My new $1 Farnsworth

[zenith porthole]

I found this set for $1 at a radio auction on the weekend. I really didn't need another console, let alone another project, but this set would have ended up in a dumpster had I not brought it home. The brass and faux leather cabinet was unlike anything I had seen before, and seemed quite ahead of its time for 1948. I couldn't see it get destroyed.

Unfortunately the seller of this set saw fit to gut it of its picture tube, turntable, and tuner faceplate on Friday, before leaving it in the auction pile. (I arrived at the show on Saturday morning) I am left with the tv chassis, radio chassis, the knobs, and the cabinet. The television chassis is made by Jackson Industries of Chicago, and looks to have held a 10" crt, the number of which is not listed on the tube layout diagram.

I am really unfamiliar with Farnsworth products, am wondering if it will be possible/worth while to find the parts necessary to bring it back to working order. Any information, diagrams, or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Michael

[Tony V]

Hi Michael,
Parts for the radio show up from time to time on Ebay as some either keep the cabinet and repurpose it or discard the cabinet because of space. The guts and trim then usually ends up on there if your lucky. The good thing is that you have the two hardest to find pieces...the tv and radio chassis. The tv tube is a 10BP4A. There are two different changers that these had in them. One was a rare one with a metal tonearm with a clear plastic head on it and the other was a generic single pusher style changer with a bakelite tonearm. Both were 78rpm only changers. Best way to do the search is go to collectables and then to radio/tv/phonograph/phone. Look in the tv treasures topic on here and you'll find an auction that just ended on Ebay where it had the same identical tv just in a table model that you can use as reference. Farnsworth radio/phono combos are pretty common on Ebay and you should find something that resembles your radio and phono portion to use as reference and you can search from there. I've only seen one of these with the radio/phono and tv in one unit. If you have the space i think it would be worth restoring.
-Tony

[zenith porthole]

Thanks Tony!

The tv chassis appears to have been recapped recently, and the flyback doesn't show signs of being cooked, which is promising. I haven't had a chance to open up the radio chassis yet. Once I hunt down the schematics for this set I plan to do a full cosmetic and electronic restoration. I have an early 50's 3 speed changer that I may install for conveinience, if it fits, until I find the original. Thank you very much for your input!

[kbmuri]

I was at the same radio show (Lansing), and gave this TV a very serious lookover. On Friday afternoon the CRT was still attached, although somewhat "dangling", but I'm certain it was a 10BP4. I guess somebody made an offer for just the CRT, not the whole unit. Then it got parted out completely from there.

The Jackson-Industries TV is quite unusual and worth restoring. I only had limited space in my car or I might have grabbed the chassis. The white leather cabinet was "interesting", but not to my liking (and WAY too big to lug home). Cleaned up and in the right setting, it could look nice though.

You should factor into your decision-making process that the TV is not a Farnsworth. Farnsworth made all his TVs from the Capehart-Farnsworth-ITT plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It may be possible that the Jackson company solicited Farnsworth for the radio unit. Just as likely this TV was a homebrew kit. It needs more research. I'm sure the rest of the forum might have some ideas...

[kbmuri]

The cabinet probably is a Farnsworth after all. I just looked at this site (for another post): http://www.tvhistory.tv/1948-Farnswo...hure-SideB.JPG. Your set appears to be the "Contemporary 502P". Perhaps the chassis was not made by Jackson Industries? I don't see how it could have been, and been a capehart/farnsworth product. Were you able to do any more research? Could you post more photos.

[Eric H]

I have a Capehart that is similar, do you know if your set uses two chassis for the TV with the sweep being on the lower shelf and the main chassis on the top?

The knob layout is similar but my cab has two great big holes for the escutchons. The chassis or tube mount has a tag on it that says Farnsworth.

I don't think I'll ever get this set back in shape, it's too thrashed and is missing parts like the record changer and antenna so if the parts would work in yours...

[kbmuri]

Eric -

How much of this set do you still have? PM me if you'd like to discuss some sort of a deal.

- Kirk

[zenith porthole]

Here is a picture of the tv chassis and one of the only lable on it, from Jackson industries. There are only two chassis left with this set, one for the tuner/phono, and one for the television. Whether there was another one or not, I can't tell till the weekend, as the cabinet is still in Michigan. There is a six lead bakelite plug socket comming out of the tv chassis that doesn't appear to connect to the tuner chassis. Yippee! another missing component for this set! I have the antenna for mine, but am missing the tuner face plate/bezel. Was the bezel the same for both the traditional and contemporary models?

[Tubejunke]

Hmm?? That chassis is very similar to an RCA chassis. Interesting.....

[Eric H]

That chassis looks a tad bare!

Here's the one in my set, the second pic is the high voltage chassis.

[kbmuri]

Eric's chassis conforms to my original Capehart service documents on the set. My documents say that the same chassis was put in the white leather cabinet too. I don't recognize the Jackson-Industries set. I don't think it belongs.