'60's Sylvania tube color console from SC - Videokarma.org TV - Video

radiotvnut · #1 04-23-2010, 07:04 PM

I finally got around to testing the Sylvania color tube console that I brought back from SC. When I first opened it, the convergence components were disconnected, dismounted, and laying inside the TV. I found a broken plastic piece from the convergence clover that prevents me from being able to secure it to the CRT neck. Hopefully, I can JB weld it back together. Also, it looks like one of the adjustable inductors on the convergence board is broken off.

I decided to test it anyway and got sound but no HV. Upon looking closer, I discovered that the damper tube is missing, DUH! From what I can see of the tube chart, it looks like it takes a 6CE3.

I did check the CRT and it is still strong; so, that's a good thing.

The only identification I could find was the model number, which is CA-LC32K. Unfortunately, this model is not listed in the Sams index. If I knew the chassis number, I might be able to find it that way.

This is the first Sylvania tube set that I've ever worked on. I wonder how the picture will be on this TV in comparison to an RCA or Zenith. My theory is that this set had issues with the convergence and, for what ever reason, the repair shop sat it back. Then, the shop probably needed the damper tube for another set. Unlike most of what I find, this chassis looks fairly clean and doesn't look to have been ran into the ground.

leadlike · #2 04-23-2010, 07:17 PM

looks like they added a couple of caps (a maroon and an orange drop) to the convergence board. My guess is that if the problem was on this board, then one or more of the pots went open and the owners nixed the repair over the cost of a new board.

Sandy G · #3 04-23-2010, 07:24 PM

Funky lookin' "speckled" cataract...Yeah, pretty clean chassis, though...Hope you get 'er runnin' !

AUdubon5425 · #4 04-23-2010, 07:57 PM

Well, I can tell you that Consumer Reports thought Sylvanias had the best pictures in the mid-late 60's. Aside from that, I had heard from a couple of old-timers that they were tops in picture quality back then.

ctc17 · #5 04-23-2010, 08:28 PM

Sams is 922-3

I would agree with the tube statement. I put the tubes back in those zenith 25cc50s and they all worked.
I think I brought home a few of those too. They are packed all the way in the back.

radiotvnut · #6 04-23-2010, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctc17

Sams is 922-3

I would agree with the tube statement. I put the tubes back in those zenith 25cc50s and they all worked.
I think I brought home a few of those too. They are packed all the way in the back.

Thanks for the information. Maybe I'll get lucky and have that one.

sampson159 · #7 04-23-2010, 10:23 PM

i remember these sets.that is a d-6.late 60s.very good playing sets with very sharp crts that on a good day,would rival a zenith.the 19 inch portable was outstanding in picture quality.as i recall,not to many issues with these sets other than caps and resistors in the chroma.we had more than a few that would lose the red in the demod circuit.i am happy that the sylvanias are popping up lately.

marty59 · #8 04-23-2010, 10:35 PM

Looks like there may be some miles on that Horizontal Output tube though! Can you tell if it's a replacement?
Sylvanias generally didn't eat up flybacks like an RCA either as I recall....

radiotvnut · #9 04-23-2010, 10:49 PM

It has a GE HOT in there. And, yes, it looks like it has high mileage. I don't know if it saw all of it's miles in this set or if it was a used tube that someone stuck in there.

radiotvnut · #10 04-24-2010, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sampson159

i remember these sets.that is a d-6.late 60s.very good playing sets with very sharp crts that on a good day,would rival a zenith.the 19 inch portable was outstanding in picture quality.as i recall,not to many issues with these sets other than caps and resistors in the chroma.we had more than a few that would lose the red in the demod circuit.i am happy that the sylvanias are popping up lately.

My experience with Sylvania's is with solid state sets from the '70's and later. I liked the picture quality on those '70's models with the delta gun CRT and the modular chassis.

In that shop in SC, there are still plenty of solid state Sylvania's from the '70's and early '80's and I think there's at least one tube console from around '70 that has doors over the screen. There was a '76 combo there that I wanted to get; but, ran out of room on the trailer. We fired it up and it somewhat played; but, it looked like the CRT was weak and it sounded like it had a busted speaker on the stereo portion. IIRC, it did not have the black face tube; but, some of the other sets did. Some of the other consoles had a single knob varactor tuner as well as others having a digital pushbutton tuner. There was also a Philco 21" table model set in a steel cabinet that looked to have been from the GTE era. If it's the one I'm thinking about, it has an early large neck inline CRT.

ctc17 · #11 04-24-2010, 09:56 AM

That lens should cut right off there with a guitar string. Once you get it working. Its alot of work but that cataract looks pretty bad on that one.

Jeffhs · #12 04-24-2010, 10:50 AM

This Sylvania is the first TV I have ever seen with a "contrast range" control. This pot is located on the rear of the chassis and has a label under it you can't miss.

What was the purpose of this control?

As I said, I have never seen a late-model TV (color or b&w) with such an adjustment; almost all sets have the contrast control somewhere on the front control cluster. The only reason I can come up with for this is to prevent the user from setting the main contrast control too high.

radiotvnut · #13 04-24-2010, 12:46 PM

I forgot to mention that this set uses a 22LP22 CRT (20" viewable). The RCA CTC38 console that I brought back from SC also is 20" viewable. I think these are the first two smaller screen color consoles that I've had and I suspect that these 22" CRT's would be hard to find.

Jeffhs · #14 04-24-2010, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctc17

That lens should cut right off there with a guitar string. that cataract looks pretty bad on that one.

A guitar string? The safety glass on that CRT must be so loose it isn't funny, if it will be that easy to remove. I'm surprised it hasn't fallen off the tube already with the first vibration or movement of the cabinet.

radiotvnut · #15 04-24-2010, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

A guitar string? The safety glass on that CRT must be so loose it isn't funny, if it will be that easy to remove. I'm surprised it hasn't fallen off the tube already with the first vibration or movement of the cabinet.

Here's the thread on how to use a guitar string to remove the safety lense.

http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=247613

Actually, the cataract on my tube is not bad at all when compared to some that I've seen. I've seen some that had a cataract all the way up to the center of the screen.

I guess it's time for me to get brave and try cataract removal, as I suspect the tube in my set would be hard to find. And, it's otherwise good as far as emission.