Servicing the television of a 1963 Montgomery Wards Airline Imperial console. WG-5974A. Part 1 / 3

Wells-Gardener line operated chassis. No H/V and squealing. tubes check good. oscillator way off frequency. happened suddenly.

[shango]

If suicide had a sound that would be it. How about the capacitor in parallel with the coil or the Boost capacitor? Don't you love it when people tell you what to check in the comments?

[randomsteve]

1N400x is a mains frequency rectifier diode. It is too slow for this application. You can onLy barely get away with using them because the forward current is low and henceforth there are not many charge carriers introdued into the PN junction so they vacate (deplete) the zone fast once reverse bias is applied. Get a stock on 1N5819 schottky diodes. They should be as good as using a twin TO220 style rectifier double diode from a SMPS for this application.

[richysradioroom]

I think this is a stupid question BUT, Why are you fixing it? I mean I know it's broken and its a shame to send it to the land fill.
Is there someone who wants it? Is there a market for it? Is it for demonstrating trouble shooting techniques? Is it a personal challenge?
Is it one of my business? LOL.
I commend you for taking the time and money to bring it back to life.👍

[shango]

Those things have a breakdown voltage of like 30 volts so they will always measure completely open unless you use that meter with the 35 volt battery or whatever it is

[Rev-]

Though we didn't have a console like this one, my parents did buy a brand new 1963 B&W Monkey Wards back in the day. We watched Ed Sullivan and the Beatles, JFK assassination, and Eisenhower funeral among others. Remember it having to replace the on/off switch with a push button on the back because the service guy didn't have the exact replacement. Wow....thanks for the memories.

[wnwo]

Good idea with the studs on the transistor tester! I have an identical tester and think I'll do the same to mine.

[Mark-euds]

WG= Wells Gardner. I believe it was made in Chicago.

[MatthewSuffidy]

So you could watch Star Trek TOS on this.

[JWimpy]

That's the cleanest tube chassis I have ever seen.

[richardbrobeck]

Wells-Gardener also made some old sears sets too as I sure you know it.

[gerardcarriera]

I'm really surprised that a set which obviously sold at a steep price when new is a gutless wonder.

[eDoc]

I was trying to diagnose an old 1949 TV and I noticed that the power supply voltage had a surprisingly large effect on the oscillator frequency. A DC voltage check might be in order, maybe one of your power supply caps or resistors has failed.

Btw is it normal for an HV rectifier tube to have a bit of a purple glow on the cathode side or does this indicate a problem?