My Predicta died today

[Captain Video]

Originally Posted by Tubejunke

Good luck on this!

Thanks! I talked to an old gentleman who started to repair TVs in the 60's. Although he is almost retiring, he agreed to take a look at the TV to find out what happened. I am still in the dark, but I am taking precautions just in case the flyback is gone: I already started the search for a replacement one; if the one on the TV is no good anymore I will have a replacement, and if it is still good I will have a spare one just in case. In theory it should not be much difficult to find, since there are many Predictas here in Brazil, this TV really sold well here, but one thing I learned over the years is that an specific vintage TV may be easy to find, but specific parts of that vintage TV can be harder to find than the TV itself. Buying another Predicta just to take the flyback is out of question because everybody, everywhere, is asking high prices for that TV. I will have to find a lone flyback, without a TV attached to it.

[Tubejunke]

Good point about the parts being hard to get, even for a popular type. I recently had to part out a beautiful 58 Zenith Space Command. Up to a point I would have never sold a single part from this set. It just seems wrong as a sort of collector of such things to destroy or dismantle something that regardless of popularity frankly is just very old and not easy to find. However, I couldn't sell the set as for the most part people don't want to bother with the cost and risks involved in shipping. So, I was put in the situation with the hope that somebody will want the easier to ship parts. Most particularly the remote control related stuff.

So I guess this works both ways, but I still think that you will be able to find a Predicta fly if needed and it's great that you found an older tech with the knowledge to even begin to work on tube driven equipment. I sometimes wonder what will happen when all of the great (and in my mind superior) understanding of electronics is gone. I hope that somehow it is passed down through younger people interested in the golden age of electronics. I am in my early 40s and grew up in the wake of this era, and luckily enough of the stuff was stored and often used when I began training in high school. Most of our school's donor sets were 50s and 60s models back in the 80s. We even had a Predicta in the lab! Then it was just oddball junk for the most part; the Predicta that is. I'm also glad to have been taught to read an actual VOM scale as all of our meters then were Simpsons. Later in college when digital meters were common I used to love the electronics (digital) wiz kids scratch their head as I did my lab work with one of the last two working Simpson VOMs.

[old_coot88]

On the few Predictas I have replaced flybacks on, the replacement part consists of only the windings and HV 'tire' with tinned wires sticking out. You have to re-use the powdered iron core, 'C' clamp, and terminal board. AND you have to be super careful to replace the two thin fiber spacers between the core halves, as these determine the resonant point of the transformer.

These were Philco direct replacements, but i've read that the whole transformer could also be obtained from other supplyers (maybe like Triad, Thordarson et al.).

[Tubejunke]

If someone can provide Philco, Thordarson and Merit part #s, I may have it in stock.

[bandersen]

I can look them up, but I need to know what model Predicta chassis it is.

[Captain Video]

I believe my TV ( Brazilian Predictas have a slightly different cabinet; see this photo: http://www.tvhistory.tv/1958-Philco-Predicta-BRAZIL.JPG ) uses the same chassis as this model of American Predicta:

[bandersen]

That looks just like the American Holday model which uses the 9L37 chassis.

Philco = 32-8853-1
Thordarson = FLY-196

[Captain Video]

The old gentleman I referred to in a previous post examined the TV today. The problem was something very simple: the wire that connects the flyback with the 6DQ6A tube ( I believe it is that tube ) short circuited and burned. So it was only a simple wire and not the flyback. In a few minutes he solved the problem and the TV is now working again. I am very happy.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Nice to know!

[bandersen]

Lucky you Those Predicta flybacks can be hard to find and expensive.

[Captain Video]

This Predicta is not letting me have peace: today it malfunctioned again. I turned it on and immediately heard a small "pop" sound coming from the inside of the set. Them I waited, and waited, and waited... and no sign of life came from the TV, no sound, no light on the screen, nothing. The tubes inside the TV are lighting up, but there's no other signal of life coming from the set. What can be wrong now? The tech that repaired it will only be able to take a look on Sunday.

[StellarTV]

Fusible resistor popped?

[old_coot88]

Sand coated fusible resistor was my first thought, but wasn't sure this model uses one. We called 'em "Gravel Gerties".

[init4fun]

Originally Posted by Captain Video

This Predicta is not letting me have peace: today it malfunctioned again. I turned it on and immediately heard a small "pop" sound coming from the inside of the set. Them I waited, and waited, and waited... and no sign of life came from the TV, no sound, no light on the screen, nothing. The tubes inside the TV are lighting up, but there's no other signal of life coming from the set. What can be wrong now? The tech that repaired it will only be able to take a look on Sunday.

I have read this whole thread and do not see it mentioned , so ;

Has this TV ever been properly restored/recapped by someone in the know about Predictas ? There are quite a number of things that could go pop and render your TV inoperative in the way you describe . The tube's heaters lighting means the set is getting power and that at least part of the circuits are still functional . With neither picture nor sound a B+ voltage issue is one highly likely possibility especially if any old capacitors are still lurking about in there . If it has been properly restored maybe your just seeing the "infant mortality" of the many new components ? It it hasn't been properly restored , even when this most latest issue is fixed , you'll likely begin frying expensive parts if you keep running it ...

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by Captain Video

My father fiddled with the linearity and width controls on the back and the image reappeared. Is this normal?

I hope your set is ok!!!!!