The Set: Pete Deksnis's Site about the CT-100 Restoring a Vintage Color Television Set |
A recent confluence of
events that began five years ago culminated in the resurrection of one more
dark CT-100 to operational status.
Here’s a timeline built from email (in italics) and
[The museum is now the American
Museum of Radio and Electricity]
Jim Fries, Seattle. Has the CT-100 he bought for $50 in early 60s. Sound only. May restore. May give to a museum. Not listed as operational.
Update:
Raster but no video. Cabinet s/n 788. [Chassis B8002177.]
Pete, I have decided to donate my CT-100 (cabinet s/n 788) to the
Pete, we have become the proud
owner of Jim Fries' CT-100 Set. In the event that you are able to get the
picture tube rebuilt we would certainly want to have this done. Jonathan
Winter,
6-28-2004
Hello, my name is Javier Dimas and I came
across your website while researching a CRT I found in the garage of my wife's
late grandfather. The box appears to have been opened but the contents never
removed. Photos attached. If you could please supply my wife and me with some
information on this product, I would be greatly appreciative.
Javier Dimas
Hi Javier, First, thank you for
taking the time to email me with information and photographs of the 15GP22.
Yes, I can confirm that it is in
fact a 15GP22 from your close-up of the connector. There are two main clues:
the connector has 20 pins and the hole in the center of the guide pin clearly
shows the copper stem pinched off; this is where the manufacturing process
connected the tube to a vacuum pump.
It is a delicate tube and is
prone to a vacuum leak, which renders the tube useless as a functional device,
good only for display.
May I suggest the following? Do
not yet remove the tube; I can supply you with further instructions that will
improve your chance of recovering the tube in tact.
There is a museum on the west
coast with a partially operational TV set that the tube was made for. They are
in need of good 15GP22 for their set and would be interested in purchasing your
tube.
Thanks again for writing, and I
hope to hear from you soon.
Pete
Hello Pete,
Thank you for responding so quickly.
My wife and I are very excited that this tube may be able to further the
preservation of history.
From what I can gather, the
tube was purchased direct from RCA with the intent to make a custom wall TV,
which was well within the capabilities of my wife's grandfather. For one reason
or another this was not done. Still, he took it with him when he left that
house, and against the wishes of his sons, put it in a corner of the attic,
safely within its box, and there it stayed until the present day.
As you have suggested the box
will not be opened any further than it has been and we eagerly await
instructions from you to facilitate preservation. We are hopeful that its time
in the attic has been a safe harbor, and that the vacuum seal has not broken, or
leaked with the passage of time.
Hopefully the museum you
mentioned is located with in the
Javier
Hi Javier
As to the 15GP22, it would be
best to determine how well it has survived the years. Fortunately, the
temperature extremes in
Below there is a link to a page
on my website showing the internal parts of the original RCA factory carton for
a 15GP22. Your carton should be similar.
There should also be an attached
photo of a good, under vacuum, little-used 15GP22 with its neck vertical. It is
vertical with its front face, called the faceplate, resting on the supporting
surface. It is best to keep the tube in this attitude when it is out of its carton.
But for now, it may not be necessary to remove the tube. The metallic area on
the lower part of the tube in the photo is a mu-metal shield used when the
15GP22 is installed in a set and will not be present with your tube.
Some general information regarding
handling a 15GP22: never pick up or support the tube by its neck — always pick
up the tube by its faceplate. The tube weighs 26 pounds. I always use a folded
blanket, a soft sofa cushion, or something similar such as a deep pile rug on
which to place the 15GP22. If you remove the top two cardboard inserts, the
neck should be visible and the 'getter flashes' should also be visible. These
getter flashes are the three dark areas — blotches really — shown in the photo
around the upper neck of the tube. What we hope for is that these getter
flashes are either (1) black as in the photo or they can (2) display a silvery
sheen (often with the black as a base from which the silvery appearance
emanates).
These three areas inside the
neck may also have a white halo around the black or silver blotches.
It can also be a chalky almost
powdery white. This last condition is what we don't want to see, for it means
the tube has lost its vacuum sometime over the last 50 years and is full of
air.
There may also be a tag attached
to the neck, or there may be (as in the photo) a serial number label taped or
glued to the base (the 20-pin connector). I would appreciate knowing what
information these possible tags contain; it is most usually the final
factory-assigned serial number.
I do appreciate your interest in
preserving this artifact from the early beginning days of color television and
I look forward to hearing from you again. Please email with any question your
may have or clarification I may offer.
Pete
Hi Javier,
Thanks for the great pictures;
it is clear that the 15GP22 has not ‘sprung a leak’ lo these many decades and
is very much under vacuum. Based upon the history of the tube you have provided
and the state of its vacuum, there is a very high probability that the tube
will perform correctly in a restored CT-100 color television set. Jonathan
Winter, curator of the
You should be aware that a
functional 15GP22 is worth far more than it cost back in December 1954. If you
wish the museum to have your tube for display and use in its CT-100, these are
your options based upon my experience. Jonathan has funded the purchase of your
15GP22 for up to $2000. You may also wish to consider donating the tube to the
museum. Or, you may wish to accept less: perhaps $500 or $1000. Either way, the
museum will acknowledge you as the source of the tube. My reward in this
process is the knowledge that one of the few remaining 15GP22 color picture
tubes did not ended up in a landfill. I want you to know also that one used but
still operational 15GP22 was bought for a little over $3000 eighteen months
ago, but it did not reflect a typical selling price in my opinion. I am certain
that arrangements can be made to pick up the tube if you decide that the museum
should have the tube, as shipping a 15GP22 has in the past proven to be iffy.
Perhaps it would be best for you to communicate directly with the museum at
this point. I am certain Jonathan will contact you presently
Pete
Javier
.
.
.
Jonathan Winter
American