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Old 23rd Oct 2010, 4:17 pm   #92
P.Pilcher
Pentode
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Lichfield, Staffs, UK.
Posts: 150
Default Re: Favourite Colour tv's

Well, unlike just about everybody else, the colour telly which I hold close to my heart is the old Pye CT 72 and its successor with the flat panel line timebase/power supply section. It was the only telly that I really got familiar with and as so many friends and acquaintances had them I learned a lot about servicing the circuit.
My family acquired one, new in 1970 and it formed the borderline between the old monocrome chassis we had owned which lasted for about 5 years and the partially transistorised units wich had a life of about 10.
Having moved out of the family home, I needed my own telly and, in those days you could by a working one for £50 or an "untested" one for £25. These were all ex-rental sets and it was often quite easy to breathe new life into them.
I never had trouble with the CDA panels charring up, but have the impression that the circuit board material of the early sets was of much higher quality thus were resistant to the heat generated by their four valves.
One ex-rental set I acquired I will never forget. It was sitting in the warehouse minding it's own business when I spotted it because it's cabinet was in superb condition and highly polished. I thus removed the back and the components were dustless and absolutely pristine. It had hardly ever been switched on but was probably about 10 years old. £25 changed hands rapidly and the set acompanied me home. On getting it into the workshop, I removed the back to examine my purchase more thoroughly and spotted a broken connection on one of the power thermistors. I repaired this with a blob of solder and switched on. Perfect picture! As my parent's telly had recently packed up and had had a hard 10 years life, I gave this one to them and it served them well for the rest of their lives.
I often used to think of this set occupying pride of place in someone's living room and being proudly shown off to friends and neighbours: "We've got a colour telly." But of course, it was rarely if ever switched on despite the rent being paid every week. Eventually, I suppose they decided to have a go and nothing happened. The repair man was thus summoned, noted that it was by then a very ancient one and persuaded his customers to rent a more modern model. ("With this one - look - you can have a remote control... e.t.c.") Thus the rental company disposed of a hardly used, very easily repaired unit from which I was the beneficiary!

P.P.
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