1965 Motorola Black and white TV, curbside find

[MRX37]

I really should stop working on unfamiliar TV's at 1 AM. The horizontal knob I thought didn't work was another knob entirely. Going to give it another try...

[MRX37]

Okay. I readjusted the controls, this time paying attention to just what I was adjusting. vertical and horizontal controls work fine, but I can't get horizontal or vertical to lock in place.

Here's a video of it now:
http://youtu.be/2agduuDwDL4

The control on the back that's missing a knob is labeled 'VERTICAL LIN". Not sure what it does or if it's related to why the image won't stabilize. Perhaps there's a weak tube inside the set.

If it's something easy that I can fix, I might give it a go, but again I'm more interested in giving this set to somebody more familiar with tube TV's.

[zeno]

Not the lin control. Go for the sync separator tube 1st.

73 Zeno

[MRX37]

Swapped around the V7 and V8 tubes and that almost stabilized the image. Now wondering if I have a weak tube or a component that's drifted out of spec.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by MRX37

Swapped around the V7 and V8 tubes and that almost stabilized the image. Now wondering if I have a weak tube or a component that's drifted out of spec.

It's the V11, you're interested in. 6BL8. Next to the IF strip.
Don't use the horizontal osc tube, in case the tube is dead. The horiz output tube could get damaged by lack of drive.

[MRX37]

Swapped V8 with V11

Picture collapsed to a line and no sound. I think I found the culprit.

So I need a 6BL8 tube. They're pretty common on eBay, but no $ to spend on one right now.

Anybody in the Detroit area want to donate a tube?

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by MRX37

The control on the back that's missing a knob is labeled 'VERTICAL LIN". Not sure what it does or if it's related to why the image won't stabilize..

It's a little hard to tell in the picture, but it might be the kind of variable pot that you adjust using an insulated screwdriver. Or maybe the shaft was broken off. If that's the case, and if it's plastic, you might be able to melt into the shaft stub a phlips head screwdriver, to make a philips head you can then adjust with the screwdriver, once it's cooled.

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by zeno

Almost new camera barely works. No surprise.
50 yr old TV one easy step from working. No surprise.
Speaks volumes about todays quality.........

73 Zeno

Haha, exactly.

[MRX37]

Funny thing is I just swapped the tubes back and the picture stabilized. I'm still sure that 6BL8 is bad or at least very weak.

they're pretty cheap on eBay. I might buy one unless a VK'er near me happens to have one they;d like to donate.

[zeno]

Originally Posted by MRX37

Funny thing is I just swapped the tubes back and the picture stabilized. I'm still sure that 6BL8 is bad or at least very weak.

they're pretty cheap on eBay. I might buy one unless a VK'er near me happens to have one they;d like to donate.

Or dirty / loose socket or tube pins. Try this. Works real pissah sometimes.
Get a small pair of dikes ( as in wire cutters ! ). Grab the tube pins one
at a time & run the dikes down a few times on each pin. You are
just gently scraping the pins clean. Spray a little cleaner or even WD40
on the socket & put the tube in & out a few times.
There are ways to tighten a socket but with risk.
BTW you can usually tell a bad tube from a socket or pins by GENTLY
pushing on the tube & watching the pix.

I dont know about you but I am having fun working on this old
big M

73 Zeno

[MRX37]

I'm having fun myself. It's something, getting the chance to mess around with a 50 year old TV. Much less one that basically works.

Curbside find... half a century old... In good shape, and it didn't blow up when I plugged it in and turned it on, and it only has minor problems. I really want to know how lucky I am here.

The tube sockets feel nice and solid. They don't feel loose. I'll try cleaning the pins on the tubes and spray a bit of contact cleaner in the sockets.

[MRX37]

You nailed it Zeno! It's working! Horizontal and vertical lock in perfectly now! TV's playing beautifully!

Check it out:
http://youtu.be/n3hg0GpWqVs

[Sandy G]

Methinks You're a GOOD Man, Charlie Brown ! Something kinda GRAND & NOBLE about bringing a 50 yr old obsolete, valueless-Practically-veteran back to life... Would that I could do this...But I ain't got Bat Sense when it comes to fixin' this stuff.

[MRX37]

Well even if it's worthless, it's still a piece of history and I didn't want it to suffer the fate of being ripped apart by scrappers. Or end up converted into a damn fishtank.

It's entirely possible this TV displayed the moon landings in 1969.
It's possible that it displayed news of the Vietnam war.
The oil crisis of the 70's, the technology boom of the 1980's, the rise of PC's in the 90's. Who knows how long this TV was in operation.

And for it to end its journey at the hands of some scrapper looking to score $2 worth of copper? No. Not if I can help it.

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by MRX37

Well even if it's worthless, it's still a piece of history and I didn't want it to suffer the fate of being ripped apart by scrappers. Or end up converted into a damn fishtank.

It's entirely possible this TV displayed the moon landings in 1969.
It's possible that it displayed news of the Vietnam war.
The oil crisis of the 70's, the technology boom of the 1980's, the rise of PC's in the 90's. Who knows how long this TV was in operation.

And for it to end its journey at the hands of some scrapper looking to score $2 worth of copper? No. Not if I can help it.

Perzacly ! We toss the touchstones of our lives too easily in this society...2, 300 yrs from now, I'm thinkin', HOPIN' things like this will be worshipped kinda like Michaelangelos & that sort of stuff is..