Rusty-Pye 2 - Son of Rusty-Pye

[Mikey405]

Hi everyone.

Some time back you may or may not remember, I was very kindly given a Pye CT71 colour TV, affectionatly known as "Mr Rusty-Pye" due to the fact that it had been stored in a garage for many years and was quite rusty inside.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=40313

Last Wednesday I took a bit of an excursion to Axminster to see some bits and bobs a chap was selling after his uncle's death. In among all the stuff, half-buried at the back of a barn, I spotted another CT71, a very slightly different version to the original Mr Rusty-Pye. From the outside it looked intact but in fairly poor condition although the cabinet looked straight and the back cover was present. Inside however it was worse - The tuner, IF panel and system-solenoid were all missing, there was mud, animal droppings and straw covering a fair percentage of the panels, half the line timebase was missing, there was all sorts of detritus strewn inside and anything which was originally nice shiny steel was now a dull brown rust colour. After cleaning, the cabinet revealed a fair number of woodworm holes too, although only a few in places that can actually be seen in everyday use. The line timebase panel is very rusty and a lot of the components have "rotted" connections, also the 625-405 system switch has been soldered shut so a transplant switch will be required there. Perhaps I need to find a whole new timebase tower.

I've spent most of today stripping the set down and trying to clean and salvage any parts which might be repairable. All the nuts and bolts are going to be given a good bath of Phosphoric Acid to de-rust them and the CRT magnetic shield has been stripped of all its peripheral components and is going to be rubbed-down and resprayed black. I'm not sure what I can do about the legends on the front of the set as they are rubbing off and if I rub the cabinet down to be re-varnished then they will disappear completely. I tested the tube (it looks like the original A49-11X) and that doesn't seem half bad although there is a small chunk out of the front of the glass.

My biggest problem is going to be finding something to replace the missing multi-band tuner. I think the only set that had a similar tuner was the monochrome Pye "Olympic" but I don't know whether that had AFC or not - can anyone confirm? I wonder if I can use the mechanism of the monochrome tuner with the electronics out of the bigger Pye CT70 set. The next problem is going to be the solenoid and bell-crank mechanism that sits atop the IF panel. However I think these are going to be the least of my worries at the moment.

Attached is a link to some photos of the set. Most of the pictures have been taken just so I can remember where nuts and bolts go etc. As cats seem to play a big part in this forum I've included a few pictures of my parents cat Dracula as seen on the small-screen at the end.

To be continued - I hope.

Thanks everyone.

Kind regards.

From Mike.

http://www.oldtechnology.net/misc/Rusty-Pye_2.zip (On a very slow broadband connection and it won't be finished uploading until the morning of Monday 22nd July.)

[paulsherwin]

Mike, I admire your dedication, but why would you want to restore a complete wreck like this? Is the set particularly scarce or well regarded?

[Lloyd 1985]

Wow! Nice find. It doesn't look too bad once you got it to bits and cleaned out some of the crap. Good luck with it!

Regards,
Lloyd.

[Mikey405]

Hi Paul and Lloyd.

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

why would you want to restore a complete wreck like this?

Why indeed. Well, the set is a fairly rare beast and I thought it wasn't completely beyond saving.

Originally Posted by Lloyd 1985

It doesn't look too bad once you got it to bits and cleaned out some of the crap.

I think you're right Lloyd - I may end up washing the panels in water to get them completely clean. I've decided that the line scan and EHT stack probably wants replacing as a whole.

Thanks Paul and Lloyd.

Kind regards.

From Mike.

[Heatercathodeshort]

It might be easier to replace the whole receiver...

Your a brave man Mikey. John.

[bobbyball]

I'm sure you are not beyond such a challenge Mike!

[Tazman1966]

Oh Mike! What have you done?!! Seriously as Lloyd says, once cleaned out, it doesn't look half as daunting although I'm inclined to agree that the line timebase/power supply looks like it may be beyond redmeption!

As far as the legends are concerned, they don't look too damaged to worry about. Just be careful when rubbing down to leave the area around them alone - just varnish over the top of them.

By the way Paul, I should imagine that they're pretty rare. I have one and now Mike's got two but neither of us know of any others in existence.

Good luck Mike!

[Lloyd 1985]

Hi Mike,
I used to have some good stuff for cleaning pcb's, in ultrasonic cleaners, it was Safewash from RS I think. It was quite expensive, but you got 5 litres of it, and only needed a small amount per wash. Shifts flux and other muck very well

Regards,
Lloyd

[Mikey405]

Thanks all for the comments.

