New member from Canada.

[PhilR]

I manage to do simple fixes, I'm okay to replace minor stuff or bad capacitors. I did fix a few old microwave control panels and my 1980 GE electronic toaster oven that got a bad transistor but not too good at finding what's wrong with audio systems. One of my RCA Victor solid state console has a defective FM multiplex circuit and I can't find what's wrong, the other one which is identical (in my avatar with the stereo light on) has an issue with the right channel which is weak when the volume is low and it gets about equal to the left channel when the knob is turned midway and the sound seems to be a bit distorted on that channel. It seems to have less low tones. I have a feeling it's not related to the potentiometer but to some bad electronic components but I don't really know what to check first and how!

Same for my 1968 Zenith TV combo, the solid state remote module for the TV doesn't work. I've failed at trying to figure what's wrong with it.
And the solid state amp for the solid state tuner also recently got weaker on one channel. I didn't investigate much this one but I did switch the transistors from one side to the other (not those for the outputs) and nothing changed. I know some transistors have been replaced in the past as some are Germanium and others are newer. Switching them changed nothing! I didn't try to remove the output ones as I don't have the stuff that goes on them to make contact with the cooling plate.

I also have tube radios that I'd need to fix. A Pioneer SX-800 receiver that smoked (I have a complete one for parts) and a few German table radios (Saba 300 and Continental 410/Studio).

[electra225]

The best thing to do would be to get a schematic for them, then start checking voltages. Voltage being off by 10% on tube equipment might still allow it to work. Voltages off by a tenth of a volt on Solid state stuff might be enough to shut the whole thing down. Typically, bulging electrolytic capacitors are the culprit when solid state equipment starts going on the fritz. I have a Pioneer SX-1050 with a dead left channel. I think it is capacitors, but I haven't gotten into it. I haven't gotten into solid state stuff yet, but I'd like to have a go of it some day. We can walk you thru it if you'd like to tackle one or the other of them.

[Firedome]

I have great hesitation to even attempt to figure out anything but the simplest point-to-point tube stuff myself.
SS gear stuffed tight with PCBs crammed with little components totally intimidate me, just getting at things is difficult.
It may be worth it though if one has the knowledge. I'm so impressed by the '71/72 Magnavox SS receiver I have playing naked in my garage through some cheap SPC Aiwa speakers from a plastic all-in-one "stereo" that I'm much more inclined to want to mess with and save SS stuff now. In the case of Maganvox it appears they really got their act together and made some good SS consoles after their earliest "Astro-Sonic" Germanium based stuff of the mid '60s.
As a result, despite my avatar, I'll no longer have a tendency to write off certain consoles just because they may be SS.
Phil's SS RCAs fall into this category as well. Look at all the turntable and receiver options they had, but only in Canada!
And a 5 yr guarantee!

[William]

RCA being a company that was driven by profit surprises me that they would offer different models in Canada. PhilR's RCA console is case in point, so many options and totally different than anything offered in the US.

Bill

[Firedome]

It seems to me that about 99.9% of businesses are profit based unless money-loosing is a tax dodge stategy or something, so it must have been profitable for them to offer the choices that they did in Canada. In fact it seems odd they did not do so here as well. Me I'd certainly have picked the Dual, I owned a mint 1009 and it's a superb unit still working well at 55 years old, recently gave it to my son. I've also had an AT-6 and A-70 Garrard (but not a Lab 80) and they are very good but the Dual is better, and as to BSR... forget it. Also the Garrard 3000 is one of their weird models, not as great, one was discussed here recently I think? Choice in the marketplace is a good thing!

[William]

I agree, Roger. Why not offer everything to everybody.

Bill

[Motorola minion]

Hello Phil,

I know Im a bit late to the welcome party here but I hope you're enjoying the RCA and Zenith roundie color TVs.

Anything of that era was very available for experimentation when I was 15 keeping me out of trouble, kind of. Growing up during the 70s saw much upgrades as the grand color TV console was replaced with a particle board cabinet while remote control and cable ready became must-haves. Late 80s, eventually plastic and now fragile panels.

Once Firedome stays home in NY for a bit and Im up that way for my job, I need to stop by replace a HV socket/plate cap in their 62 RCA blondie.

I have seen many RCA solid state consoles of that era, but never like that one

[PhilR]

These consoles were made in Canada and quite different from the US consoles. We did have a few US-made color TV sets and combos before RCA started to make their own color TV sets here in the late 1960s (I don't know exactly when).

Here are some pictures from one of my Canadian TV sets, this one is from 1972 and it has a CTC-39 chassis. It was an economy model as Solid State sets were also available.

[William]

Nice looking TV, what's the speaker hanging on the wall behind it?

Bill

[PhilR]

That's an extension speaker for the RCA console.

[William]

Interesting, I have never seen one quite like that.

Bill

[Firedome]

Can be used as either R or L depending on orientation according to label. Is it a 2-way so they want the woofer on the bottom?

[PhilR]

They have 3 wires and when they're connected, they replace the smaller size speakers in the console, the woofers still work in the console. They help improve the mid and high range stereo effect. There are also connectors for a regular 4 speaker setup.