RCA-Roundie One Owner
 

Just picked this RCA up in a woman's basement that bought it new. She thinks it was in 1958 but wasn't sure. She had right down to the orginal owners manual for the set. The picture tube has been replaced. She couldn't remember when. Hasn't been powered up in years. The set is in great shape with all the orginal knobs. Its dirty and dusty as you can see in the attached pictures. Tested the pic tube and all 3 guns came up to about 8 just warming up. So the tube is good. Didn't go for the color set but bought it anyway. The top of the set slides off. Thats different. Now what to do with it. I'm in to early B&W not color. Anyway does anyone know the year for sure? The model number is in one of the pics.

Hi, you are a lucky man! This is a CTC4 from 1955. Congratulations.

- Eckhard

Drool, drool, whimper, whimper...You lucky so 'n' you ! (grin)

Thanks Eckhard for the fast reply! Seems to be older than i thought. Sure can't tell it's that old. Anyone know when the first CTC came out?

SandY G if i had just some of your old sets i wouldn't have to look for any more old sets for sure. You probably have two of these already restored and setting back watching them.

Thanks Again Guys. Don

Hi Don,

all informations are online on Ed Reitan's famous color television history:

http://novia.net/~ereitan/

A list of early CTCs is here in the early color revceiver gallery:

http://novia.net/~ereitan/Gallery/Ga...1-20-2006.html

Schematics are here:

http://www.mcmlv.org/Archive/Radio/CTC4.pdf

Try to find someone near you who is familiar with early color television, and restore the set. This is a very rare and very interesting color tv set!

Kind regards,
Eckhard

Thank you very much Eckhard for the great info you gave me. I don't know very much about the early color sets . So all the info i can get on it the better.


Thanks, Don

That set is a MAJOR score!
Seriously, it doesn't get much better unless you could somehow pick up a CT-100!

That is a nice set, also uhf on a set that old has to be unusual. That is an interesting tuner with the uhf control on the outside of the vhf.

I got some neat old sets, 'tis true, but I DON'T have a cherry '50s color set...That about trumps everthing I got...

refill233-

That is a wonderful set. As others said, it is worth a good, careful restoration and alignment job.

All of the CTC-4s have UHF tuners. The next year with the CTC-5, UHF was optional again.

Yeah, this thing's nice enuff it deserves a 1st class restoration..This thing is really an historic artifact, IMHO. Think about it...A couple hundred years from now, a working artifact from 1955...How Kewl is that ?

Hi Don,

do you need assistance for reviving the set?

- Eckhard

Sure didn't know how rare this set was until i got all this great info. I looked the set over some yesterday and from what i've seen don't think i want to attempt to restore it. Worked in a tv shop since the mid 70's and some things on this set i haven't seen before. Don't think they were ever one in the shop. I know there is a step by step setup which i have no idea how . Looks to be one of 20 that is still around (Thanks Steve McVoy for that info) and i wouldn't want to take the chance of doing something wrong. Need to get the chassis number and such today and am going to check the flyback out . The chassis is very nice except for some dust. The lady was a little forgetful but she thought the reason they quit watching it was because the picture got fuzzy.
Eckhard,thank you very much for all the assistance that you have already given me on this set . Been to your site and you are sure hi tech. Don't think i could find anyone more skilled than you to help me out on it. As i said before i'm not in color sets right now and don't think i want to attempt it. Now the question is to sell it or get it restored ?

As others have said, an excellent find! Now, fixing a bw tv is just like fixing a big, high-end radio, right? So fixing a color tv is like fixing a big, high-end bw tv! Not too bad, just more work. I think the biggest thing on a set this important would be to try and restuff the caps and go for as much originality as possible. I don't have a CTC-4, but I do have a -5, and if I could get it going again almost anyone could.

What an awesome find! I would probably pee my pants if i stumbled across one of these and was able to buy it. One good thing is that if you choose to restore it you have plenty of help to guide you through the process. Good luck!
-Tony