Magnavox homeless shelter found in trash.

[Carmine]

Originally Posted by zenithfan1

I take it that you wouldn't part with the stereo section huh? That's what I need to get my '65 Maggie singing again.

I'd give it some thought, since most of that stereo can be repaired on a component level.

[Zenith26kc20]

Just repaired one of those. The transistors are germanium. The unit is a riot (as mentioned) when they are cranked up. The caps (little black electrolytics) dry up from age. If it hisses too much it is usually the driver transistor on the underneath board near the output stage. The turntable is a Collaro from England. They are very reliable and usually only need the idlers rebuilt and lubrication. I have to try the 6GH8 in my Maggie when I get home tonight. There are still a good number of people here that won't give them up! Zenith made a unit as big as that and it was nearly immovable! That high voltage cage is a nightmare and loves to shock when the HV rectifier is replaced. Watch Horiz output current and dip it or the flyback will melt. Big problem in Maggies!

[DaveWM]

Zenith26,

did you replace the filter can cap on yours? That is the only e cap I did NOT replace (seems fine no hum or decoupling issues).

One odd thing I have noticed, the stereo light takes about 10 seconds to come on. I prob should have restuffed that can, but I just ran out off gas.

I did have the hissing issue, replaced two transistors on the driver board (the 1st two, did not do the last one in the series). Only one channel had the problem.

There is still a slight hiss (you can here it in the aux mode with no signal, starts at about 1/2 vol setting to become noticable) about the same on both channels.

I was thinking about replacing that driver board final transistor, but then thinking BP transistors may just be noisey in general.

I found some generic germainium transistors for .50 each at a local supplus store, checked them, got a bunch. I wonder if a 2n3906 silicon would work or would the bias be all wrong?

[kx250rider]

That, I think, is the very first Magnavox rectangular color set.

Charles

[Carmine]

Originally Posted by kx250rider

That, I think, is the very first Magnavox rectangular color set.

Charles

Then I think you should ship it to California, for historical purposes.

One thing I notice is that the replacement CRT doesn't fit well against the mask. I'd say there is a good 3/16" gap all the way around. There also appears to be a wooden block under the CRT... It appears factory, but I've never seen a CRT supported by a block of wood before!

[freakaftr8]

Wierd, im going to have to take a look at mine and see if that's what I have too. I have this exact set, but let me make a correction from what I said before. The chassis I have has the flyback on the oppisite side and does not have the older style round fly cage. My cage is rectangular and the whole thing removes via screws at the base. I had an Airline roundie combo that had the identical chassis in your unit Carmine. That had a 1964 date.
My set has a 7/1966 date. Either someone replaced the chassis with an older? (but then convergence would not work as the circuit was not designed for the deflection and corners). That chassis seriously looks like a roundie chassis. But I could always be wrong. Is there any indication that the chassis was replaced and modified? I couldn't see Magnavox making the cabinet and stereo 3 years in a row.
If this set were one of the first at the rectangular CRT then it most likely would have the 23EGP22 CRT. I had one of these too with a u616 chassis. THe chassis still had the flyback on the right and the date for that puppy was 2/1966.
Im just boggled on that cabinet. I will snap a pic of my chassis and console.

[freakaftr8]

I just re read this thread. Your set has a 4/1965 date. That would explain the older style chassis. If so, im almose positive that it had to have a 23EGP22 in it at some time in it's life.Is there any indication that the bezel has been changed? This could explain the wooden boards placed in there. And yes the record player is made overseas too.

[zenithfan1]

What chassis is in that? Mine's a '65 in a french provincial cabinet that protrudes in the middle where the screen is with 4 legs on the front. I wish they had put more legs in the back, it's sagging down and now I have to fix it or that chassis' hittin' the floor. Damn heavy bastard it is...........

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by Carmine

The CRT is a 25ap (according to a sticker I noticed on the back). The one currently in the set is a Sylvania replacement, but I didn't actually check the number.

I worked the speaker control back forth, without any change. Oddly, the radio is a lot louder on AM, so I figure it's actually a receiver problem, not something lucky like a switch.

As for what I plan to do with it... most likely strip it out as parts for my functional (and non-needle infested) Astro-Sonic™. However, the TV won't be of much use to me, so I'd probably give away those parts.

I'd trade it whole for something that interested me...

