From: knudsen@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (michael.j.knudsen)
Subject: Re: Help for old Sylvania TV set
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 19:01:39 GMT

In article <92Nov10.233529est.47525@neat.cs.toronto.edu>, veatch@cs.toronto.edu (Tim Veatch) writes:

> about my old TV that I found in the `big mall' (the neighborhood
> streets on garbage night).


Heh heh.  For several years our main TV was a Philco 21" color set
that I pulled off the trash down the street in *working* condition!

> 1)  Does anyone know its year?  Is it worth anything as a antique?
> Any books which mention it?  Can I still get schematics?

Obviously later than 1953 :-)  Someone already posted some criteria
that add "antique" value to an old TV.  Yours probably isn't worth
much that way (yet), but some hobbyists do like to fix up old TVs.
Also, *top quality* TVs made in the pre-color era can give sharper
pictures on B&W programming than more recent sets.

And 50s-era stuff is coming up in value for nostalgic purposes.

Good old Howard Sams, Inc published shcematics for every radio or TV
made in North America.  FInding a set that old might take some digging.
Sams includes a *lot* more useful info than just schematics.

> 2)  It appears that the TV is missing its legs, since there are 4 holes
> in the bottom.  Does anyone know what the legs would have looked like?
> Better yet - would there be a book anywhere with a picture of it?
> The set is heavy, so I wouldn't think the legs could be very long.

Sounds like typical 50s-60s furniture, where everything sat on conical
pointed spindly legs.  You can still buy them, of various lengths,
at hardware stores, and replacement steel plates to screw into.
[You didn't go back and dig thru the trash pile for them, did you? :-]

There is a picture book of antique TVs -- I may find it and buy it this weekend.

> 3)  Are tubes still available for this model?  Do shops have tube testers
> anymore?  I called around a couple shops here in Toronto with no luck.
> One place said they needed the part number.  When I gave them the number
> on the tube diagram, he didn't recognize it as a part number.

You can find tubes, but not at the usual places.  Expect to pay BIG bucks
for unused tubes.  Used ones should be cheaper.  Try the usual Tempe AZ
place.  Also talk to anyone who restores jukeboxes, I just found out!

Any shop technician who couldn't recognize a tube number must be under 30.
Tube numbers are always <number> <one or two letters> <number>.
No other part number is relevant or needed for tubes.

>     The problem I have is that it only `works' for about 10 minutes.
> Actually what happens is - the picture looks fine at first, but within
> the 10 minutes it reduces to a horizontal line across the center of the
> screen.  I'm guessing that a tube is bad - within the 10 minutes a tube

I doubt it's a tube.  Heat failures usually come from a capacitor
("condenser" in those days), those wax-covered tan firecrackers under
the chassis.  When bad ones get warm, they "leak" current like a resistor.
I've had to replace some like that in my 1949 Emerson 6" TV.

>    Without access to a tube tester which tubes do you suggest I replace
> first?  Perhaps verticle oscillator? vertical amplifier (vertical output)?

You pegged the right tubes, but they're probably not the cause.

> 4)  Also I'm not able to pick up the UHF channels.  Were these channels
> optional on some models?  Any idea why I can't pick them up?  Need a
> different attenna?

Probably this old set doesn't have them at all on its tuner.
Until the 60s few sets had UHF built in, and folks used an outboard
"UHF converter" the size of a tiny table radio.  And yes you need a
different antenna for UHF -- a simple loop or bow tie within 30 miles
of the UHF station.

Hope this helps.  Have fun.  And watch out for high voltages all over!

BTW, I wonder how this antique stuff would fly on sci.electronics?
-- 
	"I don't think so, Al"
  Programmers Do It on paper.  So do puppies.
	knudsen@iexist.att.com
Newsgroups: rec.antiques