Murphy CTV2211s. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

MickMcmichael · 26th Oct 2011, 9:05 pm

Hi all.

This dear old Murphy has temporarily found its way to my workshop. Sadly it will be leaving me soon for pastures new but when handed the opportunity to "tittivate" it, I jumped at the chance!

There's still a fair bit of work to do though. I've balanced the line output transistors as per the manual and also fitted a replacement tuner. The craggy looking test card in the picture was the result of a failing and intermittent tuner. I didn't have any BF180 / 181's in stock but I did have a tuner rescued from a scrap set some years ago. This has brought back the gain and quite reasonable colour.

The set is destined to be used on an occasional basis by a seasoned collector of all things 1970's.

The one thing I need to do is to make the set VCR compatible. Somewhere in my house there lurks a whole list of VCR mods for various sets - courtesy of Visionhire many years ago. The trouble is it must have been filed somewhere under "miscellaneous" and now its whereabouts eludes me.

In short ... I've lost it!

Does anybody know of the VCR mod for the A823 chassis please? I would be most grateful if someone can remember.

Many thanks in advance.

Regards,

Mick.

Mikey405 · 26th Oct 2011, 9:35 pm

That's a nice set Mick - and yours seems to be displaying a remarkably good picture considering its tuner handicap. I'm afraid I don't know the VCR mod off hand. I guess it will be in one of the "Television" magazines but I don't know which one.

Well done for getting it so good so far though.

Kind regards.

From Mike.

Focus Diode · 27th Oct 2011, 4:33 pm

From "Television", May 1982, "TV-VCR Compatability" by Eugene Trundle:

with A803 Scan Drive Panel: Change 5C12 to 0.01uF and 5C13 to 680pF

with Z504 or Z968 scan drive panel: Remove 5C12. Chance 5C10 to 1.5uF and 5R15 to 4K7. If jitter ensues on off air reception, change 5C15 to 0.068uF.

What a lovely looking set! These sets have their niggles (teletext lines at the top remember?!) but a reliable LOPT thankfully.

Hope this info will be of help.
Cheers,
Brian

MickMcmichael · 27th Oct 2011, 7:55 pm

Many thanks Brian. I had decided to trawl through my television magazines to look it up but haven't had the time. My timebase is the A803 so I'll give it a try tomorrow.

No teletext lines anymore. All our analogue has gone and teletext lines with it!

I'm doing this set for a friend and I still have my own A823 to do up at some point - one of the later one's with varicap tuner. If the tube is as good as this one I'll be pleased.

Many thanks,

Mick.

Tazman1966 · 31st Oct 2011, 11:47 pm

Nice set Mick. Have you got the swivel stand for it too?

neil29 · 1st Nov 2011, 6:03 pm

Ive got a set with the touch channel selectors. trouble is it wants to stay on number 1

. and its had the teletext line mod too. cheers neil.

Hybrid tellies · 2nd Nov 2011, 3:56 pm

What a lovely looking set, this is a real icon of the 1970's. Saw this model in quite a few different colours but never yellow.

Jonster · 3rd Nov 2011, 9:57 am

Lovely looking set, bet your pleased with it! It's white to my eyes though! Think the light just makes it look yellow in a couple of pics.

MickMcmichael · 3rd Nov 2011, 11:15 am

Hi all,

It's not actually yellow, that's just lighting and camera settings which makes it look a little jaundiced!

The white has faded a little over time. It's actually a bit of a basic restoration for a friend but if it were mine I would be keen to do the cabinet from scratch and make it look new.

Unfortunately there isn't a stand with it, probably just as well as I'd be wanting to keep it and space around here is always at a premium.

Doing this for my friend has inspired me to get my own A823 out from under the bench. Think that may well be my next project.

Thanks for all the comments,

Cheers,

Mick.

MickMcmichael · 4th Jan 2012, 6:53 pm

Hi all.

Here's a few last pictures of the Murphy before it heads north to its new home in Yorkshire. I've ironed out some of the remaining niggles such as the overbright picture, (220k on the earthy end of the A1 pots - on convergence panel) the poor focus, (4.7m inside line can in series with focus VDR) and a replacement convergence pot.

It's set up quite nicely but will it survive a trip to Yorkshire?

Time will tell!

Hunts smoothing bomb · 4th Jan 2012, 8:46 pm

Good looking set, looks to be in real good shape now!
Is that moir patterning I see or is it just the camera playing up because it's pointing at a CRT?

Great job, a real goodun!

Cheers

MickMcmichael · 4th Jan 2012, 9:25 pm

I think it's the camera effect. My quite expensive Sony camera never seems to do my old tellies justice. I've got a cheaper camera that produces the same effect.

So it's probalby me ...

slidertogrid · 4th Jan 2012, 9:53 pm

Hi Mate, Thats a bloomin' good picture! (especially for a two chip decoder 823).

I must admit I thought it looked a bit of a tubey sick old thing when I last saw it on your bench, has the tube got better or was it the faults that made it look sick?
The owner should be well pleased with that.

