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Blonde Predicta Tandem - Printable Version

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Blonde Predicta Tandem - Bob Andersen - 01-04-2013

Here's my most recent Philco TV acquisition. It's a nice blonde Predicta Tandem set. It actually sold on ebay for nearly a grand, but the CRT and enclosure were destroyed by UPS when the seller tried to ship it. He filed a claim, which of course UPS declined, so he listed just the console base back on ebay. Luckily, I have a spare head unit so bid on it and got it for a fraction of the earlier selling price.
[Image: http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Philco-PREDICTA-Penthouse-Television-TV-screen-broken-25-Umbilical-cable-cord-/00/s/NjQwWDQ4MA==/$T2eC16NHJIYE9qUcM8dHBQw7KCnIm!~~60_3.JPG]

I flipped out a bit when I opened the box because there was sticky clear packing tape stuck all over the original finish Icon_evil
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8215/8323579555_e5e29ec1ff_c.jpg]

Slowly, over the course of an hour, I carefully peeled it off. Success! No finish came off.

There's one mismatched knob, a few paint flecks and some finish loss at the base of the legs. Also, the center HV conductor is broken on the CRT socket. Otherwise, it's in very good condition.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8078/8323578757_d4a0b4bbf6_c.jpg]

Here I've removed the back for a look inside.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8217/8323590743_d15b77f672_c.jpg]

I pulled the chassis and was blown away at how clean it is. Easily the most pristine vintage TV chassis I've ever seen. Other than a few tubes, not one single component has been replaced and all the metal surfaces are gleaming.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8364/8324649468_225a2e8692_c.jpg]

[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8359/8324651526_36ed466c76_c.jpg]

Now for the best part. I did some basic checks and only found a bad thermistor. Once that was replaced, I slowly powered it up and it actually works quite well Icon_biggrin
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8222/8323591549_3dff3d670e_c.jpg]

[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8217/8324652286_e049c86a91_c.jpg]

I figure a few new tubes and some tweaking will get it running even better. Which leaves me torn. Do I continue to run it on all the old parts or do a recap ?

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - Eliot Ness - 01-04-2013

It looks good Bob. I guess this is a rare instance where shipping damage worked in your favor.

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - Radioroslyn - 01-04-2013

Very Nice Bob!!!! I think I would recap it just so you won't have to keep pulling it apart every time something go haywire to find it's a bad cap that get old FAST!!
GL
Terry

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - Arran - 01-05-2013

UPS destroyed something, not really a revelation there. They should rename themselves, United Pulverization Service, and go into a line of work they are more suited for, like demolishing buildings or entering demolition derbies. It's no wonder that UPS has such a heavy advertising budget, with their reputation they would have a hard time finding customers otherwise.
There was a twit on the other forum who was always selling stuff and wouldn't use anyone else but UPS, that was part of the reason he wouldn't ship to Canada because the UPS goons made him fill out a dozen pages of forms, I guess he never heard of the post office, they only make you fill out 1/2 a page. I hate to think of what the UPS thugs did to any of the radios he shipped.
Regards
Arran

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - Bob Andersen - 01-05-2013

For all the bad press the post office gets I must say that I've never have any issues with them. Not a single damaged item. Pretty good luck with Fedex too.

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - BrendaAnnD - 01-17-2013

The only way I can receive anything is through the post office. Usually, if it's damaged it's because the seller was totally clueless as to proper techniques for packing fragile and/or heavy items.

That being said, USPS DID manage to virtually destroy (TWICE!) the same Pilot TV-37 set. A friend sent it to me to repair because his local shop had had it for 6 months and had not yet touched it.

When I received it via USPS, it was in pieces. The base was broken, the chassis loose from the base, all the phenolic wafers holding the front controls were shattered. The top was smashed in. Fortunately, I had various cabinet parts and was able to fabricate new wafers of heavier fibre reinforced phenolic to replace the old ones.

I spent several weeks waiting for parts then recapping, tuning, tweaking and sweating over it, and had the most perfect picture I ever have seen on one of these sets (3KP4's are NOT your basic high quality, high brightness/contrast tubes).

When I shipped it back to him, it was in a Compaq computer box, with the heavy foam rubber insert. The television was set into the insert, and then shimmed all around with large bubble wrap. It should have been indestructible. Alas, it was not. Icon_sad

When he got it back, the case was again broken, one tube had come out of the socket (leaving the guide key behind), and the brackets that hold the front panel (CRT, speaker and tuning dials) were bent and/or broken. He replaced the tube, turned the set on and it made a loud POP.

Now, this is NOT a heavy television. Shoot, it cost me only about $60 to ship it Express mail, insured to the east coast. How in H**l did they manage to DO that?

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - FXpert - 01-18-2013

Never underestimate the power of a small group of gorillas.

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - BrendaAnnD - 01-18-2013

By the way.. Nice find Bob. I've never gotten to see a Predicta close up, but always wanted one. Maybe if I ever come back to the states.

I had forgotten all about how Philco used to use a fuse block to hold those top-hat rectifiers. Brings back some memories.

What's the broken plastic piece on the antenna connector block? (never mind, I see now. It's the interface for the external CRT, most pointedly, the the HV connection. I need to be more observant. Icon_smile

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - Bob Andersen - 01-18-2013

Right, HV connection. I could try gluing it, but there's old glue residue that may prevent fresh glue from binding properly. Perhaps I could clean that out with a Dremel tool. I've also posted some classifieds asking for a replacement socket from a junked set. No responses so far Icon_sad

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - Arran - 01-18-2013

Acetone will melt most old glues off, or old fashioned methylene chloride paint and varnish remover. The only issue is what sort of plastic they sued to make that socket? If it's some sort of phenolic plastic it won't be a problem, but if it's polystyrene then you will have to try the mechanical method of removal. Straight two part epoxy works well on phenolic plastics, I would use the 24 hour type as it's a stronger bond, don't use JB weld for obvious reasons, the 18 kv will cause problems with that.
Regards
Arran

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - codefox1 - 01-19-2013

Next time hav the seller bring the item to the UPS store, use paypal and let them pack it. That way there's no place for them to hide. Seller and buyer are much more protected.

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - Arran - 01-20-2013

A better idea is not to use UPS at all, the best solution to their lousy service and unwillingness to honor claims is take your business to their competitors. The fact that people use this service at all is testament to the effectiveness of mass advertising because it certainly isn't the quality of their service. What can brown do for you? Smash a collectable radio or TV is you use them.
Regards
Arran

RE: Blonde Predicta Tandem - Bob Andersen - 10-25-2013

I just got a message from Larry Bordonaro pointing out that one knob is the wrong color and that he had reproductions available.

Well it turns out that I received a tip about his great reproductions a few months back and picked up a few sets. They fit perfectly, look great and are stronger (thicker plastic) than the originals Icon_biggrin

[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8378/8544196738_edd1c00c16_z.jpg]