RCA Victor 630 TS

[Bill Cahill]

I picked this tv up in a trade yesterday. It was rebuilt by an old collector not long ago. It plays. However, I'm concerned.
First, they lost the hv cage, and, jury rigged a bracket to hold flyback.
Door is there.

Next, though it is an RCA made 630 chassis, there are NO labels, makes, or, chassis nos anywhere on it.
Is it possible, or, could it be from a different brand set made by RCA?
It fits cabinet perfectly, it has channel 1, and, knobs are RCA.

Does this de value the set?
I traded my 7" Meck for it.....
Bill Cahill
The guy that had it is honest.He didn't rebuild set. He got it this way....

[BelowZero]

I'm not familiar with all of the RCA 630TS clone chassis but I'm working on a Fada 940 which has a
similar chassis. One way you could check to see if it's a Fada clone is to look for Fada part numbers as a lot of the parts in my set has Fada numbers stamped on them.

The flyback is 42.103
The large round bleeder resistor in the box under the antenna terminal (R 185 in riders schematic) is marked 117.20 on the Fada.
The original can electrolytics on the Fada were made by Mallory and have Fada numbers on them;
22.22
22.23
22.24
22.25
22.26
22.27

[Bill Cahill]

Can't find any part nos...
Some original RCA Victor tubes in it, though.
That bracket looks proffessionally made. Not home made.
But, it's only on one side of chassis. No paint.
It's old...
Bill Cahill

[rld-tv01]

What model Meck was it?

http://www.earlytelevision.org/meck_xa701.html
or
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/meck_xa_701.html

Richard

[Bill Cahill]

XA 700 Mahoganny case. Metal grills.
Bill Cahill

[Bill Cahill]

I talked to the original guy who bought the RCA. He bought it at an auction.
The set was obviously not made at factory.
All bakelite sockets.
Held on with rings.
At least the back mounting chassis brackets, maybe all are held on with screws.
Cage door is conventional 630. Cage isn't.
Everything else looks the same. NO part numbers anywhere..
Only one part has a name. Vert. Osc. trans. on front has RCA in large block letters.
Knobs, and, cabinet, and, back conventiional 630 TS.
Set plays.
Could this be one of those an employee took parts home, and, built the set?
Or, prototype?
All wiring is cloth.

Bill Cahill

[ChrisW6ATV]

Weren't there in fact several different "build it yourself" 630 kits available, with CRTs up to 16 inch or even bigger up through 1950 or so? I do not know if they typically had the same physical part locations and chassis dimensions of a real RCA; I know my DeWald BT-100 is different.

[tvdude1]

If the meck is nice and with back its worth at least 700.00

[Steve K]

Chris:

Yes there were a number of 630 kits available. Tech-Master was another one. If you look in the ads in the back of any electronic catalog or magazine from the late 40s you will see many of them

Steve

[Steve McVoy]

Bill asked me about the set and I expressed the opinion that it was probably not made by an RCA employee using parts he brought home from work, and that kits and surplus parts for 630s were for sale in the early 50s.

I said that I thought it had less value than a standard factory 630, but, as you all know, values of old TV sets are all over the place.

[Bill Cahill]

Thank you for the correction, Steve.
It still comes up could this be a prototype?
Perhaps after being finnished with the series, RCA gave chassis away to an employee, and, he came up with the cabinet, back, etc.???
It is definately early..
As soon as possible, I'll get pictures of set.
I was told by gent who rebuilt set that there is a bubble in the glass on front of picture tube. He said somewhere on the tube is a note reading "Only to be used by employees"....
I prommisse pictures of the points of most interest of this set...
Fits case perfectly....
Bill Cahill

[Bill Cahill]

Would someone please do me a favor, and, take some pictures out of my set, and, take them to the convention this weekend, and, see if anyone knows who made this "Kit"?
I can't go to them, with as much as I'd love to.
Thanks.
Bill Cahill

[Bill Cahill]

Any more pics of kits found?
I tried set. It plays, but, has issues.
Negative picture, very dirty tuner, and, weak sound.
Bill Cahill

[Geist]

Hi Bill;
I wish I had your set, it possibly being a Kit, makes it more awsome to me.. But, I am glad it is in good hands.. Congratulations !! I have a write-up in a book by the editors of Popular Science, for one of their people who built a Lafayette kit, from scratch.. It says in the article, there are layout papers to show just how to place parts and what value to use.. It goes on in an orderly manner.. I do feel fortunate that I have my 8T244, 1948 RCA TV.. I don't think there are many of the pre 1950 sets out here.. As here in the Denver area TV didn't come until 1952.. So, there would have been no TV's here before that time, unless they are transplants from either coast, where there was TV.. My set was from a TV repair shop, the Owner has saved it for His retirement.. Thinking He would fix it after He retired.. I got it a little before He retired, and He was so tired of fixing sets, That it didn't take much for me to obtain it from Him.. I have had the set for 3 to 4 years, time goes by, so not sure anymore.. And, yes the TV shop is gone, about 2 years ago, I found out a few months after the fact..
THANK YOU Marty

[Steve McVoy]

I guess it is possible that it is a prototype, but I think the kit explanation is much more likely. Some pictures might help figure out what it is.