It's not often you'll find me in the Black & White TV section. I pretty much gave up on B&W back in 2013, selling all but two of my 405-line TVs and moved over to colour. However, there's always a however isn't there. I had an itch that had not been scratched and always fancied one of these, I think they're just so iconic of the 1970s. Along with the Keracolor, Aphelion, Murphy Acoustic, these TVs were often seen in shows of the era.
The trouble is I just never found one that was complete with stand, not broken or generally worse for years of neglect in a garage or shed. Well, the waiting is over, thanks to @sideband Richard, he made a very kind gesture and donated this one to the Crusty museum. I believe, I might be wrong, it came from the family that bought it originally.
It's complete, in very good condition and is an early one with the rotary channel change, not the later G8 style paddles. The bottom of the Tulip stand is pitted with rust spots, this appears to be common to all I've seen, nothing a good sanding, treatment and respray with 'Old English" white, won't resolve. I've not looked inside yet, it's only just arrived. I've got the Philips service data for the 320 chassis, so that’s good too.
More on this in due course, for now some photos. It looks cool next to one of my 70s armchairs. For now, it's safe in the museum and having a cosy chat with the 3C03. I think they're getting along because of their funky 70s look, the white Saba opposite is chirping in too.
Thanks, Rich, I'm so very chuffed to finally have one of these and look forward to getting it to the bench, it's a long time since I worked on a TV that didn't have a decoder or need converging.
Hi Chris. Wow!! I'm so glad it arrived in one piece. It really looks good in your '70's setting! You are right.....it came from the family who bought it....well her parents bought it and she thought to save it when clearing their house out as it was so iconic. She thought I might 'upcycle' it into a fishtank......I put her straight on that!!
I know nothing else about the set other than it's been standing for at least 10 years (analogue shut down here in 2012). It may even work but I didn't want to try it and spoil your fun. These use a thyristor power supply (BT106 unless it's already been uprated) and I'm not sure you can run these up slowly from a variac. I think it's full mains or bust with these. It's over 40 years since I last worked on one. Yes the early type used the rotary channel change which were always replaced with the G8 style 'rooftile' 6-way unit. If you can get the rotary one to work, it will be even more original. The fact that it still has the original suggests that it might be a low hours set since most were replaced in the first few years.
It looks much better in its current setting than in my hallway! I shall follow its repair with interest when you get around to it.
Cheers.
P.S, I love the 70's style room but where is the lava lamp?
For those of you itching to have a look inside, including me. It certainly does appear to be in untouched condition, no obvious repairs that I can see. I do note that R233 looks to have got very hot, no idea if that is normal or signs of a problem. I don't know this chassis and have not even looked at the manual yet. I spy a Philips G11 type glow switch in there too.
The chassis lowers in two stages, a 45-degree and then pretty much flat. I like the neat idea of two stabilising plastic triangular feet, that deploy when the chassis is first lowered. This provides stability and stops the whole TV tipping over backwards, and all the horror that would result to the CRT neck, nice touch.
I guess I should really test the CRT, and for that I won't be using the B&K but the Leader LCT-910A.
OH wow! The CRT is like new! I wonder if this was a little used bedroom set? There's lots of white fluff in the case, which often means bedroom. Hopefully, this should be a corker of a set.
As you might have guessed, I like these sets. I have one 17" like yours with slightly rusty stand, a 20" set in a slim wooden cabinet with the G8-style slanted tuner buttons (same 320 chassis inside) and another 17" without the stand - this one is currently non-working.
Philips were one of the few manufacturers who bothered to add a black level clamp circuit to their monochrome TVs. You really notice the difference in picture quality compared with a Thorn 1500 for example.
Beware of the green high-voltage capacitor on this chassis, just behind the line output transistor. It can go o/c or low in value, causing the EHT to rise dramatically. On my 20" set, the capacitor had split open at one end. The EHT rectifier stick arced across to the chassis, destroying it along with the line output transistor. When replacing the capacitor, its value is critical.
