RCA NEW VISTA HELP!!

Hello,
I am a new member and have just purchased this RCA New Vista console and have no clue what model it is and can tell that it has been modified a little bit. I noticed that the wood work seems to be changed in the middle and the partially torn wire diagram located under the record player says something about a "TV Tuner". The function knob on the radio says "tape, phono, FM STR, FM and AM". The power chord is missing and if anyone knows where i can find another one i would be pleased. I purchased this beast for 13 bucks at goodwill and with my Navy electrician background i couldn't pass this project up. Any info would help me, and here are some pictures. The power chord, i am assuming, is the three pronged connector on the 4th picture, and in the bottom left of the 5th picture.

That's from around 1964. Those center panels are actually sliding doors behind which there was originally a TV set, most likely a 21-inch round CRT color set such as a CTC-15 or CTC-16. The record changer was made from '62 to "66 or so. I hope this little bit of info helps.

You put 120 volts AC on that "3 pronged connector" and you'll blow that thing right up.
That's a tape recorder in/output!

Besides, that amp chassis looks buchered-up from the photo of it... it'll need professional serving.

Alas, the OP's post is from March 12th, and that console's probably LONG gone (and fried) by now...

I don't know what's going on with that amp, but it doesn't look good. All those brackets and things laying around on top of it. I'm assuming this originally is a separate tuner/amp setup. I wouldn't connect any AC to that unit. The woofers don't match, either.

Is that a power amp sitting on top of the unit, bypassing all the original guts, just using the tuner and turntable? The cabinet is beautiful, but I hope that you didn't pay big bucks for this thing. Your repairs could cost way more than what that unit is actually worth. I would not risk trying to apply some AC to the original parts unless you want to fry the unit (or any walls near it).

Be carefull when you buy a "modified" unit. If you bought it at a thrift store as is, then it's on you to deal with it and maybe thinking about retoring it back to original. I'm sure that's a small two-channel amp sitting on there, and that's just to replace all the underlying problems with the original amp.

It looks to be a solid-state amp, so caps, resistors and transistors aren't very expensive, but fried power trannies (and labor) can really jack up the price for repair. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Bobby Basham wrote:I don't know what's going on with that amp, but it doesn't look good. All those brackets and things laying around on top of it. I'm assuming this originally is a separate tuner/amp setup. I wouldn't connect any AC to that unit. The woofers don't match, either.

Is that a power amp sitting on top of the unit, bypassing all the original guts, just using the tuner and turntable? The cabinet is beautiful, but I hope that you didn't pay big bucks for this thing. Your repairs could cost way more than what that unit is actually worth. I would not risk trying to apply some AC to the original parts unless you want to fry the unit (or any walls near it).

Be carefull when you buy a "modified" unit. If you bought it at a thrift store as is, then it's on you to deal with it and maybe thinking about retoring it back to original. I'm sure that's a small two-channel amp sitting on there, and that's just to replace all the underlying problems with the original amp.

It looks to be a solid-state amp, so caps, resistors and transistors aren't very expensive, but fried power trannies (and labor) can really jack up the price for repair. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Bobby, that original amp chassis uses large (and expensive now a days) germanium transistors.
4 in total for the outputs.
It looks butchered... I've worked on many of them and they definitlely need work.

My console only ran me 12-13 bucks, the piece laying on top of the amp is the headphone jack thing that was mounted on the cab, but when the new shelving was installed there was no room for the hardware. thanks for all the advice, KEEP IT COMING!!!

The power cord was permanently attached to the presswood back of the console. It plugged into a two prong device at the bottom of the cabinet when the back was put on. This was the safety interlock. if you didn't get the back, you didn't get the power cord.

The three prong device was a tape in/out connector. It is an input in the tape position, and an output in any other position.

Actually, that power cord device was on the television set. If you don't have the television, you don't have the interface for the power cord. A second connector took power from the television to run the stereo.

Record-changer wrote:The power cord was permanently attached to the presswood back of the console. It plugged into a two prong device at the bottom of the cabinet when the back was put on. This was the safety interlock. if you didn't get the back, you didn't get the power cord.

The three prong device was a tape in/out connector. It is an input in the tape position, and an output in any other position.
Actually, that power cord device was on the television set. If you don't have the television, you don't have the interface for the power cord. A second connector took power from the television to run the stereo.

Indeed, as I stated, it's an in/out for tape.
As for the stereo's power cord, RCA Victor permanently attached one to the amp chassis.
If it's missing, there's a reason why.

People cut them off of malfunctioning equipment as a safety measure.

I have the power chord set up with this unit, now my concern is the wiring diagram for the speakers. the amp is a two channel amp. I appreciate all the help. the console now powers on and the record player actually turns!