DIY CRT tester/rejuvenator - Videokarma.org TV - Video

Kiwick · #1 02-19-2009, 12:49 PM

I need to rejuv a RCA "fullsquare" CRT in a 1987 Hantarex RGB arcade game monitor, but don't have a rejuvenator and i don't know where to get one here in Italy.

Do you think this is a good rejuvenator? note; i'll have to use a single 15 watt bulb instead of two 5 or 6 watt bulbs as you can't get anything less here.
http://www.comunidadelectronicos.com...eactivador.htm

julianburke · #2 02-21-2009, 08:17 PM

I have never had good results from using a CRT rejuvinator on any rectangular tube made in the last 20 years. I have a $2500 Sencore CR7000 and all of the skinny neck tubes do not come up much after using it. I just quit using it for that purpose but it will tell a bad tube when you are torubleshooting. When these newer tubes are bad, they are bad and I find another CRT.

radiotvnut · #3 02-21-2009, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julianburke

I have never had good results from using a CRT rejuvinator on any rectangular tube made in the last 20 years. I have a $2500 Sencore CR7000 and all of the skinny neck tubes do not come up much after using it. I just quit using it for that purpose but it will tell a bad tube when you are torubleshooting. When these newer tubes are bad, they are bad and I find another CRT.

I use a B&K 480 and I've also found out that there's not much you can do for newer tubes, say, from the early'90's to the present. Now, I've had far better luck at bringing back 20+ year old tubes. Many of the newer tubes are not made worth a flip to begin with. I guess it's like the old saying goes, "you can't make chicken salad out of chicken s**t.

Kiwick · #4 02-23-2009, 02:46 AM

well, the CRT is quite toast, the red gun is really weak, red details on the screen look like faint red blobs and they smear like crazy, this kind of 90 degree 25" fullsquare CRT is quite a rare item, as most 25" TVs used shallow 110 degree tubes here, finding a replacement is pretty much out of question and i'm probably going to scrap the whole monitor, so there's really nothing to lose, there's no phosphor burn i can see which is odd for an arcade game CRT.

I also have a couple of 60s B/W CRTs which need a rejuv

Kiwick · #5 03-05-2009, 09:02 AM

fixed! and in a relly funny way!

The CRT turned out to have a tough heater-cathode short, i was about to toss the whole thing then i had a crazy idea!

I went in my stables and got the electric fence charger which gives one 8kv pulse per second with plenty of current behind, it blew away the short instantly with a loud clinking noise, now the CRT is displaying a nice picture, as long as it lasts...

newhallone · #6 03-05-2009, 09:41 AM

That's awesome!

jeyurkon · #7 03-05-2009, 10:19 AM

Pretty clever! But, next time you might want to just add an isolation transformer to the heater if you have a heater cathode short. To the best of my knowledge, heater cathode shorts aren't usually considered repairable so you were pretty fortunate.

John

julianburke · #8 03-05-2009, 06:51 PM

They make these hand held tesla coils that we call "sparkers". We would use it on certain tubes mainly to burn off any microscoptic debris that may be lodged on any of the guns. Sometimes it would work in clearing out a short of a small proportion.

Heater to cathode shorts are helped with an isolation transformer.