Recommended books on servicing valve era TV's?

[Voxophone]

Apologies if this has been asked before but all the previous threads I could find related to radios.

I’m looking for a decent book which will help improve my understanding of how TV sets from the valve/405 era operate. I’ve learned a lot since picking up my first set, but I’d like to get a bit more in-depth with my fault-finding etc.

I was recommended “Correcting Television Picture Faults" by John Cura & Leonard Stanley by someone on here a while ago and have kindly been given a copy since. It’s an excellent book but doesn’t go into much detail about the circuits involved.

Ideally I’d like something which is beginner friendly but goes on to cover more advanced topics with plenty of circuit diagrams. I have ‘Teach Yourself Radio Servicing’ by L. Butterworth which helped a lot when I was starting out with valve radios and has a good balance between accessibility and detail. Unfortunately that series doesn’t seem to cover TVs!

Are there any books in particular I should keep an eye out for?

Thanks

Liam

[Nuvistor]

Try the 4 volume set Television Servicing by GN Patchett. Publisher Norman Price Ltd. Well written, small books with lots of information, standard reading for the C&G course 48.

Frank

[ms660]

Yes, that's a vote from me as well.

Lawrence.

[volte-face]

Yes, indeed. And what's more, they are all available here -

https://archive.org/search.php?query...N.+Patchett%22

[Aerodyne]

The Patchett books get my wholehearted endorsement, too. For further interesting reading, you would probably find Television Engineer's Pocket Book by Hawker and Reddihough very useful. This was a Newnes publication and like most of Newnes output, ran into several editions. Mine is the 5th edition, 1968, so there is a chapter on hybrid TVs (transistor tuners and IF amplifiers, mainly) but the great bulk of the book concentrates on valve technology and is very well presented and written.
You would need to search for a used copy, of course, but I'd guess there will be some around on-line.

Tony

[chriswood1900]

Liam
I like TV Technicians Bench manual by G R Wilding and would recommend that.
Have a quick search on sites like Amazon or ABE should be around £2 plus post.
Chris

[Catkins]

When I first got interested in repairing vintage valve televisions a couple of years ago I collected as many books as I could find. These are the ones I eventually found most useful first with theory and then later with fault finding.

More theory oriented books:

1. Television Receiving Equipment, W.T. Cocking. In-depth. Very recommended.

2. Television Explained, 2 Vols, E.A.W. Spreadbury. In-depth. Recommend.

3. Television Principles and Practice, F.J. Camm. Useful, but I personally found it less useful than the above, as it's less in-depth.

4. Modern Practical Radio and Television, 3 vols, C.A. Quarrington. I debated putting this here, as I found it pitched at a more beginners level than I was looking for, and so didn't find it hugely useful.. But it gives a comprehensive description of circuits and techniques from a radio POV and the cross-over from radio to television. Useful if some of the background is a bit rusty.

More servicing oriented books:

1. Television Servicing, 4 Vols, G.N. Patchett. Servicing & theory. Another recommend for these books. It is also available as a single volume combined edition.

2. Television Servicing Handbook, Gordon J. King. Recommended.

3. Television Receiver Servicing, 2 Vols, E.A.W. Spreadbury. Useful.

[Catkins]

Another perhaps obvious point to make, is many of these books ran to many editions over a twenty year+ period, and it's best to get the editions published close to the era of the television you're restoring.

I have a couple of editions of some of these books, and the later editions whilst adding new techniques invariably condense or eliminate their treatment of techniques now considered obsolete.

So if you're restoring a 40s or earlier television, you really need the 40s editions, only they really cover electrostatic deflection/focussing, mains driven EHT power-supplies, thyratron based time-bases, double sideband working etc.

On the other hand, they're not much use for multi-channel tuning, flyback EHT, flywheel synchronisation, interference limiting circuits, mains transformer less and series heated valves and other stuff which came in the 50s.

[Voxophone]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I’ve followed the link to the Patchett books and they seem to be just what I’m after. I might still try to source the original books to make the commute a bit more interesting.

It’s mainly 1950s sets that I’m looking at for the time being. The 1940s can wait till I find a D16T…

Liam

[Nuvistor]

Another vote for W.T. Cocking and E.A.W. Spreadbury. I read many excellent articles by Gordon King, didn't have his books but they will be of the same quality has the articles he wrote.

Foundations of Wireless by M G Scroggie although not wriiren for television is worth considering for radio theory, its another classic text book with many editions.

Frank

[Aerodyne]

I'd also endorse Cocking's work and yes, Gordon J. King's books are every bit as good as his articles were. As for Spreadbury, I'd suggest his 'Television Receiver Servicing' parts 1 and 2 as being well written and informative. These were originally published 1954/5 but how many repeats and revised editions followed I do not know. He was the technical editor of the Trader and knew a thing or two.

Tony