For those who have "done this" for awhile... - Videokarma.org TV - Video

rca2000 · #1 08-02-2014, 07:44 PM

Anyone who has been in this hobby for awhile, we have seen a lot of "good and bad". I got serious about this hobby in the early 1980's and actually began in it in around 77 or so.

Back in those days--and for that matter now--people who did not really know better...often would tell me.."don't bother with those old tv sets. The picture tubes are always bad by now".

At FIRST..I believed this, as a young lad. It made sense. After all, who would expect a picture tube over 10-15 years old to be any good. IN the late 1970's as a kid...I believed this.

THEN...I began to acquire old tv sets. I was SURPRISED to see how many sets STILL had good tubes This was about 1980 or so. Needless to say...this encouraged me to look for more tv sets. As time went on--this pattern did NOT change--and STILL has not. Sure some sets ALWAYS have bad tubes, they were no good from the start. And some tubes simply get "watched to death"..

But I AM REALLY surprised at how many CRT'S --especially TODAY--now that the NEWEST of the stuff we collect is apprachai8ng 35 or so years old, and the "jewels" are OVER 50 year sold--and they often STILL have good tubes !! 35 or so years after I decided to get serious about tv collecting--this pattern of about 65-70% of useable CRTS--has NOT really changed !!

I just looked a 1949-50 philco set, and put the 70 on the tube. I expected t be at least useable. I ALSO expected it to be asleep. this set had the ORIGINAL philco tube, probably a 12LP4 or so, from what I can tell.

Well...it was asleep..but EASILY "woke up" after only a couple of MINUTES--on 8V. ...it was well into the good range. And, after dropping it to 7 volts, then 6.5 volts and finally 6.3,,,it STILL showed --and HELD--fair emission !! Not perfect--but WELL useable, with NO rejuv needed. The outer dag coating is coming loose in some laces--but most of it is still there.

Am in the ONLY one--who has seen this pattern?

Jon A. · #2 08-02-2014, 07:52 PM

As a millennial, no, but I must say the overall longevity of CRTs is pretty darn good for items that had what, a 2-year warranty originally?

rca2000 · #3 08-02-2014, 08:08 PM

Not only THAT...but I have a number of old magazines, where technical people are talking about the life expectancy of CRTS--especially color tubes.

In one article from a magazine called "practical electronics", about color tv..the author talks a bit about the color CRT--and goes on to give it's lifespan .."about 3 YEARS" !!

Another article, maybe from "electronic technician/dealer" from the 1970's or so...talked about the lifespan of the whole tv set--6 YEARS. !!

And here we are--35, 45, 50, even 60+ years later--finding these sets with GOOD CRT's !!

WHY did these guys give such a POOR outlook on CRT's--and for that matter tv sets--back then?

Jon A. · #4 08-02-2014, 08:14 PM

Holy moley, imagine the e-waste problem we'd have if that had proven true.

rca2000 · #5 08-02-2014, 08:26 PM

Right..

I would venture to say...probably 70% or MORE tv sets that hit the packer trucks--THEN and NOW--STILL have good pix tubes in them. Tubes that cold have gone on for YEARS...

That will NOT be the case with flat-panel sets, in 10-15 years. A GREAT majority of them WILL have bad--or even DEAD panels !! Some of this is due to the "ROHS friendly" solder in them !!

Jon A. · #6 08-02-2014, 08:30 PM

Yeah, that crappy stuff. Thanks to the eco-freaks I've got to shell out big bucks for the good stuff. Not taking any chances.

DavGoodlin · #7 08-02-2014, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon A.

As a millennial, no, but I must say the overall longevity of CRTs is pretty darn good for items that had what, a 2-year warranty originally?

Some of those sets actually needed a CRT replaced in warranty. The first rectangular color CRT 23EGP22, used in many Motorola, GE and Admirals was a good example.
On the flip side, I rarely saw an RCA or Zenith color TV with a prematurely bad 25AP22 or 25XP22 CRT.

RCA2000- like you, I collected since 1977 and I was active in repair during the first half of the 80s and made college money selling chromacolors, XL100 and even much earlier Zenith sets with strong or easily rejuvenated CRTs that were traded in or on the curb. I rarely had to make good on my 1 year TV replacement guarantee if the tube went soft.

