WHY so few "other brands' left out there?( Admiral, Sylvania , Philco, etc)

[etype2]

[QUOTE Until the 90's you could spot a Sony a mile away just from its picture quality.[/QUOTE]

You nailed it. That's what I'm talking about.

I bought Sony's from the beginning, 1968 because of the unique technology. Then I discovered that they just last and last without breakdown. Unlike most members here, I'm not a former TV repair man. I don't know a lick about how to fix sets except for what I read. That's why I stuck with Sony through the decades because I can't fix them and they last.

I must have good luck because I had and have 37, 41, 45 year old Sony sets where the tubes are still strong today. Owned a KV 1710, still have an original KV 4000U and a KV 5300U and many others. They all worked perfectly and the ones that I own, continue still going strong without break down. I don't want to bore with more screen shots, but I could post them here as proof of reliable operation.

I have read in this forum about Sony failures, but I can tell you I have had not one Sony failure in all the years of ownership starting in 1969. That is what I call reliability.

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by etype2

Unlike most members here, I'm not a former TV repair man. I don't know a lick about how to fix sets except for what I read.

Same here, and on top of that I haven't been around long enough to see that many of the older Sony sets. I'm just going by what I read here, such as a mere slap killing a newly-repaired Sony.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

Same here, and on top of that I haven't been around long enough to see that many of the older Sony sets. I'm just going by what I read here, such as a mere slap killing a newly-repaired Sony.

There's a lot of truth of what you read here.
I corrected a few repairs, done by other techs, where all the precautions weren't taken, regarding the horizontal drive circuit. I always resoldered the horizontal drive transformer and the drive transistor. Some techs would replace the drive transistor, Just in case!
It saved a few 2SC267's.

[TVTim]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

Same here, and on top of that I haven't been around long enough to see that many of the older Sony sets. I'm just going by what I read here, such as a mere slap killing a newly-repaired Sony.

Count me in too Jon. When I was in my late teens, the closest I got to TV repair was pulling out tubes and checking them at Radio Shack. My dad was more adventurous. He changed out picture tubes too.

[jbattles]

when a sony from lets say 78 - 90 came in to my shop they were worn out, but every once a while you a good one not worn out.

[rca2000]

Originally Posted by jbattles

when a sony from lets say 78 - 90 came in to my shop they were worn out, but every once a while you a good one not worn out.

Sounds like the 91-98 Zenith tubes. Once in a GREAT while...you find a good one still to this day.


I tend to be one of the "majority" here--and have repaired many Sony sets--often for someone who had "tried and failed". I concede that the tube has a picture like no other set did...WHEN they worked. But by NOW_-those GCS sets are a TIME BOMB--just WAITING to send some poor tech into fits trying to fix one today !! And NO ONE here can dispute how TERRIBLE that 26 inch Sony tube was. A GREAT picture for a FEW years. I doubt one could exceed 10K hours from one...and they will NOT rejuv !!

and I TOO had to repair a lot of the somewhat newer Sony sets where someone had changed the H-out and inverter transistors (C_4834's, or that MX081 chip) But who did NOT bother to check the drive connections and BAM--ALL of it quickly vaporized. THAT point is where I would usually come in...and fix it RIGHT.

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by TVTim

Count me in too Jon. When I was in my late teens, the closest I got to TV repair was pulling out tubes and checking them at Radio Shack. My dad was more adventurous. He changed out picture tubes too.

The only TV repair I did in my youth didn't even involve troubleshooting. I found a joint for a vertical transistor that was completely devoid of solder. I took apart many TVs and monitors back then with no attempt to discharge any residual HV. It was a wonder I didn't get zapped, not by anything with a CRT anyway. I got 110/120 mains voltage on a challenge from the super at my old building. The line was spliced to the radio from a motel TV he had just scrapped. I grabbed one bare wire... nothing. I grabbed the other one... again, nothing. He then told me to grab both of them at once. Well, I haven't done such a thing since. He could hold onto live mains wires no problem.

