Sony KV 5000/5100 Differences?

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by etype2

I believe Japan is NTSC, but previous experience with Japanese market sets: won't accept a digital converter box signal.

Yes, Japan uses (used?) NTSC, but they do not have the low-VHF channels as we do. They have/had channels 1-3 in the frequency range of our FM radio band (88-108 MHz), while their FM band is 76-88 MHz.

If you do need to get an RF signal into a Japanese set, you could try modifying the output circuit of the ATSC tuner/converter so it works in that higher range. Another option is to use an RF modulator in the high-VHF range. If I remember right, the Japanese channel numbers in that range are one number off from ours (their channel 12 is our channel 13, or the other way).

[jr_tech]

It appears that the KV-8000 may have the directly heated cathode as well (screen shot from recent eBay listing attached):
not affiliated,
jr

[andy]

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[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by andy

No, the 5" was the only one that I know of (not sure about the KV-4000). Econoquick just means that it doesn't have instant on, otherwise it's a meaningless marketing word. All Sony's from the mid-late 70's were "Econoquick".

Interesting ! I guess that I should have bid on the KV-8000, to see how S0ny powered the CRT heater. I assumed that since the 8000 could be battery powered like the 5000 and 4000 series sets, that it was likely to have the lower power directly heated cathode, but I have never seen an 8000 nor the schematic for one.
jr

[andy]

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[kc8adu]

iirc they are common 6.3v heaters.had to put a crt in one a while back.was in a fancy inspection camera system in a machine shop.the owner ststed that it had been there over 30 years and was old when he bought the place.
it rejuvenated well and lasted 2 more years.i tore down a beaten but low hours set to get a tube.

[jr_tech]

I just received a KV 4000 today (eBay purchase) and did the "cold start" test... the picture came up in about 4 seconds, so I am convinced that the CRT in the '4000 uses a directly heated cathode.
Wonder if Sony used different heater/cathode structures in some of these smaller tubes depending on intended use (battery powered portable vs AC powered monitor)?
jr

[andy]

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[drchucksgas]

Hi Guys, There is one other very significant difference between the two. The 5000
has an adjustable pin cushion circuit which due to the bean counters at Sony, was left out in the 5100 with simply a factory preset value in it's place. The reason I know this was that my 5100 which I purchased new in 1980 had a terrible pin cushioning problem and I battled with Sony to get it rectified. There was no simple "return the set and get another". These sets were newly discontinued at the time and finding the one that I have was a daunting task. Remember there was no internet and Ebay where you could simply do a search. I searched the old fashined way by visiting as many tv and appliance stores as I could and also letting my fingers do the walking through the Yellow pages. I finally found one but it had a shattered picture tube, so the seach continued until I found one place in New York City that had their last one. I ran down and grabbed it. So anyway, at first Sony said there was nothing they could do because there was no adjustment for pin cushioning. I made it clear that I found that answer unnaceptable and so after much deliberation and arguing, Sony in Long Island City, New York performed surgery on my set, installed a pin cushion circuit and adjusted it to get my picture straightened out. The other problem I had was that the battery back BP-51 that was supposed to last for about 3 hours only lasted about half that time at best. After a bit of pursuasion they also took care of that for me as well.

[andy]

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[etype2]

Thanks for the info on the pin cushion circuit.

[drchucksgas]

Hey guys! Thanks for the replies. Firstly, I'd like to say that one of the reasons I got that kind of custom response from a company that size was that I was persistent and kept calling and calling and relentlessly calling Sony in order to rectify this problem and this was commenced within a few weeks of purchase so they could not blow me off saying it was past warranty.They finally directed me to the Sony Corporation in Long Island City NY to finally get to stop calling them on an almost daily basis. When I arrived at that location, I caught a few knowing eye rolls, but they accepted the set for repair/modification. They told me it would take two to three weeks. At three weeks I started calling them and got; "It is almost ready, blah, blah, blah". I was again relentless. I think they were hoping I might go away but I did not. Finally, a month and a half after I left it, they told me I could come pick it up. Note that they did not call me as they said they would; I guess they figured they should not bother being that I was calling so often myself. Anyway, when I arrived, they brought my KV5100 up to the service desk with repair tag on it and looking to uneventfully return it. They plugged it in and showed me with a test pattern that the pin cushioning problem was rectified which I acknowledged. They also reassured me that the battery charger was also repaired and new cells installed into the BP51 battery pack. I nodded and paused, and took a deep breath and then unloaded on them.... As much as I would have liked to thank them for fixing the pin cushioning problem and the battery life problem,and also for allowing me to check out the battery life and get back to them (which I know if unsatisfactory would be another protracted goose chase ) I was steaming inside at the condition of the cabinet as returned to me.
I gave them a brand new set to repair. I was returned a repaired set with a cabinet that looked like it went through the war!!! Scrapes, scuffs, bare areas, chips. I was like WTetc?!!! and more foul language followed while other customers were around watching the spectacle. I was like "What?!!! Were you guys throwing this set around like a football?!!" Yes I was a young a-hole in their eyes then, and I would probably now as an older guy behave much more respectably, but that fact is that after my tirade, another clerk ( the only guy that was kind to me in the first place ) came out with a brand new KV5100 cabinet in a cellophane bag and handed it to me. I calmed down and then thanked him very much.
He then asked me if I would like it installed. I declined and figured, I would myself later on at some point. Heck at this point I might as well accumulate more wear and tear an then at some time in the future, have the option of refurbishment. And that was that. So the reason I got so far was because I was correct in my grievances, but also angry and unpleasant. The cavalier treatment of a devout Sony fan who travelled many miles and spent many hours in order to chase down and finally acquire one of these great little DISCONTINUED and hard to find marvels of a color television, REALLY pissed me off!! Okay, my anguish paid off as it all worked out. Also from then on I got about 3.5 hours a charge through many cycles for a few years out of the cells which was great. BTW, while I have you guys there is another unmentioned difference between the KV5000 and KV5100. Their respective battery packs BP50 and BP51 are incompatible in that the mounts are different on the sets. I know because I have both. You cannot take a battery pack from a 5100 and install it on a 5000 and vice versa. They simply won't go on. As for whether one might power the other? I figured that if one won't mount on the other, it might make sense not to push my luck to find out that it might be so as an electrical safeguard due to an unexpected incompatibility. More great news! I just won an Ebay auction for a mint condition Sony KV5100 with battery pack containing brand new cells. It arrived today, looks almost like the day it left the factory, and performs great even on the included BP51!! Did I really need yet another? No, but I could not resist and I won the package for $76.00!! Now my trusty set that I have agonized over to make correct becomes my back up set! Cool! Now I have two battery packs and can uses one for back up for those infrequent Mets and Yankees double headers!