Rich.

MickMcmichael · 4th Jan 2012, 10:19 pm

Hi Rich,

The owner asked me to check it on the B&K and give it a "clean and balance" if required. When checked, all three guns were in the yellow but the indicator on the green gun was shimmering about. I did as I was asked and all three guns perked up to well into the green area of the indicators.

I let the tube cool down and then put the B&K back on again, set up the grid voltage etc and did a second emission check and all was fine - three green indicators!

So no harm was done - luckily!

One fault that I thought was fixed seems to have returned though. The set intermittently produces a sort of flickering effect on the luminance which looks a little like "sound on vision" although it's not actually in sync with the sound. It looks a little like the effect when digital channels break through onto analogue but, again, I've ruled this out by trying the set through the RF out of a Sky box with no aerial loop through.

So far I've scoped up to the luminance delay line and there's no unwanted mush there so, for the moment, I'm ruling out the IF assembly and tuner. I need to explore the circuit further tomorrow when a mere cup of tea should produce a better thought process than the glass of what looks like cold tea I'm experiencing at the moment!

The flickering effect is intermittent and doesn't follow a pattern of cold/warm conditions that I was hoping for.

Well you did ask ....

gec2110 · 4th Jan 2012, 10:23 pm

look good or am A823 very good

GLENZ32 · 4th Jan 2012, 10:30 pm

Thats is one very nice picture!

line sync · 4th Jan 2012, 11:24 pm

You,ve done a nice job on this old set mick .
I,ve seen that brightness fault before on an A823 .
8C11 which is mounted on the capacitor plate behind the convergence board might be worth a check .
This cap used to fail in early models and was later uprated .

Best regards
Robin

MickMcmichael · 5th Jan 2012, 9:11 am

Thanks Robin but it's already been replaced along with the two BA148's in the same network (line pulse back to decoder). I'll take another look today with a better 'scope. The problem has been the intermittency of the effect - I thought it had disappeared completely after replacing the tuner but alas not.

Cheers,

Mick.

26th Oct 2011, 9:05 pm	#1
MickMcmichael Pentode Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 196	Murphy CTV2211s. Hi all. This dear old Murphy has temporarily found its way to my workshop. Sadly it will be leaving me soon for pastures new but when handed the opportunity to "tittivate" it, I jumped at the chance! There's still a fair bit of work to do though. I've balanced the line output transistors as per the manual and also fitted a replacement tuner. The craggy looking test card in the picture was the result of a failing and intermittent tuner. I didn't have any BF180 / 181's in stock but I did have a tuner rescued from a scrap set some years ago. This has brought back the gain and quite reasonable colour. The set is destined to be used on an occasional basis by a seasoned collector of all things 1970's. The one thing I need to do is to make the set VCR compatible. Somewhere in my house there lurks a whole list of VCR mods for various sets - courtesy of Visionhire many years ago. The trouble is it must have been filed somewhere under "miscellaneous" and now its whereabouts eludes me. In short ... I've lost it! Does anybody know of the VCR mod for the A823 chassis please? I would be most grateful if someone can remember. Many thanks in advance. Regards, Mick. Attached Thumbnails

26th Oct 2011, 9:35 pm	#2
Mikey405 Octode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Solihull, West Midlands and Beaford, Devon Posts: 1,626	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. That's a nice set Mick - and yours seems to be displaying a remarkably good picture considering its tuner handicap. I'm afraid I don't know the VCR mod off hand. I guess it will be in one of the "Television" magazines but I don't know which one. Well done for getting it so good so far though. Kind regards. From Mike. __________________ G7TRF

27th Oct 2011, 4:33 pm	#3
Focus Diode Octode Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Borough of Gateshead, UK. Posts: 1,420	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. From "Television", May 1982, "TV-VCR Compatability" by Eugene Trundle: with A803 Scan Drive Panel: Change 5C12 to 0.01uF and 5C13 to 680pF with Z504 or Z968 scan drive panel: Remove 5C12. Chance 5C10 to 1.5uF and 5R15 to 4K7. If jitter ensues on off air reception, change 5C15 to 0.068uF. What a lovely looking set! These sets have their niggles (teletext lines at the top remember?!) but a reliable LOPT thankfully. Hope this info will be of help. Cheers, Brian Last edited by Focus Diode; 27th Oct 2011 at 4:47 pm.

27th Oct 2011, 7:55 pm	#4
MickMcmichael Pentode Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 196	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Many thanks Brian. I had decided to trawl through my television magazines to look it up but haven't had the time. My timebase is the A803 so I'll give it a try tomorrow. No teletext lines anymore. All our analogue has gone and teletext lines with it! I'm doing this set for a friend and I still have my own A823 to do up at some point - one of the later one's with varicap tuner. If the tube is as good as this one I'll be pleased. Many thanks, Mick.

