Just scored an early 60's Space Command 400!

[DaveWM]

prob has the 6J10 tube, often weak, also check for a cathode bypass cap and or increase cathode resistor on that tube.

[mkoser]

Originally Posted by DaveWM

prob has the 6J10 tube, often weak, also check for a cathode bypass cap and or increase cathode resistor on that tube.

It was my 6BN6. Wouldn't you know I had a brand new one on the shelf?

Crystal clear loud audio.

Thanks!!!

[mkoser]

Now I need to figure out how to convince my wife to dump the 32" Sony LCD in the living room, and put this set up there.... Anyone have any input on that???

[drh4683]

The space command motor shaft is supposed to be set far back (unmeshed) from the drive gear when not in operation. When the motor is actuated, the shaft is pulled forward like a solenoid and it meshes to the driven gear to start changing channels. Make sure that the motor shaft floats up and down freely. Those often can be stickey and will not turn, or not float leading to a non-functioning drive motor. Does the motor run when you press the channel indicator buttons on the front of the set? If not, definitly have a seized motor due to dried out/sticky grease which 9 times out of 10 they are stuck when they sit idle for 20+ years. A little bit of 3 in one oil on the front and rear motor bushing while pressing the shaft back and fourth a few times will free it up. The shaft is springloaded so it should return to its natural (disengaged) position without binding.

When you get the drive motor going, you may find that the motor may want to run non-stop cycling through the channels when you push the channel button. There is a leaf switch on the back end of the tuner, usually under a little fiberboard cover. The starwheel with the channel tabs (which are used as skip/no skip tabs that shut the motor off) pass by the leaf rocker and are supposed to push the motor switch off when a channel tab is set to a stop position (those metal tabs are turned 1/4 turn with a screw driver and click into position). That leaf rocker gets sticky from dried grease resulting in the non-stop free wheeling of the tuner drive. When the rocker leaf doesnt move freely, a channel tab thats set to the stop position will not be able to pivot the leaf over in which to break the contacts that shut the motor off. These are very typical issues that you'll discover with old space command sets that have sat forever. A little oil on that leaf while rocking it back and fourth will help too and get your space command drive system up to par.

The channel indicator bulb is special on these sets. Since you had the tuner out, you probably saw that the lamp shines through a channel number wheel on the tuner. The focused light through that wheel is projected forward and is displayed on a special matte finish lens on the control panel. It looks like an ordinary #47 bulb but its not. You need a #239 miniature lamp which has a special filament and envelope to focus the beam. Use of any other bulb will make focusing the channel number on the display impossible.

[mkoser]

Originally Posted by drh4683

The space command motor shaft is supposed to be set far back (unmeshed) from the drive gear when not in operation. When the motor is actuated, the shaft is pulled forward like a solenoid and it meshes to the driven gear. Make sure that the motor shaft floats up and down freely. Those often can be stickey and will not turn, or not float leading to a non-functioning drive motor. Does the motor run when you press the channel indicator buttons on the front of the set? If not, definitly have a seized motor due to dried out/sticky grease which 9 times out of 10 they are stuck when they sit idle for 20+ years. A little bit of 3 in one oil on the front and rear motor bushing while pressing the shaft back and fourth a few times will free it up. The shaft is springloaded so it should return to its natural (disengaged) position without binding.

The channel indicator bulb is special on these sets. Since you had the tuner out, you probably saw that the lamp shines through a channel number wheel on the tuner. The focused light through that wheel is projected forward and is displayed on a special matte finish lens on the control panel. It looks like an ordinary #47 bulb but its not. You need a #239 miniature lamp which has a special filament and envelope to focus the beam. Use of any other bulb will make focusing the channel number on the display impossible.

Yes, the motor must be seized. It won't budge.

Thank you so much for the tips, I'll get that sucker working. I will order a bulb next week!

MK

[ctc17]

Great job. Interesting how the transmitter was affecting thwe color.

