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Previously Sent Newsletters

August 4, 2006

Tons of updates at www.curtpalme.com over the last 2-3 weeks!

  • Bleeding CRT Tubes: We've had a lot of questions about this procedure so we've added a few more questions & answers for everyone that's wondering why this procedure should be performed.
     
  • Build your own quality screen for $75: Why spend $500-$1000 on an expensive commercial fixed screen when you can build your own like many enthusiasts have done. Put the money towards more DVD's or possibly a CRT projector upgrade! :)
     
  • CRT Projector Focus & Mechanical Aim Basics: This in-depth setup guide written by industry expert Guy Kuo will help you tweak the most out of any CRT projector when first setting it up.  Used, followed, and refined by thousands of enthusiasts over the last few years. A must read for all CRT projector owners!
     
  • Barco 400/600/1000/1001/1500 Layout and Setup Tips: These older Barco analog projectors are still capable for throwing a nice image. Read the introduction and layout/setup tips for more information.
     
  • Removing/Reinstalling a High Voltage (HV) Lead: Note sure how to remove/add a lead to a CRT tube?  Check out this procedure.
     
  • Sony PJ-Calc v5.2: A newer version of this Sony throw distance calculator has been added. Useful for all Sony projectors.
     
  • Sony G90 Downloads: A bunch of new Sony G90 downloads have been added.
     
  • Sony 12xx G2 (White Balance) adjustment: Can't get the colours quite right or whites to look white with that Sony 12xx projector?  Check out this new procedure.
     
  • And last but not least: CRT projector service manuals are now making their way onto the site, starting with some older models such as the Ampro 2000, Barco 400, Barco 800/801, NEC PG, Sony 10xx, Sony 12xx, etc. Check out the respective downloads page in the "FAQs, Tips, Manuals" section of the website.

 
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Vacation:

I'm out of town with no internet or phone access from August 7 to Aug 14. I've now sent out all sold projectors and parts/repairs and have sent out almost all tracking numbers to those customers. I'll attack any new repairs as soon as I get back on the 15th.

Website Additions:

I am ramping up additions to the website again after being dormant for a bit. I've added a long awaited Marquee section that shows the ins and outs of the chassis. I've also added a section of tech tips for the older analog Barco projectors, so there's finally some tips for you that are running these older projectors. As time allows, I am also adding a troubleshooting section to the various projector models. This walks you through some of the common problems with sets, so that you have an idea of what to look for when your projector fails. (hopefully this will free up some of my phone time too!). I've got the Barco one up online now, I'll work on more soon.

Also added are some of the older service manuals . Kal twisted my rubber arm to put some onto the site. They are there at no charge, and of course I issue the warning that if you're not a qualified tech with HV and board level repair experience, you can stand a good chance to make a problem in the set worse by diving into random adjustments and component replacement. Proceed at your own risk, and of course I have many parts for these sets if you do end up smoking a board.. :)

Thanks to the people that area now also contributing to the website! As many of you know, I'm much more or a repair person than a tweaker, and I also don't keep on top of the latest hardware sources that are available. The more info that others contribute as far as tweaks and picture enhancement the better.

The forum section of the site has been expanded with new categories. Feel free to post often!

I will soon be adding an accessories page. I am now stocking customs built RCA to RCA and BNC to BNC cabling that I make here at the shop. The cable is high end Belden stuff, 5 conductor and the BNC ends are crimp on ends that are of high quality and durability. I'm also stocking transcoders and SVGA to BNC cables, and there are other accessories that are often required which I'll list as well.

Projectors, projectors…

This month I'm featuring the NEC XG series of sets. I've got a lot of them in stock and have gotten a number of good used and new tubes for the sets in stock. They are all listed, and I've now got an excellent supply of parts for these as well, as I've scrapped a number of these XGs. There are also a bunch of other projectors that have been added to the products for sale area.

There are a number of high end sets that are coming in, or that are in progress, including a 9500LC, a 9500 Ultra, an MP9 and a couple of Barco 1209 sets. As well I've still got excellent stock of many 8" sets and have stocked up yet again on many more parts. I'm even going through the older analog Barco modules as I've had a number of requests for these old analog parts.

Parts n' stuff:

I'm now getting daily requests to repair digital projectors. Even with the few digital units I've regretfully sold to local customers that insisted on buying high light output units, digitals are not getting better at bulb life and reliability. I can't repair digitals, sorry! They are designed to be completely disposable, I see this in plasmas and MP3 players as well. I'm sticking with CRT projectors. When I throw out 18 month old digital sets that have died, but I can do a tweaking on a 20+ year old CRT and sell it, knowing it will last another 2-4 years, it's obvious to me where I should be doing business!

I am adding parts to my stock daily. I seem to be one of the only places left that can repair virtually any CRT module down to a component level. With some other casual resellers now out of the business, rest assured I'll support ANY CRT projector out there, whether purchased from me or not.

