Well, they say buses come in three's that applies also to Thorn Stereo TVs. I'd been looking for a Thorn Stereo Teletext TV for quite some time. Finally, last year thanks to Neil, I managed to obtain not one but two!
A lovely 1982 22" Ferguson 37063 an equally nice 22" Multibroadcast badged version. Both these sets having the Thorn TX10 chassis.
Another year passes, and I spot on eBay what I believe to be the smaller 20" version. It looked very grubby, and a bit battered with the control flap missing, also described as having faults, one of which are the stereo indicators not working. Anyway, It was on my watch list for a while, but I was not really intending to purchase, especially not at the listed price. Then I was then contacted by the vendor with what I felt a much more sensible offer price. As always I arranged Shiply to safely collect on my behalf, 10-days later, it was delivered this afternoon.
When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised, from the limited photos, I had been expecting a basket-case. It was really bought blind, but with the only intention of parting it out for my spares, to maintain my other two. However, as it's far from that, I will be securing this in the collection, yet another Ferguson. After a very good clean, removing lots of grime, it revealed a TV that was actually in very good condition. OK, the flap is missing, hopefully I can find something from another TV or VCR to adapt.
What was a nice surprise was finding the model being a 37493 making it the TX9 version, I suspect the ex Thorn among us already knew that, but I didn't. Upon opening up I was greeted with an absolutely filthy chassis, touch anything, and you're immediately covered in black dust. It looks like another high hour set which has left me wondering how well the CRT will be, we shall have to see, fingers crossed.
A bit of a reshuffle in the museum was required, although only 20", its cabinet is a good deal deeper at 18.5" compared to the 22" version that is much slimmer at 15", which it now resides next to. It also has the obligatory 3V31 underneath.
CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek
Well saved Chris!
I know all too well about buying something for spares, only to find it too good to strip, bush TV22, R1155…
best of luck with the set 🙂
Regards
Lloyd
<looks at left of set>
So that's what those odd LED arrays I have are for!
That’s looks really good, seen far worse than that but a shame about the flap. Chassis wise there is only one component that really needs attention before you fire it up. Unfortunately I don’t have the circuit for the PC1044 main chassis and can’t remember the component ref but there is a 100uF capacitor in the drive path from the TDA4600 chopper IC to the base of the BU508A chopper transistor. If it hasn’t already been replaced then do so before applying power.
John.
That’s looks really good, seen far worse than that but a shame about the flap.
It looks better now, when it arrived it was caked in black grime. Indeed, shame about the flap, I have a few flaps from other sets but all the wrong size and colour. If I cannot locate a replacement (which is likely) I might be able to cut one up to fit, and try to spray it to match.
Unfortunately I don’t have the circuit for the PC1044 main chassis and can’t remember the component ref but there is a 100uF capacitor in the drive path from the TDA4600 chopper IC to the base of the BU508A chopper transistor
That would be C137 then, though on my data the chopper transistor is listed as T9063V.
CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek
C137 is the capacitor in question. T9063V was used only in the earliest production of PC1044 before switching to a BU508A.
John.
Very nice! When my Mother first started renting a TX (I'm not sure if it was a TX9 or TX10) from DER she complained about the back coming out way too much compared to the Pye CT450 she had previously as there was a spot light switch behind. She also complained that the signal had ghosting which although caused by the overlooking blocks of flats, the Pye never seemed to suffer from. My Mother was the original "Karen"!
Also, in the music video to Paul Young's Love Of The Common People:
Problem solved over the missing front flap. I had a scrap Ferguson Videostar 3V16. The tuner flap was exactly the right colour and width. All I needed to do was cut it to the right height. OK, not original, but it's better than nothing, and blends in quite well.
CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek
Decided to hoover out the years of accumulated dust, debris and generally a little clean-up.Now I can at least see the components!
I also tested the A51-580X, which I was happy to find in pretty good health, Phew!
CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek
Cleaned up very well, just looking at the components, I wonder how many were still made in the UK, CRT states made in Gt Britain but many others look Asian.
Frank
Cleaned up very well, just looking at the components, I wonder how many were still made in the UK, CRT states made in Gt Britain but many others look Asian.
The electrolytics are definitely Japanese - Nippon Chemi-con and Rubycon. Both good quality brands.
Looking at the B&K reminded me that a friend has been doing research into CRT testers and his conclusions have been eye-opening - not least of which is that the B&K isn't that kind to tubes when you rejuvenate them as you might first think.
The one thing often mentioned about them reading low on older mono CRTs has at least been answered; it seems the B&K meters are arranged for a beam current of 2mA, which is all well and good on a modern colour tube but research has shown that a typical beam current for an older mono CRT is much lower - Ferranti, for example, cited a maximum current of just 150uA for peak white.
@cathovisor
The first UK colour CRT’s had a total beam current of around 1ma for the three guns, the PD500 Shunt regulator was set for 1.2ma with no CRT beam current.
Yes I always assumed a mono CRT would be around 200ua, perhaps a little more.
Frank
@nuvistor Yes, I remember - 30W of EHT where the PD500 was concerned. I do wonder if the 467 is really a creature of the PIL era? Either way, it does illustrate its unsuitability for older mono tubes: my Radar will continue in that role, not least because it can test triode gun tubes.
The LOPT on the TX9 was another quality component made by Murata, I can recall only a single failure. Wish I had a £ for every Hitachi type I replaced in the TX100.
John.
Strangely, I didn't sell or rent many Ferguson 37493 "supersound" TVs or the 22" TX10 model. All the other TX9 and TX10 models were very popular and well liked by the customers. The sound processing of the mono TV sound to produce a pseudo stereo effect was particularly clever.
Till Eulenspiegel.
