Update: Live Stream Thursday, July 13th

      

//Another update, what's the problem? 

 

 

Yeah yeah I know this isn't another write-up. Wheres the story, the pizzaz!!? 

    I got none, I'll be really honesty here I have been fighting an uphill battle with no motivation.

    When I did my first write up a few years ago I had passion and drive. Unfortunately, that left as I worked more in the IT field. I began to hate technology, despise it even.

    Leaving my last job was also a bit of a regret, but I did it at the time chasing money and all it gave me was no time for myself. I have been working in NYC for an MSP for about a year now, but not for long. I used to travel the country, with the only downside being that I'd go to nasty nursing homes. I kinda miss the travel part of IT.

     I'll be honest working in NYC has made me a little depressed, but that doesn't matter because I am aware of it and working on it. For my own sanity I decided to leave my job. Wednesday is my last day. I saved up a decent amount of money. I am making an arguably poor choice without a source of income and resigned. 

    This being said I am taking that time to focus on myself and my passions, including volunteering more at the Wall, NJ VCF Museum.

    Adding to that restorations are my passion and I want to share that passion with others.. soooooooooo!

        I will start live streaming on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@simplyvintagepcs/  

            I'll be doing this starting Thursday, July 13th 

    Probably about once a month maybe more on thursdays. 

    I'll be soldering an XT-IDE Controller together and putting it into an IBM PS/2 Model 30 I got from my friend because he didn't want it and he threw it in my car

    I will also be focusing on interviewing as well, so here's to hoping I find something better than a 4-5 hour round trip commute to NYC. 

Here's to the rest of 2023, hoping for the best. Maybe I'll make a Patreon who knows? Maybe I'll hit the big leagues?

Update: More Stuff to come!!!

 Alright another quick one

I made a YouTube Video 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF3v8efkjww

Go to it

Watch it now

Yell at me for crappy audio

Please enjoy and comment on my lack of editing skills. I promise I'll get better

I forgot again... but heres a quick update

 

Well it happened again, TV hit the Backburner, I got too busy with VCF East, and I forgot to document what I was working on again... 

In other news I became well acquainted with a specific rabbit-machined individual and may have an opportunity to assist in their efforts as well as make some content, in other news I have a video on a Sun Machine in the works. Maybe just talking will be better. 

It will all be done in one take, minimal editing, and a lot of quirks. That said should come out fine, forgive my repeated words I get nervous and lose my train of thought. 

Anyway, I may update this with more shortly, see you all in 3 months in all reality.. 

Time to go mess with an SGI and a Sun that I may have picked up recently. 

UPDATES!!!: Emerson TV And more!!!

 

Update Time 3/14/23

// Wheres all the pictures???

Also Happy Pi day!!

It's been a few months got busy like usual.

After working on the TV for a while I ended having that go on the backburner for a while.

At the VCF workshop in January I accidentally stumbled into a radio club meeting, became a member that night at NJARC. Went to a radio and electronics auction and picked up more projects, weaseled my way into fixing a Halicrafters S20R for a makerspace, and Blew a selenium rectifier with a friend from working on a Friden Flexowriter for VCF.

I also drove to the Hamptons for a Teletype KSR33 that took priority.

My goal is to use it with my PDP11/03 that I just upgraded to a 11/23. I will maybe make a post about it. (honestly I have something mostly written, just needs the photos... ADD is a nightmare :)

I will post the acquisition photos when I have time. 

    Some of the things include a Cap leakage tester, Some various old radios,  Fender Blues Deville Amp, other various test equipment and for my birthday my friend gave me these hilariously large 4.75MFD 21KV capacitor that I am positive is full of PCBs. 

Moving on from that EPA nightmare...

I will hopefully update the Emerson post soon.

I replaced all the capacitors in in, but had some issues. The picture displayed after adjusting the ion trap, but when trying to adjust it a new cap blew out a the Vertical Amplifier arced internally. After replacing that cap I no longer have HV. 

While messing with it I also heard arcing from somewhere. may have been that old Cap..

I picked up a full copy of the Sams Photofacts 241-4 for the TV. Actually, I have a private mirror created with every issue of Sams scanned between issue 1 and issue 671, but that is a different story. 

Once that paper copy of the facts comes I will be bringing it to a copy center and writing all over Hi Res copies of the full size schematic, working through the TV block by block until the issue is found. 

I will also be at the Trenton Computer Festival and VCF East as well. At East I will be a part of the volunteers between the museum and AV Crew, so If you see me be sure to say hi!

~Ian L.

Antique TV Repair Log: 1954 Emerson 771A - UPDATED 3/15/23

 

The Emerson 771A

// Wait a second, this isn't a computer

It's been a awhile. This one isn't going to be a regular post. 