Silliness Department (last request):

I asked you to assist me in winning a radio contest a couple of mail-outs ago, and while I had some responses, I need more people to sign up. The radio station has announced that anyone that signs up outside of the Seattle listening area will get a free T-shirt along with the dog tags, so please sign up, if for nothing else to get a free T-shirt! Update: I’m about 50 names short of winning, so for those of you that haven't signed up, please take all of a minute to add yourself to the list. T shirts and the dog tags are now being mailed out by the station... ;)

The BJ Shea show on www.kisw.com is having a contest to see who can recruit new listeners to the show. Winners get prizes such as T-shirts and a chance to see the show from within the studio. I want to win this... :) (Yes, I feel like a 12 year old calling in to win tickets on a radio show, but hey, it keeps me going in the shop!), so I'll ask all of you to assist. Overseas entries are encouraged. Here's the link: http://els.fimc.net/zhha/els/elsSignupFrm.asp?newmember=1

The important part is to fill out 'Curt Palme' in the 'Recruited by' area. That will give me the credit and advance me in the contest. I'll thank you in advance for assisting me in this. I'll remember you when you ask for tech support... :)

Parts needed:

I am looking for a few parts that I'm willing to buy or trade other stuff for:

(2) P19 red tubes. The hardware is not important, the tube can be from a Barco, Ampro or Electrohome. The tubes need to be in good shape though..
(2) Barco 1208 case bottoms. I've received a number of 1208 projectors in that had case damage. The projectors are fine, but I need case bottoms.
(1) Sony G70/NEC XG LC red C element. One projector came in with slight damage to the C element, and I'm out of stock.

Thanks for your support!

Curt

 

NEC XG sets: 

I've got a slew of NEC XG sets in as stated above. Let's take a look at these sets.

The NEC XG series is the smallest 8" set made. At 1200 lumens and sharp P16 tubes, the XG sets work exceptionally well for home theater use. There are liquid coupled and non liquid coupled versions of the XG 110 and 135. The 110LC and 135LC eliminate the halo effects exhibited by all non LC sets. Some people are very sensitive to these halos and swear by LC sets, others don't find much of a difference. (there's more info on LC versus non LC in the FAQ on the website). Expect to pay about $500 more for an LC version due to the more expensive tubes and lenses used.

All XG sets will scan to past 1080p, and a number of customers are happily running 1080p through these 8" sets. Arguably the XGs focus a bit sharper than other 8" sets due to the massive amount of control that the XG software has over the image quality and setup. The NEC sets are the only ones to offer a massive 100 points of convergence per tube, so misconvergence or geometry that is slightly 'off' is a thing of the past. The chassis is reliable, and I do several mods to each set prior to shipping. 

The late model XG 1352 and XG 852 have built in transcoders to accept all resolutions of component signals.

I've got sets with good to excellent original tubes, sets with NEW (not rebuilt!) tubes in them below. All cases are in good shape, but if you're building one of these into a coffee table or putting it in a hushbox, I've got lots of scratched and marked cases, and I'll reduce the below prices by $200 if you'll take one of those. All below pricing includes an original NEC setup remote. I've got a number of original NEC ceiling brackets at $150 extra.

Consignment projectors:

I've also got projectors here on consignment (see below). All of these sets are a bit less than what I normally sell sets for so that I can clear them out.

Curious how one of these CRT projectors stacks up against others? Check out our new Projector Rankings page to see exactly how the different units compare in terms of performance in a home theater environment!

NEC XG series

 

 

More Information

All NEC XG projectors are true 1200 lumen 8" EM focus sets. Digital convergence, on screen menus, video, S-video and RGB inputs are stock, the component option is available on the NEC XG 852 models. 100 point convergence allows for super accurate convergence. The NEC has more control over the picture than other 8" sets, making a full set up a bit daunting, but when it's complete, you'll find it's well worth the effort. Smaller than most competing 8" sets, they've been very reliable, and I've sold lots.

Here's the breakdown:

XG 75: Scans to 75Khz (past line quadrupling or 960p).
XG 85: Scans to 85Khz and has component inputs!
XG 110: Scans to 110Khz.
XG 135: Scans to 135Khz.

For home theater use, these models all behave very much the same.

'LC' models add liquid coupled tubes for better contrast ratios and less halo'ing.

I have eight (8) more XG sets being tested this week. Check back soon for new listings!

 

 

Quantity

Price (USD)

NEC XG 75 (non LC): Original tubes in great shape, an 8.5+. 75 Khz scan rate.

1 $2100.00

NEC XG 75 (non LC): New blue and green tubes, original red in perfect shape.

1 $2800.00

NEC XG 85 (non LC): All original tubes in great shape, 8.5+, built in transcoder, 85 Khz scan rate.

1 $2500.00

NEC XG 85 (non LC): New green and blue tubes, perfect original red.

1 $3000.00

NEC XG 110 (non LC): All original tubes, 1600 original chassis hours, great condition.

1 $2800.00

NEC XG 110 (non LC): New blue and green tubes, as new original red tube.

1 $3000.00

NEC XG 135 (non LC): Customer consignment set, under 2100 original hours, tubes an 8+.

1 $2200.00

NEC XG 135 (non LC): New B and G tubes, perfect original red.

1 $3100.00

NEC XG 110LC: Two in stock. New green tubes in both, excellent red and blue.