Olorin67 · #8 08-02-2014, 09:02 PM

There are still old sets out there that have low hours on them. I recently bought a 1962 rca, and a 1968 Wollensak (setchell carlson) and both sets have ALL original tubes, and very Bright! Picture tubes. Both probably need a few caps replaced, but all the tubes are just fine. That does vary bit with the era of the sets.. Since these were later models , they probably didnt see a lot of use before being put aside in favor of color sets. 5Os sets tend to have more use.. But even then there are some early small screen sets that may not have seen a lot of use, since they were probably demoted from the living room after a few years in favor of a larger screen set, and stuck in a bedroom or attic.

rca2000 · #9 08-02-2014, 09:12 PM

Since the 23EGP22 was such a bad tube--showing up bad by the EARLY 1970's, according to "service clinic" articles in radio-electronics..was there EVER any sort of "recall" or "class action suit" over them--as DID happen on the 1990's Zenith tubes, IIRC?

No DOUBT..that shit tube is why a 64-66 Moto color set is so RARE --and expensive--today.

Jon A. · #10 08-03-2014, 02:37 AM

That makes me wonder if working 26" Sony consoles will ever go up in value. I didn't know that the 23EGP22 is the first rectangular color CRT, but I've known for a while now that they're crap. Still in the beta test phase at the time I guess. Funny, all those successful cataract removal surgeries with a heat gun and it was one of those that blew up. Still, I wouldn't dare use a heat gun on any CRT to remove a cataract.

As for the e-waste problem I mentioned, I guess that's yet to happen. Actually, seems it's already happening.

zenith2134 · #11 08-03-2014, 09:20 AM

Oh, don't be fooled..e-waste is a huge issue, since it encompasses computer hardware (which is junk within a few years of being new most of the time) and appliances, along with all the other stuff we take for granted in our throwaway society.
By the time I got into TV collecting/repairs, there was little to no money to be made in the field. It was strictly a hobby. It still is. In fact, like many of you guys, the hobby COSTS me a fair amount of money, as all hobbies end up doing.

But it's a labor of love, since a lot of these electronics would just be overlooked and discarded if I didn't step in to save them. And I'm not talking about the later, eighties stuff..I've seen such blatant ignorance of people when it comes to high-quality audio gear, such as turntables, tube amplifiers, receivers, high-end speakers etc.
Stuff that can be sold for good money still..but if it takes up too much room or "looks too old" it gets canned. That's where we step in.
As for longevity of CRT monitors and TVs..yes, I've been pretty impressed at how they can hold up. Sure most of em are going to need a greyscale adjustment or purity and convergence and focus set but they can still make incredibly bright rasters with accurately balanced colors if you take the time to set them right and keep the chassis alive.

dieseljeep · #12 08-03-2014, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rca2000

Since the 23EGP22 was such a bad tube--showing up bad by the EARLY 1970's, according to "service clinic" articles in radio-electronics..was there EVER any sort of "recall" or "class action suit" over them--as DID happen on the 1990's Zenith tubes, IIRC?

No DOUBT..that shit tube is why a 64-66 Moto color set is so RARE --and expensive--today.

I thought the only class-action suit was for the RCA with the on-board tuner issue. I don't remember hearing about the suit, regarding the Zenith CRT's.
If so, another nail for the coffin.

rca2000 · #13 08-03-2014, 05:25 PM

I KNOW there was a recall of sorts--and Zenith or LG or whoever by maybe 1994..was sending out NEW tubes to people to replace their 2-5 year old tubes that shorted and killed the set...they did this for several years.

So...SOMETHING had to cause them do do that for the customers.

dishdude · #14 08-03-2014, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rca2000

I KNOW there was a recall of sorts--and Zenith or LG or whoever by maybe 1994..was sending out NEW tubes to people to replace their 2-5 year old tubes that shorted and killed the set...they did this for several years.

So...SOMETHING had to cause them do do that for the customers.

I think they knew they had a tube issue, and were just taking care of their customers. I know they replaced a lot of tubes and boards that were out of warranty for a couple years with no hassle.

rca2000 · #15 08-03-2014, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dishdude

I think they knew they had a tube issue, and were just taking care of their customers. I know they replaced a lot of tubes and boards that were out of warranty for a couple years with no hassle.

So...were those new tubes any better than the original ones? or just "more of the same"?