I hope this is not too far off-topic for this forum. I have a Sharp 3LS36 miniature color TV. Picture a vaguely Predicta-like pedestal TV, with a color CRT, shrunk down to around 7 inches high, with a pink plastic case.

Mine has a case of the vertical squish:

http://www.antiqueradio.org/art/temp/Sharp3LS36Screen.jpg

I sent it off to a friend who has lots of experience working with solid-state TVs. He replaced various electrolytics and finally tracked the problem down to an IC, which of course is no longer available.

Question: does anyone out there have a junky 3LS36 from which I could try to salvage the needed board? Long shot, I know . . . .

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If it's japanese, it's junk.

I'm in total agreement with Andy. If it's squashed vertically, but still has a partial picture, it is VERY unlikely to be the IC. Just my experience anyway. It's caps or cold solder joints 9 of 10 times.

If you do need the IC, you can probably still get it from one of several sources. Post the original number that's on the IC, and someone on this site can probably look it up and give equivalents from other mfrs.

And I also agree that Sharp is often called JUNK, which it is in general! But this tiny pink 3" set is neat and collectable. There's one on eBay now, and the last one went for over $250. It looks like a female version of a Sony KV-4000 :scratch2:

Charles

I have one, it has an EXCELLENT picture, not too happy about the Pepto-Bismol colored cabinet, would prefer a black or white version. Think they made a silver version, too. Seen more of the Titty-Nipple Pink ones, tho.-Sandy G.

The chip is IC-801. On the schematic it's labeled X801 CR580005CE and in another place X801 H-IX0675CEZZ.

Any one out there want to take a crack at fixing it? With my eyesight and fumble fingers, this kind of work is beyond me. I'd be happy to pay shipping both ways plus parts & reasonable labor. I have the schematic and it's still packed for shipping.

I would just cross the whole thing off to experience, but I paid more than I should because the forked-tongue seller claimed it "worked fine." This house already has too many shelf queens.

Below, for what it's worth, are the remarks from my friend who tried to fix it.

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Well I hit a dead end on this set. I spent quite a bit of time with the schematic measuring voltages. There are a few missing voltages on that big IC chip right in the vertical section of it. Its a jungle chip containing several circuits.

I took the schematic down to Brad for him to look at. He gave me a few
pointers or `last shots` to try. He looked the ic chip up on his massive system and at a tech only Sharp distributer (he does Sharp warranty). The chip is no longer available. We looked through his old stock and came close but no dice. We figured that was why the original owner did not get it fixed.

I replaced one transistor (and those larger capacitors you replaced with ones that fit better) and did all the things suggested from Brad and it looks like the chip is bad. If its not then there is some real strange hidden surface mount part bad somewhere. Your best bet would be to hunt for another junker beat up set & switch boards. That IC chip is on a computer grade board (solder clear through the board) and the pits to get out without a solder sucker station.

We were both suprised at how advanced the insides (boards) were for its age and the fact its only a tiny color tv set ... and all the surface mount stuff it has.
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Just out of interest, why are Sharp tv's considered junk in general ? I have one small 9" Sharp color set from the mid 70's, a Linytron, and it still has a great picture and color. Only paid a couple of bucks for it, more for it's esthetics than anything, just a nicely designed little set. Can't speak for the innards though.

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in the early 80's sharp sets were plagued with bad flybacks.
they did have decent crt's though.they often got robbed to fix the zeniths with crappy crt.
later ones had solder joint issues but were ok otherwise.

When we were discussing "best & worst" I forgot about the Sharp 25" cheapie from the late 80s... It had a rotten picture right out of the box, and I can't remember EVER repairing one that stayed repaired after a power supply failure (that 3S4M) regulator :thumbsdn:

But I guess the 27" version at least had a decent tube...

Charles

Compared to others of the time, Sharp TVs tended to be lower quality and lacking in features. They weren't awful in any way, but they were below average in everey way. They may have been ok in the 70's, but by the 80's they were nothing to remember. I would take just about any Japanese brand over an 80's Sharp. I never cared for their VCRs either.

I agree with you a thousand percent as to Sharp TVs being below average. I had a Sharp 12" b&w portable TV that was made in 1969 or so (I got it new the following year). Lasted all of three years (and worked very well during that time), then developed some sort of odd intermittent around the tuner. I never was able to get it to work as it should after that (the picture eventually went out altogether, although there was still a raster), so, in 1973, out to the trash it went. I've thought about getting a Sharp 24-inch TV eventually, but after reading your post, I'll be thinking at least twice before replacing either of my 19" sets with one of that brand.

BTW, it's odd, I think, that today's Sharp TVs are below average compared to other makes. I have a Sharp Carousel microwave which I bought new in 1999; it has worked almost flawlessly ever since, except for some slight problems with the door switches. Seems odd to me that Sharp's TVs would be such trouble to keep in good repair, yet their microwaves, like the Energizer batteries, just seem to keep going and going and going. Why Sharp would build its microwaves to last this long without problems, but the company builds TVs that don't last more than a few years, is beyond me. :dunno:

Hi Jeff and all,

Agree with you about Sharp TV sets. Their microwaves are superb though. Ours is 4 years old and reliable. Our old Sharp went 9 years and the carousel motor was the only troublesome item on it. The magnetron tube finally died which killed it. Cheap too! 73's de K4KT!

