Hi all,

I found this old B&W valve television today (the one on the right in the photo) for $50, and it is an old Astor! I'm guessing that it is from the late 1950s to the early 1960s?

It's in okay shape, though would obviously need a bit of work to get it going and displayable. Does anyone know the model number, and have any circuit diagrams? What would that front panel (which is missing) look like?

Also, as a matter of interest, does anyone know what the set on the left is? The VHF tuner, image/volume knobs and the speaker are on the right hand side of it. It has a metal case, with vinyl fake-woodgrain (which has faded and is peeling off). I'm thinking that it might be an AWA or PYE?

Thanks,

Chris.

Hi Chris,
The Astor is an SJ it was the first Astor and sold for about 199 guineas in 1956 the grill was white plastic mesh with a slight outward curve I have a circuit somewhere if you send me your address I can post you a copy. Cheers John Ely

Thanks John! Do you know if there are any spare or reproduction panels around? If not, I might have to cut out a crude one with my school's CNC router.

Thanks,

Chris

The TV on the left looks like the vacuum has leaked out of the CRT. It may have gotten "necked", and the inrush of air blew off the phosphor in the center of the screen.

I thought the tube had gone to air too, but surprisingly, it's just an accumulation of dirt or grease on the glass screen protector or whatever that sheet of glass if. The CRT appears to still be intact and hold a vacuum.

Chris

Hi Chris, great find yes this is one of the first Astor sets and hard to find . It would have had legs as well. Be interesting to see a pik of the back to see the chassis maybe upload one when you can .

I want it! Perhaps I can trade you something Chris for the Astor?

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"I'd rather have a CRT than nothing" - me
"people just throw working CRTs out, it is NOT FUNNY!" -me

I'm sending some photos of the innards to Brad now. It has a large chassis inside, with "SJ24674" stamped on it (serial number?). Surprisingly, I found a boxed (NOS?) Mullard 1S2 valve stuffed between the CRT bezel and the cabinet! That was quite a surprise!

Chris

Thank you for uploading the photos Brad!

Chris

No worries. I hope I got the right ones in the right thread...

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

If you have a look in the historical features forum, there is a thread about Astor TV that has more information on your TV!

Nice find, the early model TV's are getting harder to find and are very collectable. Getting them running can be quite a challenge since specialised parts are extinct.

"SJ24674" is the model - serial number. i.e. Model SJ s/n 24674

Does anyone know if the electron gun/lens meant to be angled like in the photo above? I seem to remember reading an article a while ago about certain tubes, which had the cathode/lens assembly mounted at an angle to the neck of the tube.

Chris

The angle is so that any heavy ions that have not been evacuated, not been absorbed by the getter in the tube, or have outgassed from the tube components aren't propelled to hit the screen phosphor and burn it.
There is a magnetic field that is strong enough to bend the electron beam from the angle the gun is set at so that it hits the screen, but not strong enough to deflect heavy ions.

Congratulations on your find Chris. I have an Astor Devon Fringe console valve set that I rescued from going to the tip. Luckily the set was in excellent condition and inside the cabinet was the service booklet. After replacing a few faulty capacitors I got the set going again. I enjoy watching it using a set top box and a VCR to produce a VHF signal now the analogue signal has been switched off. I am glad that you are also interested in preserving valve television sets. I was quite impressed when working on my Astor set that all the components including the CRT were made locally.

Regarding the Astor TV shown above, an example features in the Australian Centre for the Moving Image exhibition in Federation Square, Melbourne. They have replaced the tube with an LCD screen though, to show stuff like Pick a Box and early Kennedy and Newton. Pity, they could have found a working monochrome set easily enough, if not this early Astor.

Other features are a working model of a Baird mechanical (rotating disc) TV, and a 1939 RCA TRK-12 TV in a clear lexan cabinet. The clear set was created for the New York Worlds fair in 1939. The tube is mounted vertically in the set and the image reflected in a mirror. I have photos of these but flash was not allowed so had to be hand held in a crowd in poor light. If good enough will ask Brad to consider for posting.

Another item of interest was a replica of the "Mad Max" V8 Ford with a commentary on the movie by the director George Miller. Also many other interviews of Australian stars and directors, and many examples of film, TV and animation technology.

Well worth a visit if in Melbourne.

RCA TRK-12 TV - rear view showing lid raised to expose the mirror

RCA TRK-12 TV - front view showing mirror that reflects the screen of the vertically mounted picture tube. The speaker has seen better days. The exhibit label says the clear plastic is Lucite, not Lexan as I have posted above.

Working model of a Baird mechanical (rotating disc) TV. The objective lens is shown which images Felix the Cat, an early Australian cartoon character, who rotates on a turntable to provide a moving object.

Working model of a Baird mechanical (rotating disc) TV. The viewing lens is seen at the right where a red rotating Felix is seen.

Early Astor TV, a model SJ according to Zamiac's post above, showing Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton. Alas no raster - an LCD screen - but it has the speaker grill missing from Chris Ronayne's TV .