I've stripped and washed the CDA panel and the frame panel. Unfortunately the corrosion on some of the components was such that one or more of the legs just fell off without the least provocation - especially the lockfit transistors. Anyway, I'm replacing all the transistors with new and any component that even remotely looks like the damp has got to it - All the electrolytic caps look like they expired years ago; I've stuck an order in to Grandata so hopefully they should be here by next summer.

As a matter of interest, the lockfit transistor in the frame oscillator is a BFW60 - Does anyone know if there's anything special about this transistor that I need to beware of? I'm just going to have a look at the myriad spec sheets on the Interweb but I'd be interested if people have changed it for anything else in the past.

Neil(29) has very kindly offered to have a look through his pile of Pye bits to see if either a dual-standard EHT stack or rotary tuner lies therein.

Thanks all.

Kind regards.

From Mike.

[Mikey405]

Originally Posted by Lloyd 1985

I used to have some good stuff for cleaning pcb's, in ultrasonic cleaners

Thank you for the suggestion Lloyd - I've just been removing any wire-wound components and other delicate stuff and then using pump-action handwash soap and water to give the boards a good scrub. After leaving the boards out for a couple of hours in the blazing outside sunshine they seem to be coming out looking like new. Well, almost.

[FERNSEH]

Hi Mike,
You gotta see this one through. The main part, the cabinet looks OK, the only critical component is that rotary tuner.
I'll watching this project with great interest. But what's happening to me? This kind of stuff was once considered too modern for me.
Even did up a '70s radiogram last week.
Next time I'm down to see you I must not forget to take the wood working cramps with me so that we can fix the cabinet of Mr. Rusty Pye One.

DFWB.

[FERNSEH]

Hi Mike,
Just been looking through the 1969-70 Radio & TV servicing book and it appears certain Pye 368 chassis models had the rotary tuner. No AFC though which is what you'd expect in a mono TV set.
In the 1968-69 servicing book we're informed that certain Dynatron models had the rotary tuner. These models along with Ekco and Ferranti models were fitted with the Pye Group 67 chassis. Someone out there must have a scrap set.

DFWB.

[Mikey405]

Thanks David. I was wondering whether I could graft the mechanics from a Pye Olympic (368 chassis) or equivalent to the electronic part of a CT70 tuner (the bigger 6-push-button tuner). Attached is a picture of the tuner out of Rusty-Pye 1.

Regarding the cramps, that would be fantastic, and re the 1970s Radiogram, I guess as we get older the things that are at the edge of our memory become newer. You'll soon be drooling over those French ICC5 Thompson chassis.

Thanks David.

Kind regards.

From Mike.

[FERNSEH]

Hi Mike,
Hear my confession. I actually do have an ICC5 TV set upstairs. Someday Ill dig it out and plug it in.
I have a Group 67 six button tuner unit here. Worth a chance sending it off to you for appraisal?

David.

[Heatercathodeshort]

With a bit of luck the 367/368 tuner may have the bits for AFC but were never used in the mono receiver. The original valve Philips UHF tuner had an 'AFC' pin but was never used in the UK. It's certainly a challenge if the corrosion can be over come. The best of luck with it. John.

[Welsh Anorak]

Hi Mike
One day you'll pick a nice easy one! As a matter of interest, what year is the calendar we can see instead of half the line stack? Might that be when it was taken to bits?
It looks like you're in for a long job here, but it'll be worth it to see another of the Pye Colour Chassis back in working order.
I seem to remember that funny transistor in the frame stage had to be the right one - isn't it in a sort of odd self-oscillating circuit? These panels were much better than the later ones and I was always happy to find a CT205 I'd bought for refurbishment had got early frame, decoder and CDA boards in it.
Good luck!
Glyn
PS Anyone want a working ICC5? Thought not.

[FERNSEH]

Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak

PS Anyone want a working ICC5? Thought not.

And here it is, my old 21" ICC5. It's been upstairs since 1994. It might still work.
Guess which set I'd rather have, the rusty Pye or the ICC5?

DFWB.

[bobbyball]

Mike if you are stuck for a frame panel and it's the same as on the later Pye hybrids which I think it is, then I probably have one somewhere, and also an "older" CDA panel that just needs the stand-off valveholders fitting...

[neil29]

Hi Mike, You have a PM about some parts that I have that might be useful to the restoration.


Cheers,Neil.

[GLENZ32]

Mike - You sure have a restoration project ahead of you there...All I can say is good luck with it and persevere with the thing. I'm sure if it wasn't an obscure or rare beast you may have abandoned it by now?
Cheers Glen