I've worked on quite a few vacume tube radios but have done little with TV's except replacing tubes. Say I jumped in and bought an old B&W TV to work on, give me some pointers regarding not only selection of a TV but also some safety issues, test equipment, books, etc.<P>I remember that one thing that always un-nerved me was pulling off the Anode on the picture tube - I was never really sure if I was discharging it correctly or whether I needed to discharge anything else that might bite me.<P>Thanks,<P>CW<P>------------------<BR>

I always suggest an Admiral of about 1950-52 vintage as a good TV to start out with. They are plentiful, relatively inexpensive, and have excellent documentation available. Also since they are so common, you will have less trouble obtaining any parts you might need that are set-specific. They are good working sets when properly restored, yet have relatively simple design. In most parts of the country you can still find them for $100 or less. Look for a set having a 10" or 12" round CRT, or a 14", 16" or 17" rectangular glass CRT. Avoid sets with 16" or 19" round metal CRT's as those types are very difficult to find should you ever need a replacement.<P>Two other good choices would be an RCA or Motorola of about 1950-52 vintage. They are usually a bit more complex than the Admirals, but still common sets. I would not recommend a Philco, a GE or most of the less common brands for a beginner, and try to avoid pre-1950 models.<P>Of course the ultimate TV design back then was the RCA 630TS and later 8TS30, and many clones of that chassis. They are very complicated compared to sets just a few years newer. Later after you have some experience with simpler sets, a 630 would be an appropriate choice and one you would likely want to keep forever after completing it. <P>Before purchasing any older TV as a restoration candidate, you want to examine it and verify it is intact and doesn't appear to have been modified. For this reason, you will want to buy your first set in your local area, or within a few hours drive so that you can see for yourself exactly what you are getting, and don't have to deal with potential shipping problems. <P>Missing tubes aren't a problem, but sometimes missing knobs and backs or HV cage covers can be nearly impossible to find. <P>But the mandatory thing is to first check the CRT using a CRT tester to verify you have a good enough tube to work with. Rebuilt CRT's are very expensive, often costing considerably more than the value of the set, and finding good used ones can be iffy at best. <P><BR>------------------<BR>Dennis