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Obscure TV & VTR repair question

C

Cartrivision1

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi, I picked up an old Teledyne/Packard Bell TV console with a
integrated Cartrivision video tape recorder. For those who are not
familiar with this, the Cartrivision was the first mass produced
cartridge based video tape recorder for home use. This was on the
market in 1972 or so.

I got the thing for free but I had to drive a ways and it was very
heavy lifting into my home. They sure don't build them like they used
to. Anyway, it took a couple hours of warming up and pushing the on/
off the power button to get any life to the thing. The sound was fine
but the picture left a lot to be desired. I assume the picture tube
is bad because there is just a steady white horizontal line in the
center of the picture, along with some rolling lines.

The VTR section did not work either. I figured out why as I looked in
the back this morning. The power to the tape section had been
disconnected and the 7 audio/video wires that were supposed to connect
to the interface on the TV chassis were cut and tucked behind the
signal processor on the VTR side. I initially thought that the tape
recorder just stopped working and they wish to isolate the TV. BUT, I
noticed when looking at the front controls that the chassis is a
"Quasar II".

The chassis does not fit totally into the space in the console as
there is maybe a good 1/4 inch gap on each side or so. So, I am not
sure if someone has modified this TV or if Teledyne would actually use
a Quasar chassis. Anyone know if this could possibly be the case?
Could a Teledyne picture tube work with a Quasar chassis? They both
have 2 tubes, 2 in the chassis and 2 at the base of the picture tube.
Because without the proper chassis and interface this is just a heavy
paperweight, though the Cartrivision components have some value.


thanks,
CTV
 
Hi, I picked up an old Teledyne/Packard Bell TV console with a
integrated Cartrivision video tape recorder. For those who are not
heavy lifting into my home. They sure don't build them like they used
to.

thank god
but the picture left a lot to be desired. I assume the picture tube
is bad because there is just a steady white horizontal line in the
center of the picture, along with some rolling lines.

nothing to do with a tube fault.

The VTR section did not work either.

God help you getting that fixed, esp if you cant handle a simple tv
fault.

Could a Teledyne picture tube work with a Quasar chassis? They both
have 2 tubes, 2 in the chassis and 2 at the base of the picture tube.

what do you mean by '2 tubes'?

If you do what you can and still cant get any of it working, maybe
another enthusiast could get it up and running again. Not sure what
the attraction would be with cartrivision though.


NT
 
S

Sam Goldwasser

Jan 1, 1970
0
thank god


nothing to do with a tube fault.



God help you getting that fixed, esp if you cant handle a simple tv
fault.



what do you mean by '2 tubes'?

If you do what you can and still cant get any of it working, maybe
another enthusiast could get it up and running again. Not sure what
the attraction would be with cartrivision though.

Perhaps collectable value. :)

If there is light and lines on the screen, you're close. That means the
high voltage power supply and deflection is working. As noted, not the
picture tube. Possibly tuner or other signal related problem. Bad
connections, bad electrolytic capacitors, a missing power supply voltage.
The fault may have been present before it was "retired". You'll need a
schematic and some troubleshooting skills to get it going but the TV can
probably be made to work but don't expect the performance of modern TV.

As far as the video section, that's probably more of a challenge but might
be possible.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.
 
K

Ken Weitzel

Jan 1, 1970
0
Sam said:
Perhaps collectable value. :)

If there is light and lines on the screen, you're close. That means the
high voltage power supply and deflection is working. As noted, not the
picture tube. Possibly tuner or other signal related problem. Bad
connections, bad electrolytic capacitors, a missing power supply voltage.
The fault may have been present before it was "retired". You'll need a
schematic and some troubleshooting skills to get it going but the TV can
probably be made to work but don't expect the performance of modern TV.

As far as the video section, that's probably more of a challenge but might
be possible.

Hi Sam...

With the greatest of respect; looks like you may have over-looked the
horizontal white line.

Looks to my old eyes like he's just lost all vertical deflection. Don't
know the set, but if it's a tube type, perhaps as simple as replacing
the vert out tube if he can find one?

Take care.

Ken
 
C

Cartrivision1

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi Sam...

With the greatest of respect; looks like you may have over-looked the
horizontal white line.

Looks to my old eyes like he's just lost all vertical deflection. Don't
know the set, but if it's a tube type, perhaps as simple as replacing
the vert out tube if he can find one?

Take care.

Ken- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hi. Thanks for all of the replies. My question though was more of
would Teledyne/Packard Bell produce a console set with a Quasar II
chassis? The reason I need to know is that if it has been modified,
the interface for the VTR would be on the original chassis and this
would now be totally useless as a collectors item. The TV and
recorder can always be fixed.

Another clue is that the back panel has some cutout for fine tuning
pots, reset button, etc. that do not correspond to anything on the
back once the cover is taken off. So, either someone has modified it
or they changed their design mid-production and went with a different
design. Though I believe this was their stereo model so maybe they
went with a different design for their stereo model?


thanks,
CTV
 
A

Adrian C

Jan 1, 1970
0
Cartrivision1 said:
Hi. Thanks for all of the replies. My question though was more of
would Teledyne/Packard Bell produce a console set with a Quasar II
chassis?

I was going to suggest that you give the owner of
<http://www.angelfire.com/alt/cartrivision/> an email, then I realised
by your email address it's you! Good website.

At that time wasn't Quasar part of Motorola? Any OEM connections there?

I never knew before about this format, but then I'm a fellow from the UK
& the first cassette handling video recorder sold here was from Philips,
the N1500!
 
K

Ken Weitzel

Jan 1, 1970
0
I guess line output and EHT diode valves.

Hi...

I'd be guessing you're speaking of horizontal output and the damper
tubes... the one with the second anode cap being the horiz output.

There should be another with a 2nd anode cap inside a cage of sorts...
that will be the high voltage rectifier.

None of these is the reason for the difficulties you're experiencing.

Take care.

Ken
 
S

Sam Goldwasser

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ken Weitzel said:
Hi Sam...

With the greatest of respect; looks like you may have over-looked the
horizontal white line.

Looks to my old eyes like he's just lost all vertical
deflection. Don't know the set, but if it's a tube type, perhaps as
simple as replacing the vert out tube if he can find one?

He did say something about "rolling lines" so I sort of assume there is
some vertical. But, perhaps that was wishful thinking.

If it does use a vertical output tube (gasp!), then he just jumps into
his time machine and dials in the 1970s when every corner drug store
had a tube tester and a stock of new tubes. :)

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.
 
S

Sam Goldwasser

Jan 1, 1970
0
Cartrivision1 said:
Hi. Thanks for all of the replies. My question though was more of
would Teledyne/Packard Bell produce a console set with a Quasar II
chassis? The reason I need to know is that if it has been modified,
the interface for the VTR would be on the original chassis and this
would now be totally useless as a collectors item. The TV and
recorder can always be fixed.

Another clue is that the back panel has some cutout for fine tuning
pots, reset button, etc. that do not correspond to anything on the
back once the cover is taken off. So, either someone has modified it
or they changed their design mid-production and went with a different
design. Though I believe this was their stereo model so maybe they
went with a different design for their stereo model?

Sorry, given the size of the chassis, the cutouts that don't match, and
the cut wires, it sounds to me like someone installed a chassis from
another TV.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Sam said:
He did say something about "rolling lines" so I sort of assume there is
some vertical. But, perhaps that was wishful thinking.

If it does use a vertical output tube (gasp!), then he just jumps into
his time machine and dials in the 1970s when every corner drug store
had a tube tester and a stock of new tubes. :)


Or he asks on where they whine that no
one wants old TV tubes.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
I guess line output and EHT diode valves.



always nice to see a daft answer

NT


Why daft? People were collecting them six months after production
stooped.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
Why daft? People were collecting them six months after production
stooped.

Because stating the bleeding obvious is not especially constructive.
The question is/was why do some think them worth collecting. To merely
state that they do is empty headed.


NT
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Because stating the bleeding obvious is not especially constructive.
The question is/was why do some think them worth collecting. To merely
state that they do is empty headed.

NT

Empty headed? Plonk.
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
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