As an apprentice, My favourite B&W TV to work on, and for its beautiful picture, was the Astor model BSK.

Later during Colour TV days, I fell in love with the 20" Sharp model C-206X. A stunning picture Just had to make sure that no one had turned on the photo sensor that adjusted the brightness according to ambient light.

Technicians. Which sets, or sets impressed you ? Reveal your hidden gems.

Wayne.

I don't regard myself as a TV serviceman as my only real experience is with radios however I once fixed a HMV Casino by belting the side of the cabinet. How long that ended up lasting is anyone's guess. The fleet of televisions on the wards at Gladesville Hospital, where I did my apprenticeship, consisted mainly HMV Casinos and Thorn 63T1, the former being a valve B&W and the latter a solid state coloured set. All were mounted in fairly strong timber wall units with a perspex front panel to stop the patients attacking them or fighting with each other over the preferred channel.

G'day LABRAT.

I am no technician but I like to play with old televisions. All I can say (as far as B&W valve sets go) Philips, Philips, Philips. The point to point Astors were very, very hot though and I wish I didn't get rid of the ones I had.

Well basically I worked on valve and transistor radios in the 1960's.
Black and White TV's in the 1970's.
Colour TV in the 1980's.
And commercial TV in the 1990"s.
Then started my own business specialising in computer monitor repairs from 2000 on.
Now retired but do a lot of vintage radio restorations, purely as a hobby.
After all the hobby in the 1960's became a job.
However in answer to the thread, I really did not have any real favourite TV's.
Some were better than others but the ones I disliked were the ones that the chassis did not either hinge out or down.
The very early ones that required a complete chassis removal to change a component, then precariously balance the chassis to fire it up out of cabinet. Or even make some measurements or minor adjustments.
Due to the fact that we handled all brands, so consequently dreaded some home visits.
Even into the colour days we dreaded AWA UK chassis models, then 4KA's.
Then EMI/HMV/Healing with their 221's etc with lift up chassis, separate boards, A wonderful idea for servicemen, but terrible reliability.
My real favourite to work on apart from the Philips K9's, Was the Kriesler 59-01's on.
The Krieslers stood out as really good performers and reliable using discrete components. loved them.
Maybe a little biased as did factory training and some other technical college interaction.
Then came the imports, almost the demise of the servicemen, certainly the valve jockey's. Reliable and cheap.
A colour Kriesler in its day 3 months wages at least. Now a 4K flat screen a weeks wages or less......
JJ

G'day Johnny,

I've just been posting on how the K9 & K11 (not as good) were designed for the technician. As far as colour chassis go, the (not Philips, but trying) Kriesler 59 series was the best for access but (like philips) if there wasn't a ready supply of replacement "plug in" modules on the bench, it's hard work.

I sound as though I know what I'm talking about but I don't! It's a hobby for me.

Is it OK if I try and contact you by email again? This site wouldn't let me access your email so I assumed it was private. No problems if you want to stay private. If I get no answer, I wont bother you again.

You've got a lot of experience that I don't have.

Andy, the repair of Kriesler and Philips modules was possible and done.
But there seemed to be limited info/circuits etc for them.
Them were the days. JJ

G'day Johnny,

Yes. When the "mature gentleman" who is to blame for getting me into this had down time in the work shop, he'd repair modules. He drew his own diagrams and PCB layouts.

He's repairing an antenna for me to put up (he's not so good on ladders now) at the moment.

If you're interested in corresponding my email address is Jydnahotmail.com

P.S what was your first radio repair? What was your first television repair?

Philips K9, K11 we’re the best by far. I’m no technician but self taught and tinkered with TVs for years.(my father nicknamed me tinker fingers).
I have a big collection of sets and am still after a thorn 3500 chassis set. Anyone out there got one they want to part with?

I'd have to rate the Kriesler 59-01 ahead of the Philips. I'm particularly fond of the Kriesler's modulated S-correction system that got left out of the K9s. You can see where the parts were supposed to go on the PCB.

One of the very few 110 degree CRTs that can boast virtually perfect geometry. The test pattern circle is actually round, not a diamond or a hexagon like other 110 degree sets.

The K11 and the Kriesler 59-03 were much simpler but were a step backwards IMHO.

But then, who watches test patterns?

But then, who watches test patterns?

Nobody, because they aren't shown any more.

Back in the 70s before daytime TV became a thing, Channel 7 (at least) showed a test pattern during the middle of the day. This was before SBS was invented. Channel 2 had the round clock to waste away the seconds before the next program started.

I remember TCN-9's test card just before Rocky and Bullwinkle and the Thunderbirds - this is just before 24 hour telly began.

While we are off on a tangent. We would tune all the sets in the workshop to the ABC (Ch-2) as they would put up a test pattern inbetween programs in the morning.

I have seen Sooooooo many episodes of Playschool. I'm not nostalgic for Playschool.

In the late 1970s I was lucky enough to go to a school that had the grand total of two tellies. One was a coloured JVC, coupled with a like-branded U-matic VCR, which was in a designated AV room. The other was an AWA valve set on a stand which was in the 3rd class room at the other end of the building. Both sets worked and I remember the days when the ABC used to take breaks between programming because the programme length was set up for commercial television - something no-one would have understood at the tender age of six. I remember the test card followed by around 30 seconds of the clock mentioned earlier by Robert. As expected, the class 'counted down' to the expected programme which was a childrens programme called Waterloo Street.

Admiral, they work so good, even though they didn't have true DC blacks AFAIK. One of the best pictures I saw was on the earlier 90 deg tube models sold in Aus. Would like to study the schematic for these, link?

Email me a link and login details to a file repo of your choice and I'll send you a very large PDF that's not only got all the Admiral models but all the others.