[kx250rider]

Somebody say "Old Trinitrons"? Me likes old Trinitrons!

Here's a photo of my mini Trinitrons, and one of my KX-1901 Profeel monitor. I also have the KX-2501 and KX-1211. Note the baby brother of the Profeel series at the lower Left of the mini photo; the tiny KX-4200, which is perhaps the rarest of any of the Trinitrons except maybe for the very first one (that I don't have); the KV-7010UA. The other minis are: Upper Left, KV-4000 1981; Upper Rt, KV-5000 1972; Lower Right is a commercial PVM-4000 1990. I got all of them on eBay in nonworking order cheap, then fixed them. These are fun to have, and they don't take up the space of a fleet of DuMont Royal Sovereigns or Toyota Diesel cars (my other hobby and collection)...

There is no comparison when it comes to the picture on that KX series. And they are so reliable. The best, in my opinion, for quality would be Trinitrons up to about 1978. They started cheapening with the 43 series (ie KV-1943, etc). Those went to a 1-piece main board that seemed to have more stupid problems such as rotten rubber keyboards, that green 500-volt ceramic cap across the Horiz Output that would constantly short, burn and blow things. and I think the picture declined when they went back to the 90 degree CRT from the 110 that they had all through the mid 70s. I liked the picture on the mid-70s KV-1712 and its ilk the best for that decade. That was a 470FWB22 tube, then the KX series for the 80s.

But I have to say that despite the TERRIBLE service reputation and all the recalls, the KV-36XBR400 Wega of the late 90s might have the best picture of any big tube set I've seen.

Charles