed-out negative with retrace lines.
After I isolated the CRT filament with a perma-power brightner, video just got a bit smeary when it shorted.

Several companies made various types of brighteners. IIRC, Workman made a brightener for the early Sony Trinitrons. They also made one called the Super-brightener that boosted the heater voltage to 9 volts. It was used on the RCA 23EP4, that had a different pin-out. The picture looked good, for how long, was anyone's guess.