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Old 17th Aug 2014, 3:54 pm   #121
Welsh Anorak
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Hi
Yes - the TX9 could be a bit troublesome! We used to scrounge 1.6A fuses from Radio Rentals as they were the proper antisurge ones with the spring inside which would tolerate spurious trip operation. Any others just wouldn't do. Changing the zener diode for a genuine one plus a couple of other semis, then the mains choke if necessary followed by a new mains plug and check on the customer's socket if possible cured most of the problems.
Other than the PSU I think I replaced one LOPT that produced no EHT. Repeated blowing of the frame IC could be a problem, usually due to cracked print when the original was removed using a crowbar. Flywheel diodes and 220k resistors, the AV switching diode and occasional uPC chroma ICs plus tuner/IF troubles and there you had it. The chopper version was a welcome relief - I think the only problem was the feedback resistor causing a shorted transistor. One of the last good British sets - even André Previn liked it! (Though apparently he really favoured the Hitachi...)
The TX90, though good in the portable versions - the 20" was a step too far - was clearly a cheap set.
Glyn
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Old 17th Aug 2014, 4:00 pm   #122
Alan Stepney
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

I liked the G6, the early one with the white-switching relay.

Perhaps that was because I was given one (on loan) when BBC2 trade tests started, and long before Chillerton Down got going in colour.

When set up properly, they were superb, and in my opinion, beat all the other sets of that era.
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Old 17th Aug 2014, 4:16 pm   #123
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Hi
Agreed - I taught myself a lot on a basket-case ex-rental G6 which I eventually got going. The duals gave the better picture, though I'm not entirely sure why. The reliability was surprisingly good considering the number of valves and the method of construction. A close second, picture wise, was the GEC 2028 which probably had about half the component count of the G6! I never thought Bush sets really got the colours right till after the A823.
Glyn
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Old 17th Aug 2014, 8:27 pm   #124
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Interesting thread, and so many sets to choose from!

When set up correctly the GEC 2028/2029 dual standard and 2040 single standard hybrids gave excellent results. Their double sided print was something else but with the right tools, such as a hot iron, it was possible to remove a component without taking the print with it!

Others include ITT CVC5/8, TCE 3000/3500 series, Philips K70 and the later K80. In the 1980's Philips KT3/K30 chassis gave acceptable performance as did the B&O 8800 series. Thorn TX9 was another.

B&O 3400 hybrid tops the lot for picture quality as it was one of the few sets capable of resolving the full 5.25MHz video bandwidth without artefacts on a selected Philips CRT. Dynamic focus circuitry allowed for correct setting over 95% screen coverage. It had PL509 (x2), PY500, PY88 valves with a GY501 EHT rectifier. Full EHT was developed from the transformer overwind but became a source of later reliability issues. EHT regulation was tight however, and mis setting beam current limiter caused the shadow mask to buckle through overheating!

Cheers
Rich
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Old 17th Aug 2014, 9:31 pm   #125
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Hi

Thinking about the G6, I wonder why Philips didn't manufacture a 19" version. Maybe, the overall cabinet dimensions would not have been much different to the 25" set due to having a large chassis. It may then have looked odd seeing a 19" tube in a quite large cabinet.

Strangely enough, there was no 20" G8 either until towards the end of production in around 1976/77. That set used the Mullard A51 220X tube with integral magnetic shield.

I think the GEC 2028 must have been the first set to have a 19" Mullard 'Panorama' tube.

Regards
Symon
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Old 18th Aug 2014, 7:21 am   #126
Alan Stepney
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Given the cost of early CTV's, the 25" G6 was a massive beast and looked impressive. (Same applies to other 25" sets.)

Had you paid out the price of a car for one, you would want something that looked the part, and a small set didnt have the same appeal.
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Old 18th Aug 2014, 4:40 pm   #127
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Other favourite good sets were the Korting Transmere reliability with an excellent picture.
The ITT CVC 5 -9 Great sets lasted for years except the tuner.
And my best was GEC2110 series not so much the neon touch tuner great design.
Not keen on the A823 the colours quality was a bit iffy but the Murphy 2215 white cabinet sold well.
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Old 19th Aug 2014, 2:19 pm   #128
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Philips210 View Post
Thinking about the G6, I wonder why Philips didn't manufacture a 19" version
Philips did a 19" version of their K7 around 1969, but it may never have been imported to the UK.
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Old 19th Aug 2014, 2:57 pm   #129
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Hi
Of course Philips did do a 22" dual standard version of the G6 - the G22K503. Quite a rare model which was released at the same time as the 511 for people needing a dual standard set. Would have been interesting to compare the dual and single standards side by side - I always thought the duals had the edge.
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Old 23rd Aug 2014, 12:09 am   #130
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

For me it has to be the Philips G8, more specifically the G22K550, simply because it was our main (rental) set while I was in school and seemed to go on forever compared to our previous rentals, common as muck back in the 70's but looked stylish and had a cracking picture. I know others didn't like the tuning buttons (myself included when I serviced a few in the late 80's) but we never had any complaints back then.

