Starting in TVs?

[Phil Nelson]

I would look for a 21-inch B/W television from the mid- to late 1950s. Those will usually be simpler to restore than 1940s sets. They have a nice, big screen and will be more enjoyable to watch than something with a dinky 7-inch screen. Electronic designs had become more refined by then, so you will generally get good performance without a lot of knob twiddling.

I would not buy any more test gear if this is planned as your one and only TV project. You could easily spend far more on gear than your TV is worth, even after restoration. If you get stuck, forum members here may be able to coach you out of the ditch.

Around here, 1950s B/W consoles pop up on craigslist pretty regularly. Sometimes they are listed for inflated prices, but the owners often come down to earth after they discover there are no buyers at that price. I'd plan to spend no more than $50 - $100 and look for something that spent its life indoors rather than sitting in a garage for the last 20 or 30 years. If you see something nice but the seller won't come down on price, try contacting them a couple of weeks after their listing ends, to see whether they'll take a more reasonable offer.

Just my $0.02.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html