Roundie Test Jig & Other Finds

[bgadow]

Periodically I will make contact with local tv shops in search of treasures. I was recently talking to a local tube audio collector who mentioned a shop I didn't know about. (it is an hour from here) He had already bought all the tubes but he seemed to think there would be more goodies I was interested in. I sent him a letter (my preferred way of doing things, since I am too shy for "cold calling") and he called me back. A very nice gentlemen, 81 years old and in business since 1948. I wouldn't say he had a lot of tube era stuff but certainly enough to be worth saving. It included several boxes of parts including lots of little NOS stuff (knobs, trim, coils, etc.), some good used flybacks, and a decent Arvin tube stereo table radio from the 60s that needs some work. There was also a nice prewar GE console radio, odd in that it is about 8 tubes with an eye but is ac/dc. He still had 2 used tube bw sets for sale on the shelf out front, a 63 GE 19" portable & a cute 9" Sears from 68. Both should work; they are exceptionally clean. The neatest thing is an RCA color roundie test jig-sort of from the CTC-11 or 12 era. Includes a drawer full of cables. I don't know what I'll do with the jig; I made mention to him that if nothing else I could use the crt in one of my sets. Then he pointed out something I didn't know: RCA wanted to get as many shops servicing color as it could so it offered these jigs at a deep discount. Apparently the jigs sold for less than the cost of a crt. To keep people from buying them just for replacement jugs they acid etched the words "Test Tube" on the face. Well, thanks a lot Sarnoff, old boy! You ruined my plans! The gentleman went on to say that his first color set was one which he bought from a moving company. They had broken the crt. For several years he ran it with the test tube before finally swapping in a new one. I should have asked him how apparent the acid etching was when watching it. You have to kinda look for it with the tube dark. I don't suppose anyone knows a way to polish away that etching? I was thinking of using this tube in my Zenith 25MC33, which has a bad blue gun. I would have to glue a faceplate on, since the test tube lacks one. I have a dud in the attic which could donate that.

Anyway, I'm happy with my finds, glad I got to meet this great gentleman, and save a truckload of stuff from the dump. I'll try to snap some pictures.