The glow switch is a crude overvoltage protection device. In case the power supply goes over voltage, the neon will glow and a bimetallic strip will bend, causing a short circuit thus blowing the mains fuse. The power supply has another protection circuit; when overloaded the voltage is reduced.
Anyway I'm sure you'll have fun getting it going again. And I really like your 70s inspired room too!
Looking good Chris. It looks relatively low usage. I can't see from the photos if the power supply has had the thyristor mod. Otherwise it all looks original and with a cracking tube as well. I forgot that these are fitted with the EHT fart sticks.....phew when they go!! Yes watch that EHT tuning cap. Probably worth changing that before applying power as it will let go under stress.
I think there are two models in that brochure that shouldn't be there....the two bottom right. There were never any 320's that were dual standard.....and the model numbers all began 32x
I think the brochure covered all the Philips black and white TVs that were available at the time - not just the 320 series.
A small number of dual standard black and white TVs were still being made in the early 1970s for those people who were not yet covered by 625 UHF transmissions. Another Ferguson brochure from the early 70s includes a dual standard 1400 set along with single standard mono and colour TVs.
Anyway, from the brochure my 20" set is the G20T328 model with sapele cabinet finish and wire legs.
Another repair tip - you can remove the chassis completely from the set if you want to. It just unplugs.
most people still had black & white sets until 1977.
Was certainly the case in my family in 1977: my parents had one, my two great aunts had them and my recently married brother had one. The two great aunts had identical sets - a 405-only RGD 519.
The flyback tuning cap in this TV is C2461 2.2nF at 2kV. Typically, I have a host of flyback tuning caps in stock, but not specifically 2.2nF, I have close 2nF 2.5nF & 2.7nF.
Therefore, I've placed an order for the exact value. I've no idea if the very slight offset from a 2.2nF to a 2.5nF or 2.7nF might have on the tuning, so best to play safe.
Therefore, I've placed an order for the exact value. I've no idea if the very slight offset from a 2.2nF to a 2.5nF or 2.7nF might have on the tuning, so best to play safe.
Always better to go higher value if the exact one isn’t to hand. A lower value will tend to increase the EHT.
OH wow! The CRT is like new! I wonder if this was a little used bedroom set? There's lots of white fluff in the case, which often means bedroom. Hopefully, this should be a corker of a set.
You've not met my mother in law, have you?! 🤣 A liberal user of talcum powder, everything throughout her house is coated in the damned stuff, inside and out.
You should have seen the state of her last PC when I decommissioned it.
You've not met my mother in law, have you?! 🤣 A liberal user of talcum powder, everything throughout her house is coated in the damned stuff, inside and out.
Oh yes, you always knew if you had a bedroom set mostly for that very reason, and you always knew if the set was located near the budgie cage by the amount of seed inside.
You've not met my mother in law, have you?! 🤣 A liberal user of talcum powder, everything throughout her house is coated in the damned stuff, inside and out.
Oh yes, you always knew if you had a bedroom set mostly for that very reason, and you always knew if the set was located near the budgie cage by the amount of seed inside.
If any ex-DER employees ever dealt with a TX10 with soil from pot plants inside, that was my Mother's speciality!
Well, shows you how long it's been since I last needed paint from Halford's. In I go over the paint section, looking for "Old English" white..... Yeah, Crusty it's 2022 not 1982, no such thing! There were lots of whites, and many off whites, I chose the off-est of them all. Despite that, compared to the yellowing of the TV, it looks WHITE. There's an old-fashioned Motor shop in town that might be able to help, and I believe they mix, for now it's better than it was.
Having said all that, I doubt even old English white would match the yellowing of the case. I'll try putting it in the conservatory, that has revived another TV that had faded, it was quite remarkable how much it came back. Shame I just missed all the past days of sunshine.
The box Rich sent it up in served as a spray booth.