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I wouldn't consider 9 years that old for a microwave. My Amana is 29 years old and working great!
i have a sanyo micro/convec that has a 1976 date stamp.
i got it from the curb 15 years ago with a bad bearing in the stirrer fan.
$5 part and still works well.
got a brand new toshiba 2m172 stashed just in case.

maybe this can get moved to rect/ss so its at least close to being on topic?
yeah its veered a bit :-)

off topic:

I had a late 90s early 00 Sharp TV. (crappy garbage)

After a few solder joints, it played 3 years streight. not ever being turned off. still had a great picture, no signs of a weak tube, until the set met its fate with my baby brother with milk and water.

Hey, speaking of the 3LS36... Eric Wrobbel's new book "Vintage Transistor Televisions" features that ugly pink Sharp on the front cover!!!!!!!!! Saw the book on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Transistor-Televisions-in-COLOR_W0QQitemZ6258227492QQcategoryZ3638QQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem

I'll have to go over there & get me a signed copy... Is Eric a member here? Probably haunts the transistor radio thread if he is...

Charles

Hey, speaking of the 3LS36... Eric Wrobbel's new book "Vintage Transistor Televisions" features that ugly pink Sharp on the front cover!

Dang, there goes my chance of finding a cheap junker :-) I passed one up on eBay a couple of weeks ago, since I sent this set off to one of the forum members to take a crack at fixing it.

Has anyone heard from kc8adu lately? In February, I shipped him this TV to look at. No response from followup emails, and I am still minus one little pink TV.

Has anyone heard from kc8adu lately? In February, I shipped him this TV to look at. No response from followup emails, and I am still minus one little pink TV.

I know that username, but I can't connect it with a real name... I'm bad at that! I know I've dealt with him recently. What's his name & city?

Charles

I know that username, but I can't connect it with a real name... I'm bad at that! I know I've dealt with him recently. What's his name & city?

Charles

Here's the information you're after, Charles.

Name: Delmar J. Crickmore

City: New Lebanon (near Dayton), Ohio

He's a ham radio operator. KC8ADU is his call sign. Clever of him to use it as his AK username. We have several other hams on these forums as well: WA2ISE, KB9KXH and myself (WB8NHV), to name three more.

73 (best of regards in ham talk),

Here's the information you're after, Charles.

Name: Delmar J. Crickmore

City: New Lebanon (near Dayton), Ohio

He's a ham radio operator. KC8ADU is his call sign. Clever of him to use it as his AK username. We have several other hams on these forums as well: WA2ISE, KB9KXH and myself (WB8NHV), to name three more.

73 (best of regards in ham talk),

Now I'm not sure; His actual name doesn't ring a bell. I might have been thinking of somebody else with a similar call sign...

Charles

Thanks, I have the address (that's how I shipped him the TV).

Maybe I'll send him a letter. Some times people just drop off the Net for one reason or another.

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a bad yoke will throw alot of stuff off. your lucky it was the vertical.


now imagine if it was horizontal, youd be chasing it all day long considering the LC resonance would be not right, and the horiz circuit would go into shut down. LOL

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I have the titty-nipple pink one, too, would LOVE to swap it for a white, silver or black example...But mine works GREAT..or did last time I had it on.

Well, the little pink TV arrived back here safe and sound, so the story had a happy ending. I have to hand it to Andy for getting this one to work again. The picture is crisp and the colors are accurate.

The first picture is the "before," showing the squished vertical. The second shows the repaired TV.

My automatic-everything digital camera doesn't do a good job with this kind of photo (colors and contrast are kinda off), but you get the general idea. Maybe I will haul out my old Nikon film camera to take photos for an article on my website.

Thanks, Andy -- you win this week's Swami award!

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

I have the titty-nipple pink one, too, would LOVE to swap it for a white, silver or black example...But mine works GREAT..or did last time I had it on.


I sure would love to see a photo of you guys all dolled up watch'n those little pink sets!

all dolled up watch'n those little pink sets!

Be careful what you ask for!

:-)

Phil

However, I don't expect to ever want one of those sets in pink!

I guess I got yet another screw loose to even care about the color!

I actually have a pink Sharp Sparky 13" and I wanted to throw it out so bad I could barely stand it but the picture is good and I needed a temporary monitor.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=33027&d=1165620739

That round PA speaker in the upper left hand corner. Where did you get it? What do you use it for? I have one and I sometimes pipe music through it. Wish I could permanently attach it.

You guys already know how the story ends, but just to close off this thread, here's the writeup that I finally got around to doing for my website.

http://antiqueradio.org/Sharp3LS36.htm

Thanks again, Andy!

Phil Nelson

Amazing...