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Old 7th Oct 2022, 12:23 pm   #21
Philips210
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

I remember one of my customers who was diabetic and had suffered eye damage, not because of the TV, but linked to her condition, refused to have a colour TV as she said it affected her eyes so stuck with her mono set. Not sure if she was advised to not have a colour TV by her doctor but seemed to know from other colleagues' experiences.

Maybe certain wavelengths of visible light irritate the eyes in some people.

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Old 7th Oct 2022, 2:57 pm   #22
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

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Originally Posted by bionicmerlin View Post
This sad looking set has had a bad life . Must of had 40 Or more a day during its working life then in retirement it’s been stored in a wet or damp place. On top of that it was used as a parts set. I thought it should give it a second chance.
If you think yours is rough Andy, how about this one just exhumed from the depths of a retired tv engineer friend's garage...!
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Old 7th Oct 2022, 10:19 pm   #23
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

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Originally Posted by slidertogrid View Post
That's very true, Decontrolled colour sets, that is secondhand ones that didn't require a large advance rental were flying out. There was a slight reprieve in the early '80s for black and white especially for older people on a pension caused I think by a fairly large jump in the price of a colour licence.
I had not long become self employed working from home and advertised used sets in the local paper, the phone didn't stop ringing for a couple of weeks for cheap Black and whites... Luckily I got on very well with my ex-employer so I had a plentiful supply of ex rental 'bangers'.
I remember someone mentioned in a previous thread that he had an independent rental company in the 1980s, & when the colour licence fee went up some customers asked to switch to black & white. He bought a batch of Rediffusion Mk13 sets at a disposal sale & reconditioned them for these customers.

This situation didn't last one & most went back to colour.
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 12:10 am   #24
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

Richard_FM wrote: "I remember someone mentioned in a previous thread that he had an independent rental company in the 1980s, & when the colour licence fee went up some customers asked to switch to black & white. He bought a batch of Rediffusion Mk13 sets at a disposal sale & reconditioned them for these customers.
This situation didn't last one & most went back to colour."


Might have been me. In 1985 the colour TV license fee was increased which forced many customers to consider returning to black and white.
I had to act fast and bought a quantity of Rediffusion Mark 13 B & W TV sets.
The Rediffusion Mk13 was considered the best mono set available.
Replacement parts for the MK13 were still readily available from the service department in Rochdale.
Earlier in the 1980s all the Bush-Murphy A774 sets had been cleared out of my rental fleet so I had none of those to offer to my customers, thank goodness.
The Rediffusion sets proved to be very reliable and kept the customers happy until almost all decided in due course to return to colour viewing again, many decided to buy instead of renting.

To get back to the BRC 1500 theme, almost the 1500 series rented out by me were Alba branded models, the model with the wood cabinet. No Ultra 1500s but a few late production Ferguson models.

DFWB.
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 10:42 am   #25
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

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Originally Posted by FERNSEH View Post
Richard_FM wrote: "I remember someone mentioned in a previous thread that he had an independent rental company in the 1980s, & when the colour licence fee went up some customers asked to switch to black & white. He bought a batch of Rediffusion Mk13 sets at a disposal sale & reconditioned them for these customers.
This situation didn't last one & most went back to colour."


Might have been me. In 1985 the colour TV license fee was increased which forced many customers to consider returning to black and white.
I had to act fast and bought a quantity of Rediffusion Mark 13 B & W TV sets.
The Rediffusion Mk13 was considered the best mono set available.
Replacement parts for the MK13 were still readily available from the service department in Rochdale.
Earlier in the 1980s all the Bush-Murphy A774 sets had been cleared out of my rental fleet so I had none of those to offer to my customers, thank goodness.
The Rediffusion sets proved to be very reliable and kept the customers happy until almost all decided in due course to return to colour viewing again, many decided to buy instead of renting.

To get back to the BRC 1500 theme, almost the 1500 series rented out by me were Alba branded models, the model with the wood cabinet. No Ultra 1500s but a few late production Ferguson models.

DFWB.
Thanks for reminding me.

I tried searching for the thread but couldn't find it.

