Found an RCA CTC5

[Penthode]

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!