Picked up a RCA TransVista Color console!

[drh4683]

After all the years of going to estate sales, I finally found my first CTC-40 transvista color and fortunately a nice clean one. I wanted to give this set its own thread as its RCA's first solid state color set minus the HV rectifier of course. This one is a 1970 model GM-711L with a CTC-40P chassis. Known as the "Tarleton" This was one of the higher end cabinet sets with the bi-fold wood doors in early american cabinet. I was able to save the model tag, it was just barely hanging onto the back! Someone tried taping it but it didnt hold, so atleast someone tried to save it!
I picked it up at an estate sale in Glen Ellyn at 23W234 Cambridge Ct. for $25.00 which was half price. The TV was still in the living room of the home, so it was preserved and well taken care of. Its interesting to note that the TV still being in the living room, had a newer entertainment center next to it with a newer TV in it. This was most likly a keeper because of the cabinet. You can see what the TV looked like in its original home. The original CRT is still pretty good yet with minor signs of the beginnings of cataracts, not worth messing with at this stage. CRT is dated 22nd week of 1970. There are a few "bubbles" at the outter edges.
The set still worked too! Once I got it home, I pulled it apart to clean it up and to check everything out. ESR was good on all the lytics.
It did need some realignment of the horizontal oscillator stage as the freq would only hold at extreme end. A touchup of the horizontal linearity coil and HV control fixed up the HV to balance nicely at 26.5KV.
As of now the set works near perfect, very slight horinzontal width lacking, but I havnt had it on long enough to see if it corrects itself over time.

Both VHF and UHF channel selectors were frozen in place when I first found it, had to take them both apart to clean out the dried grease and re-oil the shafts. typical procedure for RCA's that havnt been touched in years.

The set was serviced at one time by the RCA service company. Please, can someone make out what the name of the city is on the card? I think this TV is from another state. In fact, I believe this TV was bought used as the name "Boone" was not the name of the estate I bought it from. The city name appears to start "AUS" but cannot make out the rest, Looks like "B" and a "D" are also in the name. Ive searched the internet and came up with nothing. Perhaps someone here can pinpoint the name. The set was serviced atleast in 1973 as per the print date on the service card. Unknown what the problem was. Luckily, the technician was responsible and professional as he replaced all the screws into the chassis and tuner.

I dont think there have been any photos of a transvista color here before, so I took some detailed pics of mine. The 2nd to last last photo is this TV in a 1970 RCA Color TV brochure.

[wa2ise]

I've once wondered if those TV sets with the doors used to hide the CRT were equiped with off switches triggered by the closeing of the doors. That would cost too much to do, though if marketed right, it'd be a feature... "Done watching the TV, just shut the door and it shuts off"...

[radiotvnut]

Nice find & nice picture as well! That looks like the style of cabinet that housed my CTC40. Mine still had the "RCA Victor" name and the controls were behind a flip up door under the speaker. My set had "New Vista Color - Solid State" on the front. The CRT in mine had bad cataracts and the yoke was also burned. Not being able to find a good yoke at the time (mid '90's); the set got junked. Could have probably found the parts had AK been around then!

[Telecolor 3007]

Ha, ha, what an intresting way to display channel number.
I think this was an high-end set... Guess it also provides worm sound!
Off-topic: hope the Devil will not harm the tv... this is my post with number 666.

[Chad Hauris]

Doesn't this set have "instant-on" on the CRT filament...looks like the CRT managed to survive quite well!
Did you get the Zenith radio that was also in that picture?

[polaraman]

I keep on looking on the free pile at the local thrift stores. They are chock a block full of rectangular color sets. I carry my 1/4" nut driver with me each week. I snagged a few sets to just pull the CRT for other sets.

I got a CTC48 a few months ago. That will be a keeper.


Very nice set indeed! The early SS sets are hard to come by.


polaraman

[vintagecollect]

???????? anyhow , you do well when sell it in a few years.

