CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

tcerka · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Phoenix

Hello All,

I made a few posts on the AVS Forum at the end of 2002 trying to sell my pj, thankfully that never happened. I got it setup in my apartment during 2004 and it looked great on my 200 thread count 100% cotton screen. It only lasted for about a month before it died though. All the LEDs on the LVPS were bright, nothing smoked, popped, or sizzled, just no glow in the tubes. I knew that the HVPS had a bad rep and not being an EE I settled back into the eye straining world of a direct view tube. Four years down the road, the doctor told me to stop thinking about reality and get a hobby, my wife said sell it or fix it, so here I am.

Before I get started. I would like to thank all the gurus who have helped keep these machines running for so long.

The plates on the back label it as: Esprit/Ampro Model 69196, SN: E4000D13901, as well as Gretag Image Systems Model 69196 (4000D). Based mostly on the mounting of the registration board here(link), and this board (link) underneath it, I wonder if the pj might be modified. What do you think? What is the board (that I wil rehang) hanging precariously underneath the registration board? Is it the Registration Amplifier Board?

Here is a list of the major components:

Gretag Hybrid Registration Board 65229 Rev X3
Gretag Registration Amplifier Board ? 65248 Rev A
Gretag Yoke Board (3) 65227 Rev A
Gretag 3000 Mother Board #1 65297 Rev X1
Gretag 3000 Mother Board #2 65301 Rev X
Gretag Test/Text Interface Board 65274 Rev X
Gretag 1535/1700/2000 RGB Board 65246 Rev A
Gretag CPU Board 65236 Rev A
Gretag 1700/2000 H.O.T. Board 65277 Rev X1
Gretag Quad Standard Decoder 65238 Rev A
Esprit Vertical Board 65298 Rev X1
Esprit Neck Board (3) 65302 Rev X1
Esprit 2000/4000 Horizontal Board 65245 Rev A
Sony SD146A Tubes

Ive pulled the HVPS, opened it up, and tested the diodes and resistors. Looks like three rectifiers in addition to most of the resistors are bad. Thurman Witte has mentioned that NTE parts did not work well for him. Before I order replacements, any recomendations.

Tim

Z-Photo · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:31 pm Post subject:

Drop it form a tall tall building

Smile

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject:

Nice 4000, good luck keeping it running. Nice when they work though.

Have a look at my Help 4000G thread.

stefuel · Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject:

XANATOS · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 130

trash the 4000 all you like guys mine works great ,unlike the super projector that i bought that now sets
in my storage room.

XANATOS

km987654 · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:51 am Post subject:

If you decide to sell again let me know as I would be interested in tubes.

Z-Photo · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject:

tse · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 1014 Location: Sweatbucket, Fl.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:42 am Post subject: Re: The Ampro shall rise again

tcerka · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Phoenix

Chip,

In the past you said the following regarding a 4000G HVPS: "All of the diodes along the edge of the card that have been known to cause problems with this supply tested OK. Working your way inward, you will see diodes CR5, CR6 and CR7. All three were open in both directions. There was no visible sign of overheating of these. These three will be replaced with a slightly higher spec NTE558."

Did the NTE558s work for you?
What parameters did you increase in choosing the 558?
Do you know what the spec is for the original part?

Tim

Unfortunatly I didn't check for any error codes. I dont have a remote for it so I used CRT 4.1 to send commands. I dont remember if it could even display error codes. The tube faces show no burn in. At the time it was running I didnt know how to interpret operating/CRT time but I think it has a fair amount of hours on it.

P.S. How can you tell if you have a fungus? Other than seeing Pete standing in front of you.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject: Re: So anyway

stefuel · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject: Re: So anyway

tse · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 1014 Location: Sweatbucket, Fl.

The rectifiers are HV type with several juctions in series. They will probably check open with regular diode check. The part number is NKV3FX and the spec sheet stated VF=6V. I have found alot more open capacitors in the G-2 and +600V doubler circuits than bad diodes. Check the wires that are soldered to the PCBs. They frequently break off.

Scott

tcerka · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Phoenix

Guys,

There is plenty of homework to search in the AVS Forum Archives. It was Chip and Thurman got my screwdriver out of the box. I hope I'm not gettin freaky with all these pics, but this one shows the bad resistors. R7 and R26 both test good but since R26 is melting into the pink wire I'll swap them both out. The wires are in good shape. Insulation on the two smaller wires at the edge near R7 are a little browned so I'll take an inch off and resolder them.

Are the G-2 and +600V doubler circuits part of the HVPS (that you have hilited on the gif) or elsewhere in the pj? Do you have a digital version of the NKV3FX spec sheet?

Tim

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

For those resistors you can use Ceramic ones instead of the crapy Carbon Composition, On the Marquee power supplies many of us replaced them with Ohmite brand ceramics.

Athanasios

tse · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 1014 Location: Sweatbucket, Fl.

tcerka · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Phoenix

If you still have that PDF could you send it to me?

Tim

tcerka · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Phoenix

Those caps are labeled ".01P" is that .01 picofarads?