I COULD SUB ANOTHER 17" TUBE, BUT THE NECK MAY BE TOO LONG. I WILL EITHER TRY TO FIND A PROPER REPLACEMENT, OR I WILL HAVE THE TUBE REBUILT. FOR TEST PURPOSES, I COULD BORROW THE TUBE FROM MY MOTOROLA, BUT I WOULD PREFER NOT TO. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, THE COST OF A TUBE, PLUS WHAT I PAID FOR THE SET, WOULD BE FAR LESS THAN IF I WENT TO A VERY POPULAR ONLINE AUCTION SITE. IN OTHER WORDS, I DON'T FEEL I GOT SCREWED. A TV COLLECTION IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT A PREDICTA.
THE PREDICTA WAS A RADICAL DESIGN, ESPECIALLY BY 1950'S STANDARDS. UNFORTUNATELY FOR PHILCO, THE QUALITY WAS NOT THE BEST. THEY MADE A HELL OF A LOT OF WARRANTY REPAIRS. THE 21 INCH VERSION WAS WORSE. THE 21 INCH VERSION WENT THROUGH LOTS OF CRT'S. THE QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEMS WITH THE PREDICTA, ALONG WITH OTHER FACTORS LED TO PHILCO'S DEMISE AND EVENTUAL OWNERSHIP BY FORD.
I MAY HAVE A POSSIBLE SOURCE FOR A CRT. IF HE HAS ONE, I CAN GO AHEAD WITH THE RESTORATION. NOV 2006: NO LUCK FINDING A CRT YET. I'M LOOKING. I DISCOVERED THIS VERSION OF THE PREDICTA COULD USE A 6 VOLT CRT OR A TWO VOLT CRT. I HAVE A FEELING MINE USED THE TWO VOLT TUBE. IF I HAVE TO GET THE TUBE REBUILT, I WILL REQUEST THE 6 VOLT HEATER. JUDGING FROM WHAT I SAW INSIDE, COMPARED TO THE SAMS, MINE WAS PROBABLY A MOTEL SET. I SAW HACK REPAIRS RIGHT AWAY. I WILL EVENTUALLY RETURN THIS TO FACTORY SPECS. LACK OF A BUILT IN ANTENNA FUELS MY SUSPICIONS. I WILL ALSO ADD A SMALL FAN TO AID IN VENTILLATION.
JUNE 2006: I REMOVED THE DEAD CRT AND CONFIRMED IT WAS A TWO VOLT HEATER. AS OF THIS WRITING, I HAVE TWO LEADS ON A REPLACEMENT CRT. ONCE I HAVE A CRT, I CAN PROCEED.