CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Justinvh · Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 5

Hello all,

First of all I'm from Belgium so my English might not be perfect.
I'm new to this forum, and new to CRTs. In my job I sometimes install Sanyo LCD projectors in customer's house, office, etc. and a few weeks ago my boss asked me to go to some rich guy's place, remove an old PJ and install a new one. When I arrived at the place, about two metres above my head was hanging a Vidikron VPF50HD. I asked the guy what he was going to do with it, and as he didn't really know, I offered him to do the install for free if he let me take the PJ.

So now, standing in my living room is a huge CRT projector. As the room where the machine will be definitively installed isn't finished yet, I haven't really used it decently, but I watched a few things and done some testing, after doing a quick setup. Everything works fine, and the image quality is amazing, even though projected on a slightly greenish white wall. BUT. When I power on, even without anything connected, and I look in the tubes, the image is divided in two parts, a darker and a brighter one. I've added a picture of the green tube to illustrate, but it's exactly the same on all three tubes. It's not wear, as I've taken off the lenses and there is only very little, and very even wear. I can sometimes see this line in very dark scenes, or when I put the brightness high. Very strange. I'm not an expert so maybe I'm missing something, but I read alle the FAQs and found nothing about it. As I understand it my new found is a repackaged Electrohome ECP 4500.

Anyone know the answer to my problem? Is it its age that starts showing? Anyway being a freebee it won't stop me from using it, and my next project will be building a screen for it, so I'm off to the curtain shop!

Thanks!
Justin

kschmit2 · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:18 pm Post subject:

many/most CRT PJs need to have an active signal running and registered.
So that's the first thing I would try.

I'm neither familiar with the VPF50HD nor the ECP 4500 though.

Kai

Justinvh · Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 5

Indeed but I also see the line in very dark scenes in a movie or when I put the brightness up. So it is there all the time. Thanks for the fast reply though.

Justin

ecrabb · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:23 pm Post subject:

If you do some searching, you'll find a thread about what to me looks like this exact issue. I think it was at the other site from '02 or '03 (IIRC, but may have been linked to/discussed here, too. It involves a fairly minor board mod: cutting a trace and adding a jumper or two. There may have even been a ne part involved.

You might be able to find it searching for 'ecp mod' or the like.

SC

Justinvh · Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 5

http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=282004

Hooray! One hour later and problem solved already! Thanks!
Wish the solution involved less solder iron though. I'm not a tech you know... It says that the problem only occurs with low scan rates. I am indeed using the projector at PAL scanrates ( about 15KHz 50Hz I guess). Do I understand the post correctly if I say that running my PJ at a higher resolution and scanrate will avoid the problem?

Thanks for the quick response8
Justin