A (Lot) of years ago, I remember seeing a couple of these sets, which looked like a sorta early/prototype CVC5 in a slightly modified/upmarket case. It Looked sort of, Germanic being of a dark wood veneer, in comparison to our usual honey-coloured veneers of Decca Bradford, G6 and similar.
Instead of Tripler, it had an EHT Overwind and GY501 rec under the usual steel cage on the right-hand side.
I maybe wrong on the following, but allegedly these sets were built here from chassis imported from (Somewhere) and were built/set-up for 220V, and using a 22" A56-120X of some unknown make (Vision-On or something). Definitely wasn't a Mullard CRT. The sets that I saw all had pretty cruddy/low-emission CRT's.
Again, allegedly, they used to go up in smoke due to the set being overrun on 240V There was a modification involving a couple of dropper resistor changes supplying the heaters etc. The back covers were plastic like CVC5/9 but had steel/metal grilles above the centre dropper and LOPT stages. LOPT's used to fail too, if what I recall from the engineer who told me all about these sets is correct.
I got to thinking of these oddities as I've just got this CVC2 which is an earlier set but has a Tripler. I was fairly convinced it would have had EHT Overwind and rectifier, glad it hasn't really!
When I started in the trade in 1978, I remember a set that was similar to the cvc5 but with a EHT valve instead of a tripler. I think they were combo color. I remember that the overwinds didn't last long.
Regards
Gary
That's right Gary although it was Combi Color not Combo. The whole thing was overrun on our 240V mains as they were designed for 220V.
Tas
I vaguely remember attending to what I thought was a CVC5 in disguise, with frame collapse. I went armed with a PL519 and a OA91. I was taken by surprise with an EHT rectifier. I suppose the CVC5's "cage" was a throw-back to the need for X-ray screening ?
Sure Doz, you mean a PCL805 and not a PL519. You'll not fix a frame-fault with a line-output bottle!
Yes, Combi colour, that was one of them, I remember that name now, made me wonder at the time what was it a 'Combi' of?
No, 519. Flash-over in the 519 used to kill the OA91.
There was also a version badged Gratez, like the Combi and Antur they were imported into the UK during the colour boom period.
The Combi Colour was covered in the February 1979 issue of "Television" I think. There's also a "Your Problems Solved" piece dealing with the premature failiure of the EHT overwind.The advice given was to ensure the set was suitable for 240V use and, "Converting to tripler operation would help bring down the cost of repair".
Found this German site which shows images of the Gratez version.
http://bs.cyty.com/menschen/e-etzold/ar ... 1color.htm
Brian
Hi, RR here. The "combi" as some of these sets were known were indeed fitted for 220volts instead of 240, the heater chain was overrun because the dropper was only 100 ohm, and needed to be replaced with 180 ohm. some were apparently found fitted with 150 ohm but this wasn't regarded as ok and was still replaced with 180. Also apparently some were found fitted with a 5.2uF capacitor as a dropper but was still best replaced with a rectifier and 180 ohm. Also the mains input filter capacitor used to blow up rather violently with plenty of smoke as it too was only rated at 220volt, a bit like the yellow one found fitted in some uk ITT CVC sets, which had to be replaced with the grey one. Apparently the LOPT could be replaced with a CVC5 one and a tripler but I don't know for sure about that, especially as the focus circuit was somewhat different to what I remember on the CVC5-9 series, where the 4.7meg resistors at the ends of the VDR rod used to fail. Those on the combi were rather different, consisting of about seven 6.2meg resistors. Some were also badged as Loewe Opta. RR.
A very comprehensive answer RR ! I only ever saw one set badged as a Combi colour, it had been sold to a family friend by a ex rental disposal warehouse in working order, but only lasted a few weeks before it packed up with very violent arcing from the LOPT, between the flashovers it was apparent that the tube was very poor. I took a guess that it had been boosted as it had gone flat within weeks of buying the set. I took one look inside and advised them that it was beyond economic repair, to be honest I just didn't want to get involved.
The yellow cap on the CVC 5... now there's a memory! We were instructed to change them on sight! when they failed often the set would carry on working with smoke hissing from the slider controls, all very James Bond!
👍
Rich.
Back in the late seventies I used to look after a Combi Color TV for a customer. It's a long time ago but I remember the line output transformer had a 25KV overwind. The set was probably made in 1969. In many respects it was similar to the CVC5. It is all too evident that our CVC5 series was developed from the original German design, although it's likely the modifications for use in the UK were done at Footscray. I remember seeing the first CVC5 in 1970, a 20" RGD. The design brief at the time was that valves were considered better than transistors, some might argue that the British company was just lumbered the what was becoming a dated design. Think about it, the BRC 2000 was well proven by 1970 to be reliable and the Rank-Bush-Murphy A823 had been in service for a whole year in 1970 and it was also reliable.
Till Eulenspiegel.
I remember these sets very well and knew the person who imported these ITT Schaub Lorenz chassis from Germany in the early 70s. They were assembled in a converted cinema in Cross Hands, a small community near Carmarthen. Indeed the main problem was due to the fact that they were not adapted to run on the UK mains voltage and needed to be seriously modified, they were crudely tuned to 6Mhz too.
I designed a replacement EHT unit with a tripler and different LOPT which fitted directly and was a perfect replacement for the original modules, I forgot what make the CRTs were but they often went low emission rather prematurely probably because of the excessive voltages. The chassis were the German version of the CVC5, once modified correctly they were quite docile and performed very well and trouble free except for the PCL86 perhaps. I think I still have the workshop-service manual in my archives, it was given to me by the owner of the company.
Meanwhile a solid state chassis was being designed and I inherited of one of the prototypes after the company ran into financial difficulty and ceased trading. The solid state chassis resembled very much the 22” Tyne TV chassis which were mostly sold by Tesco, Tyne also disappeared in the late 70s when they too were designing a new chassis based on the PIL tubes of that era but also ran into financial difficulties.
I still have a tuning control unit for Combi/Antur TV in my workshop. Voila.
I believe the chassis we know as the CVC5 was in 1969 already in TV sets marketed in Germany.
I remember in 1971 repairing a "Combicolor" TV set which resembled the CVC5 series of sets made in the UK. The owner couldn't find anyone to repair it. EHT came from a 25KV winding on the line output transformer. The sets were not imported into the UK by ITT-KB.
Till Eulenspiegel.
That’s right, they were imported and assembled in Wales by a small company based in Cross Hands between Swansea and Carmarthen - The design was almost identical to the CVC5 series, once properly modified and adapted to UK standards the Combi~Antur gave excellent results, they came in two sizes : 22 and 26”
Can't remember seeing Shaub or Lorenz names on the sets.
ITT-KB were wise to design their CVC5 chassis with a tripler.
They were a private import and would not have been marketed with the ITT Schaub Lorenz of course, they came under the Combi Colour or also the Antur labels, the chassis were designed and produced by ITT Schaub Lorenz in Germany, the circuit diagram if you were lucky enough to find one was also in German .
