RESTORING OLD ELECTRONICS IS A GOOD THING. IF YOU HAVE DONE RADIOS, AMPS, ETC, TV IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT. IF YOU ARE RESTORING YOUR FIRST TV, HERE IS A LIST OF SETS TO AVOID. THIS LIST IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE. I WILL ALSO SUGGEST BETTER CANDIDATES FOR A FIRST TIME RESTORATION.
1. PREDICTA ERA PHILCO. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THESE IS LACK OF ACCESS TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PC BOARDS. ANOTHER PROBLEM IN MOST CASES ARE THE CRT'S. THE 17" SETS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE GOOD TUBES. THE 21" SETS DID NOT FARE WELL. PHILCO LOVED TO USE COUPLATES (COMPONENT COMBINATIONS). THESE ARE OFTEN BAD AND NO REPACEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE. YOU WOULD NEED TO MAKE NEW ONES (SAMS DOES GIVE THE CIRCUIT EQUIVILENTS). WITH ONE MODEL, SAMS DREW THE CIRCUIT EQUIVILENT WRONG. I FOUND THIS OUT THE HARD WAY. MANY OF THESE SETS HAD CRT'S THAT USED A TWO VOLT HEATER. TO USE A TEST TUBE (RECOMMENDED), YOU NEED TO MAKE A SOCKET ADAPTER (TWO ELEMENTS ARE REVERSED FROM THE STANDARD 110 DEGREE TUBE). YOU WILL NEED TO REMOVE THE BOARDS FROM THE CHASSIS FOR RECAPPING. PLAINLY, PREDICTA ERA PHILCOS ARE A MOTHER TO RESTORE.
2. GE "LOCOMOTIVE" AND SIMILAR SETS. THESE SETS ARE CRAMPED. MANY CAPS ARE HARD TO GET TO. YOU HAVE A B- GROUND TO DEAL WITH. THIS MAKES THE HOT CHASSIS FIX REALLY FUN. THESE HAVE DUAL HEATER STRINGS WITH THE CRT TYING THEM BOTH TOGETHER. YOU WILL NEED RIGHT ANGLE EYES TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN SOME AREAS. THIS IS NOT ONLY THE BAKELITE "LOCOMOTIVE" CABINET SETS. WOOD SETS LIKE MY 14T2 FIT HERE. AVOID THESE.
3. RCA 8" PERSONAL PORTABLES. THESE ARE CRAMPED, AND THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT. YOU MAY HAVE TO PUT LYTICS IN STRANGE PLACES DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE CAN. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HERE IS SAMS ONLY PRINTED ONE VERSION OF THE SET. RCA HAD A MAJOR PRODUCTION CHANGE, COVERED BY SAMS ONLY WITH A PRODUCTION CHANGE BULLETIN. THE CRT NECK COMPONENTS ARE A MOTHER TO ADJUST WHEN THE CHASSIS IS FULLY ASSEMBLED. WAIT A WHILE BEFORE TRYING ONE OF THESE.
4. ANY COLOR SETS. REALLY? GET YOUR RESTORATION TECHNIQUES DOWN ON BLACK AND WHITE SETS FIRST. COLOR BRINGS A WHOLE NEW SET OF PROBLEMS.
OK. HERE ARE A FEW GOOD CANDIDATES FOR FIRST TIME RESTORATION. THIS IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE.
MOST RCA, ZENITH, NON PREDICTA ERA PHILCO, AND OTHERS MAKE GOOD CANDIDATES. IN MANY CASES, THERE IS ROOM TO WORK. THESE 50'S AND 60'S ERA SETS AREN'T THAT HARD TO FIND. FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE CHEAP TO BUY.
YOU CAN ALSO POST QUESTIONS TO THE VARIOUS ONLINE SOURCES ABOUT GOOD FIRST RESTORATIONS. YOU WILL GET A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS.