I recently acquired a 2002 Apex GB5108 for cheap but the picture started to get 'jittery' when there is a lot of color. I already tried different inputs, but the jitter is still there. I've searched this forum a little and didn't see any other Apexes. Does anyone have any knowledge of what I should do next to get rid of the problem picture?

I'd look for bad solder connections and bad electrolytic caps in the power supply and video circuits. Look for any capacitors that are swollen and/or leaking fluid. I've not had the best of luck repairing these because service information and parts are hard to find; and, when they are available, they often cost more than the set is worth.

My advice: Unless you sorely need a TV, don't waste your time on that Apex TV.

Even if you fix it, chances are the CRT will take a shit in a couple years, if it's not already on its way out.

If you do want to fix it, look for bulging caps, and check the PC board, not only for bad soldering connections, but for cracks. Found an Apex TV from the same year, and it had a very thin and fragile PC board.

Wow - looks kind of dire. Guess I'll chalk this one up as a loss... I looked at the caps and didn't see any that were that bad off. I never really liked projection tvs because they were always too dark but I figured I'd give this one a chance for $80. I don't want to get into sunk cost with it at this point. Oh well...

Thanks for the responses!

I didn't know it was a projection TV.

I wouldn't scrap it just yet. Input the model number into a search engine and see what you find.

000

The only thing I know about an Apex projection set is that the local repair shop that I frequent hates them. All those "rent-to-own" places have them.

I'll no longer take a projection TV - even a working one. I really don't like working on them in the first place and most of the ones I get (correction, used to get) wind up getting trashed. Besides, they are big, heavy, and hard to move. If I am lucky enough to fix and sell one; the buyer expects me to fix it from now on. Every time I put an ad in the paper offering free pick-up of non-working TV's, I get at least a half dozen calls from people wanting to give me projection sets. Some get a little upset when I turn them down.

Bad caps don't always look bad. I don't know that brand/model, but bad low value electrolytic caps can cause all kinds of problems. When these caps fail they usually don't burst/bulge.

Color problems in an older Samsung RPTV I worked on ended up being bad caps in one of the modules, so check inside the tin cans if you haven't already done so.

Heck with a projection tv there is salvageable stuff in them, I like the large Fresnel lens panel you can make a nice solar furnace with them, at the very least.