Is a CR161 good for use with televisions of the 80s and 90s?

Is a CR161 good for use with televisions of the 80s and 90s?

Better question is what would be a good, not too expensive, tester/pattern generator for a novice to use?

I use a test pattern DVD. Works perfect and I didn't have to rebuild it :)

If you want a copy of it, PM me your address.

PM sent. THANK YOU for the offer.

If you do decide to use the DVD, be forewarned, the patterns run in an endless loop, only a few seconds for each loop and could cause premature wear on the player.

Pattern generators vary widely in price, what would you consider too expensive? I recently discovered the BK Precision model 1257, which is a very simple portable unit that's available new. The MSRP is $212. More info here:

http://www.bkprecision.com/products/video-cable/ntsc-generators/1257-portable-ntsc-generator.html

I'm trying to keep it in the $40ish range. Used in good shape is okay with me.

If you do decide to use the DVD, be forewarned, the patterns run in an endless loop, only a few seconds for each loop and could cause premature wear on the player.

Pattern generators vary widely in price, what would you consider too expensive? I recently discovered the BK Precision model 1257, which is a very simple portable unit that's available new. The MSRP is $212. More info here:

http://www.bkprecision.com/products/video-cable/ntsc-generators/1257-portable-ntsc-generator.html

I thought they just paused the frames and just kept up what was in the RAM.

I thought they just paused the frames and just kept up what was in the RAM.
Not sure if this is important or not, but there would be no sound to accompany the color bars in that case, and the sound with the full-field color bars isn't a steady tone. Then there's the DVD status indicator that would be permanently on, at least on my player.

That 1257 is a sweet looking machine, but is way out of the price range for the little use I would give it. Nice thought though.

Not sure if this is important or not, but there would be no sound to accompany the color bars in that case, and the sound with the full-field color bars isn't a steady tone. Then there's the DVD status indicator that would be permanently on, at least on my player.
That's true.. I didn't think about the sound.

Then again I usually am on the white balance gray tones more that have no sound.

The CR161 comes back as a CRT tester not a pattern generator.
As a rule Sencore has the most innovative equiptment BUT
the reliability isnt as high IMHO. B&K is also good, we used both.
If you need a pattern generator almost anything will do fine.
If you need a CRT checker be sure its a modern one maybe
1980 + for several reasons. Also most the time a bad CRT
can be proved with just a good meter.....

73 Zeno:smoke:

Better question is what would be a good, not too expensive, tester/pattern generator for a novice to use?
I use one of these devices as a test generator:

http://www.diamondmm.com/mp700-diamond-hd-media-wonder-mini-media-player.html

It cost $30 at a Fry's Electronics store. You need to be a bit computer-savvy to set it up, but I did it without too much trouble. It has a "combo" button on its remote control that will play sound along with pictures. The only "music" I have on mine is a ten-minute-long 400 Hz tone, and the pictures are Indian-head test patterns and other items all found online, or you can create your own if you want to. Its advantage is that it is very small and has no moving parts at all. It only puts out video, though, no RF, so you would also need an RF modulator for older TV sets.