By the time we upgraded to a new teletext set the G8's tube was really tired, we hadn't even noticed it fading away until delivery of the new set.

I'm still on the look out for a 550, I despair now at the sets I threw away in the 80's
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Old 23rd Aug 2014, 1:38 pm   #131
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

I agree THE G22K550 was the last and best version of the G8.They had ironed out all the problems and glitches by then and that new single decoder RGB output board was just the best.
CRT's often faded gradually so that customers did not notice it even when they had to pull all the curtains and switch off the lights every time they watched their set.
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Old 23rd Aug 2014, 3:54 pm   #132
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

My favourite colour TV set is an early one, the Pye CT70. Or, better still the compact 19" version, the CT71. Amazing how they stuffed all those works into a set not much bigger that a monochrome set.
The G6? No chance, an awful thing.
Liked the Bush A823, pity about the pcture quality though.

DFWB.
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Old 24th Aug 2014, 10:57 pm   #133
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Hi

The only real issue with the later G8s (550) was the awful convergence board, this became quite discoloured and troublesome.
ISTR that replacements weren't too expensive from Philips. Back in the mid 1980's, I purchased a few of these boards from Sendz Components which were even cheaper so an economic repair was possible on a fairly old set.
The early G8 (520) had a far superior convergence unit.

Regards
Symon
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Old 31st Aug 2014, 11:57 am   #134
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Hi
I bought a number of those Sendz Components boards too - it was nice to fit one instead of the piece of burnt toast that the original had become! I used to fit a resitor (perhaps 47 ohm?) across one or two of the pots to reduce overheating. Now if only the LOPT had plugged in it would have been even better. I remember changing a TBA 530 in the customer's house with masking tape, a hot iron and a toothbrush! It worked, though the customer was a bit apprehensive. I bought a desoldering tool soon after.
Perhaps a 'least favourite colour TVs' thread would be interesting. Anyone?
Glyn
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Old 31st Aug 2014, 1:40 pm   #135
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

Hi all,
The TV chassis that I loathed was the 3A. The access was awful, most of the time I prayed that I didn't add more faults to it than cure. They were quite reliable, but every one we did seemed a struggle.

SJM.
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Old 31st Aug 2014, 2:36 pm   #136
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

The Philips 550 wasn't my favourite set but it was a favourite with the public.
The 550 was in production from 1973 to 1975. Possibly the only set I know where the potential customer came into the shop and asked about the set by quoting the model number. The set won a favourable Which Magazine appraisal.
So almost every day we were asked; "Have got a Philips 550 in stock".
My problem was the 550 was flogged off by the discount stores that were wrecking the TV retail trade in those times. Try selling a TV set for £249 when the discounters were selling it for £199.

DFWB.

Last edited by FERNSEH; 31st Aug 2014 at 2:46 pm.
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Old 31st Aug 2014, 10:17 pm   #137
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

I liked the Pye 691 chassis sets, properly set up they gave a good picture and not too many repairs, I may like them as we sold quite a lot and kept the wages coming in.The later versions of the chassis were not so good, I presume from cutting costs, they were not as reliable or as good a picture.
We sold the RBM A823 sets as well, not as good a picture as the 691 and not the easiest in parts to work on, still they sold and again kept the wages on track.
The ITT CVC20 I seem to remember gave a good account of themselves but these were a little later than the 691.
The Pye 731 chassis seemed OK but I think they were not as reliable, I think these were 110 degree tubes, perhaps that did not help, did they bring out a 725 chassis with 90 degree tube to help reliability and reduced cost?

It all changed for us with Hitachi and Toshiba, the first range were not that good on looks and picture quality but they soon sorted that out and UK sets under 22 inch did not stand a chance, good picture, put them out and forget them. Still they had own problems with larger sets when they started producing them.

I was out of the trade in about 1980, after about 20 years and moved on.

Yes I remember the problems we had with a discount store in town, not easy but then the middle 70's were not easy in many ways. The discount stores now have the same problem with Internet shopping as we had with discount stores.
These are my recollections, but it is a long time ago so some chassis numbers could be wrong but not the 691.
Frank
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Old 31st Aug 2014, 10:46 pm   #138
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

I used to like the ITT Ideal colour tvs with the remote control that actually plugged into the TV itself,they used to be very popular when we used to rent them out at Rumbelows.
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Old 31st Aug 2014, 10:57 pm   #139
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

re post 138.
was that a wired remote control? Dynatron used that type, the wire used to break close to the hand set, cut off 6 inch of cable and rewire, common fault with them.
Frank
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Old 31st Aug 2014, 11:58 pm   #140
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Default Re: Favourite Colour Televisions.

No it wasnt wired,it actually pushed into a large slot on the front of the TV and then you could use it actually fitted into the tv as a manual controller.
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