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CTV Oct 1979 20" Ferguson 3758 - Thorn 9900

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crustytv
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This is the first of a few new additions to the museums' collection that I will be revealing over the coming days, so watch this space.

I'm not exactly sure on the date of this offering from Thorn. According to my Thorn Chassis Guide, the version of 9000 chassis employed in the 3758 is the 9900 series. Again I'm unfamiliar with what the subtle differences are, say compared to my Multi-broadcast 9000 series that is also has an ultrasonic remote.

Interesting to note from the guide, the preceding model 3757, was a 9800 series and the version after, the 3759, was a 9600 series. I do have some supplements for the 9000/9900/9901 series, some of these detail all the modifications and production changes, fault lists, fault-finding the sweep tune panel and of course the 9901 service info, which includes PCB layout and schematic. These are all sequential-issued documents released in Feb 1982, so were these still in production when the TX9 was out? Surely not!

The TV has touch tune, and as stated employs ultrasonic remote control. I find myself wondering if this is an export set, for no other reason there are a lot of German language stickers, especially on the chassis frame, I don't recall noticing these on other 9K sets, most likely I'm mistaken. There was a 9200 series that surfaced in New Zealand, see here.

Outwardly it's a very clean and tidy example, with only one notable issue, that being the tuner control draw facia is missing, maybe I can get someone to 3D-Print me one? (hint hint) 😎 

Inside there's a thick layer of dust indicating it has not been touched in many a year. The main and obvious negative being the CRT PCB being cracked in three places, the tube appears to be fine. Not an unsurmountable repair, I fixed similar damage to my 3712 8000 series CRT PCB, but hassle nonetheless. Although subsequently I did get a replacement CRT base for the 8500 by way of a donation from another VRAT member.

p.s.

Looking at the wear on BBC1 and ITV, I'd say the owners were not fans of BBC2 content.

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Posted : 19/06/2024 1:37 pm
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Doz
 Doz
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I haven't set eyes on one of those since the 80's. 

 
Posted : 19/06/2024 1:49 pm
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jcdaze
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Nice television, I think they became available in 1979 and that could well be the date code on the white sticker on the back cover (E-9-41) maybe week 41 of 1979. I guess one way to tell if it was a destined for Europe would be to check the if audio ceramic filters, I think there were 2, have been changed to 6mhz as opposed to what would have been 5.5mhz. I might have a list of the different i.f. boards that were fitted to export models and I seem to remember that there were quite a few, some for Ireland were fitted with VHF and UHF tuners and then others for mainland europe.  

 
Posted : 19/06/2024 5:18 pm
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slidertogrid
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Hi Chris  I may be wrong but I think the early 20" TX9 had the same tuner drawer and also the early 14" portable TX9 (The chassis with the big choke) so you never know you may be able to get one from a scrap TX9 if you can't get a 3D print..

Nice set! I remember them well! Much favoured by OTV and often in their adverts "remote control from £xx "  We would see loads, so called reconditioned, full of muck just out of the three month guarantee. The tube giving up the ghost. No doubt having been bopped when the set was "reconditioned"! Worst case was when it had packed up completely and we would get it going only to find the picture was purple or green because of the tube. It was no good asking the customer what the picture was like before it went wrong as they would always said "lovely" ! 

 
Posted : 19/06/2024 6:20 pm
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Jayceebee
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Posted by: @jcdaze

Nice television, I think they became available in 1979 and that could well be the date code on the white sticker on the back cover (E-9-41) maybe week 41 of 1979.

Correct, and the E denotes Enfield production. The other possible site code was G for Gosport which I believe was the old Ultra factory, definitely a UK model as only a single UHF SC4 tuner and no bandswitching on the tuning pots that I can see. I'm afraid the multi-language sticker is a red herring, all later 9900 had this.

There was some overlap in production with the 9900 and TX9 as earliest output of the latter was mainly 14" portables and an 18" set. Strangely the TX9 preproduction test set we ran in the workshop was identical facia to your 3758 but with push buttons for Channel change and a wooden cabinet with 18" CRT. 

 

John.

 
Posted : 19/06/2024 6:36 pm
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crustytv
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Thanks to the ex Thorn lads, armed with updated information, the thread title now amended to reflect the correct year.

Week number From Date To Date
Week 41 Oct. 8, 1979 Oct. 14, 1979

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Posted : 19/06/2024 7:42 pm
crustytv
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A closer look at the tuner drawer controls

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Cosmetically, I guess the draw front would have had the matching holes to the rest of the fascia and not have just been a blank flush plate.

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Posted : 19/06/2024 7:49 pm
slidertogrid
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@crustytv I think the original tuner door had the Ferguson name plate on it. Or in the case of rental versions the name of the rental company. This is another problem the trading standards officers had with OTV they were rebadging the sets! Once that got stopped I think they just badged them as OTV.  Apparently the staff of each shop were on first name terms with the Trading standards officers! 

 
Posted : 19/06/2024 8:26 pm
crustytv
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You can pick fault with Thorn on many things, one thing however you cannot, is accessibility. Right from the start with the 2K, thought for the engineer with regard to accessibility always seemed to have been engineered in, unlike, and I'm looking at you Philips with the G6 and PYE with the 691/9/7 as just two examples.

This set must have been a bedroom set, the thick white dust is knuckle deep in places. This has got to be dealt with before any work or power. First thing to do once hoovered out is repair the CRT PCB.