Did you clean the speaker selector with Deoxit or such? A TV that's been sitting in the trash, someone's basement or garage, etc. for who knows how long (and with a questionable or downright doubtful maintenance history when it was working and in use, as many people will simply ignore dirty controls as long as the set works) is bound to have dirty switches, pots and so on. A shot of Deoxit in that switch and every other control you can find will work wonders, and may even cure the audio volume problem. I just cleaned the pots (and the band switch) in my Zenith C845 radio last night; the difference was like night and day, as before the cleaning the controls were noisy as the dickens and the band switch was intermittent on FM and FM-AFC. Now, the radio sounds great. Amazing what a simple thing such as cleaning controls can do for an old piece of gear.

Those Maggie Astro-Sonic stereo consoles, with and without the TV, were very good units, but were very large, as is the one you have. Seems as if the space underneath the control panel on yours also served as a catch-all area, as I saw hardware, a couple of penlight batteries, et al. in the spaces around that panel.

[Carmine]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

Seems as if the space underneath the control panel on yours also served as a catch-all area, as I saw hardware, a couple of penlight batteries, et al. in the spaces around that panel.

You missed the old diabetic testing strips and insulin needles.

No, I haven't tried de-oxit, and likely never will. Honestly if not for the impending trash truck, I might have left it. This thing is full of bad odors, ants, spiders, biohazards and moist wood.

With a lot of love and a pressure washer, it could be an actual TV/radio again. That's why I posted it here. For now it's semi-safe in the garage of a rental house I own, but at some point I'm going to send it to TV heaven if no one wants it.

I might bury someone in the gutted cabinet, I could see it making a nice casket too.

[Trance88]

Originally Posted by Carmine

It is long enough to sleep in...

Found this Magnavox stereo theater headed for the trash. The radio works (poorly), none of the usual Astro-Sonic™ power. Instead it sounds like a 9 volt transistor radio.

Funny to see some blood sugar test strips and used diabetes stuff lying on the tuner dial. Watch out for blood borne pathogens! I hope you can get it working better!

[Zenith26kc20]

I didn't replace the can electrolytic on the one here. It ESR'd OK. Germanium transistors are inherently noisier than silicon. If both channels are hissing the same I would say "close enough" I will say the transistor should be replaced with the same or equivalent to make sure current capability is adequate. Some RF and IF transistors are not able to last as driver and AF amp. I had to touch up the multiplex chassis alignment just slightly. Be careful and don't force a stuck slug to turn. If a reasonable amount of force doesn't free it up leave it. The coils break easily.

[ha1156w]

I can concur with the earlier opinion about the transistors. I have repaired about a half dozen of these in the past two years for a local antique shop, and all of them had dead/weak transistors in either the preamp or the FM tuner. The best check is to plug something into the AUX inputs (on the chassis itself behind the tuner dial) and see if the amplifier sections work first. Get the power and pre-amps verified, then move on to the FM tuner. I've seen three with bad mixer/rf amp transistors. All the transistors in the FM have the same germanium cross, so you can mix and match a new one till you find the one(s) that are bad.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by Carmine

You missed the old diabetic testing strips and insulin needles.

No, I haven't tried de-oxit, and likely never will. Honestly if not for the impending trash truck, I might have left it. This thing is full of bad odors, ants, spiders, biohazards and moist wood.

With a lot of love and a pressure washer, it could be an actual TV/radio again. That's why I posted it here. For now it's semi-safe in the garage of a rental house I own, but at some point I'm going to send it to TV heaven if no one wants it.

I might bury someone in the gutted cabinet, I could see it making a nice casket too.

I did see the test strips and so on on the panel, which is why I said "et al." (Latin, I believe, for "and others") in my reply.

The whole thing looks like a royal mess, as if (as I mentioned in my post) whomever previously owned this TV was using the spaces around the control panel as a catch-all and was not interested in the least in cleaning it up. I don't blame you for not wanting to do any more with it; I wouldn't either, especially with all the potential health hazards from those used test strips, needles, etc. (someone mentioned in another post the very real possibility and even the likelihood of blood-borne germs and such more than likely being on them, with which I wholeheartedly agree).

I don't doubt that the electronics could be restored, but the cabinet looks (and sounds from your description) like a disaster waiting to happen, so I'd just leave the set where it is until or unless someone shows an interest in the tuner or TV chassis, turntable, etc., and then part out the set.

I'm not sure what can or should be done, however, with the cabinet if it is so laden with odors, spiders, water-saturated wood and so on. Since it has contained (and apparently still contains) used diabetic test supplies, I would consider it a health hazard without thinking twice. The only safe place I can see for that cabinet (after gutting it) is a hazardous-materials dumping site.