New Purchase...Magnavox Stereo Theatre 300

[Magnavox300]

I saw this set offered a few days ago on Epay, and couldn't resist.
Paid $75

I restored this same model Magnavox a couple years ago,
and was very surprised to see another one only one hour from me.

This set looked like it was in poor condition by the photos the guy took,
but fortunately, it was in very decent condition when I went to pick it up,
just a little moldy.

Cleaned most of it up, removed the speaker panels and record changer;
hope the CRT is good, the yoke cover was not destroyed like the last one, so I am hoping that this set wasn't used that much.

The record player amp is a good one, and sounds terrific once recapped.
This also came with the tapered modern legs that screw in to the bottom.
Check out the "can opener" tuner knob someone used! Amazing.

Looking forward to restoring this, and bringing it back to life!

[Username1]

That tuner knob sure says "retro !"....

The tv part is like the tv my parents had when I was a kid. When you switch it off there is a nice long dot on the screen to sit and look into...... good memories.....

Nice find ! Hope it works well....

[cwmoser]

Does the TV use compactron tubes?

Carl

[Magnavox300]

Originally Posted by cwmoser

Does the TV use compactron tubes?

Carl

What are compactron tubes?

[Electronic M]

Sweet now you can open your beer while tuning in to the big game....Its the perfect man-cave set.....

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by Magnavox300

What are compactron tubes?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compactron

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

[Magnavox300]

Thanks to Phil's link,
there are no compactron tubes in this.

[cwmoser]

I was curious if it did incorporate Compactron Tubes as they can
be very hard to find replacements.

Just wondering if the tubes in that TV are common types.
I saw that TV on Ebay and thought it was cool too.

Carl

[Celt]

Odd....TV...Phono...but no Radio...

[Magnavox300]

Originally Posted by Celt

Odd....TV...Phono...but no Radio...

This model actually did come with a radio option, it would have been installed where the front speaker cloth is...
On my schematic, it shows the radio.

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by cwmoser

I was curious if it did incorporate Compactron Tubes as they can
be very hard to find replacements.

Just wondering if the tubes in that TV are common types.
I saw that TV on Ebay and thought it was cool too.

Carl

I gots so many TV tubes and compactrons take up alot of room in my storage bins, pun intended.

This Magnavox and others in this era seemed to use the most standard tubes, 7 and 9-pin miniatures then 8-pin octals.
56-64 Mags were some of my best sets to show off my simple skills when I was a teenager. It seemed they did not automatically need paper caps like the Philcos, and were so easy to get looking good after some minor fixes.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by cwmoser

I was curious if it did incorporate Compactron Tubes as they can
be very hard to find replacements.


Carl

What do you base that claim on? One can buy 100's of them in the average antique radio swap meet for 10$ or less. Most compactrons are still dirt cheap and common, save for a few odd ball types found only in Japanese TV sets.

[kvflyer]

The only Compactrons that appear to be expensive are the ones that are triple Hi-Mu triodes etc. They appeal to the audio crowd since they can be used as triple 12AX7 and 12AU7 etc. Not all are expensive. The exception would be sweep tubes which also are appealing to the audio crowd.

HH Scott used Compactrons in their last tube tuner, the 370 and the 345 receiver...

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by kvflyer

The only Compactrons that appear to be expensive are the ones that are triple Hi-Mu triodes etc. They appeal to the audio crowd since they can be used as triple 12AX7 and 12AU7 etc. Not all are expensive. The exception would be sweep tubes which also are appealing to the audio crowd.

HH Scott used Compactrons in their last tube tuner, the 370 and the 345 receiver...

Interesting... Would this include re-purposing color demod triple-triodes 6MD8 and 6AC10?

True also for Fisher receivers with 7868 output, 9-pin novar.

The H-output tubes (6KD6, 6JS6 etc) do appeal to Ham transmitter builders too.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

The H-output tubes (6KD6, 6JS6 etc) do appeal to Ham transmitter builders too.

What initially made those expensive was the CB crowd and their often illegal high wattage 'linear' amplifiers which ran TV horizontal sweep tubes as outputs WAY beyond their recommended power ratings, forcing them to 'retube' frequently and thus depleting the supply even before the TV sets that used those tubes were at the end of their expected lifetimes.