RCA Lyceum Colortrac

[andy]

KX-1211HG, KX-1901/1901A, KX-2501, KV-20XBR, KX-1311CR, KV-2011CD, KV-25XBR all had the large multi pin RGB inputs.

[AlwaysLyceum]

Originally Posted by Kaye-Halbert TV

I'll look around for a Dimensia manual, I think I saw one at a TV shop in West LA.

I hope there's some out there. PDF, anything. That'd be awesome!

I like those Sony TVs. Where they considered Trinitrons, or is this a whole different category?

[AlwaysLyceum]

Here's a question:

Why do the RCA Lyceum TVs/Colortrak 2000 only go up to channel 53? I have older sets (i.e. the Zenith System 3 w/ Space Phone) that go up to 99. This is one thing that has always confused me.

[AlwaysLyceum]

Also, there are 2 coax on the TVs, UHF and VHF. When I use a splitter, and hook both UHF and VHF up to cable, I get all the normal cable channels (up to ch. 53, or course), and when I switch the TV to norm (I think), I get a couple UHF channels on random numbers, in the teens and 20s.

[andy]

Trinitron is the name Sony gave to their color CRT technology. With very few exceptions, all Sony color CRT TVs are Trinitrons.

It was common for early cable ready tuners to only get some of the cable channels. 53 was actually pretty good for 1985. Many only went to 36. 99 and 125 became more common as time went on.

Most of the cable channels fill in the large gap between VHF 13 and UHF 14. Cable channle 65 is on about the same frequency as UHF 14, so even an old TV will receive cable channels 65 and up on UHF.

[AlwaysLyceum]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

As mentioned above, I worked for RCA back then. About that time they had a set that had RGB inputs but those were not normal video, but intended to accept TTL level 1 bit digital input signals. Intended for teletext decoders. To see if your set's RGB inputs are this or are analog, try injecting a luma signal into the G input. If you get a normal looking (except being green and black) picture, then a modified DVD player would work. If you get either all black or patches of green, it's probably the TTL input type.

So, are you saying that I could hook up my 1980s Lyceum to a component DVD player using the RBG inputs? Would I have to use the red, green, blue, AND enable inputs?

For giggles, here's the RGP portion to the back panel to the RCA Lyceum.

[kx250rider]

Originally Posted by andy

KX-1211HG, KX-1901/1901A, KX-2501, KV-20XBR, KX-1311CR, KV-2011CD, KV-25XBR all had the large multi pin RGB inputs.

you forgot KV-25DXR in your list , but I forgot that the others you mentioned also had that RGB socket... Was the 1311CR the bone-white one that looked like a computer monitor?

Charles

[andy]

Here's a 1311CR. I like this set because it has a fine dot pitch CRT. I also have a 2011CR which is identical to the 20XBR, but with a finer dot pitch CRT and a white cabinet like the 1311CR. The XXXXCR sets seem to be TVs that could also be used as (CGA) computer monitors. I've seen Sony computer monitors that looked like the 1311CR, without the tuner.

You could use a DVD player with the RGB input as long as it's an analog RGB input on the TV. Finding a DVD player with an RGB output is tough, but not impossible. Component video is different even though the jacks are red green and blue. I don't know what the enable input does. You would have to figure out what type of sync signal the TV needs for RGB. It's probably either composite sync through a sync jack, or sync on green.

[dr.ido]

Looking at the diagram of the RGB connectors indicates that that it is a TTL input (the color on/off and enable connector pretty much guarantees it). Definitely intended for videotext/caption decoders, OSD, etc. Unfortunately this input is pretty useless, TTL RGB limited to 8 colors.

[RetroHacker]

It is definitely possible to hook an analog RGB signal to a digital TTL monitor and get full color picture. You just have to modify the TTL monitor. It's not that hard, I've done it before. All you need to do is trace the inputs from the back of the set. They should lead into a logic chip of some sort, I forget what chip was used in the monitors I have hacked, but it's a 74 series. Basically, this chip is a buffer or gate between the signal input and the video amplifiers. Cut some tracks and jumper around it, and feed the signal into the video amp - and viola! Analog color picture. I've got an IBM CGA monitor at home that I hacked like this to work on a Commodore Amiga. It works great!

-Ian

[RetroHacker]

I forgot to add, depending on the set/monitor, you might need to add a simple transistor amplifier to boost the signal a bit - the video amplifiers are going to be expecting a 5v signal level, and you're going to send an analog signal - IIRC, 1v p-to-p. You get acceptable brightness in most cases though, I forget how I dealt with it on the IBM monitor, but I know I had it producing a good picture.

-Ian

[jwicks]

Originally Posted by AlwaysLyceum

If you can't tell from my pic, the RCA Lyceum TV is my most favorite TV. I have 2 genuine Lyceum sets, one from 1985 and one from 1987. One I received from my university, and the other was on the side of the road for trash pickup. I’ve had the 1987 set for over a year, and was used as my main TV, and it works perfect—the picture is so crisp! I remember using this TV to watch videos on in 4th grade!! Is anyone else using this TV as their main set? I’m also quite interested in learning more about the crazy, huge input/output panel on the back of the set. I do have a manual, but it’s not really speaking my language. What is that odd VTR plug on the back, and what exactly is the sync plug? It’s not too often to find older TVs with bass/treble controls.

Also, on the same day I received the 1985 Lyceum on the side of the road, I also found a 1986 RCA Colortrak 2000, model USA1986T—basically identical to the RCA Dimensia FKC2601T. The Lyceum and the Dimensia TVs are definitely cousins. The CT2000/Dimensia is a manual I would LOVE to get my hands on. Is there a PDF out there explaining either of these TVs? I’m dying to know what the Text/Graphics input (output?) is on the back. I guess it’s for a teletext decoder—what exactly is that?

The things that people throw away!

A wonderful site…
http://www.cedmagic.com/museum/dimensia/dimensia.html

Look how solid this TV is!!

hey would you be able to provide and electronic file version of the manual in PDF or Word doc?

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by andy

Most of the cable channels fill in the large gap between VHF 13 and UHF 14. Cable channle 65 is on about the same frequency as UHF 14, so even an old TV will receive cable channels 65 and up on UHF.

Until June 12 last year, this was true. However, since all TV is digital these days, you won't see anything on an unmodified TV set on any channel if you are using an antenna. I don't see how the set's own UHF tuner would work, either, unless you're talking about receiving analog low-power or translator stations--and even those will be required to convert to DTV shortly. Analog TV in the US is definitely on the way out (as it will be in Canada in 2012). We will have to use alternate signal sources, such as VCRs, DVD players, or DTV ATSC->NTSC boxes to test old TVs; this will work, of course, but it's not the same as watching actual OTA TV stations and changing channels using the set's own tuner. IMHO, this takes a lot of the fun out of watching vintage and antique TVs, but that's the way it is in this age of digital everything.

[matt_s78mn]

Wow this is an old thread! Anyone know what happened to AlwaysLyceum? He hasn't posted on here in eons!!

[AlwaysLyceum]

Originally Posted by matt_s78mn

Wow this is an old thread! Anyone know what happened to AlwaysLyceum? He hasn't posted on here in eons!!

Oh, I am here, don't worry. I need to start posting on this site again.