CRT madness!

Mucashinto · 05-04-2023 1:04pm

Jesus, wow, thanks a million for those posts. Great amount of stuff for me to go on, chimes exactly with what I've been (confusedly) getting a sense of using them. Not going to try and touch anything for the moment as I'm on some streak and just get back to enjoying them and watching out for these kind of things before anything else.

I've decided I'm not going to my grave without unboxing a least one NOS CRT. That's it, the only life goal I have atm. Maybe somewhere there's a factory full of them as well, just shelves and shelves of them sitting there waiting. Opening it up with the styrofoam around it, the static popping off the screen as you take off the plastic, nary a fingerprint on the casing. Pure and untouched...

Jack burton · 05-04-2023 11:33pm

Pro tip, if your crt is making noise just turn up the volume 👍

CiDeRmAn · 06-04-2023 10:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120446163#Comment_120446163

That's pretty much the policy of most Vectrex owners!

Mucashinto · 07-04-2023 12:51am

Tbh, I think CRT madness may be a genuine thing because the last couple of weeks I've been like a ffffuuuuuu...Got scared straight today anyway, never having a day like that again 🙄 What an incredible waste of time and effort, if I'd have done nothing I'd have ended up where I am now anyway, with my lovely Trini and little champion bin-find Panasonic. I don't deserve them 😞

No more madness from me, just good, wholesome, three-way fun.

Jack burton · 08-04-2023 10:53pm

tell me more

Mucashinto · 10-04-2023 6:22pm

Ah just me being a...Spent a full day and two round trips frantically driving around thinking there'd be a professional monitor at the end of it, that I'd 'ingeniously' discovered I could just stick a cheap aftermarket RGB card in. No crock of gold at the end of that rainbow, just...failing at adverts.

So no more madness for me. Not even when changing the Sony's position from North-facing to South results in a quite noticeable image tilt! Not today Satan, I'm madness free from now on.

Just a quick pick up today as three is the magic number and that's me good til I figure what I want and what it should cost. Not sure if PVMs/BVMs are really for me now but I shouldn't judge them on the one I saw I guess. Got a bog standard (just how I like them) Philips 14 inch but still very bright and insides look in great condition, price was right (free!), and is much appreciated.

Video draining colours as usual but there's the lads, 3 stallions. More than enough for the moment (plus I need to be getting at those bowls regularly 🤨).

https://vimeo.com/816277029

eddhorse · 17-04-2023 12:15pm

@Mucashinto i think this whole thread is just for you :) CRT Madness :)

We all have the itch. There's no cream for it.

o1s1n · 17-04-2023 12:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120487143#Comment_120487143

The only cream is more CRTs 😁

I'm trying to set up a bit of a 14 inch CRT gaming nook in a wardrobe at the moment for my SNES. Kind of been missing that 'small CRT on a desk' experience.

What I was thinking about doing was buying four IKEA Helmer units and putting them in a line on the bottom of the wardrobe.

I used to have one and SNES cartridges fit in the shelves perfectly. So I'd say you'd fit a few hundred games in four of them.

Probably then fit two CRTs on top. (Maybe in can in fact be a SNES/Megadrive nook?)

https://www.ikea.com/ie/en/p/helmer-drawer-unit-on-castors-black-20341970/

Mucashinto · 18-04-2023 3:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120487143#Comment_120487143

Haha, I had noticed alright. I was half-hoping people would get annoyed with me posting bad pics & videos of my inferior sets and throw up their own tbh! Then I'd get to look at them 🙂

I've tried talking to people in 'the real world' about these, twice now. Tried a different tack each time...Not going to do that again, the look they gave me 😞 Think the neighbours are beginning to notice now as well, can see the curtains twitching. Last pickup I did the old 'yawn & scan' to make sure the coast was clear before scurrying in with my find.

Madness abating now I think though, just love and appreciation remaining ❤️📺️

I've a load of 14" sets and they have a certain charm to me in that size. Using one for TATE for the moment which is definitely too small but somebody had thrown this little guy in the bin. Savages.

https://vimeo.com/818757276?share=copy

Doge · 21-04-2023 9:00am

..

CiDeRmAn · 21-04-2023 12:16pm

I was going to monitor someone yesterday, not as satisfying with an led though

Mucashinto · 24-04-2023 2:26pm

Ah this may be relating to me obviously. I have been bombarding this forum with tedious posting recently, so apologies, poor form.

Glad to see that was picked up by someone, genuinely thought it was heading for the skip which would have been a crying shame for a 20inch set. And then someone offered up the same size for free on the weekend also. Very, very cool thing to do, great weekend for the CRT ecosystem. (Not sure if anyone ended up getting Mary from Galway’s Panasonic set in the end either?)

I certainly don’t want all the CRTs, but I’ll definitely take any 4:3 set that looks like it’s headed for the bin atm. Much better if they end up with proper use cases though. I’m guessing now soon the next wave of available ones will be coming from collectors mainly, all the friend/family/work who ‘have one of those at home’ are probably pretty much exhausted surely?

