Don't hold me to this, but...
 

I think Hoffman, RCA and Zenith were experimenting with rectangular color CRT'S at that time. I believe the eatly rectangular prototypes used metal shells. As far as convergence goes, I have almost always had a much harder time getting it as close to perfect as possible with rectangulars than with the rounds.

I have seen ads as early as 65 (possibly for the 66 models) for rectangular color from RCA and Motorola.

As far as pics of my sets go, I think I may have had a brainstorm (a rarity for me...LOL). As soon as I get back north and I can try my idea, I'll let you know and post the pics. The RCA will not be included since it is disassembled and I have not selected a cabinet for it yet. Look for the Zenith, Silvertone and Sylvania first.

Hi Rob
well i have totaly restored my b&w set. i have put in a new yoke and diods in place of the rectifyers and new caps.
But with the color set i have tryed every thing. new capacitors, new Damper tube the old one was broken. checked the switch. no matter what i do i cant get the color one working.
I will probly get it going someday.

John,

Your collector friend is indeed correct. The 1957 issue of COLOR Television by Ziff Davis publishing, a form of buyer's guide with much, much more, shows a line up of 21" round color sets and the 22" rectangular Westinghouse color set. The mask shape is the common rounded corners, curved 4 sides employed on all large tube B&W rectangular sets through the mid 50's. BTW, I have seen this soft cover book, about the size of a magazine, show up on ebay occasionally and cannot recommend it more highly as a reference for early color collectors to own.

On page 14 there is the following paragraph, "The Westinghouse Corp. is presently preparing for the market a color television receiver with a 22-inch rectangular picture tube. The Westinghouse set promises to be competitive with those by the other manufacturers. Although the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories Inc. does not have any commercoial color television sets available for sale, it is intensively developing a set using the Lawrence-type single-gun Chromatic picture tube. This tube is described on page 68."

It is curious that both statements occur in the same paragraph as they do. I wonder if they are implying that the 22" Westinghouse developmental set employs the Lawrence tube. If so, this Westinghouse would be their other rare and sought after early color receiver to try to find.

Rob

This thread is really getting interesting. I'd love to see one of these 22" sets and I wonder about the gun structure of the tube. If it did in fact use the Lawrence single-gun structure then that would have simplfied the convergence. Pincushion would also have been a simpler problem to overcome with a single-gun structure. Since the 22" set was likely a developmental model, I suspect that there were only a few of them made and even fewer, if any, surviving examples today. These sets would be more scarce than the Merrill.

Just wanted to take a sec to post the pics of my color sets. This shot is of the CT-100 that I've worked so hard to build :D

Shot #2, this is my baby.....a CTC-5 "Aldridge", and it's as perfect as the pic would have you believe. It even worked right up until last year when the picture began to "Christmas tree" and I shut it down :(

Tim,

That particular CTC-5 set was known to Chistmas tree when new. :)

Rob

...

I'll jump in a little late here and post a picture of my 1958 RCA

Model# 21-CD-8865, "The Anderson"
Chassis CTC-7C, Sam's 399-3

It's a little rough but it was cheap!

Eric,

Thanx for posting the picture. Did you ever figure out why the signal was weak? Have you got it all working yet?

Rob

Tim,

Your blond Aldridge set is beautiful - looks like it was manufactured yesterday. What is meant by the term "christmas tree"?

Jon

Jon,

Don't compliment Tim on his fine looking Aldridge too much, I don't want him to get any more attached to it than he is. :) That set used to be mine and I parted with it before I was hooked on collecting 21" color sets. I got it from the original owner. Now I'm trying to get it back! :( It looks way better now than when I had it after Tim cleaned it right up, especially behind the glass.

Christmas treeing probably is more commonly seen in B&W sets. It is when the horizontal frequency gets way low and you end up with a central vertical zone with horizontal branches out each side different lengths like christmas tree branches.

Rob

Hi Rob, no, not yet. I haven't had a chance to work on it for months now.
I was able to move it to the new place without breaking anything :)

One of my 1956 Hotpoint B&W's DID get the end of the CRT snapped off though :( it happened after I got here and not during the move, something hit the back I guess.
Found another CRT on eBay the same night :) :)

Eric

Here's a live-action screenshot from the afternoon soaps.

This time, a cartoon shot taken during King of the Hill last night. I finally put the legs back on the cabinet, too.