My latest repair project Admiral 20X122

[walterbeers]

I restored this TV for a customer/friend, and had lots of fun and many hours getting it to work again, but it was well worth it. I had to replace all the wax capacitors, several burn't and out of tolerance resistors, the vertical output transformer (open primary), and disconnected and subbed all the electrolytic cans with caps underneath mounting them on new terminal strips. Cleaned the tuner and all controls, tube sockets, etc, and of course cleaned up the dusty chassis. CRT (10BP4) is a bit slow coming up to brightness, but once on for 2 or 3 minutes picture looks perfect. (The photos didn't take very good with my I-phone, but honest the picture has a very good image, brightness and contrast). Horizontal linearity, and width coils do very little, but they do make some effect. Wiring to those coils, I traced out and retraced, and all caps that I replaced are within specs. Picture looked very good so called it done. It's like going back in time watching shows like Adam 12, and Superman on a 1949 Bakelite Admiral. The set is a year older than I am, as I'm turning 64 next month.

[Username1]

Looks really cool !

Good Job !

.

[Kevin Kuehn]

It turned out great! That's some real shine on the Bakelite cabinet.

[Sandy G]

That was reputedly the BIGGEST piece of Bakelite you could buy in 1948..

[Electronic M]

They had IIRC a 17" version later that is supposed to be the largest mass-produced Bakelite object ever.

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by walterbeers

It's like going back in time watching shows like Adam 12, and Superman on a 1949 Bakelite Admiral.

I agree whole heartedly with this statement I have have been asked why I bother with some inferior, junky piece of obsolete equipment. People really don't get the old TV thing. Now OIL CANS and TIN SIGNS; they make sense and are useful; right!?!?

Anyway, I really came to say that you will sometimes see when watching Adam 12 or Dragnet (second series) that a set like this will be in some old persons home as it was pretty dated then. Not long ago I saw the Adam 12 guys looking like Methuselah's grandpa and I thought how life sure is funny as far as time goes. In one way, this set; that show, etc are not that awfully long ago. But in another way, human life span I guess; it's a pretty good chunk of time. Feeling philosophical I guess....

[Electronic M]

And an example of what women collect (in case you talk to one that don't get oil cans either ) Art Glass, figureens (spelling), and collectors dolls...When do you see any of that in use (dust collecting don't count)?...virtually never!

We collect TVs for the same reason some of us collect antique cars. Not to be some rusty scrap sitting in our living rooms and yards respectively, to be looked at (like those 'OTHER' things mentioned), but to be used periodically as a fun trip back in time, an example of technological history/progress, and as a means to do what they were made to do for us.

An odd thing is that as a child of the early 90's, and a collector of radios and TVs of the 30's-70's, I often to my amusement find my self perceiving things from the 80's-mid 90's to be more ancient than the things I collect...Despite the opposite clearly being the case.

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

An odd thing is that as a child of the early 90's, and a collector of radios and TVs of the 30's-70's, I often to my amusement find my self perceiving things from the 80's-mid 90's to be more ancient than the things I collect...Despite the opposite clearly being the case.

That's probably because that stuff was tired and old when it came out. At some point in many things a soul or feel of sorts just vanished. I know many know what I mean, but I don't know exactly how to put it in a word except maybe blaaa....

[walterbeers]

Any one can go out and buy a new "flatscreen" (if you have the $), well, to me is a lot more satisfying to get something old and not working, put some time and a few dollars into it, get it working, and have the feeling of accomplishment. To me it's more exciting to look at an old working TV, radio, stereo, car, appliance, video recorder etc, and know that I "or you" made it work again. I know that's probably kinda selfish, having pride in your own abilities, but it does give one a sense of accomplishment. As for collecting things like knick-knacks, dishes, dolls, old pictures, wall hangings, etc, what can you do with them, except set them on a shelf or hang it on a wall and look at it as it collects dust. My wife also likes to knit, turning balls of yarn (which is useless by itself) turning them into wearable hats, mittens, sweaters, etc, giving her a feeling of accomplishment of making useful items for others, knowing that what she makes will help others stay warm in our cold winters here in Omaha. Most of them she donates to others that can't afford to go out and buy new stuff for winter. There again satisfaction is the key. Satisfaction of doing a good job is what keeps everyone going and gives everyone a worthwhile feeling.

[Electronic M]

Part of an objects feeling of soul, is the care the maker put into it (that they took pride in their job and wanted their work to last), and the other part is what an object meant to those that would have owned it. A 50's Muntz with all the wear of a long service life, despite it's cheapness when, new shows that it was important to those who owned it and kept it after it became too expensive to fix, but some flat CRT set out at the curb, that was meant to die quickly and treated like it was as expendable as toilet paper just aint ever going to have that special feeling to it.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Part of an objects feeling of soul, is the care the maker put into it (that they took pride in their job and wanted their work to last), and the other part is what an object meant to those that would have owned it. A 50's Muntz with all the wear of a long service life, despite it's cheapness when, new shows that it was important to those who owned it and kept it after it became too expensive to fix, but some flat CRT set out at the curb, that was meant to die quickly and treated like it was as expendable as toilet paper just aint ever going to have that special feeling to it.

The O/P's set is similar to the Admiral table model, I got from you at the July swap meet. Has always been one of my favorites.
Still on the to-do list.

[WISCOJIM]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

They had IIRC a 17" version later that is supposed to be the largest mass-produced Bakelite object ever.

This one is bigger, but the one you are referring to is probably a rectangular CRT model.






It's too bad they didn't actually produce this futuristic pop-up Bakelite TV/radio/phono:





.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

They had IIRC a 17" version later that is supposed to be the largest mass-produced Bakelite object ever.

For sure they had a bakelite 16" rectangular console that was bigger than this 10". Likely adapted to 17" when they became the standard.

[kvflyer]

Originally Posted by bandersen

For sure they had a bakelite 16" rectangular console that was bigger than this 10". Likely adapted to 17" when they became the standard.

I have the Admiral 26R12 which is a 16" Bakelite console. Admiral also built a 14" version of the same set. Maybe that the 14" set had even more Bakelite in it! It is actually sitting right next to me now.