Got a 1987 RCA Colortrac 2000

[jstout66]

I have a buddy that needed a newer console tv (remote,stereo,cable ready) and at a thrift store I found an RCA Colortrac 2000. Man was that set loaded with features. 3 antenna inputs, 2 video inputs, and dolby stereo, with bass and treble controls. The screen has a flat "Trinitron" look about it, and the picture was amazing. For those of you that are familiar with these, was it a true RCA? What chassis is likely in it, and how did they hold up? Also, were they RCA's "high-end" set? I thought it was a good deal for $50.00. The set that it replaced was a 1984 Zenith System 3 that had issues. I think the picture tube was going out. It had a greenish cast to it, and a big pink splotch on the screen that got worse the longer the set was on.

[andy]

That was their high end line (similar to the Diemnsia line). It probably has a CTC-140, or CTC-169 chassis. If there's a large multi pin connector that looks like the European SCART connector near the A/V jacks, it's a 140.

Both can produce an excellent picture and are reliable apart from a few common problems. In my opinion, the 140 and 169 were by far the two best ever RCA designs (I prefer the 140). 1987 would have been when GE owned RCA.

The CTC-140 suffers from bad soldering in various places, particularly the power supply. The 169 sufferes from bad caps in the power supply which eventually causes the power supply to blow. They can have other less common power supply problems such as bad rectifier diodes.

Google groups will give you more information that you want on both chassis.

[Kamakiri]

I picked one out of the trash in 1996, and used it for a couple years, then gave it to my brother who still uses it in his living room. The thing's indestructible!

[Geoff Bourquin]

I think 1987 is too early for the CTC-169....I'm betting 140. Great sets. The two most common problems I've seen:

Bad solder connections, and occasionally a bad diode on the diode SIP board. It's a little board about half way along the right edge (viewed from the back) of the PC board. It stands upright and is about 2 inches wide, and has 3 diodes on it. Lots of intermittents come from there.

Second is a cracked surface mount capacitor near the IF chip. Causes lots of squiggly lines and stuff when it fails, and of course it heals up for a while as soon as you touch it. Only a problem if you are using the tuner input.

If you ever work on it for anything else, resolder the horizontal drive transformer and the coil between it and the horizontal output transistor base.
(actually, do that on any set you work on......high failure rate area on lots of sets.)
There are a few other spots around the flyback where the solder sometimes gets nice and crispy. You'll know them when you see them.

I think you'll like that set. I still see them sometimes and most of them still have pretty strong CRTs.

[kx250rider]

I agree it's probably a 140. I think 169 came around '92 or so. Those do have a nice picture! I used to hate troubleshooting the power supply though... It had about 25 separate supplies, and the schematic was spread over a million pages which makes it VERY HARD to try to understand the circuit!

Only thing I can add to the other posts is that I used to have a lot of failed pincushion boards, and I think there was an upgrade kit on that.

Charles

[jstout66]

what picture tube does it use? I was surprised on how flat it looks. Didn't think the manufactures were trying to copy the "Trinitron look" that early.

[Chad Hauris]

This is probably a 26" tube, it is kind of in between the squarer 27" and more rounded corners of the 25". Have seen it on just a few RCA and Magnavox models.

[blownsi]

My Grandma still has "our" set from when I was a kid that was just like that. Funny you should mention trinitron cause I still remember the guy at suntv telling my dad that it was a trinitron. They'd say anything to make a sale. Thanks for the memories gotta call Grandma now.

[jstout66]

I hope this set doesn't need a repair already. My buddy said it turned itself off and then came back on a couple of times Sunday night. He's kinda dippy tho and there were some brief power surges Sunday (because of the high temps). We had it on for 6 hours Saturday and not a glitch. If it does it again, what might be the culprit? The picture & sound are too amazing to not have it repaired if it's broken....

[Geoff Bourquin]

Sounds like the connections on that diode board. There's also a tiny coil on that board, and sometimes it is a little hard to get the solder to stick to the wire, so double check it.

[Geoff Bourquin]

By the way, RCA called those CRTs (at least the 27") "Square Planar "flat"" and were from the COTY29 series.

(Combined Optimum Tube Yoke - 29mm neck)

They are 110 degree angle tubes which made them pretty flat. I never figured out how they made a tube with a nearly flat screen and that wide an angle of deflection without loosing a lot of quality in the corners. If you look closely you will see that the corners dont focus as well as the center. That's actually pretty common, but these looked pretty good. Now days, they just modulate the focus voltage to make perfect focus anywhere on the screeen

Can you tell I like these sets?

[zenith2134]

I picked up a 1987 Colortrak 2000 monitor/tv which turned out to be a CTC130C. Had 2 vid inputs and stereo with bass/treble/balance also.

[Geoff Bourquin]

I'd have to check the books to be sure, but I don't think the 130C had more that one antenna input. They used the MTT module for tuner/control function, and I can't remember ever seeing multiple rf inputs on that module. (But I saw tons of bad connections in those modules!) I think 1987 was the last year for the 130 series. I guess I need to dig out the old manuals, 'cause you got me wondering about it now.

The 130C had a seperate power supply off board to the right of the flyback, because the 130 series was a hot chassis, and this extra supply provided ground isolation for the A/V inputs. They also added some pin correction circuitry to straighten up the sides. I used to see a fair number of those with bad pin driver transistors.

Hey, Jstout66, do you know the model number on the set? Then we'll know for sure.

[jstout66]

I'll get the model number the next time I go over there and post it. The set also has 4 antenna inputs. I think the set has been working okay as I haven't heard any more complaints, so I'm assuming (and hoping) it was the power spikes last Sunday.

[zenith2134]

Didnt realize that your set has multiple antenna connections: You are correct, as mine with the 130C had only one coax in.