Were TV sets still hybrid (mix of tube and circuit board) in 1973?

[joe_tbird]

I happened across this eBay auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=3638&item=2180365229

It got me curious. I know there was a transition period where TV sets still used vacuum tubes but also started incorporating some solid state circuitry. Had the transition to solid state been complete by 1973 or were there still some tubes lurking in this set?



Thanks,
Joe

[andy]

That looks like an XL-100 which is solid state. I think RCA did make sets with some tubes until 73 or 74, but not much after that and probably only in low cost portables. It looks unlikely, but it could be one of the last new vistas. Ask the seller if it has XL-100, or new vista color printed on it.

[Eric H]

"A real CLASSIC and a BARGAIN!"

Give me a break, most Thrift Stores can't give these away!

[joe_tbird]

I'll ask (out of curiousity) what it says on the set. Sounds like the seller watches his set through rose colored glasses. Human nature, I suppose. It's a shame, since it seems like it's in nice shape, to see someone get greedy. Seems like some people think everything old is automatically valuable.

[joe_tbird]

Also, I'm curious to know what the differences (strengths/weaknesses, etc) are between the two. Obviously it seems XL-100 superceded New Vista. I take it New Vista was a true hybrid (mix of tubes and solid state) and XL-100 was the first pure solid state set.

[rca2000]

The first solid state color rca set was a TRANS VISTA-- with the venerable ctc-40 chassis. it was NOT modular. It was released in 1968, to counter motorola's quasar. (it did have a hv rectifier tube, a 3cz3,)but was solid state otherwise, with SCR deflection.

I own one of these, and may soon own another. I also own the follow-up to the ctc 40, the ctc-47, (g-2000), which is VERY hard to find.

As I have beeen told in the past, the "new vista"name in rca sets came about, when rca began using nuvistors in their tuners, in 1960, or '61. The XL-100 name means Xtended-LIFE-100 %solid state( I got that from on old magazine ad, around 1971 -I think.)
The first modular rca xl-100 was the ctc-49 19 inch set, from 1971, followed in 1972 by the ctc-46 25 inch set.

The set pictured there is probably a ctc-48, or maybe a ctc-58,or 68. i have worked on many of these in the past, and they are great sets, with a matrix tube, BUT, I WOULD NOT GO WAY OUT OF MY WAY TO GET ONE. They are still easy to find, and not really too valuable, YET.

[captainmoody]

The RCA New Vista sets were named that because of the Nuvistor tubes that were used in the tuner.
We purchased an RCA Accucolor console in '73 and it was a hybrid.
The one that you are looking at is an XL-100, I can give you any number of those sets for free, As they are plentiful around here.

[rcaman]

my dad bought the excact same tv set in 1975. it could even be a 76 model. but not worth $100.00 steve