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Posted : 25/06/2024 7:46 am
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Cathovisor
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Posted by: @crustytv
This set must have been a bedroom set, the thick white dust is knuckle deep in places.

Or it has lived in a house where the owner is fond of using talcum powder post - bathing; everything in my mother-in-law's house is like this internally.

 
Posted : 25/06/2024 7:51 am
crustytv
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That's better, now the dust is removed, all the boards look in remarkable condition too. I've now also confirmed date, 8th Oct 1979.

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Now to try and fix that CRT base, looks like the blow also fractured the CRT pin shroud, damn lucky the tube was not necked!

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On second thoughts, I might just test the A51-570X before proceeding, just in case it's flat.

Edit:

No I won't, despite having two CRT testers both with loads of sockets, neither has one for the A51-570X. B&K needs skt 25 I've got 1–30 guess what's missing.

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Posted : 25/06/2024 11:04 am
slidertogrid
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Ooh! I cringed when I saw that CRT socket, that was a near miss! The A51 570x often looked a bit flat after a few years but responded well to a bit of extra current through the heaters often lasting for many years. If it was reactivated though it would only last a few months, these PIL tubes didn't respond well to reactivation.

If it looks a bit low when first switched on Chris, identify the heater series resistor which ISTR was one of those flat blue thick film ceramic types.  Put another of the same value in parallel with it or replace it with a wire-wound of half the original value and give the set a run for a few hours. Then try it again with the original value it should come back fairly well. If not running it with a lower value heater resistor permanently will be less risky than reactivation especially as the set won't be used all day every day.

Just my thoughts others may think differently...

 
Posted : 25/06/2024 1:14 pm
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crustytv
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Well, here's the repair, it ain't pretty but what else could I do, no suppliers to call upon nowadays. To reinforce the track fractures, I used thick copper core wire, eight repairs in total.

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Looking more presentable and less disgusting to work on now.

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OH, I also had in stock a correct spare ultrasonic remote for it.

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Posted : 25/06/2024 1:40 pm
crustytv
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Meet my Nemesis 😬 he really hates me 😩 😵 it's true 😳 every time we meet😱 

syclops

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Posted : 25/06/2024 1:51 pm
MickMcmichael
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Hi Chris.

Difficult to tell from the picture but is that a burn up on that board?

Hopefully my picture will have uploaded this time but this board from a 9000 looks very similar to yours or might be ok for parts? Let me know if you want it (also have a B&K socket 25 if you want a borrow.

Mick.

 
Posted : 25/06/2024 6:09 pm
MickMcmichael
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Naffin' picture didn't load. Sorry!

 
Posted : 25/06/2024 6:10 pm
slidertogrid
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@mickmcmichael I think that is an evil face! If you like you can email me the picture and I will upload it here for you.  Next time you visit I'll show you how to upload pictures here. You old Luddite ! 🤣 😎 

Rich

 
Posted : 25/06/2024 6:26 pm
crustytv
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Posted by: @slidertogrid

I think that is an evil face!

That it is!  Syclops, 1x 9000, 1x 9900s and 1x 9600, so I have history. Although, they all submitted in the end, the mental scars getting there are still present. Some folk hate the 3000 PSU I'm ok with that, for me, it's Syclops, hence me superimposing an evil face on the module responsible for past trauma. Some might say, why get another, I thought that at the time but when faced with a bargain logic goes out the window.

Posted by: @mickmcmichael

have a B&K socket 25 if you want a borrow

Thanks for the offer Mick, 👍 but I'd rather not risk it getting lost, RM have a poor record. I have the wiring diagrams for all the adapters so I will build one myself, as I did for CR-23 (see here).

I wanted to test the tube as I've heard the A51-570X was a terrible CRT with a short life, so don't want to invest too much time or parts in getting this TV running, only to find the CRT is toast! Having said that, with all the white dust, I'm left wondering if it might also be a low hour bedroom set. This thought was even more prevalent once I removed the dust, as the chassis underneath is in remarkable condition.

Now if anyone have a JEDEC B12-262 socket as used for the A51 570X series, I'd be interested.

Here is the wiring diag for CR-25

CR 25

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Posted : 26/06/2024 6:10 am
crustytv
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Ah-ha, it seems I'm officially senile. 🤓 

Doing a search for A51-570X to ascertain the socket type used, I find a 10-year-old VRAT thread from 2014. It would seem I've been down this road before, but with my Leader LCT 910 tester, I built an adapter for that.

This was when I tackled one of my first 9.9Ks, who would have thought 10-years later I'd be back doing another 9.9K. This was long before I got my B&K 467, back then I had two Leaders, one packed with sockets and still in the workshop (where I originally looked). The other is in the loft, with just a few adapters on a loom I made myself, upon checking this morning, yep it was that one where the homemade socket was, DOH!

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I'd still like to make one for the 467, so will when I find a JEDEC B12-262 socket, at least now I can test the tube.

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Posted : 26/06/2024 6:38 am
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malcscott
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Hi Chris, a while back i acquired a Muter BMR 95 CRT regenerator/analyser, looks as good as new but no instructions with it. It has 6 ctv crt bases with it. Looks the same set up as the BK467 dynascan. You are welcome to have a play with it, Malc.

 
Posted : 26/06/2024 11:42 am
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