Found an RCA CTC5
 

Hi All, Within the past few weeks our family has relocated to Canada. In the Toronto Craigslist I found what turned out to be an RCA CTC5 colour TV. I duly purchased it and carted it home. (I specifically use the Canadian spelling of "colour" here for it appears this set was made for the Canadian market.)

From the back cover, the receiver was manufactured in Camden. But note the 25Hz power. A separate enormous power transformer was mounted on a subsidiary chassis beneath the main chassis. There is no power transformer on the main chassis. Note that the subsidiary chassis has 80mfd Canadian manufactured capacitors.

RCA Victor had a Montreal plant which manufactured US designed receivers with minor variations. I have an RCA 8T243 receiver made in Montreal which has different IF transformers and a 25Hz power transformer.

Colour broadcasting in Canada began in September 1966. Hence any receivers sold in Toronto prior to 1966 received colour programming from the US networks affiliates in Buffalo New York. WBEN TV (now WIVB) purchased RCA TK41 cameras in 1954 and WGR TV later became the NBC affiliate carrying the NBC colour programming. So a colour set in Canada as early as a CTC5P would be quite rare.

The interior of the cabinet has a whitewash paint sloppily applied. It looks as if the white wash may have been done in the factory. I would suggest that the set came to Canada by way of the Montreal RCA Victor company, where it was modified and interior whitewashed. I shall research this.

Anyhow, the set has been stored well. The cabinet is in good shape and the marks are mainly acculmulated dirt. The set seems to have had an easy life: all the receiving tubes are factory RCA and the 21AXP22 tests strong without any rejuvination or even waking up.

This will be a fun project once we have settled!

Really nice find there. Is the electrical service still operating at 25Hz in Canada?

Wow what a great find. It is a perfect new house warming present to yourself lol!
Beautiful Whitby, that was always one of my favorites without doors. The Wingate is my favorite with doors. I can't wait to see a picture on it, I bet it don't take much either.

Yes I was lucky to find this. It only goes to show that these sets are still lurking about and one never knows when they will pop up.

Toronto power was 25 Hz for many years. Being close to Niagara Falls, AC power reached Toronto in the 1890's. It was 25Hz from the 1890's until the 1950's. The swich to 60 Hz occurred i thought in about 1952-53 but I expect there were still 25 Hz spots in Southern Ontario Canada in the late '50's.

Incidently, the last 25Hz alternator at Niagara, the William Rankine plant closed just a few years ago.

Here is a link to the history of 25 Hz power:

http://www.ieee.org/organizations/pe...eshistory.html

You lucky Dawg !

That 25Hz 120VAC power transformer in theory would be happy at 240V at 60Hz. Except that all the secondaries would produce twice their rated voltages (like 12.6V instead of 6.3V). However, the high voltage secondary may get overvoltaged, if it's rated say 500V centertapped, it would produce 1000V centertapped, but the insulation might not take it. Of course the rest of the set won't like it either. :nono:

All of North America is now 60hz(with a few exceptions I'm sure). Probably best to look for a transformer that is rated at 117V 60Hz. Someone here with a junk chassis may have one. Probably wont be a direct fit size wise but can be made to work easily. Congrats on the 5. pretty rare there!

Green with envy here!

The CTC5 25Hz power transformer will run perfectly well on 60 Hz. In fact it will probably run as cool as a cucumber. It doesn't need replacing as long as it checks OK.

I have an Admiral 7 inch 19A11 set that was built in Canada with a HUGE!!! 25 Hz power transformer and it runs very cool on 60 Hz here in PA.

Cliff

That's what I was thinking. You can always go up in frequency, but you need the larger core size to pass 25Hz and stay cool. No need to change the primary voltage, that is always primary to secondary turns ratio dependent.

Seems to me I recall another Canadian modified CTC-5 posted here on VK, or AK at the time, some years ago. Not sure why they would whitewash the inside of the cabinet? Of course Canadians could also pick up the Detroit area early color broadcasts from Windsor, Ont. Would be interesting to see if U.S. color sets were advertised by RCA or dealers in these Canadian border cities in the 50's & early 60's.

-Steve D.

thats something i never hurd of, all of the utility service in canada was operating on 25 hz in the early yrs , learn something new everday. i want one of those cool sets someday.

That is a NICE find! Especially with the like-new CRT.

Is the "black box" in the location of a power transformer on the chassis empty?

Colour, indeed! I would hurry up and unpack so that I could start playing with that wonderful TV.

Phil Nelson

Correctomente bro. The set should be virtually 'plug and play' (after the usual pre-powerup procedures, cap replacements etc.). The big tranny will be very happy on 60 cycle. :guitar: