Antique TV Tuner Repair

[chipper]

Just wanted to know If there was a tech out there that specializes in tuner repair for antique tv's I have 2 tuners that I need rebuilt? thanks, chip

[marty59]

Unless someone has some good "tech tips" for working on tuners, you're about as out of luck as having a CRT rebuilt. Louis Slagle of Quality Tuner Service in Longview, Texas was one of the last I believe. He rebuilt my tuner for my Predicta back in '08 and he was winding down then.

Back in the day just about every major city had a shop or two and now it seems to have turned into a lost art.

[Penthode]

Can you describe the tuners? What is wrong with them?

[DavGoodlin]

I used a few places like PTS in the past. The repairs were usually pretty inexpensive, so it can't be that involved.

If you put one of those 7 and 9 pin socket extenders under your tubes, you can measure voltages and resistances. Not much to go wrong, maybe solder connections, feed-thru caps shorted, resistors etc, but to get IN there and actually replace a part, paying strict attention to lead dress could be like watchmaking.

Turret tuners should not be big deal but wafer jobs are hard to get into.
I usually saved good tuners on sets I scrapped, what do you have?

[chipper]

I think I might have open or shorted caps(58 sylvania 21" set) Would like to find a good used or rebuilt replacement tuner?

[DaveWM]

does it get better if you move the tuner around to find a sweet spot? there can be a lot of things that cause picture problems. Posting a pic would help.

does the fine tuning do anything?

[bgadow]

The last time I tried contacting Louis Stangle his business phone had been disconnected. The one time I talked with him he mentioned throwing away a huge pile of old tuners
Seems like last year one of the guys on here talked about someone he knew that still dabbled in them, maybe samson?

[chipper]

Yes: Fine tuning does help a bit, I think this set was hit by lighting or a surge? I did try to contact that guy that repair's tuners, but had no luck. This set has had a recap and I got a crt from bob.

[DaveWM]

if thats the case you should check the balun mounted on the tuner. I had a zenith that had a smoked balun. Presented with a lot of snow but a pic was there. At the time I did NOT have a replacement, I took the old one out and rewound the smoke coil. Worked fine after that.

[chipper]

ok; will ck the balun? and try to show a picture?

[Jeffhs]

I seem to remember a tuner repair/rebuild shop called "Castle", back about 35-40 years ago. They were based, IIRC, in Dallas or some place else out west. I don't know if they are still around; they may have gone out of business shortly after the DTV transition.

[6GH8cowboy]

Tube extenders to trouble shoot a tuner are useless. Throws them way out of tune and most voltages will be useless. Back in the day balluns or a plate resistor were the most fixable things. Anything else off to the tuner shop. $7-$9 plus shipping for most repairs.