[jbattles]

I had a 96 model Sony 32' I forget the model no, but I bought it from the thrift store in 2002 fixed some joints used it until my sister law needed it in 2007. Then her family wore it out tube was no good. I have a 2007 Sony 27fds120 awesome picture digital tuner built in I use it every day paid 20 bucks from goodwill back in December plus I have a parts set that some one dropped and crt is messed up it. now I will find them watch when and they tear up scrap them.

[andy]

...

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by andy

That's a little unfair to Sony. Those Zenith tubes were just plain defective (like the 26" Sony). They would fail before the set got much use. Most of the worn out Sonys had a lot of hours on them.

Anybody here know what caused the problem with the 26" Sony tubes? ... were the 26" jugs perhaps among the first that were not made in the Japanese facility? It would make sense for the very heavy 26" console to be assembled in the San Diego facility, perhaps the 26" tubes represent the start up of non Japanese CRT production.

jr

[Electronic M]

IIRC cathode requirements of larger CRTs are more stringent. I think it has something to due with current per square inch to achieve a certain brightness... If they used the same guns that were in the original 12" in all sizes up until that point I can see those guns probably being decent in a 19" set, but 26" could have been a bridge too far that required a cathode emisive surface redesign that was unforeseen.

[TVTim]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

The only TV repair I did in my youth didn't even involve troubleshooting. I found a joint for a vertical transistor that was completely devoid of solder. I took apart many TVs and monitors back then with no attempt to discharge any residual HV. It was a wonder I didn't get zapped, not by anything with a CRT anyway. I got 110/120 mains voltage on a challenge from the super at my old building. The line was spliced to the radio from a motel TV he had just scrapped. I grabbed one bare wire... nothing. I grabbed the other one... again, nothing. He then told me to grab both of them at once. Well, I haven't done such a thing since. He could hold onto live mains wires no problem.

You never forget the first time you get zapped.

[Jon A.]

Come to think of it, I had a spark jump to my finger when reaching for a piece of dangling glass after cutting the evac stem on a dying Hitachi CRT. The TV had been on recently and I didn't yet have my probe. It wasn't a full-on jolt, but it was enough to make me yank my hand back mighty fast.

[etype2]

Been thinking about it. As said before, I purchased the very first Sony models starting in 1969 like the KV 7010UA, KV 1210U, KV 1720U, KV 1722U, KV 4000, KV 8100, KV 5300. They all worked like a charm with strong performance to this day.

Then got deverted away from CRT televisions and started buying projection televisions like the Advent 710, Kloss Nova Beam 10 foot projection, rear projection sets from Pioneer, then a 40 inch Mitubishi CRT, then a RCA 38 inch 16x 9 HD CRT TV, then returned to Sony with the KD 34XBR960, finally, Pioneer Plasma, and three LCD sets.

Possibly from the reports here, Sony quality dropped off in the 90's. I can't speak to that because of lack of purchase and ownership. The very early Sony sets just last and last for me as you saw from my screenshots. I also purchased many good working Sony sets on eBay. My Sony KD 34XBR960 is still solid with no problems. Love that set.

[rca2000]

Originally Posted by etype2

Been thinking about it. As said before, I purchased the very first Sony models starting in 1969 like the KV 7010UA, KV 1210U, KV 1710U, KV 1722U, KV 4000, KV 8100, KV 5300. They all worked like a charm with strong performance to this day.

Then got deverted away from CRT televisions and started buying projection televisions like the Advent 710, Kloss Nova Beam 10 foot projection, rear projection sets from Pioneer, then a 40 inch Mitubishi CRT, then a RCA 38 inch 16x 9 HD CRT TV, then returned to Sony with the KD 34XBR960, finally, Pioneer Plasma, and three LCD sets.

Possibly from the reports here, Sony quality dropped off in the 90's. I can't speak to that because of lack of purchase and ownership. The very early Sony sets just last and last for me as you saw from my screenshots. I also purchased many good working Sony sets on eBay. My Sony KD 34XBR960 is still solid with no problems. Love that set.

IF you can move it without a crane or forklift !!