Otherwise I’ve been using a CRT monitor to play 480p and up and it’s fantastic as you’d expect in a lot of regards but I can see now a high refresh/high resolution offers a lot as well with modern games so maybe it’s largely retro gaming where the CRTs will shine for me. All new to me tbh but don’t need to tell you lads obviously, something about 240p CRT on games that were designed for it…just magic.

Regardless…tl;dr less posting from me.

o1s1n · 24-04-2023 2:35pm

I find it rather interesting, the 'friend/family/work colleague who ‘have one of those at home’ supply should have dried up a decade ago but it's still going strong. Also seems to be a never ending supply of them still popping up on the likes of adverts.

I've seen a lot of folks hoarding CRTs 'for the future' (particularly when they first start collecting them) but at this rate I'm fairly sure they're going to outlast us. Seem to be a lot more enthusiasts trying to keep them going nowadays too.

CiDeRmAn · 24-04-2023 8:20pm

Well, should I kick the bucket there's an attic full of CRT displays in my house...

Kerbdog will probably get their first though

Robert Nairac · 12-05-2023 9:44pm

Lads, any suggestions for how to go about getting a PVM/BVM? I never see any posted in the local area. I have wanted to get one for years but never did.

CiDeRmAn · 14-05-2023 8:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120589240#Comment_120589240

Go on Adverts and search for either, then save the search with an alert, it'll let you know when one pops up.

You'll have to be registered with them though

MontgomeryClift · 14-05-2023 12:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120515312#Comment_120515312

They're still coming up for sale or giveaway from careful owners, but there are fewer turning up at the dump, and the men who work there could tell me recently that they get very few of the "older type" nowadays. But I suppose the people who dump things were always going to dump them anyway.

Colonel Panic · 15-05-2023 12:00pm

I went to the dump at Ballymount to check out the CRTs a while back and they have signs up telling people to leave them alone. Asked a few chaps there and they told me I couldn’t even take a look.

eddhorse · 17-05-2023 11:07pm

https://crtdatabase.com/faq/introduction-to-crt-testers

Looks promising

MontgomeryClift · 29-05-2023 11:58am

Next time I have a TV for sale I'm definitely going to run a test pattern while taking photos. Doing that seems to increase its value by about €200.

o1s1n · 29-05-2023 3:33pm

I see it's sold now, wonder what it went for?

Not sure on the price but it's potentially one of the last bigger 4:3 29 inch Trinitron CRTs you'd get in Ireland. Made in the early 2000s so just before everything changed over to widescreen 32 inch WEGA models and the likes.

There was one on adverts not too long ago for about 50 euro if I remember correctly. Shame you can't search sold listings anymore.

KeRbDoG · 29-05-2023 4:38pm

Really annoying they have removed sold listings - if you need to go back and check a listing of something you bought, you are now outa luck :(

MontgomeryClift · 30-05-2023 1:48pm

The offers were for the asking price. The first two were from newly-registered users or users with little or no feedback history, so I'm not sure exactly what's going on and it's probably best not to speculate.

The Adverts sold listings were one of the best places on the internet to find photos and details of old TVs along with model numbers, etc.

Inviere · 30-05-2023 4:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120657707#Comment_120657707

I'm not privy to any other info either, but a few here (including myself) can vouch for the guy. He's a CRT guru, and very very helpful to deal with.

Steve X2 · 30-05-2023 5:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120658650#Comment_120658650

Yeah same, no info on this other than the guy is above board and I picked up a PVM at a decent price a couple of years back from him.

geotrig · 31-05-2023 11:49am

its great that the is a guy fixing stuff and offering the service fro repairs ,but its still gouging a bit on the price of a bloody old tv but look if someone is paying it who knows anymore !😆

The Last Bandit · 31-05-2023 12:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120661509#Comment_120661509

Have to agree, TV would want to have been fully serviced and recalibrated before it worth anything near that 1/2 that price. Rub down with Mr Sheen isn't enough...

CiDeRmAn · 01-06-2023 2:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120661592#Comment_120661592

Sorry... not sorry

o1s1n · 06-06-2023 11:52am

Decided to built a hidden SNES CRT gaming station in a wadrobe over the weekend 😁

I've everything in the living room running through a Retrotink but still missed that little 14 inch CRT experience. Also had a 14 inch PVM I wanted to do something with.

The IKEA Helmer is a great little drawer unit for this sort of thing. Can fit 100+ snes carts in a relatively small space.

Tempted now to get a second one for another 14 inch CRT and a Megadrive to go beside it.

eddhorse · 14-06-2023 7:52pm

https://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_monfaq.html

lots of monitor info on here, lots

80s Synth Pop · 24-06-2023 11:56am

Such a fantastic youtube channel on chassis repair:

https://youtube.com/@mikesamateurarcademonitorr6856

Doge · 08-07-2023 6:57pm

https://youtu.be/-1iarY4bqJY

..

Jack burton · 10-07-2023 11:45pm

I have a nice Sony 29" Trini that's really in my way. Has some corona discharge. Feel free to give me some recommendations for a new good home for it of anyone wants to.