The BRC 1500 had lots of variations over the years, helped by all the Thorn brands having different designs & the chassis being in a few badge engineered sets too.
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 2:43 pm   #26
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

Thanks all for the information about the picture tubes and all the other usfull information.
Colourstar.
Yours might me rough . But I. Sure you could repair it in no time where is me I’m still in the leaning process after 40 plus years. So it might take me a little (or a lot) longer .
I’m getting there slowly.
I have almost finished rebuilding the tuner. I will finish it later. I have soldered washers on the brass sliders ,then filed a flat on the top. Someone had gone grease crazy. On the sliders . I cleaned all that off with some meths and steel wire.
Again in the tuner more grease than normal on the contacts also one vane was touching the iner ones. Everything sorted now I hope after taking out and cleaning the contacts . Ready to put back together. Andy
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 5:40 pm   #27
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

Quote:
If you think yours is rough Andy, how about this one just exhumed from the depths of a retired tv engineer friend's garage...!
Note the nicotine and grime worn off round the knobs, don't think having a cup of tea would have been wise in that house Wipe yer feet on the way out, I recon
Rediffusion Mk13, really nice set, I liked them.
Yes I remember people going back to mono and the cataract scare as well.
Ken G6HZG.
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Last edited by its ur aerial; 8th Oct 2022 at 5:49 pm.
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 5:51 pm   #28
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

That poor old Fergie looks like it's smoked a few Woodbines! I disliked the Piano key type tuner selectors and the 'flapper' type that they also used on the 3500s. The flap or removable cover that covered the tuning adjustments almost always went missing, tuning the set was a fiddle and the owner had usually chewed the screwdriver slots up trying to tune it with a butter knife. The printed wood effect wore off after a few years usually top right where the set was leaned on or held when changing channels. I see the Ferguson has a good old Mazda "Gold Star" The silvery screen special! I wonder how good it is?
Good job on the tuner, Andy! That should work well.

Rich
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 7:32 pm   #29
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

In the early 90s, another new market for second hand monochrome sets was the start of the primitive home computer revolution with things like the Sinclair ZX81 and the Acorn Atom. The only downside with the Acorn was the very non standard sync signals from what I remember. The GEC Series 1 and 2 hated them but were very happy with a ZX81. The Thorn 1500 was ok with both although the frame hold needed fettling on them. Sorry if this is getting off topic.
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 2:24 am   #30
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

I know things are going a bit off topic. All interesting info though. So maybe this will get us back on topic
I got the tuner back together. On testing I have now lost the picture. Not that it was very good in the first place. I do have sound. I didn’t have much time to look further but will try again later.
I can’t get the picture to lock. This picture is taken with the horizontal hold half way . It only stays like that for a second before breaking up. Also if I slowly turn the horizontal hold the picture if you can call it that gets dimmer and if it’s turned fully the picture goes blank. Andy
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 6:55 am   #31
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

Andy, sorry to mention the obvious, but it looks like you could be feeding it with something other than a 625 line signal ?

Ken G6HZG.
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 7:59 am   #32
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

Something odd there. I have never seen a 1500 with the line frequency so far off. I'm thinking man made, Wire off, broken line hold pot etc. John.
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 10:17 am   #33
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

Check VT10 (BC113 but BC547 npn etc will do) and rarely the 30FL2.
I once had C53 fail.
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 11:03 am   #34
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

I have just noticed that you used steel wire to clean the tuner spindles. It's nasty stuff to have around the workbench and I'm wondering if a tiny length of it has got trapped shorted something out on the PC?.
As Rest 73 mentions the 30FL1/2 is very reliable but you never know! When line/frame oscillator valves go low emission the frequency usually goes up.
I'm interested to know the cause. John.
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 12:38 pm   #35
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

Thank you all . I will get back to the set this evening. . It’s definitely fed on 625.
Why does the picture dim to nothing with the horizontal hold full one way. Is that to do with the faults mentioned.
I will first check for anything I have done wrong ,then check everything else mentioned . Andy
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 1:21 pm   #36
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

The line output transformer is 'tuned' to the line frequency. If this is way out of spec the efficiency is much reduced together with the EHT. This is particularly noticeable when the frequency is reduced. Get the line frequency correct and all will be well. J.
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Old 9th Oct 2022, 1:41 pm   #37
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

Just a thought he frame output transformer was missing. I used one from a scrap 1400.
The part number was the same and resistance the same when checking.
I will get back to it later Andy
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Old 10th Oct 2022, 8:29 am   #38
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

The frame output transformer is as you say the same as the 1400 series but will have no effect on your line frequency fault. J.
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Old 10th Oct 2022, 10:58 am   #39
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

So far I put a new 30FL2 valve in and bridged C53 . Practically no change .
Going back to Transistor VT10 . There is two voltage reference points on the 1500 diagram.
I believe on point C it should be 44volt I’m getting 178 volt
On E it should be 1 volt . I’m getting 0V
I stupidly left my AVO at work so I’m using digital. Even so that voltage can’t be right.
Is it best to try a new Transistor . I will have to get one.
Thanks everyone Andy
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Old 10th Oct 2022, 11:32 am   #40
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Default Re: Ultra BRC 1500

I did forget to mention. I did only use the steel wool outside. I have also gone round looking for any mistakes I have made . Andy
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