[jstout66]

Nice set!
If I read the reciept right, that shop charged the previous owner quite a bit for that set in 1979. 275.00 was quite a bit for a (at the time) 14 year old roundie,especially if the remote wasn't working. I worked at my Uncles Zenith shop in 79 and you couldn't give a roundie away. We sold a few used, but they were the $75.00 "as is" specials. I think the most we ever got out of a used set was 250.00. Also interesting he had a new picture tube put in a year later. The parts shops in our area quit offering 21FJP22's around 1980-1981.
Economics wise, still not a bad purchase for him. At our shop, 79 was the last Chromacolor 2 sets as the System 3's started rolling off the line. The final Chromacolor 2's ran 599.00 (100.00 extra for remote) and the System 3's were 799.00, and still 100.00 extra for remote. Sounds like alot, but I think we only made around 50.00 per new set sold. The money was in repairs, and what we could get out of the trade-ins.
Love your set! I wouldn't worry too much about a total recap. Sets of that era aren't like the earlier B&W models. What brand of picture-tube was installed in your set?

[mkoser]

Yeah, I was thinking that was a high for that set. Using an online inflation calculator, $275.00 back in 1979 would have the same buying power at $890.00 in today's dollars.

He paid for the set with a $20 dollar deposit, and the rest with a bank check... The carbon copy is in the bag the receipt.

Question: the little tab that hold the remote when it is not in use... is that supposed to be on the front of the set somewhere? On my set, it is mounted on the back near the top... So when the remote is on the tab, you see the back of the remote while looking at the front of the set.

The picture tube is a Sylvania New Gun Picture Tube.

It will need new caps in the tuner section, or somewhere before the audio. There is a distinct 60 hertz hum that changes in volume with the volume control.

Had it run for 3 hours last night. Watched two movies (I haven't sat down and watched a movie in over a year....)

Thanks,

MK

[drh4683]

The remote clip is in the correct position as you described. I too have always found that to be odd, but thats the way they did it, yet some of the earlier space command sets (b&w sets) have a clip mounted up front so you could see the remote.

Try adjusting the "buzz" control which is on the back of the chassis. Turn it for loudest, clearest audio.

If the buzz is still there, you could have a bad IF or mixer/osc tube. Also try a different input source as the old sets with tube type IF are sensitive to the newer equipment which results in the audio buzz due to slightly different IF characteristics. Want to rule out all of the simple stuff first. It's best to test all tubes in the set regardless of its working condition. When working on TV's, its important to have a tester that can test for grid leakage (also known as grid emission) as TV's are sensitive to even the slightest tube related issues.

[jstout66]

LOVED thise Sylvania "new gun" tubes. They put out a FANTASTIC picture. I think Sylvania were one of the last manufactures to offer rebuilt roundies. Well.. any decent ones. Channel Master was doing some, but their tubes were horrid.
One of the last roundies I sunk money in "back in the day" was a beat-up CTC-16 (RCA) I had a Sylvaina "new gun" installed AND a new flyback put in. The cabinet was a tad beat up, but man that set cranked out a good pix.

I've got a Zenith roundie now I'd like to get back in service. It had a new picture tube and flyback installed in the early 80's, but the audio sucks on mine. It's got low output, and since I suck at soldering, I haven't delved into a cap issue.
Doug is correct.... the best thing to do, is check every tube and make sure all is well there. You'd be surprised at how much that will clear up issues. Sometimes it IS the simple stuff that gets overlooked, and not every set of that era needs a total tear down/cap replacement.

[Charlie]

Nice set! An added bonus (even though it probably doesn't do you a lot of good to have them) is you actually have some UHF tuner strips that came with it.

Do you have any local low-power UHF channels in your area? If you had a programable UHF modulator, you could set it to operate on the channel of the strips you have (looks like a channel 47 from your photo).

Also, if you still use satellite TV for analog sets (as I do), some sat receivers give you a choice of setting your box to operate on any given UHF channel. My Dish box from 4 years ago has two tuners in it. One tuner can be set to channel 3 or 4, and the other tuner lets you punch in a UHF channel (your choice) to be picked up by your TV. A neat feature IMO.

I notice on that sales ticket... the wrote down the chassis model as the serial number.

[mkoser]

I'll have to check out that Buzz control later on. Thanks for the tip.
Right now, I've got the DTV converter hooked to my wife's grandmother's old "Hi-Fi" and am using that for Audio.

Eventually I'll move that VCR and DVD player off of the top of the set, just set it up there right now.

My wife is giving me a hard time about sitting down in the dark, dusty basement watching Sunday Football... Oh well.

Thanks for the help,

MK

[magnasonic66]

You've got the perfectly furnished room, why go back upstairs? Great tv, glad you got it!

[DaveWM]

you could not blast me out of there, nice setup.

[mkoser]

Took the remote control motor apart and freed it up... Had a helper test it out for me, over and over and over and over and over....