2 $3200.00

NEC XG 135LC (1351): New green and blue tube, great Red tube.

1 $3500.00




Ampro 2000

 

 

More Information

Very similar to the Electrohome ECP, and about the same age as the ECP 4100, these scan to 80 Khz (55Khz if data grade), have a wired remote, and have digital convergence for an easy set up. Very shallow sets, only 10" tall, so these are great for low ceilings. 

 

 

Quantity

Price (USD)

Ampro 2000: I sold this 2 years ago, and it's a good working unit with excellent tubes. The customer moved and couldn't take the projector with him, so I am listing it here for him. The set needed nothing but a tune-up and comes with the wired remote control.

1 $400.00




NEC PG series

 

 

More Information

A step up from the electrostatic focusing sets,  these are EM focus sets that scan to 60 Khz for the 6 Pg, 90 Khz for the 9 PG. 800 lumens from 7 1/2" tubes. The 6 PG sets are equipped with an RGB input, the 9 PG's with a video and S-video jack as well as the RGB input. Many of you know that NEC's are my personal favourite projector for fleshtones. c/w wireless remote. Perfect for use with a computer or a line doubler/ tripler.

The 'PG+' sets added astigmatism control to the set, which gives better side and corner focus over the plain PG series. The picture and specs are otherwise the same.

The 'PG Xtra' sets are one slight step down from the NEC XG series and a step up from the PG + series, these sets put out 1000 lumens. If you're looking for a top performer in a relatively small package, this is the projector to get. Greatly underrated and often overlooked in my opinion..:) These sets give a very punchy picture with super nice fleshtones.

I've got a slew of NEC PG projectors listed below. Some are ready to go, some need tubes. I've got some PG/PG+ tubes at VDC right now that have smashed safety glass, but are in good shape otherwise, with only a hint of wear on them. Those will be back in 10 days or so. I'm listing the condition of the sets, with a 'good used tube' price, along with a G and B new tube price. A couple of these are Runco projectors and are white.

Note that I have about another 10 NEC PG sets in stock in various condition, but all need tubes, so I'll retube them as I sell the above ones. I will have a couple of PG Xtras that I'll be selling with good used tubes at discounted pricing. Contact me for more details. . I also have one mint condition looking Runco 980 Ultra with a black case and processor. I'll be selling it as a package, please check back in about a week for an update once I test it out.

 

 

Quantity

Price (USD)

NEC 9PG+:  I sold this set about a year ago, and for whatever reason the customer couldn't get the set to sync to his computer. I took the set back on consignment, and after getting it back, it worked flawlessly, so I'm assuming he might have had a bad cable. The projector is in great shape and has excellent tubes in it. 800 lumens, 92 Khz scan rate, video and RGB inputs. Service remote included.

1 $1200.00


 

Electrohome Marquee 8xxx series

 

 

More Information

Basically, all Marquees are very similar in performance. All 8XXX series (non LC models) use the same 8" EM focusing tubes. Very similar in set up to the Barcos in general, these sets are quiet. Not as long as the Barco's in size, they are about 3" taller than the Barco series. Very modular in construction, and super reliable. Video, S-video and RGB inputs.

Here's the breakdown:

Marquee 8000: 1000 lumens. Circa 1994-1995.
Marquee 8110: 1200 lumens. Circa 1995-1998.
Marquee 8500: 1200 lumens. Circa 1995-1998. Adds astig controls that the 8000 and 8110 do not include, for slightly better corner focus. 

The 8500LC model adds liquid coupled tubes for even better contrast ratios and less halo'ing.

I do all of the mods (including anamorphic squeeze mod and the power supply mods) required to make the Marquees more versatile and reliable. I've sold lots of these in the past with great results.

I've also got a slew of new Marquee sets in as below, with 15 more on the way. Now, here's the scoop. I have a LOT of good used tubes for these sets. I will drop pricing significantly based on the actual Tube Condition (Wear). Also as a bonus, the new tubes are indeed NEW for the next short while, while I use up the supply of NEW tubes that I have. I've got buckets and buckets of Marquees in stock, with another 12 8500's coming in.

 

 

Quantity

Price (USD)

Marquee 8500:  This set has new G and B tubes in it from VDC with a red in excellent shape. I sold this set about 3 years ago, and it never got installed. It's still in the original crate that I shipped it in. I've fully tested the set, it's in the same great shape as when I sold it. 135 Khz scan rate, dual RGB input boards All mods have been done on this set as per all of the Marquees that I sell.

1 $3000.00
$2400.00


 Price Drop!


Make sure to check out our Products For Sale section on the website for tons of other projectors!

Visit our CRT Projectors Discussion Forum to ask questions and get opinions from Curt other enthusiasts on the best setup for your home theater.

If you have any questions about one of these items or are interested in purchasing, please call Curt at (604) 514-1751 or email me at
curt@curtpalme.com. I accept PayPal in addition to money orders and bank transfers.


Curt Palme
Sound Solutions Inc
# 344-19567 Fraser Hwy.
Surrey, B.C.
V3S 9A4
(604) 514-1751
(604) 514-8934 (fax)
http://www.curtpalme.com/


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