My first free find on Craigslist, a 36" RCA console TV

[zenith2134]

Yep, you must be able to safely drain the HV in this hobby.

Here's how I do it...

You know those 2-in-1 screwdrivers, with philips and flat, and one type fits into the handle when not in use? I threw the (small) shaft aside and cut a flat-head 2-3 foot shaft from another. I got bare copper wire about 18awg, and wrapped the length of the screwdriver shaft with it. I then stuck in the enpty handle, and it fits very snuggly. It's been my hv drainer for about 2 years, try it.

And as Andy mentions--don't drain HV to chassis ground especially in a modern set since it will likely fry IC's and EEPROMs.

BTW I must be nutso, because I've shipped far bigger things to far more distance places than that 169!

[MRX37]

Originally Posted by RetroHacker

If you're going to repair television sets, you're going to have to learn how to discharge a picture tube. It's not hard, nor is it dangerous. And if you do get zapped, remember, it's low current. It'll hurt like hell, but it won't kill you.

I fix things on TV's that don't have to do with the CRT. That, and those caps with the high voltage, are things I do not touch.

In this day and age, if the tube is bad, it's generally not worth fixing anyway unless you have a spare CRT handy. I mean, are you gonna go through the trouble of replacing the CRT in a BPC Magnavox, or RCA, or Zenith TV, when you have 5 of them already that work fine, and you find another one or two of them every trash day?

I don't mind fixing problems with the board or power supply if I can, but CRT analog TV's are a dying breed sadly, and to me it's not worth messing with them if the CRT is shot.

[bgadow]

Never an issue discharging tubes with me. At first I was nervous but there are a lot scarier things to do with a tv set than properly draining the hv. (I still don't like measuring the hv, for instance)

Shipping just a chassis is pretty easy. I've been parting out a number of later model sets lately and have tried to save all the chassis. Somebody on here might need them sooner or later. The chassis that I had for the old 36 incher went to AK member JCFitz, who may still have it for all I know. I don't recall the CTC #

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by rcaman

ctc169 is the best rca ever made. a good bump with a quality crt restorer will bring that tube back up. they were also some of the best crt,s ever made by anyone period. this set wasent that bright when new. but they are a hell of a set. steve

The CTC185 chassis isn't bad either, once the well-known issues with the onboard tuner are corrected. I have one of these sets with a 19" CRT and it's worked great the last eight years (bought it new in 1999). Only had one repair done on it in all that time. I once read somewhere on the Internet that once the on board tuner issues are repaired, the TV will work for years, as this was the biggest major problem this chassis had; the way mine has been going so far (knock on wood), I believe it.

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

The CTC185 chassis isn't bad either, once the well-known issues with the onboard tuner are corrected. I have one of these sets with a 19" CRT and it's worked great the last eight years (bought it new in 1999). Only had one repair done on it in all that time. I once read somewhere on the Internet that once the on board tuner issues are repaired, the TV will work for years, as this was the biggest major problem this chassis had; the way mine has been going so far (knock on wood), I believe it.

I just soldered the RF connector back on a basic 19" mono CTC185. Even though the set is 11 years old, the picture is as good as anyone could hope for. RCA went back to a regular tuner on the later CTC203's. The early 203's had an on-board tuner just like the CTC175/76/77/85/87. Even though the tuners gave trouble in these sets; I still like them better than RCA's later offerings.

[MRX37]

Whatever CTC my 19" Colortrak 2000 was, it was a damn good CTC as well.

Bought new in 1991, and it went from house to house and owner to owner until I finally sold it. It had S video, and a picture so sharp I could use it as a computer monitor at 1024x768!

I'd have kept it if it hadn't had that small nick in the screen...

[sampson159]

i have a ct187 in a 31" ge.it was given to me by an old friend. replaced the hot and damper diode,(VERY CHEAP REPAIR-BOTH PARTS =8.00) resoldered around the tuner and we use it upstairs as a watcher.very good crt and the convergance is perfect.really good set!

[zenith2134]

The CTC 117 and 121 were both great sets when I used them. Neither had any major issues for such old sets. The 117 needed the color coil adjusted.

My bedroom set is a ctc-97 built in 1980 and it looks amazingly good for a vintage inline gun.

[Rental Limo]

I was telling the telephone lineman about me getting shocked spicing telephone wire with my teeth. He said your lucky the line was not in ring mode. If the telephone rings the line produces more voltage. (replying about discharging picture tube voltage)

[RetroHacker]

Originally Posted by Rental Limo

He said your lucky the line was not in ring mode. If the telephone rings the line produces more voltage.

It certainally does. Not enough to hurt you, but enough to feel real good! When I was about 14 or so, I was rewiring the telephone jack in my room. We had two phone lines, and I was installing a switch to toggle that jack between them. While trying to twist the wires together using uninsulated metal pliers, the phone rang... Very weird feeling. Also something that I don't want to try again.

-Ian

[Rental Limo]

My brother was telling me the other day about him calling the boss, and refusing to shut the electricity off on a job. I guess the fuse box was right near a leak in the roof. I told him that touching the fuse box would of gave him instant Viagra!!