This is going to be a living document. I will update and put more info and slowly build it out fill in some blanks here and there. 

I'll flesh out more of a "Blog post" here in due time, however this will mostly be used to publish my questions so other I show this page may be able to assist. 

If you'd like to see more reads like this, let me know and I will try my best to accommodate. Shout out to all the people on discord who have been helping me with this since I got it last week. I have already learned a lot. I have also been told from all the pictures that this was a great first TV project so heres to hoping it goes well!

Alright here's the info and photo dump. Enjoy

Issue: Set does not turn on (DUH 50 Years of component degradation)

Current Diagnosis: TV is in need of full electrical Restoration

Plan Abstract

Issue	Resolution/Progress
Repair rear grill	Progress with Epoxy 2/3rds done
Remove chassis and inspect unit further	Removed, dusted, and inspecting
Count capacitors and order replacements	Counted and ordered all non electrolytic need to count electrolytics and order them
Replace capacitors
Test circuit without rectifiers or sweep tube and check voltages from transformer
Test emission on tubes
Inspect schematic for clues about the loose wire from near deflection circuit
Repair yoke of tv
Replace anode cap (missing the cup)
First power up test with crt
Adjust and align unit
Cabinet restoration	Mostly just polishing, will do after picture tube is confirmed good

Notes:

Initial Inspection 1/8/2023

Cosmetic condition when received. Fair

Need pics of damage to cabinet

Cracked rear panel

Worked on Glueing back together first

Making Progress need to epoxy back side with reinforcements (yes those are toothpicks, the idea they act as a ribbing to prevent the crack from reforming

Next time I do this will be with fiberglass and epoxy... 

The Tribulation of getting it up the stairs to my apartment 

Emily In all her glory in my bedroom (Shes a big girl Sheesh

Once upstairs it was a simple cleaning process 

Took tube diagram picture

Obtained cat approval to proceed 

Chassis Inspection and Removal

Cabinet Inspection

Started inspecting the inside and working to remove cabinet. 

The CRT neck needs the octal base glued back in place, it's loose

Also went through and noted where each socketed plug goes (Black ontop of HV, Blue on Right, 4 Pin plug by Deflection circuit. 

Noticed there is a loose wire on the socket, need to locate where that goes. Looks like the ground for the Yoke Shield?  At least according to the schematic.

The yoke was loose, worried it was damaged, looked like it actually is positioned by the rear mount not by shims on the tube

Grounding for the Aquadag.

Looks like the screw on the cage on the right side of the CRT is BAcked out and missing a washer. Is this where that Ground lead is supposed to go?

Disassembled the chassis from the cabinet. Noticed that one bolt was missing. 

Looks like someone's been in 'ere!?

Stuck chassis bolts to the speaker core

Look at the spots without dust

This must be the first time in more than 50 years the chassis has been removed

Top Chassis inspection

Went through and inspected chassis for any noticeable damage or faults

Noticed one wire sticking up through by 3rd IF, need picture of it... might be a lead to prevent oscillation in the IF circuit.

Painstakingly with a damp cloth and wide paint brush, dusted and cleaned chassis, noticed mild corrosion, but nothing major. Will need to clean with WD40 after all tubes are removed

Here she is all dusted, will need further cleaning

Underside inspection 

Before this repair I had never seen Sand cast resistors like these before. I was used to the rectangular ceramic ones

Apparently they are common on early high wattage, but cost cut devices.

They also take on moisture if in a humid environment, crack and corrode as mine did.

Electrical Inspection 1/9/23 - 1/11/2023

On train to work looked up schematic for unit, might be the ground for the yokes cage? It’s missing the rear cap between the magnet and the windings.

Organized and stored the tubes

Marked duplicates with ticks and marked chassis

 

Electrical inspection continued

The Whole Underside

I took MANY more photos than what is shown here. At all diferent angles incase something is repaired wrong or misplaced

Wax Ceramic Capacitor count and values 

Tallis

.22 200v lll

.1 600v l

.1 200v l

.1 400v ll 

.047 400v lll 

.0047 400v ll 

.001 400 lllll

.001 600 l

.015 200 l

.01 600v ll

.01 400v ll

Count	Capacitance (µf/MFD)	Voltage
3o	0.22µf	200V
1o	0.1µf	600V
1o	0.1µf	200V
2o	0.1µf	400V
3o	0.047µf	400V
2o	0.0047µf	400V
5o	0.001µf	400V
1o	0.001µf	600V
1o	0.015µf	200V
2o	0.01µf	600V
2o	0.01µf	400V
TOTAL: 23 Wax Paper Capacitors