[Radiophile2001]

Originally Posted by drh4683

After all the years of going to estate sales, I finally found my first CTC-40 transvista color and fortunately a nice clean one. I wanted to give this set its own thread as its RCA's first solid state color set minus the HV rectifier of course. This one is a 1970 model GM-711L with a CTC-40P chassis. Known as the "Tarleton" This was one of the higher end cabinet sets with the bi-fold wood doors in early american cabinet. I was able to save the model tag, it was just barely hanging onto the back! Someone tried taping it but it didnt hold, so atleast someone tried to save it!
I picked it up at an estate sale in Glen Ellyn at 23W234 Cambridge Ct. for $25.00 which was half price. The TV was still in the living room of the home, so it was preserved and well taken care of. Its interesting to note that the TV still being in the living room, had a newer entertainment center next to it with a newer TV in it. This was most likly a keeper because of the cabinet. You can see what the TV looked like in its original home. The original CRT is still pretty good yet with minor signs of the beginnings of cataracts, not worth messing with at this stage. CRT is dated 22nd week of 1970. There are a few "bubbles" at the outter edges.
The set still worked too! Once I got it home, I pulled it apart to clean it up and to check everything out. ESR was good on all the lytics.
It did need some realignment of the horizontal oscillator stage as the freq would only hold at extreme end. A touchup of the horizontal linearity coil and HV control fixed up the HV to balance nicely at 26.5KV.
As of now the set works near perfect, very slight horinzontal width lacking, but I havnt had it on long enough to see if it corrects itself over time.

Both VHF and UHF channel selectors were frozen in place when I first found it, had to take them both apart to clean out the dried grease and re-oil the shafts. typical procedure for RCA's that havnt been touched in years.

The set was serviced at one time by the RCA service company. Please, can someone make out what the name of the city is on the card? I think this TV is from another state. In fact, I believe this TV was bought used as the name "Boone" was not the name of the estate I bought it from. The city name appears to start "AUS" but cannot make out the rest, Looks like "B" and a "D" are also in the name. Ive searched the internet and came up with nothing. Perhaps someone here can pinpoint the name. The set was serviced atleast in 1973 as per the print date on the service card. Unknown what the problem was. Luckily, the technician was responsible and professional as he replaced all the screws into the chassis and tuner.

I dont think there have been any photos of a transvista color here before, so I took some detailed pics of mine. The 2nd to last last photo is this TV in a 1970 RCA Color TV brochure.

Looks like "Amsterdam"
Not in IL though.....so maybe:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...te=il&zipcode=

[matt_s78mn]

Originally Posted by Radiophile2001

Looks like "Amsterdam"
Not in IL though.....so maybe:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...te=il&zipcode=

Amsterdam, NY has a Mill Street.

[mattdavala]

Hi everybody,

I have a 1972 RCA CTC-51 Hybrid set. If RCA was making complete solid state models prior to this 1972 version why isn't my model completely solid state? Did they offer different level of models at different prices?

Interesting my set uses a 3A3 when I would have expected a compactron 3AT2.

Best regards,
Matt D

[andy]

I always liked the CTC-40 because it was basically the same chassis as a tube set, but with solid state boards. You can clearly see how it was built off their tube chassis design. I never cared for the modular craze of the 70's. I think the only reason they did it was because they didn't think techs were capable of component level repair on solid state sets.

[radiotvnut]

The main problem I had with modular sets were the module sockets giving trouble & the modules were often hard to troubleshoot inside the set. I also like the CTC40 design; as well as the horizontal metal solid state Zenith chromacolor chassis. I've often heard that modular sets were designed for the tube technician that did not know how to troubleshoot solid state circuits.

[bgadow]

Matt, yes, there were cheaper tube sets and as you spent more you got solid state. Tube hybrids were common until 74/75. After about 73 or so most of the manufacturers gave a choice of tube or ss.

[kx250rider]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

I've once wondered if those TV sets with the doors used to hide the CRT were equiped with off switches triggered by the closeing of the doors. That would cost too much to do, though if marketed right, it'd be a feature... "Done watching the TV, just shut the door and it shuts off"...

Not that I've seen. However, they all had red pilot lights that show when the doors are shut and the TV (or Hi-Fi) is on. I think there may even have been a law about it. The only doored TVs I've ever seen without a pilot light are the Hoffman table model of the late 40s, and the RCA G-2000 with see-thru doors.

Charles

[Don Lindsly]

It was a customer satisfaction issue. Modules meant faster in-home service and fewer parts in the truck. More completed calls per day, per tech.

The modules could be repaired on a test chassis in the shop, or exchanged. It was not practical to equip every service truck with the hundreds of small components that make up a TV. It would have required intensive troubleshooting and soldering new parts in place. Fewer completed calls, more burned carpets and unhappy customers. Modules were a good way to introduce solid state into the consumer TV market.

As component relaibility improved and automatic board stuffing became a reality, modules were unnecessary. The module connectors then contributed to a reliability problem.

I always regarded the CTC40 is a good reliable product, one of RCA's best.

Don