CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[Curt Palme]

So I am here and on avs daily, and read virtually every CRT 'problem' thread that's out there.

I can't help but notice that some of the same people post over and over and over with CRT projector problems. First it's this, then it's that.

Now, I've had a 9500, completely unmodded with slight green wear on my own ceiling for about 3 years. Granted, I've only started using it regularly in the last 6 months or so, but even so, it's been plugged in 24/7, has survived about 6 power outages every year, and it keeps going and going. Heck, I haven't even cleaned the module contacts, which is something I do to all sets I sell.

So:

1) Power surges, static electricity?
2) Non techs can't keep their fingers out of their sets, causing manmade problems?
3) Evil forces at work?
4) Just bad luck, some sets out there are simply lemons.
5) Poorly repaired/maintained/modded sets sold by resellers that don't know what they are doing, causing more problems than good.

[Curt Palme]

So I am here and on avs daily, and read virtually every CRT 'problem' thread that's out there.

I can't help but notice that some of the same people post over and over and over with CRT projector problems. First it's this, then it's that.

Now, I've had a 9500, completely unmodded with slight green wear on my own ceiling for about 3 years. Granted, I've only started using it regularly in the last 6 months or so, but even so, it's been plugged in 24/7, has survived about 6 power outages every year, and it keeps going and going. Heck, I haven't even cleaned the module contacts, which is something I do to all sets I sell.

So:

1) Power surges, static electricity?
2) Non techs can't keep their fingers out of their sets, causing manmade problems?
3) Evil forces at work?
4) Just bad luck, some sets out there are simply lemons.
5) Poorly repaired/maintained/modded sets sold by resellers that don't know what they are doing, causing more problems than good.

[Person99]

[Curt Palme]

Funny, I personally would opt for 2 and 4. And I'm going to edit my original post, points 1 and 4 are the same.

<edit>, modified, and a 5th selection has been added.

To a lesser extent... point 5. I recently bought a bunch of projectors sold and serviced by a relatively well known CRT company. High hours, all of them were on their 2nd/3rd/10th set of tubes.

NONE of the basic, (some mandatory!) mods had ever been done to these sets. (I'll keep it really vague to protect the guilty!) I'm sure the end user paid thousands in failures when simple mods could have made these sets far more reliable...

[Curt Palme]

Funny, I personally would opt for 2 and 4. And I'm going to edit my original post, points 1 and 4 are the same.

<edit>, modified, and a 5th selection has been added.

To a lesser extent... point 5. I recently bought a bunch of projectors sold and serviced by a relatively well known CRT company. High hours, all of them were on their 2nd/3rd/10th set of tubes.

NONE of the basic, (some mandatory!) mods had ever been done to these sets. (I'll keep it really vague to protect the guilty!) I'm sure the end user paid thousands in failures when simple mods could have made these sets far more reliable...

[WanMan]

Curt, I am still using the GE Imager 601 that I bought from Terry in 2003. It survives 6-10 power outages every year, and probably ten times that number of lightning storm-producing electrical surges. In fact, it survived when my original Xbox died as a result of my neighbor across the street taking a direct hit.

So, i think I, too, have to wonder why so much sh!t happens to folks, and I often wonder how many take the care in handling of the products to minimize static-discharging on components. But, I say its #2.

[macgyver655]

I'd also say #2 but with a slightly different reason. Many dont know how to properly align and converge a set and as such will have some adjustments at such an extreme to compensate for an improper basic or earlier adjustment which then puts extreme electronic stress on any number of boards or components, causing premature failure. Improper adjustments can cause any number of failures from strain....... Not to mention premature tube wear or damage.......

[jask]

or... they just like bitching. I know a guy who gets totally focused on something, reads up, compares features to get the best items,shops for the best deal, and when he finally gets what he wants... he starts looking for problems.

[Robert A. Hill]

I vote #2 also even though I have not seen a butchered set myself.

I have gotten all my Ampros (4-Model 2000s and two 3600s) from GL with the problems you would expect - mostly with the Spellman POS HVPS. Once the initial problems were fixed, the sets have run great with tube wear being the main issues. I have replaced the tubes in one of the 2000 units three times! The friend I gave it to used it for SDTV 12-16 hours a day with the contrast cranked! He never cleaned the filter screens and I ended up taking them off and altogether. Too bad that even SD-187 tubes are getting too expensive to retubes these old sets.

If the older Ampros can perform like this, the newer EM focused sets should be much more reliable.

[Person99]

[macgyver655]

[Person99]

[macgyver655]

Man. You are a real moron. I have 30 years of electronic repair experience. Your opinion means nothing to me so I will no longer comment to you. To any one else who reads this thread, if you want to take Person99's advice go right ahead. Curt will be glad to make repairs for you.

[perisoft]

I'd like a bit more info on the 'stress the components' thing, too. I can't see why running adjustments to one side or the other would affect the electronics - it's not like they 'know' when a PJ is well-set-up, or whether there's 90 H phase and 10 raster shift vs. 50 and 50. The only way I could see it is if extreme adjustments affect component temperature, but I have a difficult time understanding how that would happen.

[macgyver655]

[perisoft]

[stefuel]

Every time I read posts about random modding and indescriminate board hackage, what comes to mind is all those poor ECP's of years ago that Ken Hotte convinced people that they could be made to perform like Marquees. It never ceases to amaze me how much money, time and effort some here will spend trying to make a projector do more then video has to offer.
It's kind of like buying a AA fuel dragster to drive to the supermarket. Unless you get your rocks off looking at test patterns, what's the point?

[macgyver655]

[stefuel]

I'm not against all forms of modification. My 4600HD has exactly two. I did some work to the cooling system and dropped the internal temp by 15 C. I also installed a red c-element. That gave me reds that are more red then orange. Other than that, my main projector is stock. It's been hanging on my ceiling now for about 5 years now I think. It failed once right after I hung it (you guessed it, HVPS). Then again, same problem. Then I had a bad soldered joint on the focus board. That's when I decided to do the cooling mod. Zero component failures since until my green tube imploded. I never did figure out why it imploded, but I'm sure it wasn't the projectors fault. That projector is on every day for more than 12 hours a day since it's been installed, NO $hit. Ask Hewood, I don't think he's ever been to my house when the projector was off. So anyone who says AmPro's are not reliable can kiss it

[Person99]

[Person99]

Speaking of Ampros, Curt, you forgot an option:

6) They bought an Ampro

[AnalogRocks]

[AnalogRocks]