Paper Wax Molded Capacitors (Bumblebees) 

Tallies

YPOY 47000pf .047 400v I

YPOR 47000pf .047 200v I

YPRY 4700pf .0047 400v II

YPRB 4700pf .0047 600v I

RRRY 2200pf .0022 400v II

BGOR 15000PF.015 400v I

RRYR 220000pf .22 200v I?? Looks faded pretty sure its red

Count	Capacitance	Voltage
1o	.047	400
1o	.047	200
2o	.0047	400
1o	.0047	600
2o	.0022	400
1o	.0015	400
1	.22	200

REPLACE THESE AT THE LINE WITH XY SAFETY CAPS

47000pf .047 400v XY CAPS ll

Capacitor Totals by Value all rated at 600V on new ones

Capacitance (MFD)	Count	Needed	On Hand	Ordered	Stock After
.0047	IIIII	5	0	15	10
.047	IIIII	5	7	20	22
.0022	II	2	0	15	13
.22	IIII	4	0	5	1
.001	IIIIII	6	0	25	19
.015	II	2	0	10	8
.01	IIII	4	4+1@500V	40	41
.1	IIII	4	0	20	16
TOTALS		32 Total Capacitors	11	150	130

Ordered an assorted bag of Orange Drop capacitors

• 25 of 0.001uF at 630V
• 10 of 0.0015uF at 630V
• 15 of 0.0022uF at 630V
• 10 of 0.0033uF 630V
• 15 of 0.0047uF at 630V
• 5 of 0.0068uF at 630V
• 40 of 0.01uF at 630V
• 10 of 0.015uF 630V
• 15 of 0.022uF at 630V
• 15 of 0.033uF at 630V
• 20 of 0.047uF at 630V
• 15 of 0.068uF at 630V
• 5 of 0.082uF at 630V
• 20 of 0.1uF at 630V
• 5 of 0.22uF 630V
• 8 feet of spaghetti tubing

(!!!!!!!!! EVERYTHING BELOW HERE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS !!!!!!!!!)

Electrolytic Capacitors

10uf 25 v

40uf 450V

80uf

5uf

40uf

Received Electrolytic capacitors from CJ at a VCF Workshop

LETS GOOOOOO 

 

Replaced all the capacitors in the TV over the course of a few weeks

WILL NEED TO PUT PHOTOS HERE OF WORK DONE

 

FROM HERE ON OUT I WILL BE PUTTING PICTURES OF MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ONLY

I don't want to flood this full of useless pictures

 

Once all the Capacitors were replaced I fired up the TV for the first time

No video displayed, an audible arcing noise like the clicking of a pen could be heard and a visible arc could be seen between the rear Tube support and the Auqadag. I quickly turned it off and from there reattached that loose wire from the Yoke socket to it. Which stopped the visible arcing, however, the audible clicking was still present. 

Ignoring my better judgement and having excitement led to me adjusting the ion trap and displaying an image for the first time.

A test pattern from my drifty generator... well regardless I had an image so I began adjusting the screen. 

When turning the Vertical height control something interesting happened. the 6W6GT Arced over then BANG a visible arc from under tyhe chassis could be found. 

A capacitor blew out and one of the big ones...a .22MFD. C89 Blew out the side. Which comes off Pin 8 of V19 6DQ6 Horizontal Output. Why did a horizontal bypass capacitor on the Cathode of the sweep tube blew when adjusting the Vertical output and arc the 6W6?

After replacing this capacitor I no longer heard the arcing, but a different problem arose. I lost all high voltage in the TV. 

 

I shelved the TV at this point and there it sat until today, 3/15. 

 

 

3/15/23

With newfound courage, a schematic, and a meter I began poking and prodding in the TV. 

 

I got 228 instead of 230 overall, after the choke for the RF Circuit its 227 instead of 225. Both of which are comfortably in tolerance, The Audio circuit is the weird, It should be 150V but I'm reading 210.

Armed with this we have three voltages in the TV for B+

150VDC - This feeds most of the IF and Audio circuit and the horizontal phase inverter

225VDC - Everything that isn't 150V is 225V These two voltages combined appear to run the entire TV

230VDC - THere is one point I have found on the schematic.. The 6V6 Audio output B+

Seeing as the AF/RF is dependent on the 150V line, it makes sense that the most of the TV isn't working right now. 

 

I located while prodding around a bad capacitor in the V8 area, 6AU6 the Audio IF tube. R46 is reading 67 ohms when it should be 47. well over 30% out of tolerance. This will need to be replaced

Tomorrow I will be investigating the Vertical arc over, testing the 6W6 and testing resitances all through out the unit.