RCA Victor -A new dog in the family...... It's Alive!

Wonderful NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried the radio tonight, and, it plays on both AM, and, FM. And, I don't even have an antenna on it yet!!!!
This is fantastic News!!!
Leakage wasn't as bad as I had thought.
And, slightly higher value line caps helped a little.
Haven't tried tv yet, but, hey, the radio plays!!!
I played it for half an hour...................

Bill Cahill

Started trying tv tonight. So far, nothing blows up, smokes, or catches fire, but, I haven't gotten up to line voltage yet for tv. For radio, yes. TV NO.

My negative bias is noticebly low, I'll have to look into there........
I got it up to eighty volts input, and, so far, not alot is happenning.
Bill Cahill

Good luck!

Well, I've got a number of issures. The horizontal oscilator appears to be dead. So dies the vertical.
No reception either. In fact, I only get a loud audio hum, though as I turn the selector shaft, I can hear some static...
But, otherwise, things don't work. Period....
Next thing I'll do is try some specific tubes. Found out the resistors I put in power supply via the back strip aren't an exact match, either.
Close, but, no c gar!!
Oh, well.............................
Looks like I have my work cut out for me on this one...........
Bill Cahill

It's alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I now have audio reception, and, the vertical circuit is now working.
The reason vertical wasn't working is I had vertical out. tube out. Put it in, and, vertical is alive!!
Replacing 6J6 osc. tube in tuner got reception back. Replacing the 6AL5 Aud. det. quieted down a severly loud audio hum.
I now have to find out why the horizontal oscilator isn't working, and, fix that....When that's fixed, I'll try set for hv, and, a picture.
Power transformer is running very cool...
I'm callling this very good news. Vol on tv isn';t vewry loud, but, I'm not going to worry about that until I have a picture on the set.
I call this very good news!!!
This set WILL live again!!!!!

Bill Cahill

I'm going to go start working on the oscilator, see if I can do an easy repair.
I'll let you know what happens.
Bill Cahill

I have W O N D E R F U L News!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I jury rigged a picture tube up on it, and, took a chance, and, brought it up on the variac. At ninety volts I fooled with the ion trap, and, Voolah! A picture!!!!
I have to adjust the hoizontal oscilator, is is somewhat off, but, I have a picture!!!!!!!!!!!!
The TV Lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so VERY, VERY happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill Cahill

Tommnorrow I will take a picture of it playing on the bench.
Bill Cahill

Are you feeding it with a cable/satellite input or a standard over the air digital broadcast station thru a digital box? I think we have only 1 analog station in the St.Louis area a shopping or religious station. Sorry for the dumb questions! If I live long enough I have a couple of old TV's saved but I'm like Sgt Schultz (Hogan's Heroes) about TV's "I know nothing!"

I'm feeding it through cable. I have agc issues. Lower channels are over loading. Upper ones o. K. I believe it's tuner issues.
I ran it for another hour last night.
I don't have an antenna digital box. I bought one, but, it worked poorly.

Bill Cahill

After replacing the agc tube again, agc control now works. However, it is intermittent on how bad it is.
At times the low channels will be just watchable, but, jittery, and, sound weak. Then, you'll sometimes hear a low tick in speaker, and, then, it fades to a black curly agc problem, and, loud audio buzz.
Something is intermittent.
Bill Cahill

Uugh, intermittents.................Radios are bad enough, I couldn't imagine a tv.

Again, I gotta commend ya Bill on staying with this one.

Look at it this way. It's too late to quit now.
I've gone to far to quit on it.
Eventually, it has got to even out. Ther vertical, horizontal, and, hv circuits are all working.
Bill Cahill

You'll get it worked out!

Perhaps Monday, I'll be back on set. I have some ideas on agc problem.
I will be checking resistors, agc control, etc....
I also suspect tuner is bad.
But, I have ideas, and, want to fix agc problems first.
Chassis is safe, and, I have had it on so far a total of five hours.
I'll let you guys know what I find out.
Bill Cahill

Been too much going on this week, but, I've been thinking, and, looking at a similar chassis, but, without radio. The agc control is wired a little differently, and, I'm going to look into seeing if that was meant to improve the circuit. If so, I think I'm going to make those changes. It's acting like signal is too strong...
HOpe to look into that tommorrow. Also, after this project, I will be getting back on my favorite project to hopefully finnish. My RCA 6T74 family tv.
Stay tuned for that.
Bill Cahill

I hesitate to call it fixed, but, I have found some things out. First, things had been jury rigged below, and, I repaired that.
First, according to 3 schematics, the agc threshhold control should be 200K. Both side resistors should each be 470K.
The control tested more like 165 K. One resistor was 470K alright, but tested 498 K.
Other resistor had been changed to 560K, but, tested 688K.
I changed all three parts.

Next, I had found out there was rust, and, dirt on top of some of the I F sockets, and, two of the tuner sockets. I had to buy a clan of cleanner. I did that yesterday, and, started cleanning sockets. Dirt started flying. Especially on the first I F socket. They look better inside, but, not sure if clean enough, yet. Two tuner sockets pins look shiny, now. I was also missing the shield for the RF tube. I replaced that last night.
Today, I'll finnish cleanning, then, try set again.
Bill Cahill

Well, it's not fixed, but, some things have improved alot.
I have alot more adjustibility on agc control.
Agc is acting alot better, and, reception is greatly improved.
Sound is weak. I'm still getting alot of jittering, but, I now get all twelve stations. No, it's not fixed, but, it's alot better than it was. Even the picture seems a little brighter now.
Probably because it's no longer over loading.
Bill Cahill

It's too late for pictures tonight, but, folks break out the champagne glasses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After adjusting the horizontal oscilator coil more carefully, and, centering horizontal hold, picture is LOCKED in!
I have astablee, bright, crisp picture.
It is beautiful! There are a couple of small issues, and, I'm still not thrilled with volume of audio, but,it's great! Now, I still have snow on high channels, and, can't explain that, but, on the important low end channels, it's fine. I'm nearly ready to replace the broken detent. I have a replacement. Tuner is stabilized. I have to do alot of adjusting on fine tunning, but, as a whole, the set is playing
GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!
I've had it on a total of four hours tonight.
This set is going to be fine!
Pass out the wine, guys! This baby is going to be well. I still have considerable work to do on the case, and, table, but, the set is playing, and, quite well! I'll take a snap shot of it tommorrow. I prommisse..........
Bill Cahill

Excellent!

Thats great! I knew you would get it. Have a glass for me.

Well, a major set back.
This morning, I went to put a better power cord on set because the old one was loose, and, I heard it arc last night.
I didn't realize I had accidentally moved the wires going into the focus coil. I knew the other one decided to go bare where it went in, but, was resisting doing the repair.

Well, I started bringing up the variac, and, suddenly transformers grunted angrily, and, the 5U4 started sparking meanly.
I shut it down fast. Later in the mofning I found what had happenned, and, this evenning, did repairs to the other wire.
After finnishing repair, I checked resistance, and, no short.
Went to plug in rectifier, and, found out this morning's disastor burned out the filament.
I've tried two other rectifiers with no success. They are shorted.
I brought in my last batch of used ones, and, they look very un healthy. I'll have to see what they do, but, right now, it doesn't look like I'll be getting it to play until I get more tubes.
Bill Cahill

They sure make you work for it, don't they?

Great news! I found a rectifier that works! I now seem to have a vertical problem, but, it's playing. Here is what I got tonight.








Bill Cahill

That doesn't look like a vertical problem to me.

More like a "herringbone" pattern caused by some external signal source.

Ron.