Found a 1978 RCA colortrak console TV

[MRX37]

Answered a Craigslist ad and picked up this little gem:



It seems to be in good shape for being 30 years old. The CRT looks good for its age.

I don't want to keep this TV. I don't have any room for a console TV. However, I thought I'd post about it in case someone wants it before I junk it.

[Telecolor 3007]

I like those drawers

[MRX37]

far as I can tell, they're fake.

[rcaman]

if you part it out i sure need the high voltage tripler out of it. steve

[MRX37]

I wouldn't know how to remove that without damaging/destroying it.

I'd like a fellow AKer to take the whole TV off my hands. I don't want to see it go to waste. It's not every day I find a working 30 year old Colortrak console.

[zenith2134]

I'd keep it in place of a more modern set. These last forever and usually look good. Nice find.

EDIT: What chassis set is this? I was referring above to the CTC-89 chassis. The ctc-92 sets seem to have more issues.

[MRX37]

It's a CTC 92A chassis. (Forum's acting up today...)

EDIT: It has a lot of controls on the CRT neck board... Delta gun tube?

It also has a damn good picture... I definitely don't want to part it out. I want it to go to a good home.

Then again, I may keep it... dunno... It being a big console TV doesn't help its case, neither is the fact that it defaults to channel 2 if you turn it off then turn it back on.

I'm torn on this one.

[radiotvnut]

Originally Posted by MRX37

It's a CTC 92A chassis. (Forum's acting up today...)

EDIT: It has a lot of controls on the CRT neck board... Delta gun tube?

It also has a damn good picture... I definitely don't want to part it out. I want it to go to a good home.

Then again, I may keep it... dunno... It being a big console TV doesn't help its case, neither is the fact that it defaults to channel 2 if you turn it off then turn it back on.

I'm torn on this one.

Yes, that set uses a delta gun tube and that board you see around the CRT neck with all the controls is the convergence board. As you can see, there is much more to the convergence circuitry on a delta gun tube than on an inline tube.

You are lucky to have such a good picture on that set. I wonder if the CRT is original. Many of those later delta gun RCA tubes didn't hold up. I've seen many that were weak and/or shorted.

[MRX37]

Dunno. The inside of the TV is VERY clean. Low hour set maybe?

EDIT: Nah, couldn't be a low hour set. The "On/off" lettering is worn, meaning this TV's been turned on and off a LOT!)

[kx250rider]

Those were very good sets. The very last modular chassis before they went to the troublesome CTC-99/101 with the ever-failing flyback. The only weak spot on those last delta gun sets was the tube itself. I replaced plenty of them when the sets were only 3 or 4 years old. So yours probably is either very low hours, or the tube was replaced with a better one.

Charles

[MRX37]

Hm, 30 years old, On/off knob worn from use, CRT is still bright with good black levels... Maybe the tube was replaced. I could get a number off it if that would clear up the mystery. I know it's 25xxxxxxxxx something or other.

[mbates14]

well the tube does look awful new in the pics. too sharp of a pic to be that old. it was probably replaced in the 80s some time.

[MRX37]

The CRT is a 25VEHP22.

[andy]

...

[MRX37]

Originally Posted by andy

It may be a good TV, but I think cabinets like that are responsible for putting people of consoles forever.

I don't mind the cabinet. To me it's just dated. I don't particularly see it as ugly, and I like that I can lift it by myself, unlike a few consoles out there.

I think this set might need a recap. Light text on a dark background is a bit distorted. Hell, the caps are 30 years old. I can't fault them, unlike some of the modern day lytics that fail in a year or two.