31st Oct 2011, 11:47 pm	#5
Tazman1966 Nonode Join Date: May 2006 Location: St Albans, Herts, UK. Posts: 2,193	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Nice set Mick. Have you got the swivel stand for it too? __________________ All the very best, Tas

1st Nov 2011, 6:03 pm	#6
neil29 Heptode Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Newport, Gwent, UK. Posts: 962	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Ive got a set with the touch channel selectors. trouble is it wants to stay on number 1 . and its had the teletext line mod too. cheers neil.

2nd Nov 2011, 3:56 pm	#7
Hybrid tellies Nonode Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area. Posts: 2,967	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. What a lovely looking set, this is a real icon of the 1970's. Saw this model in quite a few different colours but never yellow. __________________ Simon BVWS member

3rd Nov 2011, 9:57 am	#8
Jonster Heptode Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 671	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Lovely looking set, bet your pleased with it! It's white to my eyes though! Think the light just makes it look yellow in a couple of pics.

3rd Nov 2011, 11:15 am	#9
MickMcmichael Pentode Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 196	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Hi all, It's not actually yellow, that's just lighting and camera settings which makes it look a little jaundiced! The white has faded a little over time. It's actually a bit of a basic restoration for a friend but if it were mine I would be keen to do the cabinet from scratch and make it look new. Unfortunately there isn't a stand with it, probably just as well as I'd be wanting to keep it and space around here is always at a premium. Doing this for my friend has inspired me to get my own A823 out from under the bench. Think that may well be my next project. Thanks for all the comments, Cheers, Mick.

4th Jan 2012, 6:53 pm	#10
MickMcmichael Pentode Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 196	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Hi all. Here's a few last pictures of the Murphy before it heads north to its new home in Yorkshire. I've ironed out some of the remaining niggles such as the overbright picture, (220k on the earthy end of the A1 pots - on convergence panel) the poor focus, (4.7m inside line can in series with focus VDR) and a replacement convergence pot. It's set up quite nicely but will it survive a trip to Yorkshire? Time will tell! Attached Thumbnails

4th Jan 2012, 8:46 pm	#11
Hunts smoothing bomb Octode Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Wimborne, Dorset, UK. Posts: 1,407	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Good looking set, looks to be in real good shape now! Is that moir patterning I see or is it just the camera playing up because it's pointing at a CRT? Great job, a real goodun! Cheers __________________ Lee

4th Jan 2012, 9:25 pm	#12
MickMcmichael Pentode Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 196	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. I think it's the camera effect. My quite expensive Sony camera never seems to do my old tellies justice. I've got a cheaper camera that produces the same effect. So it's probalby me ...

4th Jan 2012, 9:53 pm	#13
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Hi Mate, Thats a bloomin' good picture! (especially for a two chip decoder 823). I must admit I thought it looked a bit of a tubey sick old thing when I last saw it on your bench, has the tube got better or was it the faults that made it look sick? The owner should be well pleased with that. Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...

4th Jan 2012, 10:19 pm	#14
MickMcmichael Pentode Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 196	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Hi Rich, The owner asked me to check it on the B&K and give it a "clean and balance" if required. When checked, all three guns were in the yellow but the indicator on the green gun was shimmering about. I did as I was asked and all three guns perked up to well into the green area of the indicators. I let the tube cool down and then put the B&K back on again, set up the grid voltage etc and did a second emission check and all was fine - three green indicators! So no harm was done - luckily! One fault that I thought was fixed seems to have returned though. The set intermittently produces a sort of flickering effect on the luminance which looks a little like "sound on vision" although it's not actually in sync with the sound. It looks a little like the effect when digital channels break through onto analogue but, again, I've ruled this out by trying the set through the RF out of a Sky box with no aerial loop through. So far I've scoped up to the luminance delay line and there's no unwanted mush there so, for the moment, I'm ruling out the IF assembly and tuner. I need to explore the circuit further tomorrow when a mere cup of tea should produce a better thought process than the glass of what looks like cold tea I'm experiencing at the moment! The flickering effect is intermittent and doesn't follow a pattern of cold/warm conditions that I was hoping for. Well you did ask ....

4th Jan 2012, 10:23 pm	#15
gec2110 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Croydon, London, UK. Posts: 408	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. look good or am A823 very good

4th Jan 2012, 10:30 pm	#16
GLENZ32 Hexode Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 289	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Thats is one very nice picture! __________________ Visit my Vintage TV & Radio Page - http://nzvintagetvradio.blogspot.com/

4th Jan 2012, 11:24 pm	#17
line sync Heptode Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Kinver, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 634	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. You,ve done a nice job on this old set mick . I,ve seen that brightness fault before on an A823 . 8C11 which is mounted on the capacitor plate behind the convergence board might be worth a check . This cap used to fail in early models and was later uprated . Best regards Robin

5th Jan 2012, 9:11 am	#18
MickMcmichael Pentode Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 196	Re: Murphy CTV2211s. Thanks Robin but it's already been replaced along with the two BA148's in the same network (line pulse back to decoder). I'll take another look today with a better 'scope. The problem has been the intermittency of the effect - I thought it had disappeared completely after replacing the tuner but alas not. Cheers, Mick.