I FOUND THE CABINET SEEN HERE EMPTY ON THE ROADSIDE IN YOUNGSTOWN, OH. THIS REPLACED A RAIN DAMAGED CABINET. I DID A FUNCTIONAL RESTORATION. I GOT A PICTURE ON THIS AFTER SOFT STARTING. ALL REPAIRS WERE DONE WITH THE TEST RIG.
THERE WERE ISSUES FROM THE BEGINNING. THE VHF TUNER WAS EXTREMELY DIRTY. I HAD TO CLEAN THE CONTACTS WITH Q-TIPS. SPRAYING ALONE DID NOTHING. THERE WERE TWO TUBE SOCKETS ON THE CHROMA BOARD THAT NEEDED REPLACED. THERE WERE OTHER QUESTIONABLE REPAIRS UNDER THE CHASSIS. THE CRT SOCKET WAS BROKEN. THE FOCUS LEAD WAS WRAPPED AROUND PIN 9, UNACCEPTABLE. A DIAL LIGHT SOCKET WAS FIXED IN A HACK MANNER. ALL OF THESE HAD TO BE DONE BEFORE RESTORATION.
CHASSIS BEFORE RESTORATION.
I HAD TO REMOVE THE VHF TUNER FOR PROPER CLEANING. ALSO, SOMEBODY BENT THE PINS OF ONE OF THE TUBES. THAT WAS FIXED WHILE THE TUNER WAS OUT. I CLEANED THE TUNER WITH Q-TIPS AND CONTACT CLEANER. ONCE REINSTALLED, IT WAS VERY SENSITIVE. ONE EVENING, I BELIEVE I PULLED IN FOX 8, CLEVELAND (FROM SOUTHWEST COLUMBUS).
SOMEONE TRIED TO "FIX" A BROKEN LAMP SOCKET. THEY JUST STUCK THE WIRE IN. I FOLLOWED A PROCEDURE FROM PHILCORADIO.COM. THIS CALLED FOR PARTS FROM RAT SHACK SOCKETS. I USED THE PHENOLIC, SPRING AND RIVET FROM THE NEW SOCKET. THE ORIGINAL WORKS LIKE NEW.
I WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A CRT BRIGHTENER. THAT GAVE ME A NEW CRT SOCKET.
THERE ARE STILL ISSUES WITH THE CHROMA BOARD FROM HELL.
TWO SHOTS AFTER REPLACING ELECTROLYTICS. NOT ONLY WERE THE REPLACEMENTS TOO BIG FOR THE CANS, BUT I HAD TO DOUBLE UP TO GET CORRECT VALUES. I WILL EVENTUALLY RESTUFF THE CANS SINCE I FOUND A VENDOR THAT HAS DIFFERENT PHYSICAL SIZES TO MEET OUR NEEDS.
HERE IS THE FUN PART. I COULD NOT GET CORRECT COLOR TO SAVE MY LIFE. I CHECKED THE 6GH8'S. THESE WERE NOTORIOUS FOR FAILURE. MINE TESTED GOOD. AT THE TIME, I BELIEVED SOMEONE MESSED WITH COLOR ALIGNMENT. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT CLOSE.
I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH BLUE FLICKERING. I WAS ABLE TO TRACE IT BACK TO THE BOARD. ANOTHER OF MANY BAD SOLDER JOINTS. HERE ARE SHOTS OF THE PROGRESS, OR LACK OF.
I COULD NOT GET GOOD CONVERGENCE TO SAVE MY LIFE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT EVEN RCA COULDN'T GET IT PERFECT. THE IDEA IS TO GET THE CENTER, THEN GET THE SIDES AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
I HAD VERTICAL LINEARITY ISSUES ON THE ROUND TUBE. I EVENTUALLY RECAPPED THE VERTICAL SECTION WITH NO CHANGE. I EVENTUALLY FOUND A RESISTOR IN THE VERTICAL, WHICH TIED INTO BOOST VOLTAGE, OPEN. I REPLACED IT AND GOT A FULL SCREEN. ANOTHER OPEN RESISTOR POPPED UP IN THE SCREEN CONTROLS, AGAIN, TIED TO BOOST.
THE OEM FLYBACKS OF RCA COLOR SETS AND THEIR CLONES USED A WAX/RUBBER COMBINATION. KEEP THE CATHODE CURRENT AS CLOSE TO SPECS AS POSSIBLE AND FUSE THE CATHODE CIRCUIT OF THE HORIZONTAL OUTPUT TUBE.
THE NEXT SHOT IS FROM AN ON AIR BROADCAST AROUND 2006.
ROUGHLY A YEAR OR SO AGO, I REOPENED THE CASE. I FOUND WHY THE COMPOSITE VIDEO WAS CUTTING OUT (SHIT, FORGOT TO TELL YOU THAT EARLIER). YOU GUESSED IT, ANOTHER BAD SOLDER JOINT.
I WAS STILL NOT SATISFIED WITH THE COLOR. COLOR BARS TOLD ME WHY. I HAD NO RED. ONE OF THE COILS OUTER WINDINGS CAME LOOSE AND DROPPED DOWN. I REATTACHED IT AND GOT RED BACK.
ONE OF THE R/G COILS ON THE CONVERGENCE BOARD HAD BROKEN. IT WAS NOT BROKEN TO THE POINT OF BEING NOTICEABLE, BUT IT BROKE A CONNECTION. I FOUND A REPLACEMENT ON A CONVERGENCE BOARD FROM AN OLD XL-100 (YES, THAT XL-100). IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN EXACT REPLACEMENT. I GOT IT CONVERGED DAMN NEAR PERFECT THIS TIME.
I STILL HAVE ISSUES WITH THE CHROMA BOARD, THESE WILL EVENTUALLY BE ADDRESSED. FOR NOW, AN UPDATED SHOT BEFORE GREEN STARTED FADING IN AND OUT. RIGHT NOW, THIS IS NOT IN SERVICE.
