Found a 1969 Motorola Quasar Works in a Drawer

[Findm-Keepm]

Originally Posted by drh4683

So the big question: Does it work? Nope, it doesn't. It pops the breaker a few seconds after it's turned on. So probably one of two (related) things is going on: The infamous leaky ERO caps, or a shorted vertical output transistor. A shorted vertical output transistor is usually because of a leaky ERO cap. I've experienced this on a few other TS-915's that have been untouched. So either way, ERO caps ALWAYS cause trouble in these sets. It still has it's original Motorola built CRT (EIA 185) and tests strong at a cold start which is a great sign. I always replace the ERO caps with Cornell Dubilier type DME film capacitors and the sets typically work flawlessly after that. Had it not been for those horrid caps, these sets would have been as long lived and reliable at the Zenith's assuming one kept the instant on in the "off" position.

BTW, ERO caps are Roederstein caps - good caps when made, but like all film caps from that era, they do fail.

Motorola went to Europe for a lot of parts - resistors from Spain (Piher), caps from Germany and Holland, and some coils from France. But their transistors were from Feenix, or Pheenix?