25SP22 vs. 25VERP22 and damper tubes

[N9ZQA]

Hi all -

Question - I've got a 1967 Admiral with a 25SP22 CRT. Still looks like it has some life left in it, but has cataracts beginning about 2-3" from the edge. I've done some reading on cataract repair, but the thought of popping the safety glass off the front of an evacuated glass bomb doesn't sit too well with me just yet .

I have a late 70's Zenith with a 25VERP22 tube that works well. Any chance of these two CRTs being even remotely compatible? If possible, I'd like to swap tubes to get the Admiral running and on its way to being a watcher.

Another question - the damper tube in this set is a 6CG3. The set was working well until yesterday - I heard some arcing during startup and looked at the tube. The inside looked like a miniature lightning storm, arcing for about a half second every minute or two. I removed the tube, inverted it, and tapped it a couple times. I saw some particles floating around in the tube.

After I tapped the tube, I put it back in the set and the set ran flawlessly for about a day. So - is the lightning a symptom or a result? I plan on getting another damper tube but want to make sure that there isn't anything else that should get looked at before popping it back in.

Thanks!

Jim