Majestic pictures

[mattdavala]

Howdy!

Wouldn't you know it, but the Majestic is kind of growing on my girlfriend! Before it was "Stop talking about it!!". Now I can get away talking about it and have a little conversation too!

Anyway. I reformed the electrolytics using my light-bulbs-in-series and a variac. A few hours later I decided to throw in the HOT and damper tubes. I got a raster!

Got the set cleaned up and back into the cabinet. Gave her full 120 volts. For the first time ever on an unrestored TV a full raster! A little height and linerarity adjustment, I have a full screen good linerarity picture! Its a bit dim, and not 100% sharp looking but its great!

I used it(don't yell at me) for about an hour and a half watching the three stooges. Origional caps, electros and waxed/paper. It did great. My schematic should come tommorow or tuesday. The tough decesion, it works well now. . . . Keep the electrolytics and replace the paper caps? There is no hum at all, and the cans stay cold(since I reformed it).

Best regards,
Matt Davala

Hi Matt! I am just a mere newbie here, but I wanted to say thanks for this info. I had been thinking that I had a recaping project on my hands (related to a post in this forum a few minutes ago) but now I am thinking that maybe I have a reforming project instead. (Especially since this unit is MUCH younger than your very very "Majestic" example. (OK, sorry, you're probably tired of THAT pun by now.)

Anyway, thanks again for the inspiration, and congratulations to you on preserving a very fine example of history.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by mattdavala

Howdy!
The tough decesion, it works well now. . . . Keep the electrolytics and replace the paper caps? There is no hum at all, and the cans stay cold(since I reformed it).


Matt Davala

I'd replace a few wax caps at a time, then test run it a few minutes, and assuming no problems, change a few more.

As for the filter electroytics, I'd add a fuse to the power transformer primary, sized about 2x the normal current draw. Or a slo blo at 1.2 of the usual current draw.

[mattdavala]

The primary, is that the part of the tranny that connects to the AC line? If so its already fused.

Could I double up a fuse and install it in series with the B+ line?

Its my plan to completly re-cap the waxed capacitors. I know that this Tv is running only at 50% of what it truly could do, and it could fail at any time. If its not up to par after re-capping the waxed caps than the filters are getting replaced. Phil Nelson has a great capacitor replacing page on his website. I hope you don't mind, Phil, if I post the link. I think its helpful during this discussion.
http://antiqueradio.org/recap.htm

With my other projects I have replaced the electrolytic capacitors. With this set I don't see a reason what one would short out. I've reformed them, and they don't run hot durning full voltage use. What would cause a instantanios short?

Waxed caps are a different story. I've had more than one blow up before! Sure gives you a good look of how it was constructed!

Cheers!
Matt Davala

[Phil Nelson]

That's a wonderful find, and the signs are encouraging. I'm jealous!

Call me chicken, but I would replace the electrolytics before passing Go. I have had poor luck with reformed electrolytics in the past.

That will be child's play for you, and if you have it on the workbench to check/replace other things, why not?

This set looks like a keeper. If you plan to watch it regularly (I would), it's more fun if you don't have to keep your fingers crossed and watch for smoke :-)

Phil Nelson

P.S. Tell your girlfriend that she just earned an honorary membership in the exclusive Mates of Crackpot TV Collectors club. Cook her a nice dinner, and then watch a vintage movie on that set . . . after you replace the electros :-)

[Old1625]

I'd replace the electrolytics preemptively. Unless you are poking your hand in there and feeling them (not a good idea, actually) to see if any are running hot you could be watching the ball game on the thing and have one of the 'lytics vent with a loud PSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH! Then you have one helluva mess on your hands....AMHIK....

In some of those old sets if there was a weak, poor-contrast picture along with weak and slightly distorted sound a quick replacement of the audio output tube was the magic cure. The B+ supply for all the picture IF stages and some of the video stages after that was often drawn off the cathode of the sound output tube.

[Dan Starnes]

That is an impressive screen for an unrestored set.
Dan

[Old1625]

Originally Posted by Dan Starnes

That is an impressive screen for an unrestored set.
Dan

X2...

[Tubejunke]

Here are my two unrestored sets. I have owned them both since the early 80's. I bought the Philco on the left as a daily user. That I guess is where it all began. Back then these sets were more or less junk and could be found all around cheap. Color and solid state had dealt its death blows, as well as the sets starting to age. To me as a kid they were more interesting than the newer plastic stuff.

The capacitors actually outlasted the CRT in the Philco, which had only required one other repair back around 1987. I lucked out and found a good CRT last year. The other set is a Spartan which I found someone using to watch at the flea market back then. I finally talked the fellow out of it for around $15. In both cases money well spent. I have culled many a set but I will try to always keep these two around....

[electroking]

Nice sets! Be careful you don't trip over that CRT sitting on the floor...

[Tubejunke]

Thats the 21ZP4B that gave out on the Philco before anything else other than tubes and a resistor. I need a back cover for the set as when I was a kid I had a nasty habbit of removing covers and never replacing them.