RCA VICTOR CTC-5

I WON THIS AT THE LIVE AUCTION AT THE 2016 ETF CONVENTION. IT WENT FOR LESS THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED. IT WAS SAID THE RED GUN IN THE 21AXP22 WAS WEAK. MY TESTER SHOWED BLUE TO BE LESS THAN STELLAR AND RED GOOD. THIS USES THE METAL CONE 21AXP22 CRT.

MINE IS THE LATE PRODUCTION SET. I DID PULL THE CHASSIS. IT IS ACTUALLY VERY CLEAN. NO FUSES WERE BLOWN, A GOOD SIGN.

I AM NOT GOING TO ATTEMPT A PRE-RECAP SOFT START. WITH ALL THE WAX CAPS IN THIS, I DON'T WANT TO RISK WIPING OUT SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, LIKE THE FLYBACK.

THIS WILL BE FULLY RECAPPED. I WILL ALSO REPLACE ALL RED MICA CAPS, SINCE THESE ARE TROUBLE PRONE. I WILL USE SILVER MICAS IN THEIR PLACE. THE CANS WILL BE RESTUFFED. NOW, ON TO THE PICS...

HERE IS THE TOP OF THE CHASSIS. IT'S VERY CLEAN FOR A SET THIS OLD.

BOTTOM. THERE ARE A TON OF WAX CAPS BEHIND THE SHIELDS.

THE HIGH VOLTAGE CAGE. I COULD SEE NO SIGN THAT THE FLYBACK FAILED. ANY QUESTIONABLE CAPS HERE WILL BE REPLACED.

IN APRIL, 2017, I BEGAN RESTORATION. I RESTUFFED ALL ELECTROLYTIC CANS. ALL PAPER CAPS WERE REPLACED WITH MYLAR CAPS. ANY BAD TUBES WERE REPLACED. THE SOFT START WENT AS PLANNED. WHEN I WENT FOR HIGH VOLTAGE, I HAD NONE. I WAS GETTING A SYNC PULSE ON THE 6CB5 (HOR OUT). THE TUBE WAS NOT REDPLATING. I THOUGHT THE HORIZONTAL OSCILLATOR WAS OFF FREQUENCY. I BEGAN TO SUSPECT EITHER THE 6CB5 OR 6AU4 (DAMPER). I GOT THE TUBES I NEEDED AT THE EARLY TELEVISION CONVENTION. I SWITCHED THESE TUBES OUT. IN THE CORNER OF MY EYE I SAW THE RIG LIT. THE FLY WAS GOOD AND THE OSCILLATOR ON FREQUENCY.
INITIAL SIGNS ARE GOOD. I DID HAVE ONE PROBLEM. EITHER I HAD FULL COLOR SATURATION OR NO COLOR. THE COLOR CONTROL WAS BAD. PART OF THE RESISTIVE ELEMENT PEELED OFF THE BAKELITE. I HAD THE RIGHT VALUE CONTROL IN THE JUNK BOX. I HAVE DECENT COLOR.
I THINK I MAY STILL HAVE AN ISSUE. I THINK THE POWER TRANSFORMER MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN THE PAST. MY B+ IS LOW, BY ABOUT 20 VOLTS. I DON'T KNOW HOW, OR IF, THIS WILL AFFECT THE PICTURE ON THE 21AX. AS IT TURNED OUT, I HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO FILL OUT THE ROUND CRT. I HAVE NOT CONFIRMED IF THIS WAS A REPLACEMENT. THE PART NUMBER DID NOT MATCH EITHER THE SAMS OR RCA MANUAL.
NOW, MORE PICS...

THE TUNER. I WILL CLEAN IT AND LUBRICATE ALL MOVING PARTS.

HERE IS THE TOP AFTER RECAPPING. NOTE: I DID REPLACE THE CAPS IN THE HIGH VOLTAGE CAGE.

BOTTOM AFTER RECAPPING. I DID RECAP THE COLOR SECTION, HIDDEN BY A SHIELD.

THE NEXT PICS ARE ON THE RIG. ONE THING ABOUT THE 5 AND RIGS. THE VERTICAL DOES NOT FILL OUT THE SCREEN. YOU WILL NOTICE THE HIGH VOLTAGE IS REGISTERING LOW. I THINK THIS IS ALSO FROM THE RIG. I WILL KNOW FOR SURE ONCE I HAVE IT BACK IN THE CABINET.

I HAD THE SET BACK TOGETHER ON THE 21AXP22 (METAL TUBE). GREEN DOMINATED NO MATTER HOW LOW I SET IT. I HAD BLUE RASTER, BUT HARDLY ANY VIDEO. RED WASN'T THAT GREAT EITHER. I DECIDED TO REPLACE THE CRT. MY TESTER SHOWED WEAK RED AND BLUE.

I HAD A 21FBP22 AVAILABLE. MY TESTER SHOWED IT AT LEAST USABLE. GOING FROM METAL TO GLASS REQUIRED SOME FABRICATION. I GOT SOME LUMBER STRAPS FROM A HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE. THEN, I CUT, TRIMMED AND BENT THE STRAPS TO FIR AROUND THE TUBE (I USED A DUD TUBE FOR THIS). AFTER FINDING SOME RUBBER BUSHINGS (AT LEAST 3/8 INCH THICKNESS, I MOUNTED THE TUBE. EVERYTHING WAS TIED TOGETHER WITH SOME COAT HANGERS. THIS HELD THE TUBE SNUG. IMPORTANTLY, THE DAG WAS GROUNDED AND THE COAT HANGER WAS NOT GUITAR STRING TIGHT.

FOR THE YOKE, I REMOVED THE COVER AND REPLACED IT WITH ONE FROM A JUNK SET. IT FITS NICELY. FOR THE ANODE, I GOT ONE FROM OUR LOCAL TV SHOP. AN ADAPTER WAS FABRICATED TO FIT IN THE CUP.

TRYING TO CONVERGE THESE IS A NIGHTMARE. I GOT IT THE BEST I COULD.

NOW, MORE PICS...

THE METAL TO GLASS CONVERSION. I HAD TO BEND THE LOWER LEFT BRACKET TO CLEAR THE VERTICAL OSCILLATOR TUBE.

FOR NOW, THIS IS DONE. THE PICTURE IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN THIS SHOT SHOWS. I WILL TRY AGAIN TO GET A SHOT WORTH A DAMN. AS OF NOW, THIS IS NOW THE OLDEST CONFIRMED WORKING COLOR TELEVISION IN TRUMBULL COUNTY.