1986 RCA Console TV Model G25343WK

[jbattles]

hey i suggest of doing a setup and if it makes a nice picture that you could live with just do it and keep an eye out for a good tube, but if i remember right there's a service menu you pull up and you can set your r g b bias controls and drives to get a good bright grayscale picture. i always liked a brighter picture with the contrast turn to just about middle. try that first.

[Console User]

I went in and turned down my Picture to about Midway Point. I then bumped up the bright to just a little past the half way point. I had turned up G2 Previously so since I bumped up the brightness I gradually backed down on the G2 Setting. It doesn't seem to show much blooming of the blue set this way. I had to turn up the Sharpness some too. The picture is a little dark, but not bad for the way I had to adjust settings to keep the blue smearing down to minimum or not at all. I'm not sure how you get into the Service Menu on these 1996 Sets either? I thought someone said one time you hold down on the menu button or have to enter a code? Thanks for your advice.

[JohnCT]

What I used to do on those RCAs was turn down the contrast preset pot on the main board because customers would often push the picture reset button in the menu. It's a trimmer with (IIRC) and orange plastic cap. A small screwdriver or hexaligner will work. You can also use your fingers. Towards the middle/left of the main board.

The picture tube is a bit weak and default contrast can cause a bit of halo smear on one or more colors, yet still be strong enough to provide an accurate and clean picture when the contrast is set to a more usable level.

John

[Console User]

Thank You for your information. I'll look into that. I should have grabbed my phone and took a picture this morning when I turned the TV on. It really went wacko for awhile. I had a picture that was totally messed up like it was rolling, etc. I switched the TV over to the RCA AV Inputs and it was fine on that source. It was in the coax cable hookup in the back of the TV. I wiggled the cable and that input source was okay too. It had even lost it's color on the Coax Input versus a nice colored picture at the same time when I switched over to the RCA Input.

[jbattles]

I wonder if the tuner grounds been done on the board tuner. now if the grounds have not been addressed, it would cause the e prom voltage would go out of spec. it would cause it to go bad and it would make it do strange things.

[Console User]

I would probably think it hasn't been worked on by the previous owners. Their Grandson talked like nothing had been done to it. That wouldn't cause any of the blooming/smearing issue would it in the blue color? I minimized that by turning down my picture and upping the Bright to compensate for the dim picture. I turned up the sharpness also.

[Console User]

I hooked my TV Video Source up with the S Video and the RCA Cable Red & White for the Audio. I seem to have a pretty good clear, & not too dark of a picture running it this way. The Blue blooming/smearing doesn't seem to be noticeable from a reasonable viewing distance. I switch my Input over to Antenna/Cable Coax Cable and the picture isn't nearly as nice and vibrant as through the S Video. I turned down the Picture a little from the way the TV was Preset to help my issue of the blue blooming. I think I can live with the picture that I am getting now.

[jbattles]

hey if you can live with it that's all that matters.

[JohnCT]

Originally Posted by jbattles

I wonder if the tuner grounds been done on the board tuner. now if the grounds have not been addressed, it would cause the e prom voltage would go out of spec. it would cause it to go bad and it would make it do strange things.

Not on the 140 (or 168/169), which this should be for 1986 model year. The early '90s CTC 17X/18X/195/197 series had the tuner on board setup, and as you said, the tuner grounds (and heatsink grounds) would cause performance issues and eeprom corruption.

John

[zeno]

But that leaves the possability its cold joints on the tuner pkg
or other sub board.

BTW what is the chassis ## ? And hows about a few nudies of the chassis.

Lastly abt 2 months ago there was another RCA about the same vintage with the same looking problem. At first glance it looked like a weak jug or messy 200V. But it just didnt fit the bill. He was going to change the jungle
but got intimidate by the SMD's

Originally Posted by JohnCT

Not on the 140 (or 168/169), which this should be for 1986 model year. The early '90s CTC 17X/18X/195/197 series had the tuner on board setup, and as you said, the tuner grounds (and heatsink grounds) would cause performance issues and eeprom corruption.

John

[jbattles]

I always liked those set, mostly made a lot money off them and zeniths with the (maybe) 9-169 modules. its been a long time ago.

[Console User]

It's my mistake. I typed in 1986 Model. I have a 1996 Model.

[Console User]

Chasis # CTC177AM2. 1996 RCA Console TV Set.

[Console User]

Yes. My Tuner for the Coax/Cable is on the Main Board on the left side.

[Console User]

Does anyone know how to enter into the Service Menu for the 1996 RCA Model G25343WK? I would like to be able to get to the Bias and Drive Adjustments for the Red, Blue, & Green. I would like to be able to turn down the Blue a little and then tweak the others to see, if that helps with the Blue Blooming. The Blue Blooming is really noticeable around lettering, around the shoulder and collar areas of images that are in black. If you try to turn up the picture really high the blue just smears out. Issue with black lettering on certain white backgrounds. The Blue is the only color blooming out.