RESTORING A TV IS REWARDING. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF SETS TO AVOID IF YOU'RE DOING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
PHILCO PREDICTA. PHILCO PREDICTAS HAVE THEIR PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD SOLDERED TO THE CHASSIS WITH NO ACCESS UNDERNEATH. A PROPER RESTORATION REQUIRES YOU TO UNSOLDER AND REMOVE THE BOARD. YOU WILL NEED TO DOCCUMENT WHICH WIRE WENT WHERE. THERE ARE COUPLATES ON THE BOARD WHICH MAY BE BAD, AND CAP VALUES ON THESE ARE CRITICAL. YOU WILL FIND MANY HACK REPAIRS. PHILCO SOLD PREDICTAS TO ONE OF THE MAJOR MOTEL CHAINS (HOLIDAY INN? HOWARD JOHNSON'S?) AND THEY WERE WORKED HARD. REPAIRS WERE QUICK AND OFTEN SLOPPY. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THE CRT WILL BE BAD (MINE IS). THE CRT'S IN PREDICTAS HAVE A VERY SHORT NECK. OTHER 17 AND 21 INCH TUBES WILL WORK, BUT THE NECK WILL STICK OUT THE BACK OF THE HOUSING.
MANY PHILCO SETS FROM THE LATE 50'S, LIKE THE PREDICTA, HAD SOLID METAL UNDER THE PC BOARDS. I'M NOT SAYING AVOID THESE, BUT USE YOUR JUDGEMENT. YOU WILL NEED TO REMOVE BOARDS TO RECAP. YOU MAY LIKELY HAVE TO REBUILD COUPLATES, ESPECIALLY IN THE SWEEP SECTIONS. THESE ARE NOT EASY TO RESTORE. IF YOU WANT TO RESTORE A PHILCO, GET ONE FROM THE EARLY 50'S. THE 50-T-1400 SERIES ARE GOOD SETS TO START ON.
RCA 8 INCH PERSONAL PORTABLES. THESE SETS ARE CRAMPED, AND THAT'S PUTTING IT MILDLY. I HAD TO PUT THE NEW ELECTROLYTIC CAPS IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS. THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE CHASSIS. SAMS ONLY COVERS ONE VERSION AND ACCORDING TO THE INDEX, ALL MODELS ARE COVERED. YOU WILL NEED THE RCA FACTORY MANUAL IN ADDITION TO THE SAMS.
COLOR SETS. RESTORE A FEW BLACK AND WHITE ONES FIRST. GET THE BASICS DOWN. COLOR CIRCUITRY ISN'T THAT MUCH DIFFERENT. THINGS COULD GET HAIRY IF YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE PICTURE TUBE.
SOLID STATE SETS. THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
HERE IS A PARTIAL LIST OF SETS I WOULD RECCOMMEND FOR THE BEGINNER.
RCA: THE EARLY ONES WERE HARD WIRED AND CAN MAKE FOR EASY RESTORATION. MANY OF THESE SETS USED METAL CONE PICTURE TUBES. SOMETIME IN THE 50'S, RCA STARTED USING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS. LIKE SOME PHILCO SETS, THE UNDERSIDE MAY NOT BE 100% ACCESSIBLE. ON THESE SETS, YOU CAN CUT OFF THE OLD CAPS, WRAP THE LEADS OF THE NEW CAPS AND TACK SOLDER. THE ELECTROLYTICS CAN BE EASILY HIDDEN. SOME HAVE A THERMAL SWITCH IN THE POWER SUPPLY. THIS WILL NEED TO BE BYPASSED FOR A PROPER SOFT START. RCA SETS ARE NOT THAT HARD TO FIND.
PHILCO: EARLY 50'S TO MID 50'S SETS ARE GOOD TO START ON. THEY ARE HARD WIRED. ONE WORD OF CAUTION THOUGH. ON MY 17" FLOOR MODEL, THE CRT DID NOT RESPOND WELL TO A LONG COOK. I DID HAVE TO REJUVENATE IT. IF YOU HAVE A PHILCO THAT FALLS UNDER THIS CATEGORY, I WOULD VERIFY THE CONDITION OF THE CRT BEFORE PROCEEDING.
ZENITH: ZENITH USED HARD WIRING THROUGHOUT THE TUBE ERA. ONE PROBLEM WITH THE PORTHOLE AND FIRST RECTANGULAR SETS. THESE SETS KILLED FLYBACKS LIKE CRAZY. YOU MIGHT BE BETTER OFF DOING SOMETHING FROM THE MID TO LATE 50'S. AGAIN, VERIFY THE CONDITION OF THE CRT. MANY ZENITH SETS TAKE VERY LITTLE TO LOOK GOOD AGAIN. THE PORTHOLES AND FIRST RECTANGULAR SETS WILL NEED FULL RECAPS. IF YOU HAVE ONE THAT USES MYLAR CAPS, LYTICS MAY BE ALL THAT'S NEEDED.
THIS IS JUST A GUIDE, BASED ON MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. IF YOU HAVE A SET THAT I DIDN'T MENTION, SEND ME PICS AND AN EMAIL. I WILL NEED CHASSIS PICS. IF I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR SET, I'LL REFER YOU TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE.