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Pilot 3 inch TV. - Printable Version

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Pilot 3 inch TV. - Jayce - 04-30-2011

Not sure where to post this, but I'll start here. I travelled about 2 hours today to get to what was supposed to be a very large flea market being done to help a pet shelter. Well, it was large, but barely anything I was interested in besides an over-priced Victrola that had been painted brown. On the way back home, I found an antique store and stopped in there. Definitely more interesting and bigger inside than I thought it was. I was feeling like I was going to strike out though, until I found this sitting on one of the tables.[attachment=0]

I have heard of these little guys and have even seen pictures of a few, but to see one in the flesh is really neat! I called a friend and asked his advice and he said to grab it for the price, even though the CRT condition is not known. I am broke now, but glad I got the little TV. Even if it never works, it is such an interesting piece and so small for its time. Wish the picture tubes for them weren't so rare.

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - Radioroslyn - 05-01-2011

Nice set! If you what to get some advise for on this little rascal go visit my friends over at

http://www.videokarma.org/

Go to the early B/W section.
Enjoy
Terry

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - exray - 05-01-2011

Hi, nice find! I got one several years ago in a trade and I was tickled to get it. It was in "working" condition although it had been recapped by pigtailing orange drops throughout. Really messy job but it did work. CRT is good and I improved some of the linearity problems by going to different caps in certain places in the circuit. I've seen these sets sometimes with darn near perfect linearity.

They aren't difficult to work on. In many respects they are more like a typical radio circuit with a CRT than a conventional television set. Mine is nothing to brag about and the set isn't really something you can sit and watch but it is very cool nonetheless when you see an image on such a crude machine! Icon_thumbup

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - TA Forbes - 05-01-2011

I'm not an old TV collector, but man, does this set bring back some memories! I had one of these sets when I was a boy on northern NY. My Da got it from his TV repair guy, even in the 60s this set was considered just an old set, maybe good enough for a kid's room.
I managed to get an antenna for it by walking the streets of Potsdam during trash day. Back then you could find old radios, tubes, lawn mowers that people left on the curb for trash pickup.... junk to adults but gold to a kid like me.

I climbed an old and very tall elm tree that was near my bedroom window and re-assembled the antenna near the top of the tree, and ran a paired antenna line into my bedroom window. The reception was still crappy, as back then you only had 2 stations up there to select from. One in Canada and one in Burlington, VT. BUT, it was MY tv and MY antenna. I was pretty proud.
My parents either didn't notice my antenna or didn't care. Probably didn't notice, as I always had somthing going on. This was around the time that I thought building a flathead V8 engine in my bedroom was a good idea, an idea that DID get my parents notice and immediate disapproval. Like I said, I always had somthing going on......

Anyway.... months later I was watching the Milton Berle show during a lightning storm. Lightning struck the antenna, smoked the TV, and d**n near started my room on fire.
Interesting in that it also smoked the radio in my brothers room and a clock in my parents room, and blew nearly every fuse in the basement. Our house was full of smoke.

Also interesting how lightning can significantly raise the interest level one's parents have in one's TV antenna.
I took what was left of the antenna system down the following day.

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - Radioroslyn - 05-01-2011

Great story Tom!
Terry

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - Jayce - 05-01-2011

Thanks for the info and links guys. I am hoping to get this set going enough to put in the bedroom at the house and try watching some Jack Benny on it on Sunday nights. Icon_biggrin Time will tell though. I also enjoyed the story and it reminded me about an odd TV antenna connector I have. They used to sell clips that you would connect your antenna wire too, then just clip onto the two screws on the back of the set. My grandparents used these because when a bad storm hit they would simply unclip the antenna wire and toss it back out the window it was piped through.

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - TA Forbes - 05-02-2011

Yes, the clips were where one connected a flat antenna wire that had two parallel conductors in it. The other end went to your antenna.

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - Jayce - 05-02-2011

Well, if I was on the right pins, I got good continuality on the CRT filament. Not sure if it has any emission left, but at least it is not burnt out. Icon_smile

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - codefox1 - 05-02-2011

Now the kids are watching videos on their 2 inch phones, so what has been gained in these many decades?

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - Jayce - 05-03-2011

codefox1 Wrote:Now the kids are watching videos on their 2 inch phones, so what has been gained in these many decades?

Well, color and smaller size I guess. But, those phones last what.. an average of 18 months according to studies? I'll bet these little Pilot sets got more mileage than that, even with the filament issues. Besides, my Pilot set is cooler than a video phone. Icon_wink

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - exray - 05-03-2011

codefox1 Wrote:Now the kids are watching videos on their 2 inch phones

Icon_smile Well, you can hold those little phones right up to your face (while you're driving or walking down the sidewalk) . Try that with a TV-37 - haha

Jayce, in case you didn't know it already they sold an external magnifier that can go over the picture tube on the Pilot. Increases the image size by a bit. They are quite scarce to find, though.

-Bill

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - Jayce - 05-06-2011

I've seen images with the magnifier on the set and it looks neat, but I guess they hooked right onto the grill bars! Icon_eek From what I have read, the magnifier usually either broke or bent the bars over time. My Pilot has virtually perfect grills on it, so it probably never had the magnifier.

Re: Pilot 3 inch TV. - Arran - 05-09-2011

If the CRT is still good it is highly recommended to modify the filament circuit so as to avoid burning out the CRT filament, usually by giving the CRT it's own dedicated filament transformer although I have heard of some mod involving current limiters or thermistors.
Regards
Arran