1968 Magnavox - Should I get it? - Videokarma.org TV - Video

compucat · #1 07-17-2006, 07:17 AM

I have a chance to buy a 1968 Magnavox color TV almost exactly like the one pictured (pix swiped from gallery) but without remote control feature. It is complete but I don't know if it works. I wouldn't plug it in at the store anyway. It has a repair slip inside from 1975 for power supply filters so I know it has been in service at least until then. The question is this: Is this a good model to restore and use daily? I would like to resotre a tube color Tv and this has that 60s tube Tv look that is just so attractive. It uses PC boards and I never like the idea of tubes sitting on boards. We all know what that causes over time. Are picture tubes for this model readily available? What do you think? I would want this as a restoration project and daily watcher.

Carmine · #2 07-17-2006, 09:58 AM

I say go for it! My grandmother had a 1968 remote Maganvox console in service until the early 90s, until it was taken down by a loss of audio beyond my repair skills at the time.

It might not be a Zenith, but at least it's not another CTC-38!

Of course, depends on price. I say plug it in... It's not like it's from the 1940s with all paper caps. When it smokes, or makes foul noises, use that as a bargaining chip to MAKE THEM PAY YOU for removing this death-trap waiting to kill an innocent child.

BTW, I think that style of console is cool as hell. But I suspect I am alone.

compucat · #3 07-17-2006, 10:08 AM

Your'e not alone, Carmine. I am nuts about this particular style of console. It has the doors on the front like the cover of a rolltop desk that completely cover the front. When closed, it looks like a piece of furniture. The thrift store is only asking thirty dollars for it so price is not a factor. Are parts like flybacks, yokes, etc. easy enough to come by should I need them? How was the reliability of these sets back in the day? I know it's not a Zenith but I believe Magnavox of the 1960s was somewhat of a premium brand.

kx250rider · #4 07-17-2006, 12:14 PM

I agree with Compucat on the style... I like it too. But I also have to throw a wet blanket on the idea of making it a daily TV, because that chassis is very troublesome in my opinion. Constant problems, even when they were reasonably new. Most of them were junked with bad flybacks. Dr. Dan has one that is one of his daily watchers, and like the rest of those Magnavox tube sets, it's ALWAYS having something wrong.

So to get it and fix it up as a collectors items is GREAT... But don't plan on using it all the time. If you want a vintage daily watcher, get a Zenith or an early 70s Sony.

Charles

bgadow · #5 07-17-2006, 12:22 PM

I don't think I have saw a working tube color Magnavox, not even in the early 90s when I had a boatload of late 60s stuff. I knew several folks with a big, handsome Magnavox taking up space in a corner but not working. They are easy to spot, even the many versions with doors over the controls, due to that distinctive crt bezel they used just about forever.

compucat · #6 07-17-2006, 12:43 PM

I like that CRT bezel. That is such a distinctive feature. Are these sets really that problematic? Was it poor build quality (which is not outwardly apparent on the sample I'm considering) or circuit design/component selection? How was the picture on these when working properly? I bet they look great showing a DVD of "I Dream Of Jeannie" or "Bewitched".

Adam · #7 07-17-2006, 01:00 PM

Every Magnavox color set I've ever had had a bad flyback. Now I avoid them entirely. I do think they had some of the nicest cabinets, I had a Magnavox round color entertainment center in that style cabinet with the rolling doors that was a really good looker, I wound up junking it mostly due to the bad flyback. But I have had good experiences with Magnavox B&W sets.

compucat · #8 07-17-2006, 01:08 PM

I think this set would be worth a flyback if it needed one. It seems some RCAs tend to go through flybacks too and they are still well regarded among collectors. The rectangular RCA sets frequently have much plainer looking cabinets. How is the picture quality between flyback replacements?

The picture tube has a slight green halo like one often sees on Zeniths of this era. Can this be corrected?

jstout66 · #9 07-17-2006, 01:17 PM

I have one of those Magnavoxes with remote. Mine has a replacement "black matrix" CRT. Mine has a video problem at the moment. The color was good, but the picture wasn't very bright. I was running it and smelled smoke and now I have a blank raster. I wouldn't think the flyback issue would be any more of a problem than the RCA's of that era, altho RCA parts are more redily available. I don't think you can get rid of the green halo, but you won't notice it when the set is on anyway. If the picture tube is bad, U can use any 23" tube. The best one would be out of a 70's Chromacolor. I wouldn't worry about anything until you go to the shop and turn it on. If it were me and the flyback was bad tho, I'd pass. They are too hard to find, and you need an exact replacement on those. In my opinion the best sets of that era in order were 1)Zenith 2) RCA 3)Sylvania/GTE 4)Magnavox

compucat · #10 07-17-2006, 01:47 PM

As I remember, console color TVs of that era did not have exeptionally bright pictures, not like today's 27" sets. It's nice to know that the Maggie will take about any 23" tube. I still haven't decided if I should buy that set. Because it's a console, I'd rather be sure I want it before I let it take up so much space. I really would like a metal Zenith tabletop color but I never seem to find those around here.

Randy Bassham · #11 07-17-2006, 03:04 PM

That's going to have a either a T931 or T933 chassis since it has the tint buttons on the remote. The T940's had the (Automatic Color) and had volume up and down instead of tint. This set will have step volume. I didn't think these sets were anymore troublesome than others of the time, I owned a couple as personal sets when they were still in general service and never had a flyback failure on any I owned. I changed a lot of flybacks while I was in TV service and never thought these sets was any worse than RCA and a lot better than the Admirals, that said Zenith flybacks seemed to hold up really well. But I've got a round screen Zenith right now with a bad flyback and a NOS one sitting on top of it when I get around to changing it. If that set was close I'd go for it, don't know where I'd put it because my Wife hates French Provincial furniture.

compucat · #12 07-17-2006, 03:09 PM

The set I'm looking at is NOT a remote set. The photo is from the gallery. The set looks exactly like it only no remote. The volume is a pull-on volume knob. It does have an auto-color switch in the back and rotary color controls on the front panel. It sounds like it is a pretty good set. I may just buy it. Can you still get flybacks for these?

Carmine · #13 07-17-2006, 03:38 PM

So these aren't just RCA clones in nicer cabinets?

Randy Bassham · #14 07-17-2006, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carmine

So these aren't just RCA clones in nicer cabinets?

As far as I can tell the first true Magnavox built color chassis was the U45 chassis that came out around 1965, it's easy to identify because it's got the HV cage on the left and the power transformer on the right. The earliest color chassis listed in my service manuals appears to be similar to an RCA CTC-15 and the manual is an exact copy of the RCA manual, IIRC Magnavox called it the U36 chassis, but after '65 with the exception of a few Japanese portables I think they were all Magnavox designs.

Sandy G · #15 07-17-2006, 04:03 PM

Hey, if you have the room, go for it ! You'll possibly be saving another old veteran from the landfill...That oughta be worth something..a few stars in yr crown...