Undergrad EE (UC Davis anyone?) student here just curious to mess with CRTs. I've been a fan for a while and have enjoyed what little work I could do on them but I'd really like to become an expert. I was just wondering if anyone had recommendations for books or other resources that cover them thoroughly. One day I'd like to make my own vector display. A few books I thought to read were:
Color Television: Simplified Theory and Techniques by Philco (from the mid 50s though so lots of its diagrams involve tubes. I am planning on using transistors where necessary so I figured this might not be the best place to go.)


Basic Television Principles and Servicing by Bernard Grob (same issues, although its from the 70s and does include a decent chunk of diagrams involving BJTs so I figured it may be a bit better)


Don Lancaster's TV Typewriter Cookbook (the focus is on text displays and not graphical ones though)


Don Lancaster's Cheap Video Cookbook (Maybe my best option?)


What do you guys think? Any better recommendations?
If there's a better place to ask this let me know.

Hi to all,
Hi @Matthewray2b,

cross-posted from ARF:

Bernard Grob's book is downloadable here :
"Basic Television", 2nd edition, 1954, pdf, 16MB, 676 pages :
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Technology/Technology-Radio/Basic-Television-Grob-2nd-Edition-1954.pdf#search=%22grob%22

"Basic Television", 3rd edition, 1964, pdf, 21.5MB, 654 pages :
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Technology/Technology-Radio/Basic-Television-Grob-1964-3rd-Edition.pdf#search=%22grob%22

"Make your own TV Repairs", Art Margolis, 1966, 116 pages, pdf, 9MB :
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Technology/Technology-Servicing-&-Construction/Make-Your-Own-TV-Repairs-Margolis-1966.pdf

suggested by Notimetolooz :
"Television Simplified", Milton Kiver, 1955, 565 pages, pdf, 19.3MB :
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Technology/Technology-Radio/Television-Simplified-Kiver-5th-1955.pdf

There are 3 editions :1955, 1962, 1973 downloadable here :
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Bookshelf_Technical-Radio.htm

More TV "fixit" titles in WorldRadioHistory "Bookshelf" section :
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Bookshelf-Technical-Servicing-&-Construction.htm

Phil Nelson's old radios (TVs) web site - TV & radio restorations :
https://www.antiqueradio.org/restoration.htm

Best Regards
jhalphen
Paris/France

Hello @jhalphen,
I downloaded the copy of "Television Simplified" from the 1970s, thank you for the recommendation.

Do you think it would be difficult to learn from one of the older books that uses tubes instead of transistors if I've only learned how transistors work? Or is the main idea similar enough that it wouldn't a huge impact?

Thanks,
Matthew
California, USA

Do you know how FET transistors work? If so you know how a triode works. Penthodes and tetrodes are basically triodes with extra DC bias only grids for higher power and or gain...but in some rare-ish instances can have extra signals on the extra grids for signal mixing/math reasons.

http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/
Some monitor schematics here (plus a more of other things), some being vector-based. Wavetech and Electrohome being 2 magnetic-based XY monitors/oscilloscopes.

Do you know how FET transistors work? If so you know how a triode works. Penthodes and tetrodes are basically triodes with extra DC bias only grids for higher power and or gain...but in some rare-ish instances can have extra signals on the extra grids for signal mixing/math reasons.

Well... not quite yet... but in a few weeks I'll have them figured out! :D I'm currently in my electronic circuits class. We're still in BJTs but MOSFETs come up soon.

http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/
Some monitor schematics here (plus a more of other things), some being vector-based. Wavetech and Electrohome being 2 magnetic-based XY monitors/oscilloscopes.

Wow, that site's got quite a collection. Looks like it's been around for quite some time too. I wonder if it's still updated.

After you have the theory down do this if you havnt yet.
We will start with tube sets.
1) fix a few AA5 radios & learn the block diagram of a simple AM radio.
2) fix a few B&W sets. The BEST IMHO is Zenith 19" built between @1960 & 1965. They are usually metal cabinet sets & hand wired. You can abuse
them & it wont kill them. When found they dont have multiple problems
and often a like new CRT. As with radios learn the added stages, its
almost the same as a radio.

Color & solid state (SS) TV's
First remember you NEED a good B&W set to have a good color TV !
As before learn the new blocks, the old ones are the same. Best starters
are Zenith again. Look for Chromacolor sets from the mid 70's. They came
in 17, 19, 23, & 25 inch. All are near the same for abt 10 yrs. Almost
most parts can still be found & they almost always still have life left !
Newer sets after @1980 can become very complex with crazy startup & HV
shutdown circuits. Add to that tuning methods & that can be a challenge !
Thats when the fun begins:banana:

enuf fer now
Zeno:smoke:
LFOD !