Jack burton · 22-07-2023 8:50am

Having a bit of trouble with my widescreen Trini. Getting a lot of interference from any of the scart inputs im using.

Its on a stainless steel table. So i put a sheet of ply underneath the tv to see if that helped, it didnt. Theres a large crt beside it so i put a sheet of foil insulation between them to see if that help but it didnt either.

Anyone have any tips for finding out whats causing this? Using a ikea extension lead so could that be it?

Jack burton · 22-07-2023 10:18am

Sorry that picture was meant to be a video

https://youtube.com/shorts/iimQliQnZcM?feature=share

Inviere · 22-07-2023 10:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120882154#Comment_120882154

I know you tried ply on the table, but is the table actually magnetic? If so, the table could still be the culprit. Hire a small crane for the day and move the Trini elsewhere to rule it out...

o1s1n · 22-07-2023 12:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120881922#Comment_120881922

Oh there's a high probability it could be the CRT beside it too. If my cabinets are too close together I get a wavy interference on both monitors.

Possible to try testing it out completely isolated from any other CRTs ?

Jack burton · 22-07-2023 5:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120882236#Comment_120882236

Oh i don't know that. The top is stainless but i think the legs and frame are steel so ill try that out over the weekend

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120882633#Comment_120882633

Last time i plugged it in it had no issues so i guessing the table. I plugged out the crt beside it. But theres still room on the table. Ill slide it down as far away from the other one as I can and see too

Jack burton · 22-07-2023 7:03pm

Top of the table is magnetic. So ill lift it off and see if it still makes a difference. If it does ill have to come up with a solution....or find a massive new table

Been using my grundig crt on a stainless steel table for 6-7 years now and never any issue and thats magnetic too. The grundig tv is chipboard so probably a bit isolated from the metal. The trini is a early 2000's id guess and only plastic frame

KeRbDoG · 22-07-2023 8:13pm

A metal plate between the table/set might help. Strange the table is magnetic?

Jack burton · 22-07-2023 9:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120884224#Comment_120884224

Yeah i was just reading up there on stainless steel there. Some of them are non-magnetic but it depends on the type.

Like fridge magnets stick to the table and to my old table aswell. Bit of an odd one

Jack burton · 24-07-2023 9:29am

Had another go of this last night. Moved the crt away from the other one and picture was perfect.

Moved it back a few inches and happened again. So i guess that was the problem.

Picture looks great now. Had the xbox playing a dvd and the gamecube playing and everything was A ok. So its the general rule for crts i think. Once everything is working ok just leave it alone.

On a side note theres 2 good scart inputs and one crap one that gives a dull picture. Youd think on a good Sony set they would have all 3 of them good

o1s1n · 24-07-2023 12:25pm

Delighted you got sorted, was worried you might have to start looking at actual components soon. Those CRT magnetic fields can be crazy strong when putting them side by side.

Is it possible the crap scart input is composite only?

I do love watching DVDs on CRTs, the picture quality really is super crips over RGB.

Jack burton · 24-07-2023 6:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120890108#Comment_120890108

Yeah id be pretty sure its just a composite input so picture is very much washed out and dull

Jack burton · 24-07-2023 11:08pm

Bad news.....had a dvd on tonight and maybe after 40-50 mins started getting interference again.

Ill open it up tomorrow anyway and see if theres any caps that look bad or anything and take it from there

Edit

Just reading up there that it could be the rf connector picking up something so I'll try and sheild that or something tomorrow and see aswell

o1s1n · 25-07-2023 12:50pm

I wonder could it be the degaussing coil causing interference? Might be worth disconnecting it if you are opening the back up.

I suppose though if it were any type of magnetic interference, so degaussing coil, other forces like CRTs close by etc you'd probably have colour discoloration too. I can't see any in the video you posted.

It might be worth chucking up a grid pattern on the screen just to see the extent of where the interference reaches across the picture.

Jack burton · 25-07-2023 9:05pm

Need to find my longer screwdriver before i open it up and see whats what.

Going to order new rgb console cables this weekend too. I need them anyway.

But in the mean time I'm going to get the rest of my arcade and room finished renovations and just leave the tv for a couple of weeks. Ill play dvds etc on it and see how it goes. Could just need a few hours of use too..... not likely but ill live in hope for the time being 🤣

Jack burton · 29-07-2023 3:52pm

I was at this again the other night, i cant leave it alone.

Same deal but i turned off the console and had the tv on to aee if it kept it up and i didn't seem to. So now im thinking its probably something to do with the bog standard cables not being insulated enough. Ordering a few new ones Monday anyway

CiDeRmAn · 17-08-2023 12:18pm

Seems like there are options for even terrible old CRTs,

https://hackaday.com/2023/08/16/new-motherboard-improves-old-crt-television/

80s Synth Pop · 26-10-2023 6:34pm

For anyone in Clare there is a rare enough NEC 1970NXp 15k capable LCD monitor for sale cheap:

https://www.adverts.ie/monitors/computer-monitors/31924327

Example of it handing 15k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoLnpnUhlGY

CRT madness!

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